Character roster in DBZ fighting games

[Piccolo Daimao]

In fighting games, it's seen as good to have a somewhat modest character roster to balance out each character's fighting styles and advantages/disadvantages--to have general individuality. We know that, in Dragon Ball Z fighting games, they seem to have larger character rosters than the more traditional fighters, and, as a result, some believe that most or all of the characters play the same (specifically in the Tenkaichi series, which are known for having big rosters, Tenkaichi 3 in particular).

But in DBZ fighting games, it's almost as if they need to have somewhat large character rosters because of the amount of fighters in the series. And without those characters, some of them favourites among some fans, fans will be unable to play out their ideal match-ups and feel that the game is lacking, say, if you've not got a character such as Majin Vegeta (who is probably a popular character among fans). Also, referring to a discussion on the "Removing story mode in future DBZ fighting games" thread, if there is to be a story mode (as in, Saiyan Arc - Boo Arc), DBZ fighting games may need a lot of characters for the story to make sense. However, if story mode was gone, there wouldn't be this problem.

What are your thoughts?

[Rocketman]

For the Tenkaichi series, more is better. The games are Dragonball simulators, not fighting games, so the whining of fighting game fans should not register.

[IncompetentOverlord]

I agree with Rocketman. If anything, Sparking! Meteor is guilty of not having enough characters for it's game type. They should lose all fighting game pretenses and just dump in SP(Super Pig) Oolong, Garlic Jr.'s minions, Enma, and 5 versions of Ranfuan. As for the regular fighting games, I think that Budokai 3 has an ideal roster. Just add one or two more characters in each game for that series and you're gold, as long as the gameplay is updated.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

For the Tenkaichi series, more is better. The games are Dragonball simulators, not fighting games, so the whining of fighting game fans should not register.

Uh, Dragon Ball simulators? I've heard of fighting games and shooting games as genres but not Dragon Ball simulators.

[VegettoEX]

For the Tenkaichi series, more is better. The games are Dragonball simulators, not fighting games, so the whining of fighting game fans should not register.

Uh, Dragon Ball simulators? I've heard of fighting games and shooting games as genres but not Dragon Ball simulators.

It was coined as a sub-genre descriptor back for the 1996 release of Idainaru Doragonbôru Densetsu on the PS1/Saturn (and retroactively applied, usually, to 1994's Idainaru Gokû Densetsu on the PC-Engine).

Just as with music, movies, and any other form of entertainment, general-level genres get further broken down by their enthusiast fanbase. For these types of games that are not standard 2D fighters or even traditional 3D fighters, they developed into "DBZ Simulators" to further describe their frantic, free-roaming style of game play. Of course they're all still "fighting games" on a base level (two characters hit each other until one loses), but with how much the genre has evolved, the super-hardcore fans can't honestly call something like Super Butôden a "fighter" the same way Sparking! METEOR is a "fighter".

[NECPS]

It is important to have diferent fighting styles and a vast cast of fighters.
So it is normal to group a couple of fighters with specific kind of moves
and another group into another style. It becomes hard to increase the
number os characters if you have diferent moves for each of.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

but with how much the genre has evolved, the super-hardcore fans can't honestly call something like Super Butôden a "fighter" the same way Sparking! METEOR is a "fighter".

Yeah, one is 3D and one is 2D, there is no need to use the word Dragon Ball simulator, it just sounds weird.

[The S]

Gosh, it's still a fighting game. It's just a sub-genre, that more or less sits in the same category as Virtual On.

As for rosters, I'd like to see more variety rather than vastly increasing numbers. Unless you count SS3 Vegeta and Broly, the last two console games didn't add any new characters. As much as DB Evolution sucked, it at least accomplished this.