Greatest DBZ games of all time?

[Weejus]

1: Budokai 3
2: Super Dragon Ball Z
3: Hyper Dimension (this NEEDS a remake/online rerelease)

EDIT: Swapped Super DBZ and Hyper Dimension

[GS7X7]

You know, it'd be pretty awesome if the Kanenzhuu fanbase ever got together and built their own DBZ rpg in RPG Maker.

What better to build a game the fans love then by having the fans build the game themselves?

[Ringworm128]

Sparking Meteor/BT3. It might not be perfect but it's the best if you want a game that let's you feel like you're playing the series.

[Weejus]

Sparking Meteor/BT3. It might not be perfect but it's the best if you want a game that let's you feel like you're playing the series.

In my opinion, the only thing the Tenkaichi series has going for it is its character roster. The gameplay and overall feel was sloppy to me compared to the Budokais.

[Roland_ELoG]

I'm going to take the unpopular opinion and say that even the BEST of the best Dragon Ball Z games... are only kind of okay.

As competitive fighters, they're almost all a disaster. Budokai 3 comes the closest, I think, but it still doesn't offer the same tactical complexity as something like Street Fighter, and the Dragon Rushes happen far too much.

Even worse is Burst Limit, which is just a counter battle. There is no reason to ever fire ki blasts at your opponent because it gives them a free hit on you, and they get to teleport all the way over the arena to do so. When you start Burst Limit you have THREE characters unlocked at the start. THREE. Most fighting type games give you 2/3rds or so of the roster, and have you unlock bonus characters. Because the emphasis should be on the fighting. Burst Limit has an emphasis on the single player experience.

As for the Sparking series, it gets the closest to capturing the feel of fights in Dragon Ball Z. The inclusion of large scale movement, dashes, flying, etc makes it feel more like playing the show. The super moves are also much better because you're not using them from three feet away all the time, so they have time to leave an impression. The fighting style is less like dialing in combos, and more like chaining together sequences of movement; it's all very logical, and direct enough that you can tell how your button presses affect the fight.

But, as a fighting game, meh? The multiplayer component might as well not even exist. I'm trying to think of a Dragon Ball Z game that results in a fun local multiplayer experience, and I can't. Ultimate Tenkaichi is the obvious worst DBZ game to play with your friends, but are any of them all that fun?

Maybe if your entire group of players are big enough Dragon Ball fans that they don't care about the quality of the game, it'll work. Whenever I've tried playing these games with my friends, we quickly realize they're not up to par with, dare I say it, "real" fighting games. I still love them, but I don't think they're very good. If that makes any sense.

[Quebaz]

-SNIP-

I take it you never played Super DBZ?

[TheGmGoken]

I'm going to take the unpopular opinion and say that even the BEST of the best Dragon Ball Z games... are only kind of okay.

As competitive fighters, they're almost all a disaster. Budokai 3 comes the closest, I think, but it still doesn't offer the same tactical complexity as something like Street Fighter, and the Dragon Rushes happen far too much.


But, as a fighting game, meh? The multiplayer component might as well not even exist. I'm trying to think of a Dragon Ball Z game that results in a fun local multiplayer experience, and I can't. Ultimate Tenkaichi is the obvious worst DBZ game to play with your friends, but are any of them all that fun?

Not saying that this is the best source. But didn't Budokai 3 win Fighting game of the year or something like that?

[TheMightyOzaru]

Budokai 3 aside, I'm gonna have to agree and say most DBZ games are just mediocre. I like Sparking Meteor a lot but it did take quite a few step backs from Sparking Neo. The story, OST, and customization were faaaaar superior in Sparking Neo.

[Roland_ELoG]

-SNIP-

I take it you never played Super DBZ?

Why do you take that? Yes it may have a more fighting-game traditional combo system, but I still found it not to be that fun or competitive. Super DBZ wins big points for style, but that doesn't make it a great game.

Re: Budokai 3: Fighting game of the year from who? There is no unified game of the year committee, it's up to individual publications to decide their own personal favorites. And then again, if there was would you trust it? Think of the films that win Oscars. Yuck. I like Budokai 3, the fighting engine is the best of the Dimps games. As a single player experience it's good, borderline great. BUT it still lacks in the multiplayer aspect. Playing it with friends isn't that engaging, which is a problem given the obvious adversarial focus of 1-on-1 fighting games. Fighting the AI gets boring, and fighting your friends reveals a lack of balance and depth.


EDIT: If required I will take a picture of myself posing with my copy of Super DBZ. Not happily though.

[Quebaz]

Why do you take that? Yes it may have a more fighting-game traditional combo system, but I still found it not to be that fun or competitive. Super DBZ wins big points for style, but that doesn't make it a great game.

Re: Budokai 3: Fighting game of the year from who? There is no unified game of the year committee, it's up to individual publications to decide their own personal favorites. And then again, if there was would you trust it? Think of the films that win Oscars. Yuck. I like Budokai 3, the fighting engine is the best of the Dimps games. As a single player experience it's good, borderline great. BUT it still lacks in the multiplayer aspect. Playing it with friends isn't that engaging, which is a problem given the obvious adversarial focus of 1-on-1 fighting games. Fighting the AI gets boring, and fighting your friends reveals a lack of balance and depth.


EDIT: If required I will take a picture of myself posing with my copy of Super DBZ. Not happily though.

Well, you didn't metion it in your big post, so I took it that you never played it (And even then I disagree that It's not fun or competitive, but It's just my opinion).

Also, Budokai 3 is the most unbalanced DIMPS game, I mean, when of your roster doesn't have Ultimates simply because, then obviously there's something wrong. They kinda tried to fix that with IW, problem was, most of the new ultimates were SB2 style which clashed with the others

[Sshadow5001]

Here's a playlist of videos of people playing Super Dragonball Z

http://m.youtube.com/#/playlist?list=PLCC5BCE62C7AC561E

This is why I think it's the best Dragonball Fighting game ever released.

[Quebaz]

Here's a playlist of videos of people playing Super Dragonball Z

http://m.youtube.com/#/playlist?list=PLCC5BCE62C7AC561E

This is why I think it's the best Dragonball Fighting game ever released.

Nothing appears

[Sshadow5001]

Here's a playlist of videos of people playing Super Dragonball Z

http://m.youtube.com/#/playlist?list=PLCC5BCE62C7AC561E

This is why I think it's the best Dragonball Fighting game ever released.

Nothing appears

Huh...lemme try this again
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCC5BCE62C7AC561E

[TheMightyOzaru]

I certainly think it's neat how differently the characters play in SDBZ, but the combos don't look like anything spectacular. I mean, I've juggled people for much longer in Raging Blast 2. The game is also a lot faster paced and has more content, which is why I prefer sparking styled games to a traditional DBZ fighter. Here's a combo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orv_F1c64vM (Raging Blast 2 Death Combos)

[Quebaz]

I certainly think it's neat how differently the characters play in SDBZ, but the combos don't look like anything spectacular. I mean, I've juggled people for much longer in Raging Blast 2. The game is also a lot faster paced and has more content, which is why I prefer sparking styled games to a traditional DBZ fighter. Here's a combo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orv_F1c64vM (Raging Blast 2 Death Combos)

You also need to take note how these combos would work in a real match both offline and online, I'm pretty sure most people can't pull that off out of the training mode (also, how god that follow-up system has been so exploited xDD).
This is where SDBZ shines, because Sparkings games while fun, can only be taken into a "deep" level in single-player (same can be said with the Budokai series, but I still need to see some pro matches to judge it better), coz seriously, that's the worst case of hit-confirm I've ever seen xDD.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I certainly think it's neat how differently the characters play in SDBZ, but the combos don't look like anything spectacular. I mean, I've juggled people for much longer in Raging Blast 2. The game is also a lot faster paced and has more content, which is why I prefer sparking styled games to a traditional DBZ fighter. Here's a combo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orv_F1c64vM (Raging Blast 2 Death Combos)

You also need to take note how these combos would work in a real match both offline and online, I'm pretty sure most people can't pull that off out of the training mode (also, how god that follow-up system has been so exploited xDD).
This is where SDBZ shines, because Sparkings games while fun, can only be taken into a "deep" level in single-player (same can be said with the Budokai series, but I still need to see some pro matches to judge it better), coz seriously, that's the worst case of hit-confirm I've ever seen xDD.

I've gotten away with death combos online actually. Yeah, the opponent kinda sucked, but death combos are possible outside training mode. I would like to know though, can you vanish out of combos in SDBZ? If not, I'd say that's a major flaw with it's gameplay.

[Quebaz]

I've gotten away with death combos online actually. Yeah, the opponent kinda sucked, but death combos are possible outside training mode. I would like to know though, can you vanish out of combos in SDBZ? If not, I'd say that's a major flaw with it's gameplay.

Nope, you can't. I wouldn't say It's a major flaw tho, since most Fighting Games have it this way, besides, most of the combos you will be able to pull off in a match are going to be short since you won't have your Power/the other meter to pull off the big ones. (Also the fact that they are dificult to do.)
Also on the fact that it's not how big the combo is but how damage it pulls, since Super DBZ and the Budokai series have damage scalling, lenghty combos are the secondary option.

[dbzfan7]

Maybe Budokai 1 deserves the number 1 spot. After all it finally told us the story of the real hero of the Cell Games

[Roland_ELoG]

I've heard it said that the Dimps games are better than the Spike games because the characters are different... but are they?

Most fighting games have totally different combos for characters, but the Budokai games have some pretty basic shit. Punch combo, kick combo, combo that ends with a ridiculously fast and ridiculously close range Kamehameha. (Or, say it with me now: "Explosivedemonwave!")

Super DBZ does have unique character combos, which means you have to learn your character. You have to learn the characters to a very minor extent in the Sparking series, since their smash attacks and rush limits behave slightly differently, but yeah they all basically play the same. Still, a lot of the longer juggle combos in SDBZ feel accidental, like stunlocks or other bullshit. Repeating the same move over and over but fast enough to make it into a combo. And adding flight is always going to make the game feel wonky.

I guess the problem is in making Dragon Ball Z into a "real fighting game." You can probably do it, as Super DBZ proves, but then it stops feeling like Dragon Ball Z. It'd be like a Matrix fighting game. You'd have to put guns in it, and super jumping, and soon enough it starts to look weird. Super attacks in Dragon Ball Z have almost always been apocalyptic things, not something you bust out at the end of a combo.

[TheMightyOzaru]

I've gotten away with death combos online actually. Yeah, the opponent kinda sucked, but death combos are possible outside training mode. I would like to know though, can you vanish out of combos in SDBZ? If not, I'd say that's a major flaw with it's gameplay.

Nope, you can't. I wouldn't say It's a major flaw tho, since most Fighting Games have it this way...

That's why I don't like most traditional fighting games. Being able to get out of a combo with well timed button presses should be a staple in all fighting games. Being juggled with no chance of getting out is pretty annoying.