Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden

This page is incomplete. Kanzenshuu wiki team members are aware that they must edit this page to add missing information and complete it.

Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden
"Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden" Title Screen
ドラゴンボールZ　超武闘伝 Doragon Bōru Zetto　Sūpā Butōden
Release Date	20 March 1993
Genre	Fighting
Price	¥?,??? + tax
Developer	TOSE Software
Music Composer(s)	Kenji Yamamoto
Playable Characters	13
Copies Shipped	#.## million

Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden ("Dragon Ball Z: Super Martial Arts Legend") is the Dragon Ball franchise's first fighting game, and first in line of a series of Butōden-branded games released throughout the franchise's history. The game's story and roster reflects the era of the original manga and television series of the time, focusing on the Freeza and Cell arcs.

Battles are held on a 2D field with the ability to dash in or out, as well as fly up into the air or back down to the ground at will. In addition to basic attacks such as punches, kicks, and energy blasts, players can perform special moves via specific button combinations, as well as super moves via similar button combinations with sufficient energy gathered.

Like other Dragon Ball video games of its era, Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden is presumed to have been developed by TOSE Software for Bandai.

The Super Butōden series is generally referred to by name in its untranslated form (adapting the English word "Super" from its Japanese incarnation of Sūpā, and leaving Butōden untranslated). The "Butōden" brand name was used untranslated as such for the international release of Extreme Butōden on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015; similar marketing was done with words such as Budōkai on other generations of consoles.

Game Modes

• Story (ストーリー Sutōrī ): story mode
• Battle (対戦 Taisen): 1P VS CPU, 1P VS 2P
• Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament (天下一武道会 Tenka'ichi Budōkai): tournament mode
• Options (オプション Opushon): game options and adjustments

Playable Characters

Sprite	Name	Form	Notes	Status
	Son Goku	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	Piccolo	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	Vegeta	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	Freeza	Fourth Form / Full Power	n/a	Immediately selectable
	No. 20	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	No. 18	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	Cell	First Form	n/a	Immediately selectable
	No. 16	n/a	n/a	Immediately selectable
	Son Goku	Super Saiyan	n/a	Requires unlock
	Vegeta	Super Saiyan	n/a	Requires unlock
	Trunks	Super Saiyan	n/a	Requires unlock
	Son Gohan	Super Saiyan	n/a	Requires unlock
	Cell	Perfect	n/a	Requires unlock

Stages

• TBD

Codes & Secrets

Character select screen following a correct code input, with both Son Goku and Broli unlocked as playable characters

Additional Playable Characters

TBD

Debug Mode

TBD

Merchandise

Arranged Soundtrack

A single-disc arranged soundtrack (FMCC-5011), Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden Game Music, was released 27 March 1993 for ¥?,??? (tax-included) spanning thirteen tracks. The composition/arrangement is credited to Kenji Yamamoto, with ...

Track	Title	Length
1	(Opening) Super Butōden Theme	#:##
2	(Battle Stage 1) Piccolo's Theme	#:##
3	(Battle Stage 2) Vegeta's Theme	#:##
4	(Battle Stage 3) Freeza's Theme	#:##
5	(Battle Stage 4) Artificial Human No. 20's Theme	#:##
6	(Battle Stage 5) Artificial Human No. 18's Theme	#:##
7	Continue Theme	#:##
8	(Battle Stage 6) Cell's Theme	#:##
9	(Battle Stage 7) Artificial Human #16's Theme	#:##
10	(Battle Stage 8) Cell's Perfect-Form Theme	#:##
11	Final Battle Theme	#:##
12	(Ending) Toward a New Battle	#:##
13	(???) Super Butōden: ?'s Theme	#:##

A version of this soundtrack with alternate instrumentation of each song was released in France.

Guide Book

Cover of the Super Butōden 2 guide book

A guide book released under the V-Jump Guide Books Game Series was released 25 January 1994 covering the game's controls, strategy, story, etc.

The final 16 pages in the book initially come enclosed and can be opened at their perforated edge. These pages reveal the secret codes for unlocking the additional characters, high speed mode, tiny characters, etc. The last page in the book showcases Son Goten and Trunks from the final arc of the original series with the text 次はボクたちの出番だね！！ ("Tsugi wa bokutachi no debanda ne! !", "We're up next!!"), teasing their inclusion in the forthcoming Super Butōden 3.

Releases

Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden was originally released on the Nintendo Super Famicom 20 March 1993. As with most Nintendo Super Famicom games, the game comes packaged in a cardboard box meant to be stood vertically. The plastic packaging inside holds the game cartridge, while the instruction manual and promotional material slide in and fit on top.

The game was released as a separate download in conjunction with the Nintendo Switch edition of Dragon Ball FighterZ on 27 September 2018 in Japan as a first-pressing bonus item. This version of the game had a new musical score composed and inserted, replacing the original by Kenji Yamamoto. This altered version was also used — untranslated — as the international pre-order and first-pressing bonus.

International Releases

Title screen from the game's French localization, La Légende Saien

A French localization of Super Butōden 2 was released under the title Dragon Ball Z: La Légende Saien ("The Saiyan Legend") in 1994. The release is notable for its numerous grammatical issues and strange, new character names (e.g., Broli is "Tara"; Bojack is "Kujila"; Zangya is "Aki"). Son Goku and Broli are immediately selectable as playable characters; no secret input code is necessary.

Domestic Media Coverage

• V-Jump, October 1993 issue, "ビッグタイトル疾風怒濤５大情報！！"
• TBD

Commercials & Trailers

• TBD

International Media Coverage

• Electronic Gaming Monthly, October 1993 issue, "Import Preview: Dragon Ball Z 2"
• TBD

Legacy

Several pieces of music from Super Butōden 2 later made their way into subsequent video games; Son Gohan's piano-based theme reappeared in Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 (played at a much faster pace), while Trunks' theme appeared in a remixed form in Super Butōden 3 alongside its respective character.

Additional Notes

On the initial black screen, players hear an audible quote of Son Goku speaking ("Omae no debanda, Gohan!" or "It's your turn, Gohan!", a line originally from chapter 403 of the manga), referencing the general time placement and cast of characters available in the game.

The number "13" printed on the game's box indicates its 13th place in line of Bandai games published on the Nintendo Super Famicom.

In 2016's Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary: Super History Book, game producer Toshihiro Suzuki stated that the development team only took one week off between the completion of the first Super Butōden and commencing work on the second. At that time, they received their first draft illustrations from Toei Animation, and began working on an increased number of background stages compared to the first game, along with the Butōden mode's adventure elements. During this period of receiving illustrations from Toei, a request was also received to put an emphasis on movie characters, leading to Broli and Bojack (along with Zangya) making their way into the game as playable characters. Suzuki also notes that original author Akira Toriyama himself had difficulty performing characters' special moves in the first game, and so the inputs were made easier to perform in the sequel. With regard to the game being included as a bonus download alongside Extreme Butōden on the Nintendo 3DS, Suzuki stated he was happy to see it selected, and enjoyed playing it again himself while reminiscing.

Game Credits

Original Nintendo Super Famicom box

• Executive Producer: 平野 雄二
• Chief Producer: 宮河 恭夫
• Producer: Toshihiro Suzuki
• Chief Director: 島田 晋作
• Coordinator: 飛天 一助
• Game Design: 久保田 昭史, 田島 昭司, 清水 厚二, 竹花 欣也
• Programming: まるこ父, JCパジャマズ, まるこ
• Graphic Design: 玉井 裕和, 高橋 雅行, 荒井 翔子, M.柏木, ボージャック鈴木, ザンギャそば, TAKO仙人, 服部 大三郎
• Toei Animation: Kōzō Morishita, Sei'ichi Hiruta
• Scenario Draft: Takao Koyama, Sumio Uetake
• Sound Work: Kenji Yamamoto, SWITCH・E, Kumatarou
• Battle Character Base Drawings: Tadayoshi Yamamuro, Naoki Miyahara, Hideko Okimoto, Akemi Seki, Naotoshi Shida, Yukio Ebisawa, Kazuya Hisada, Tai'ichirō Ohara, Satoru Iriyoshi, Takashi Nashizawa
• Assistant Work: 渡辺 浩孝, 清水 泰臣, 磯貝 健夫, 金子 孝治, 麻生 佳子, 亀 えりか, 檜桓 賢一, どんきー