Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 for Wii: It's Hard Not to Recommend

I've played every console Dragonball Z to be released in America to date. And with each iteration, more characters are introduced and the gameplay gradually improves and becomes more refined. This title is no exception.

In Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2, you fight one-on-one battles with your opponents by having the camera fixed over your fighter's shoulder. Now this may seem like an awkward angle for a fighting game, but it works well and does a great job of making you feel like you are in the shoes of the character you have chosen. The battles are fought in gigantic landscapes with many destructible objects to knock your enemies into, giving each fight the epic feel that make DBZ battles so exciting.

There's no shortage of replay value here either, as there are but a small sample of characters available when you first start the game. The remaining roster of well over 100 characters is unlocked by playing through the single player game which not only spans the main DBZ sagas, but also most of the movies and the Dragonball GT series. The single player mode represented in this game is quite similar to the one in Dragonball Z Budokai 3 where you are given a map to navigate and can choose to fight optional battles, find dragonballs, or advance the story. It worked well then, and it works well now. In multi-player mode you can play in tournaments, team battles, or your standard one on one fights. One thing I've noticed about multi-player is that the game tends to lag during these types of games for whatever reason.

Considering that this is basically a port of the Playstation 2 version, the graphics are not going to blow anyone away. The characters are completely cel-shaded, much like in its preceding titles, which gives it an authentic anime feel. The characters' special attacks are also well animated and are executed in a very flashy and dramatic flair. As battles progress, the characters suffer "battle damage" when their health depletes, so you can physically tell when they are starting to get weak.

The sounds are what you would expect from an anime based title. The characters are voiced by their respective english voice actors, which can be considered a benefit or a downfall depending on who you're asking. The various sound effects seem like they were lifted directly from the show, which definately adds to the game's atmosphere. These range from Super Saiyans powering up to energy attacks to even that funny sound characters make when they are launched long distances!

The controls in this game are well executed and offer enough configurations to where everyone should be satisfied. The game can be played with either a standard Gamecube controller, or the Wii remote/nunchuk combination. I find the latter to be the most fun, although the learning curve is a bit steep. One has to be conscious of where the cursor is onscreen as this dictates what moves you can do and controls when you block attacks. Also, the nunchuk will control your movement forward and backward, so players also have to watch where this is being aimed as well. Holding down the right combination of buttons will enter you into a "free action" mode which will allow you to mimic the special attacks of your favorite characters. An example of this is Goku's infamous Kamehameha, which you can do by bringing your hands back and then moving them forward really quickly. Any DBZ fan will fall in love with this feature alone as it makes you feel much closer to the action.

With a lengthy single player game, hundreds of characters, and several multi-player modes, it's hard not to recommend this game. Dragonball Z fans, and even fighting game fans will find something to enjoy from this game as it is one of the best launch titles available for the Nintendo Wii. So eat your Senzu Beans, grab your Wii remote, and prepare to power up for the best DBZ game to date!