Super Dragon Ball Z

The cell shading looks fantastic given the PS2 graphics. The button combinations are very similar to Street fighter with a much appreciated 8-directional movement mechanic. The inputs come out nice and crisp and the whole game flows very well. Its not to fast and none of the characters fell weaker or slower than the others. Its definitely a "new to fighting games" friendly game. One of the better old gen fighters I've played in a long time. Highly recommend.

It's a shame this game wasn't popular, it is the best DBZ fighting of it's time overlooked because of it's small roster, limited game modes, and difficulty to master with it's steep learning curve. Super DBZ is an attempt at a legitimate fighting game with some quirky aspects, like creating character cards and leveling up your fighters card with unique special moves and skill traits. I thought it was an interesting mechanic to me, for others this might not be as appealing and some players may be down right confused. Dragon Ball fans praise DBZ Budokai and Tenkaichi for the robust roster and insane super moves and how easy it is to just pick up and play, but what Super DBZ has is depth, an intricate combo system, and wide variety of characters with different character archetypes. Where the Budokai and Tenkaichi games fall off for me is that all characters play the same. You hit the same buttons for every character to do similar things and there is no difference in play style. Super DBZ has the grappler character Android 16, who wants to put fear into the opponent and try to open them up for a grab or a heavy string of strong hits into a super. They have zoners like Krillin who controls the area around him to make his opponent to approach from a bad angle to try and make an opening. Super DBZ has a ton of variety, and once you get past the skill wall you start to feel accomplished, you have a better understanding of the game, it's that feeling that gives the player the drive to play fighting games. PROS: +Tight Controls +Deep Complex Combat +Unique Skill Tree +Fun and Dynamic Combo System +Amazing Art Direction +Great Soundtrack Neutral: ≠Character Cards can be confusing ≠Game is technical and can be hard to understand for new players CONS: -Not a lot of single player modes -No in game tutorial In the end Super DBZ was a hidden gem overlooked and shadowed by the success of DBZ Budokai/Tenkaichi. It is an underrated classic and I still come back and play it with my friends with my friends since I discovered it back in 2014. I'd say to give it a shot if you're a DBZ fan or if you are a fighting game fan in general. Verdict: 10/10 P.S. Check out Super DBZ tournament videos on youtube to see what the game is all about.