Given how popular theDragon BallIP is, it’s no surprise that several developers have tried their hardest tomake competent gamesbased on this franchise. The results have been a mixed bag, but players love the idea of playing action RPGs, fighting games, and anything else along the same lines that lets players control their favoriteDragon Ballcharacters in larger-than-life battles.
However, given the sheer number ofDragon Ballgames on the market, it’s only a given that some of these titles can be rather odd and don’t seem like a great fit for the series. In some instances, these games end up surprising players with their fun gameplay — or serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy, as they fail to wow the masses and end up being hated and forgotten in the grand scheme of things.
PlayersloveThe Legacy of Goku 2andBuu’s Fury, considering them to be some of the best action RPGs featuring belovedDragon Ballcharacters. However, the same love isn’t afforded to the first game in the series, and players who checked this game out of curiosity know exactly why this is the case.Dragon Ball Zis a series about power fantasies where Goku and the other characters engage in death-defying battles that are incredible to behold. However,The Legacy of Gokudisgraces this selling point with one of the worst introductions in video game history.
Goku must punch numerous snakes outside his house to gain a few levels if they don’t want to be devoured by a single wolf, and even that not may be enough. This potentially makes this incarnation of Goku the weakest he’s ever been, which is highly unusual. There’s no reason why a version of Goku at the start ofDragon Ball Z’s timeline is weaker than Kid Goku, who could’ve taken out massive dinosaurs without any problems — let alone lowly wolves. Thankfully, the modest success of this game led to the sequels boasting a higher budget, letting them improve the art style and gameplay in spades.
4Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu
An RPG With A Card-Battling System That Is Surprisingly Fun
A lot of things come to mind when players talk about an action-packedDragon Ballgame, but the last thing that comes to mind is a title thatfocuses on battles with cards. This is precisely what makesDragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsuone of the most unique titles in the series, and it helps that the presentation of this title is good enough for players to buy into this gameplay loop. Players control numerous characters across familiarDragon Ball Zstories, collecting cards that aid them in movement and battle.
It’s a surprisingly fun RPG that doesn’t take too long for players to get the hang of how things work. The sprite work is amazing and does a great job of making the player’s attacks feel amazing to unleash. Improving one’s guard and using damage cards with high numbers is imperative to attain victory, and players will love the faithful take on the story ofDragon Ball Z —including a fair bit of filler to pad things out without being too egregious.
While turn-based JRPGs can be a joy to play through, not all IPs can necessarily benefit from this combat loop. This is a complaint that players would have when it comes toDragon Balltoo, so it’s impressive to see how much funAttack of the Saiyansis. It’s arguablyone of the betterDragon Ballgamesthat players can check out — as long as they don’t mind controlling characters who aren’t relevant in the series' modern run, like Yamcha and Tien.
It’s a puzzling game to recommend, but fans who don’t mind playing one of the more experimentalDragon Ballgames around will love whatAttack of the Saiyansbrings to the table. There’s enough to the combat to keep players engaged for the majority of its run, with players reaching the end of its story after the Saiyan Saga is completed.
2Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect
One Of The Worst And Most Bizarre DBZ Games Of All Time
The Kinect was pushed as the next big thing in motion gaming, and this was true to an extent. However, its applications were pretty limited at the time, and what made things worse were games that billed themselves as fully-fledged experiences despite having a barebones gameplay loop. This is precisely why people couldn’t help but lambastDragon Ball Z: For Kinect, labeling it as a shameless cash grab — and rightfully so.
People were kidding themselves if they thought that this game made them feel like a Z Fighter trying to save the world. All they did was pose and punch the air asthe cinematics made it seemlike they were controlling a fighter battling for their life. It’s one of the weirdestDragon Ball Zgames of all time, serving as a laughingstock in the eyes of many and an example of how bad aDragon Ballgame could get.
When people think ofDragon Ballgames, the last thing they expect is to control a civilian on the run from a diabolical villain. So, it’s easy to see whyDragon Ball: The Breakersdeserves the moniker of being the weirdestDragon Ballgame players can get their hands on. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why this game exists, even if some people may find it interesting to try andoutsmart an iconic villain from the serieswho is hunting them down around a massive map.
Players can find ways to stun a villain who is hunting them down, finding a safe spot to hide, or sneaking around to gather the Dragon Balls to give them the means to fight back against the Raider who’s out for their blood. It’s an odd idea for aDragon Ballgame that’s a hard sell, but superfans can still check this game out to either feel like a victim or a heinous villain as they hunt down innocent civilians and snuff their lives out in a flash.
