Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2, Wii) Preview
Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 08.15.2006
KAMEHAMEHA!
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi was released last year to mixed reactions. Some people believed the game to be a natural step forward, while others considered it a total waste of time after the incredibly addictive Budokai 3. Now the Tenkaichi series is back with a vengeance with a Wii version tossed in for good measure. But how is the sequel addressing the issues of the first game? And how is the unorthodox Wii controller used in the game? Read on to find out.
First things first, Tenkaichi will have over 70 playable characters, including some characters from the original Dragon Ball anime and some characters who have never been playable before. Also characters will be able to transform mid fight, addressing one of the biggest issues of the last game. However, transformations seemed to be limited in the preview since Goku could only transform into two versions of his Super Saiyan alter ego. Also two on two fights have been added, in which you can switch between characters at the press of a button like in Marvel vs Capcom and similar games. Your team can also "Fuse" mid fight to form a more powerful fighter, like Gogeta and Gotrenks! Will all fighters be able to do this and form some weirdly cool combinations never before seen? We can only hope. Also all characters can be customized to a certain degree. How will this work is still under wraps, but we suppose it will mark the return of the capsule system from Budokai 3.
Your favorite DBZ fighters are back for more punishment!
The game's main single player mode will be Dragon Adventure. This mode has RPG characteristics as you can choose from a wide variety of "missions" in a map, head there, fight, level up and gain new skills. It is very flexible, allowing you to choose where to go next and even to stay in the same place and fight opponents over and over to level up. In addition to the fighting, you will be able to play minigames, interact with other characters, buy and sell items and much more, totaling over 60 hours of gameplay.
Ultimate Battle, the ranking mode from the last game, is back as well. It works like last time in which you fight a series of ranked CPU opponents to be #1. Opponents become progressively more difficult as you go up in rank. The game also has the expected training mode in addition to Dragon Battle, Tag Battle and Evolution Z, where you customize your character. The game also has a data center that can give you a password for your customized fighter, which you can share with friends so they can create the exact same character as yours.
Characters are still cel shaded, but the environments are not. Now they are photorealistic and look more real, which makes for a nice contrast from the characters. They can also be destroyed and modified by your attacks and huge blasts! You can literally destroy the world and fight in the rubble. The problematic camera from the first game has been modified and feels much more flexible and is no longer an issue most of the time.
OH WHAT A RUSH!
But how does the Wii controller come into play? The nunchaku controller is used to move your character, while the traditional Wii controller is used for attacking and defending. As you might expect, you can use the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities to great effect in the game. Your movements will be reflected as attacks and special moves, so striking a Kamehameha pose actually performs the attack! There was a small delay between your movement and the characters on screen, but this is expected to be tweaked before release. You can also plug in and use a Gamecube controller if you desire. The Wii feature sounds really cool and can be every DBZ fan's wet dream.
Tenkaichi 2 seems to be a big improvement from the previous game. The game is slated for a October release on the PS2 and some time later for the Wii.
