Review Update

[xyzzysqrl]

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 review is up.

For people who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they will like.

Tired. Bed.

Comments

Sugoi!

[seawasp]

Got this for Christmas for the boys and me. Glad to hear it will kick more ass than Budoukai 2. (Flying was one of the major "why the hell was this NOT in the game" problems from the prior ones)

Be interested to see how well they do the RPGish section. I personally would like to see a DBZ RPG done well.

Re: Sugoi!

[xyzzysqrl]

The RPGish section is... really just kind of a way to go from one clearly marked fight to another, but it's set up so you can roam about the world (which, since you can fly at hypersonic speeds, takes like ten second per circuit) and seek out shiny little dots on the map to prod at.

Really, it's not bad at all. Unfortunately, you can't fly on demand in battle, you can only fly if whoever you're fighting is at a higher level than you. The teleporting and pursuit attacks kinda make up for that though.

I can answer more specific questions, if you have any. (For that matter, can you answer some of mine? Like, who exactly ARE Broly and Bardock? They come off as weird alternate character designs, but I suspect they're villian-of-the-week types from movies I just never saw?)

Re: Sugoi!

[seawasp]

The RPGish section is... really just kind of a way to go from one clearly marked fight to another, but it's set up so you can roam about the world (which, since you can fly at hypersonic speeds, takes like ten second per circuit) and seek out shiny little dots on the map to prod at.

Well, at least a bit more flexible than the so-called story mode on #2.

Really, it's not bad at all. Unfortunately, you can't fly on demand in battle, you can only fly if whoever you're fighting is at a higher level than you. The teleporting and pursuit attacks kinda make up for that though.

Darn it, that's still just plain stupid. It's no harder to give us the third dimension on demand. Especially when the SNES versions had the third dimension a-plenty, and better RPGs, too. And DBZ: Legends had the third dimension and mix-it-up fighting.


I can answer more specific questions, if you have any. (For that matter, can you answer some of mine? Like, who exactly ARE Broly and Bardock? They come off as weird alternate character designs, but I suspect they're villian-of-the-week types from movies I just never saw?)


Buroli ("Broccoli") was the son of Paragus ("Asparagus") in the 8th DBZ movie; He is supposed to be the REAL "Densetsu no Supaa-Saiyajin" (Legendary Super Saiyajin) and whips the butt of the entire Z team with one hand tied behind his back, until they all channel their power into Goku directly. It's a clear salute to the Saint Seiya movies (right down to the "Goku..." "Goku..." "Goku..." "Piccolo-San!" mirroring the "Seiya..." "Seiya..." "Seiya..." "Niiiisan!").

Bardock (same name) was supposedly Goku's older (twin) brother, who goes around planting this super-parasitic tree (tree of might) that drains all the energy from a planet and concentrates it into the fruits, making the eater super-powerful. Third movie.

I'd like to see the villains from the SECOND movie. Are they in there? (Dr Wheel and Dr. Coach)?

Re: Sugoi!

[xyzzysqrl]

Nope. They seem to have left out a couple of characters. Yajarobe's not playable, neither of those guys. No Garlic Jr. No... uh...

...There's others, I'm sure.

Instead we get people like Uub, which is sorta neat.

Re: Sugoi!

[seawasp]

Well, Yajirobe hasn't ever been a playable as far as I know, and not all that many people would WANT to play him. The one who got short shrift for a while was Yamucha, who I always wanted to be playable and for a LONG time was not. I also like playing Kame-Senin, the Dirty Old Man.

My wish-list for a DBZ game would be:
Combat controls more like the SNES ones and less "chain-of-attacks". Or at least an option for that approach.
Japanese-language cutscenes and dialogue left in. Subtitle instead. At least give it to me as an option, you've got a friggin' DVD to work with.
Flight, please.
Real RPG potential. Dragon World is complex enough to design a seriously interesting RPG around -- with new characters, even. I could DESIGN that one. It would be majorly fun.