I have played my fair share of Dragon Ball Z games and I was very curious to try out a portable version of this well-populated franchise. Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team follows a long line of DBZ games that have been less than stellar, to say the least. What DBZ Tag Team brings to the table this time round is a high flying, fast paced, portable version of the Dragon Ball Z universe that throws multiple characters into the mix of their over-the-top planet shattering fisticuffs.
Dragon Balls to the Wall Action
If you have played a DBZ fighting game in the past, you know exactly what you are getting into. If you have not and this is your first experience in the DBZ universe then the fighting style may come off as exciting, but only for the first few battles. The main feature of the game that separates it from the rest of the pack is the fact that you can have not only one on one battles, but two on one and obviously paired fighting for a two on two bout. Having more characters within each battle is actually pretty neat as it adds to the depth of the game allowing you and your partner can pull off some pretty stellar tactics. Being able to combine your efforts allows for a multitude of crazy combined attacked that completely obliterate the other team. Of course, no DBZ game would be complete without this experience as this is the type of antics DBZ is known for (and people either love it or hate it) For a video game it works well, and the first few fights I was definitely getting into the action.
The tutorial suggests that there is quite a heavy learning curve in order to pull off most of the advanced move s, but it does a terrible job at demonstrating how to do so. Telling you how to perform the move is one thing, but the tutorial falls flat on showing how to actually do the move in game. Without a solid tutorial you are unable to witness the cool moves this game has to offer, unless you are on the receiving end of them since the computer player has no trouble performing in battle. This lack of guidance is paralyzing and it prevented me from learning the advanced techniques in the game, but don’t worry they actually don’t matter all that much.
Being able to throw a Super Saiyan Ultra Kame Ki Blast is quite the spectacle, but it is unnecessary as I was able to fight my way through most of the game using the basic attacks of punch, kick, and projectile while maneuvering my way around the environment with ease. With the success of the basic controls, it is nice to see that the game was very accessible and I have to give Namco Bandai credit for this because many fighting games do not boast this quality. The controls were surprisingly tight (for the PSP) and I could fly around my opponent to get a better position or dodge enemy attacks. Using the shoulder buttons to lock on to enemies and following this up with the analog stick, you can move closer or further away from your enemies depending on what style of fight you want to have.
Unfortunately the movement was really the only takeaway I had during the fights and the mechanics are worn-out and they have overstayed their welcome. It is time for the DBZ fighting games to take a look in the mirror and start to re-think their process if they want to compete in this next generation of fighting games. If you are a veteran to the series or someone totally new, I have to be honest and say that the fighting gets really stale, really fast.
Kamehamehamode…okay I get it already
In addition to the regular battles DBZ Tag Team has a number of game modes that you can explore. The main story mode is called ‘Dragon Walker’ where you move your chosen character around a world map and get into battles with various enemies. It goes through the whole DBZ lore timeline and you will find yourself fighting through the Saiyan Saga, the Frieza Saga, the Majin Buu Saga. If these mean nothing to you, then this is probably not your game anyways. Not that the writing of a Dragon Ball Z episode is Shakespeare, but the storytelling in this game is atrocious. I’m not one to point fingers at a fighting game’s story, but Tag Team had me shaking my head within the first five minutes.
The Battle 100 mode pits you against random enemies for a series of fights. It is a glorified arcade mode and is really handy for quick fights when you are on the go and don’t have time to journey through Dragon Walker mode and just want to get right into the action.
Survival mode is just what it says, survive. Fight your way through endless enemies until you either die, or can’t take it any longer.
The final mode, customization mode, acts as the game shop and allows you to spend points earned in the game proper. You can purchase items that increase your character stats like attack or defense, or improve your ability to use ki power (projectiles and ranged attacks), as well as give you some other bonuses. I spent most of my time in Dragon Walker as it definitely had the most to offer, but don’t expect anything special in terms of a storyline, just an immense cast of characters for you to beat up.
How Many Characters? Over 9000!
Another selling feature of the DBZ games that Tag Team adheres to is the staggering number of playable characters. Boasting over 70 characters in this iteration it contains one of the largest rosters of a fighting game, surpassing both Mortal Kombat and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Apparently everyone in the Dragon Ball Z cast trained under the same sensei, as it becomes fairly evident that the characters do not have much variation between each other and are mere palette swaps. Giving a false sense of distinction between the character set really left me with a shallow feeling because it didn’t matter who I picked – the game would play out the same every time.
On the flip side the graphics are something to look at and the cell shading does wonders on the PSP. The characters are smooth yet crisp and you can really distinguish each and every animation that happens. It is one of the nicest looking DBZ games and even PSP games (I may have a slight bias for cell shading) but they have really transformed the anime into living figures in this game.
It really comes down to style over substance with DBZ Tenkaichi Tag Team, but unfortunately the style is wearing thin after a 10th iteration of their fighting game.
Verdict
Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team is an attempt to put a new paint job on an old car. The depth just is not there and there is no attempt to innovate on the other titles in the DBZ timeline. Being able to team up with 3 other friends is pretty limited by the Ad-Hoc compatibility of the PSP and the fact that it is still the same tired old fighting mechanics the series has given us many times before. Tenkaichi Tag Team attempts to give the player a sense of diversity and depth but in the most superficial way possible. Being able to utilize the amazing powers of the DBZ universe is only fulfilling for so long and the repetition and primitive combat will turn all but the most hardcore DBZ fans away.