TWO-ON-TWO DRAGON BALL ACTION!!! MEH, I’M GONNA GET A SANDWICH…

Another year, another Dragon Ball Z game is presented to us. Now with the prospect of incredible tag-team matches that promise hours of fast paced and frantic action that gives the series the much-needed push into ‘old series that have re-awakened’ category. A ton of characters and big, open world battles are sure to appear, will you want to take the ride? Click the link to find out!

If you’ve played a Dragon Ball Z game before, it’s all here once again: colorful, crisp graphics with epic battles that take place a mile above the ground. An accessible battle system makes it easy for gamers of all types to pick up and start pummeling the competition (thank god for auto-lock on). The 70 character roster gives players plenty of fodder for the shiny-new Tag-Team addition. Tag team battles are just what the series needed. Not only do you strategically have to plan for dealing with two separate, fast moving targets; but also how to properly coordinate with your partner. This can make for some of the most exciting battles seen in the series. The ‘Dragon Walker’ story mode is fun if not a tad short. The ability to earn points is of course here. In the shop – various items abound that decrease the amount of Ki used during battles, increase attack, defense and the like (which is always fun for the OCD crowd that need everything the game has to offer). A decent chunk of time can be eaten up with everything offered here.

If you’ve played a Dragon Ball Z game before it’s all here once again. This is the also the Achilles heel of Tenkaichi. Tag team battles aside, you’ve been down this road before. There is literally nothing new here outside of the obvious. The combat shows its age and feels sadly shallow. 70 characters is pointless when all the battles feel the same. Then there is the immensely confusing and frustrating tutorial system. When a game names its own combat moves, reversals and the like, why would you give a friggin’ TEXT tutorial with no association with actually performing the moves. It’s like jabbering off a bunch of random words and then saying ‘FIGHT!!’ afterward. Was an actual hands-on tutorial too much to ask for? Really?! Storyline is recycled…again. You show me even one person who REALLY wants to go through the Saiyan, Freiza, Majin Buu sagas again and I will show you a coma patient waking up after a twenty-year nap. Sound is par for the course…goodie. And as usual the camera struggles to keep up with the action. But seeing as how this is an old game with something new slapped across its face, it’s no surprise.

When it all boils down, Tenkaichi Tag Team is just another yawn of a DBZ game that’s fun for a short while. After that, it will be another unplayed game on a dusty shelf. It’s a damn shame. The series has shown little progress in past releases. I never understand how a series can bounce around so much in terms of quality. Why miss the opportunity to revitalize the series with tag team battles AND a redesigned combat system? Only hardcore Dragon Ball fans need apply, but even then they should watch out. Sorry Saiyen Super-fans.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]