Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
- September 14, 2004 18:23 PM PST
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Story mode details unveiled--and now you can fly both in and outside of battles.
Bandai recently showed us an updated build of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 from our October issue of GamePro magazine (issue # 193), giving more gameplay and story details for the fighting/action game.Breaking the franchise convention and listening to longtime fans, characters now have the ability to fly (in the previous build, the characters couldn't)--though somewhat limited. When dashing backwards or forwards (yes, you can now dash backwards), hitting up or down on the directional keypad allows you to float up or down, bringing the game even closer to the feel of the anime and manga series. Characters still won't be able to jump or float up while not moving horizontally, however, but fans will nonetheless appreciate the tweak.
Characters are also more differentiated from previous games in the series. For example, Piccolo's arms now extend Dhalsim-esque in regular punch attacks--offering a new angle of gameplay and strategy from previous Budokai titles. With the "Saiyan Overdrive System," players have to face the added challenge of overcoming Teleportation counters (called Mikiwame in Japanese) and Pursuit attacks. And yet as playing the game revealed, Budokai still has a generous learning curve. "Of all the Budokais, this one is the easiest to play," says 'Master Fu' Fujimoto, producer at Bandai.
The story mode will be a welcome change from Budokai 2, with a more direct interaction with your character. Unlike the Dragon World mode in Budokai 2, the Dragon Universe mode in Budokai 3 now has players explore the map in full 3D with their character, flying around and looking for special points of interests and enemies to engage. Players will fly and search for different energy levels--possibly giving you the option of choosing your battles with lesser peons such as the pesky Saibamen.
The most compelling change is the Z-point system, which allows players to build up and customize their own Dragonball character's attributes--reminiscent to characters getting stronger in battles in Famicom's Dragonball: Mystery of Shenron. Getting stronger by winning battles is a core theme of the Dragonball manga and animated series, and its addition is a logical one for Budokai 3. The attributes you can build up are Vital, Ki, Attack, Guard, Arts, Ability, and Com (AI). "If you wanted, you could build a character with really strong defense, or one with an impossibly skilled AI," says Fujimoto.
As the game progresses along, it's continually looking better--particle effects have been further updated with little tweaks, such as dust and dirt pluming from fighters being dragged against the ground--small touches that add to the already beautiful visuals.
With the changes to gameplay and a more enthralling story mode, it'll easily be one of the best Dragon Ball Z fighting game to date. For more, check out our in-depth coverage in GamePro Magazine, available in newsstands now.
