Given all the nostalgia that has been flying around the gaming world over the last several years, it’s never genuinely shocking when a title from the past makes a return. That is, unless it’s a title that no one would’ve expected to get a reboot, a remake, or a continuation. Yesterday was the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, and there was no indication that something big would be announced at it. It seemed like it would simply be another event. Then, a special trailer dropped that announced a new Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi game was in development!
For those who weren’t around when the games first arrived or never had a chance to play them, the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi line was the definitive experience for those who loved the anime. It was an intense fighting game experience that let you play as your favorite Z-Fighter or villain and battle it in insane fights. The games were 2D in their fighting style, but they had tight 3D graphics that made you feel like you were battling in the anime. The over-the-shoulder perspective was fun and helped add depth to your attacks too. Plus, these games had fully stuffed rosters full of characters so you could enact whatever fights you wanted, which fans used to the fullest.
To most fans, there were only three games in the series. We say that because the main three titles are revered in many forms. Then there was a portable game that was so bad that fans refuse to talk about it. So make of that what you will.
You can watch the reveal trailer below:
The most significant part of this announcement is that it’s been 15 years since the franchise’s last entry. During that time, the franchise expanded into two different, yet very popular, directions that helped keep the gaming side of the universe going. The first was with the Dragon Ball Xenoverse games that adapted the anime and manga story to deliver a multiversal story still happening today.
Then there was Dragon Ball FighterZ, which easily became the most-beloved video game to adapt the anime.
So it will be interesting to see if Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi will stand out from these two and whether the new game can live up to the legacy of the previous titles. Or whether it will simply be a modern take on a classic style of play. Only time will tell.
