Do you know what a saiyan is? Do you know which super saiyan transformation gives the long hair? Do you know the differences between the various incarnations of Buu? If so, do I have a game for you! And if not, well then do I have a game for you! With more than 120 characters and one of the longest story modes in a fighter yet, you'll have quite a lot to keep you busy with Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2.

THE STORY SO FAR
As said, Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (DBZ from here on) has one of the longest and deepest fighting game stories I've ever played. Basically, from beginning to end, you'll play out all the major Dragonball Z sagas and the movies, meaning you'll have played almost the entire franchise from beginning to end. Told through narration and in-game cinematics with the real voice actors reprising their roles for their characters, it feels exactly like watching a playable episode of the anime unfold.

There are some inherent flaws with the story mode though, because if you are familiar with the manga or anime, you know a lot of the series is about fighting, and losing, and then ultimately coming through at the very end. Now, a game where you have to lose every single time to advance wouldn't be much fun or any count, so many times you'll have to win a bout, and no matter if you whupped them easily or not, if the story calls for you to have lost, after the match and during the cutscene it will either say you lost or show you. Another problem is that some of the more major story points are left out, such as not showing a spirit bomb defeating Frieza or failing to reference other key points that only fans will know are missing.

GAMEPLAY
Here is what makes DBZ ultimately one of the most unique fighters of all time – the control scheme. Given that the game is on the Wii, you just knew they'd pull out all the stops to make this fighter different, and that they did. The game is ultimately supposed to be played with the Wii remote and nunchuk, with the A and B buttons being used for attacks, and the control stick on the nunchuk being used for movement and the C button to jump/fly and the Z button to charge your ki (just to name a few of the most used buttons).

The big thing isn't so much the small things like the controls listed above, but rather the fancy, all out blasts and attacks the Dragonball Z franchise is ultimately known for, such as Goku's spirit bomb or his kamehameha wave. Unlike some games where the option to use this might be simply to press one button, in this game you typically have to perform the movement of the maneuver as it usually looks, for example, to do the kamehameha wave, you have to press a button in, bring the Wii remote in towards you, and then push it forward towards the screen (replicating the maneuver as it appears in the series).

The game is meant to be played with those controls, but that doesn't mean you are forced to completely rely on them, as truth be told I sucked at them and found myself getting very frustrated with them. I know the game is more rewarding and "skillful" if you take the time to learn it, but I just wanted to whoop some butt and whip it quick, so I relied on my trusty Gamecube pad. The only inherent problem with going to a pad such as this is that there is no training in the game to tell you how to play the game with another controller other than the default Wii remote and nunchuk, so you'll have to experiment around and try out moves for yourself to see what does what.

Besides the bulky Story Mode of the game, you've also got your more traditional round robin climb up the power ranking ladders as seen in previous games, as well as the ability to compete in single matches or in tournament brackets.

One of the other big things about the game (and the Story Mode more than anything else) is the evolution system that lets your fighters gain experience and level up, which means that typically daunting battles should be easier on your patience thanks to all your previous endeavors. To use the system, you must buy items, which you can then allocate into several slots, and each item can affect certain traits such as a higher defense, more attack power, more health, etc. Once equipped, these items will auto level up, but characters won't budge a bit unless they have an item attached to them. You can also get some of the more rare and valuable items by finding the seven dragonballs scattered throughout the world (usually found by smashing buildings, glaciers, rocks, and other objects during your battles). After you find all seven balls you'll be granted a wish from the dragon and can pick what item you want.

The fighting itself is fast and furious, with combos, power hits that send players flying across the level, zipping here and there with bursts of speed through the air, and every single item from the series is replicated faithfully here, such as being able to transform during battle, to the duels of two combatants running into each other during an attack, or the tug of war power trip that goes on when two conflicting kamehameha hit each other. The only downfall is that the fights fall apart after a while, with them seeming like the same fights over and over, which is especially the case during the Story Mode, when you might be required to fight the same enemy three or four times in a row, with only something minor changing like the character you are forced to use.

GRAPHICS
If you are a fan of the anime you'll absolutely be in love with the graphics of the game. Though not real looking, it looks exactly as if you were playing a portion of the anime, which is exactly how the game should look and feel. The environments are pretty sparse in some cases, but the destruction caused by your fights, such as the world almost exploding or chunks of a ring breaking away during the fight really make you feel like damage is going on. The characters (who look picture perfect) also do a great job of reflecting this damage, because just like the series, their clothes will tear and they'll get smudge marks on themselves where they've been getting beat up. Really, you couldn't ask for more if you are a Dragonball Z fan.

SOUND
Not too much in the way of ambient music or anything, but the sound of fights sounds really great, especially the powerful grunts of the characters and the collision certain moves and environmental destruction causes. However, the real draw is the voice acting, which remains faithful to the series, as it sounds like everyone in the game was actually voiced by the actors who voiced them in the American dubbed anime series. Some voices sound goofy or odd, but you know what, that is Dragonball Z, so I'm glad they stuck by the source material.

IN CONCLUSION
For a fan, Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 has been an absolute joy, as it lets me feel as if I'm rewatching all my favorite moments from the series, only this time their fates are at my hands and my hands alone; it is so fulfilling to take a character that you love, make them transform into their ultimate form, and then unleash their most powerful attack on an unsuspecting foe. Non-fans will like the game too, but will like it more from the controls and deep story mode rather than the nostalgic joy of seeing all your faves. Overall, it is a great game, and one of the best of the Wii launch window games yet.

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