Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 is based on a Japanese anime series called Dragon Ball Z.This game is a sequel to Dragon Ball Z Budokai.It was released in North America on December 4, 2003. In 2004 its sequel Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 was released. As the GameCube version was released sometime after the PlayStation 2 version (December 15, 2004), the opportunity was taken to improve the graphics slightly and add new costumes. Japan received the game on February 5, 2004 for the PlayStation 2 from Bandai. There was no Japanese version of the GameCube version, although the European GameCube version did feature the Japanese voiceover.

Budokai 2 is a fighting game with cel-shaded graphics to mirror the look and feel of the combat in the series. In order to experience the full potential of the game, a Memory Card is required to obtain and edit skills, and create custom characters.

While Dragon Ball Z: Budokai only had the characthers up to the cell saga, Budokai 2 has them up tp the end of Dbz which is the buu saga.This doesn't mean it has every characther that was in these sagas, it just means that it has characthers in that saga.Budokai 2 has some characthers from the last game and it has taken out four of them.Those four are Android 19,Kid Gohan,Dodoria, and Kid Gohan.Also, Unlike 1, Goku and Vegeta can both transform to thier highest form of power in the Dragon Ball Z series, This being Super Sayain 3 for Goku, and Super sayain 2 for vegeta.There are also new characters such as Tiencha, Gokule, and Kuriza

Like 1, the player is able to go and customize thier caracther whatever way they want with a system with seven slots, or a seven slot skill tray.These trays are meant to be filled with item such as skills.Skills can be bought form Bulma in the skill shop, or you can find them in Story mode by beating enimies, moving to certain spaces, or just looking around on the ground.Skills vary in many ways, some skills are support and some ore abilities.Support skills often include something like decreased ki reduction or health increase but can be some more like draining of health and a antidote for the drainage of health.They can take up more than one slot depending on the quality pf the skill.The other kind of skill, the abilities skill has things that you can use in battle.This can include turning Super sayain,Kamehameha, Destructo Disk, and Gallick Gun.It also includes grabs and throws.

The story mode for Budokai 2 is unique.It is called Dragon World and taks the player through the Dragon Ball Z story all the way to the end.The end being the Majjin Buu Saga.Unlike 1, 2 allows the characther to move around on the stages and do things besides the main objective.The main objective usually being the rule of beat everyone up.The player can look around on his square and hope to find a capsule, zeni, or an item that will increase the players stats for that area.There are pick ups on certain squares during storey mode that contain an item.Unlike searching the ground, you get these items by just moving to the square that they are on.Beware though, as enimies can also get this type of item and then even if you beat them, you won't get it.The items on squares incled, stat boosters, capsule skill,dragon ball(episode 1 only),Dragon Radar, and Z Sword(Last episode only).The most useful Item is the Dragon radar.The reason it is the most important is because of the fact that you can't find and collect the Dragon Balls without it.It will point you in several directions and when it shows the Dragon Ball in the center of the radar, you should search the gorund and come back with a Dragon Ball.Theses aren't the only things about storyline, 2's storyline has things that have never happened in the Dragon Ball Z universe, such as Majin Cell and Freeza,Buu absorbing Freeza and Cell, and the ability to choose anyone you want to help you finish the level, such as tien on the Kid Buu level.Once you beat story, a shortcutscene will play and if you have all 7 Dragon Balls, you will get to summon the Dragon and make a wish.

There is also a minor mode called world tournament that allows you to fight for some quick Zenie.

Another mode is Dueling, which allows 2 players to battle it out and see who is the best.

In a nutshell,Buy this game if you like DBZ,special sories, or just fighting