Super DBZ is somewhat enigmatic game to recommend, with many disappointing, and beneficial factors in the game.

User Rating: 7.1 | Super Dragon Ball Z PS2
So, yet another game has been added to the popular DBZ franchise on the PS2, but with a different approach that is different to the Budokai series and Tenkaichi series. Instead, Crafts and Meister has appointed the highly acclaimed producer of the prestigious Street Fighter II, Noritaka Funimazu to give design input. Because of this move by Crafts and Meister, many gamers came to believe that Super DBZ would be one comparable to Tekken, Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, and such. And others were plain disappointed, because it once again brought down their hopes for another Budokai game. Once again, Super DBZ is a somewhat enigmatic game to recommend, so I'll try my best.

Gameplay: 7/10

Of course, always the most imporatant aspect of every game, and Super DBZ's job on it, is well....a bit in between I suppose?? You see, Super DBZ takes on a whole new fighting system, one at best compared to Street Fighter's, although it doesn't really have enough depth to really satisfy gamers that like complex fighters. Why? The moves are much simpler, and there is only a few for each fighter, around eight or so attacks. And then there are fans that like the Budokai and Tenkaichi approach, they may be disappointed also, because it doesn't display the hyperkinetic gameplay as past DBZ games, and may seem a bit difficult to them. But then there is people that have more tolerance and learn to really enjoy the game. So you see, you have to flexible if you want to make the most out Super DBZ.

And more in depth into the gameplay, it allows characters to move freely around a 3D environment, though characters cannot go too far from their opponent, and eventually they will be obstructed from moving any further. One problem with the gameplay though, is that it is really easy to be cheap. Simply tapping the R2 button, will allow the character to dash at his opponent, thus depleting what they call the action gauge ( The gauge that allows dashing and flying ). But the problem is, R2 button will also knock your opponent down once he reaches him. See the problem? Any cheaper could simply constantly press the R2 button, and the opponent has no choice but to guard. And since the action gauge recovers quickly, the cheaper can get back to his cheapness quickly. More ways to cheap, is through simply unleashing a barrage of energy attacks, that can really frustrate the opponent, making it mandatory that they just dodge constantly.

More about the acton gauge, when you tap O twice, you will fly in the air, and the action guage will gradually go down. This is a nice addition to the fighting system.

Ennvironments are all 3D allowing free movement within it, one of the neatest aspects being that nearly everything is destructible.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics are a style of cell-shaded graphics made to look like the characters straight from the manga itself. Being compared to Tenkaichi or Budokai, the graphics from Super DBZ look a lot less serious, and more cartoonish. Beams and energy waves have lost their cool glow and velocity that they had in Budokai and Tenkaichi.

Audio: 7.5/10

The characters don't really say much other than cries of pain, and interjections. They do say signature phrases whenever they pull off a certain technique ( Such as energy waves ), which can get really irritating after a while.

Replay Value: 6/10

The process for unlocking characters gets annoyingly repetetive, as all you do is keep playing Original Mode ( Arcade mode ), which all you do is fight random opponents, until you reach the sub-boss Freiza, and main boss Cell, with a total of seven matches every time. One dragonball is gained everytime you win one match. There is no story, except for the 10 second cutscene with the opening fight to cell, and the 30 second ending cutscene for after you beat Cell. Once you get the seven dragonballs, you go to Dragon Summoning, and after a certain amount of wishes, you will be able to unlock every character, and there are only five secret characters. I unlocked all of them after a few days, and I don't play for more than 1.5 hours a day.

The bright part to the replayability of Super DBZ, is the customization mode, in which you select a character, and customize him through changing his clothe color, setting a custom set of skills, etc. Oh yeah, and you need a custom character in order to gather dragonballs. The only problem is, while you're on your quest to unlock all your characters, the character you were customizing will probably be done by then ( Assuming you were only using one character the whole time. ). You can always customize more characters, but it will get extremely dull without the incentive of unlocking another character.

There is Z - Survivor mode, and other things to unlock such as one other arena, other features, but the game does get really bland. Z - Survivor mode is all fun until you finally beat it, and then to urge to beat it evaporates.

Recommendation:

All in all, as I said before, you will have to be flexible to enjoy Super DBZ's gameplay. The game gets extremely bland and boring, and the only way to keep it fresh would be to fight against a worthy human opponent. But if the human is a cheaper, or if he/she just doesn't have the flexibility, it will be an excruciating experience. As I failed to note before, in the versus mode, you can't fight against the CPU, so you are forced to do Original mode, which doesn't allow you to neither select the opponent nor the arena.

My final recommendation would be to rent this game, as what I did, and you'll be able to play it dry before it's due back.