Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Nov 24, 2003
Metascore
40

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 18 out of 23
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  1. Next Level Gaming
    69
    Not a bad fighting game. The game looks pretty nice with cool familiar backdrop levels and the characters look like the cartoon characters. It just seems clunky to play at times.
  2. Gamenikki
    65
    The entire Ki Blast process is made meaningless, because regular fighting moves do more damage, specifically throws.
  3. GameBiz
    65
    It has its ups and downs, but the special moves look absolutely gorgeous and very much like they do in the cartoon series, and the in-flight fighting is an experience not to be missed on a hand-held.
  5. Game Informer
    60
    Sure, it has super moves and unlockables that older games didn't, but those extras don't change the fact that the core gameplay is as familiar as the Game Boy itself. [Dec 2003, p.186]
  6. Armchair Empire
    59
    A poorly constructed fighting game that doesn't have the same fun and addicting aura that "Street Fighter" and "King of Fighters" has.
  7. Nintendo Power
    46
    More of a button-masher than the "Street Fighter II" games, Taiketsu is a simple battler that may bore fighting-game afficionados. [Feb 2004, p.153]
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  8. N-Insanity
    44
    To sum it up in a few words, DBZ Taiketsu is pretty much just plain crap.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    43
    It's a button masher, pure and simple, with very little skill necessary. Sure, the unlockable rewards are fairly cool, but only the most patient DBZ faithfuls will suffer through it for that long.
  10. Game Chronicles
    43
    As a game, the design is weak with no story or motivation leaving only a barebones fighter. When you tack on the extremely poor fighting engine and twitchy graphics the game sinks further into mediocrity.
  11. GameNow
    42
    The gameplay is equally unbalanced. Taiketsu's a button masher that requires very little skill. [Jan 2003, p.44]
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  12. IGN
    40
    It's a very unsatisfying experience, and I can't imagine Dragon Ball Z fans forcing themselves to enjoy it simply because it's the very first fighter that features their favorite anime characters.
  13. GameZone
    40
    Taiketsu just doesn't work. With bad gameplay, graphics, sound, and multiplayer, it leaves this reviewer complaining more than Andy Rooney.
  14. Gamers' Temple
    40
    A monotonous and unimaginative fighter that can only possibly appeal to the most die-hard of Dragon Ball Z fans.
  15. Pocket Games
    40
    There are better fighting games out there for GBA, even for hardcore fans of Dragon Ball Z. [Spring 2004, p.40]
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  16. Worth Playing
    40
    Taiketsu does not live up to the bar put in place by its sister series, Budokai. It does not have the same polish in it's gameplay, and it definitely does not have the frantic feeling of the epic battles that took place in the original comic or T.V. series.
  17. GamePro
    40
    Taiketsu's button-mashing gameplay is shallow and simplistic, even for a kid's fighting title.
  18. Cheat Code Central
    40
    It features lots of characters from the series, perhaps all of your favorites, but if these fighters were real they'd be on the phone with their agents trying to stop this game from getting released.
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  19. Times Online
    40
    The fighting is realistic but dreadfully unimaginative, and there's only so much fun you can have kicking someone endlessly in the shins.
  20. NintendoWorldReport
    35
    Taiketsu's marred design shows a blatant ignorance, or possibly disregard, of what makes fighting games fun and challenging to play.
  21. GameSpy
    30
    The in-game fighters are ugly, poorly animated, 3D-rendered sprites that make them look as though all your favorite characters have been replaced by rubber dolls -- and not the good kind.
  22. GameSpot
    27
    There's virtually nothing to the game that suggests that any real effort or care went into Taiketsu's creation, and every facet of its execution--the sound, the graphics, the combat--feels unfinished.
  23. Game Power Australia
    25
    It reeks of the poor production values found in the numerous Mega Drive and SNES fighting games which tried to cash in on the success of the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat series, and as a fighting game, it verges on being unplayable.
  24. Play Magazine
    0
    Virtually every aspect of this sorry excuse for a fighting game fails painfully. The problems start with unresponsive controls and poor animation. [Dec 2003, p.97]
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2003

User Reviews

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User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 30
  3. Negative: 11 out of 30
  1. bonnin40
    Feb 16, 2013
    4
    This is one of the clunky and unresponsive fighters ive played. even though i loved this game as a kid, that was mainly because it was dragonThis is one of the clunky and unresponsive fighters ive played. even though i loved this game as a kid, that was mainly because it was dragon ball z and not the fact that the game itself was extremely cruddy. The graphics are ok, the backdrops look good but the characters themselves look kind of akward, but still the graphics arent bad. the music is a mixed bag as well, as there are some decent songs, and some not so decent songs. the game has a very simple tournament style of play, which i didnt mind. unlocking things in the store require z points, which was one enjoyable aspect in regards to replayability. but the controls are where this game take a nosedive. seriously, this games controls remind me of games like shaq fu, not as bad as that game, but still extremely clunky, and at alot of times unresponsive. i wouldnt reccomend this game to any fight fan, and only to dbz fans who are just curious, and arent neccessarily looking for an amazing game, rather a piece of dragon ball z merchandise. one of the worst fighting games ive played, this one is really just a bad taste in the dragon ball z video game series meal.… Full Review »
  2. Watermelon789
    Jul 19, 2011
    4
    Taiketsu is a horrendous fighting game, and the laughable graphics make the game feel ashamed. At least some minutes can be a worth play, byTaiketsu is a horrendous fighting game, and the laughable graphics make the game feel ashamed. At least some minutes can be a worth play, by the other standards, it's bad, simply bad.… Full Review »
  3. GB
    Dec 23, 2009
    7
    could have been better could have been much worse, crude animations and some moves were senseless it should have had supersaiyan could have been better could have been much worse, crude animations and some moves were senseless it should have had supersaiyan transformations outside of super move animations, loved the music… Full Review »
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