Dragon Ball Z: Budokai

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Dec 3, 2002
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
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  1. G4 TV
    40
    While it does have generally high production values, nobody would give this title a second glance if it didn't have the Dragon Ball Z license attached to it.
  2. Gamestyle
    40
    For those looking for an actual fighting game and not a license, I would suggest extreme caution because this one is quite simply for the fans.
  3. PSM Magazine
    30
    In recreating the action of the cartoon show, the developers have gone the easy route, implementing automatic special attacks rather than an effective combination system. [Jan 2003, p.42]
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2002
25
#25 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2002

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 101
  3. Negative: 10 out of 101
  1. Zilcell
    Nov 8, 2011
    8
    Each fight in the game is harder than the one before it so hardcore gamers will like the difficulty. The fighting is fast so a lot of buttonEach fight in the game is harder than the one before it so hardcore gamers will like the difficulty. The fighting is fast so a lot of button mashing is required. It follows the Dragon Ball Z storyline very well. If you like fighting games, then you just might like this game.… Full Review »
  2. TheQuietGamer
    Mar 7, 2011
    8
    Dragon Ball Z: Budokai is a great fighter, with a great selection of characters, and a fun story mode, but is lacking in tournament modes andDragon Ball Z: Budokai is a great fighter, with a great selection of characters, and a fun story mode, but is lacking in tournament modes and replay value, but has some pretty good multiplayer, if your a fan of the DBZ Budokai series and you want to see where it began this is a great purchase.… Full Review »
  3. Burger-Man2
    May 15, 2023
    8
    Dragon Ball Z - Budokai is a good game 20 (or 21 if you consider the PS2 version release date) years later? The answer is... kinda. The gameDragon Ball Z - Budokai is a good game 20 (or 21 if you consider the PS2 version release date) years later? The answer is... kinda. The game has some problems, such as the main story being short and graphics being, while they certainly have their charm, compared to other DBZ games even on PS2, not great. We can see that this game didn't aged well on that. But here's the thing: Graphics don't make a game. And that's why I gave a 8/10. The gameplay is simple, but actually pretty fun, the game faithfully recreates the anime scenes with incredible detail considering this was also the first Dragon Ball game for the PS2, and the english dub is surprisingly solid, and the actors are actually the same ones from the show (from what I know, though). But here's the problems: People say that, to unlock all the capsules, it takes a lot of time and people criticizes that, but since I just played the story mode... I can't say anything about that. What I can say something about though, is the length of the adventure. It takes about 2-3 hours to beat at the first time, and while there is extra content, I think the story should be a bit longer, it should have the Majin Boo saga, which this game (weirdly enough) doesn't has. The short length is also a good thing though, since people who don't have a lot of free time can beat this in one seat. Overall, while definitely not being the best Dragon Ball game for the PS2, it is definitely a fun one, and I genuinely recommend it to DBZ fans.… Full Review »
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