Super Dragon Ball Z

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Jul 18, 2006
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 35
  3. Negative: 8 out of 35
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  1. not_good
    Nov 4, 2010
    8
    This game get a lot of hate for no reason whatsoever. Yes you can't zoom around the landscape or spam teleports and massive fireballs. There are plenty of other fighter games that allow you to do that.

    This is more of a technical fighting game for the universe. Noritaka Funamizu from Street Fighter 2 provided input, and you can really tell. It feels more like an SF2 EX fighting game, than    This game get a lot of hate for no reason whatsoever. Yes you can't zoom around the landscape or spam teleports and massive fireballs. There are plenty of other fighter games that allow you to do that.

    This is more of a technical fighting game for the universe. Noritaka Funamizu from Street Fighter 2 provided input, and you can really tell. It feels more like an SF2 EX fighting game, than a Budokai one.

    That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but certainly not for everyone.    … Expand
  2. Kotone
    Sep 3, 2018
    10
    The cell shading looks fantastic given the PS2 graphics. The button combinations are very similar to Street fighter with a much appreciated 8-directional movement mechanic. The inputs come out nice and crisp and the whole game flows very well. Its not to fast and none of the characters fell weaker or slower than the others. Its definitely a "new to fighting games" friendly game. One of theThe cell shading looks fantastic given the PS2 graphics. The button combinations are very similar to Street fighter with a much appreciated 8-directional movement mechanic. The inputs come out nice and crisp and the whole game flows very well. Its not to fast and none of the characters fell weaker or slower than the others. Its definitely a "new to fighting games" friendly game. One of the better old gen fighters I've played in a long time. Highly recommend.… Expand
  3. linvail
    Oct 7, 2015
    10
    No the best dragon ball z game, BUT is the best 2D FIGHTING dragon ball z game, fast and powerfull combos and each character feels different. I know that Budokai 3 has more characters, but they feel the same and the system of Dragon Rush is... Lame.
  4. MikeL.
    Jul 20, 2006
    9
    I got this game yesterday, and it is completely awesome. The fighting is as fun and fast paced as you would want in a Dragonball Z game, and there is enough depth to keep "hardcore" fighting gamers interested for a long while, learning their characters and tweaking strategies. The only thing that might kill the balance of the game is that you can pump up your fighters, but that's one I got this game yesterday, and it is completely awesome. The fighting is as fun and fast paced as you would want in a Dragonball Z game, and there is enough depth to keep "hardcore" fighting gamers interested for a long while, learning their characters and tweaking strategies. The only thing that might kill the balance of the game is that you can pump up your fighters, but that's one of the main fun things to do in the game, and you can always play the vanilla version of any character to keep the playing field even.… Expand
  5. samuelrw
    Mar 30, 2021
    9
    Beautiful Graphics, especially for it's time but still holds up today and is one of the most faithful art styles to the original DBZ series. Gameplay is great and it's a happy fusion between the unique style of the Dragon Ball video game fighters and a traditional fighter, maintaining both elements of a casual and competitive fighter, you can enjoy this game from the get go but also spendBeautiful Graphics, especially for it's time but still holds up today and is one of the most faithful art styles to the original DBZ series. Gameplay is great and it's a happy fusion between the unique style of the Dragon Ball video game fighters and a traditional fighter, maintaining both elements of a casual and competitive fighter, you can enjoy this game from the get go but also spend hours practicing new combos and techniques for a more in depth experience. The game offers an interesting and rewarding style of customization/upgrading as well that is still quite unique to it 16 years on.

    I never had the chance to play this until 2020 so nostalgia has yet to cloud my judgement of my experience with this game, I honestly believe it's one of the most underrated titles in the franchise, definitely worth a buy at its current price.    … Expand
  6. OtakuFlame
    Jan 27, 2018
    10
    It's a shame this game wasn't popular, it is the best DBZ fighting of it's time overlooked because of it's small roster, limited game modes, and difficulty to master with it's steep learning curve.

    Super DBZ is an attempt at a legitimate fighting game with some quirky aspects, like creating character cards and leveling up your fighters card with unique special moves and skill traits. I    It's a shame this game wasn't popular, it is the best DBZ fighting of it's time overlooked because of it's small roster, limited game modes, and difficulty to master with it's steep learning curve.

    Super DBZ is an attempt at a legitimate fighting game with some quirky aspects, like creating character cards and leveling up your fighters card with unique special moves and skill traits. I thought it was an interesting mechanic to me, for others this might not be as appealing and some players may be down right confused.

    Dragon Ball fans praise DBZ Budokai and Tenkaichi for the robust roster and insane super moves and how easy it is to just pick up and play, but what Super DBZ has is depth, an intricate combo system, and wide variety of characters with different character archetypes. Where the Budokai and Tenkaichi games fall off for me is that all characters play the same. You hit the same buttons for every character to do similar things and there is no difference in play style. Super DBZ has the grappler character Android 16, who wants to put fear into the opponent and try to open them up for a grab or a heavy string of strong hits into a super. They have zoners like Krillin who controls the area around him to make his opponent to approach from a bad angle to try and make an opening.

    Super DBZ has a ton of variety, and once you get past the skill wall you start to feel accomplished, you have a better understanding of the game, it's that feeling that gives the player the drive to play fighting games.

    PROS:
    +Tight Controls
    +Deep Complex Combat
    +Unique Skill Tree
    +Fun and Dynamic Combo System
    +Amazing Art Direction
    +Great Soundtrack

    Neutral:
    ≠Character Cards can be confusing
    ≠Game is technical and can be hard to understand for new players

    CONS:
    -Not a lot of single player modes
    -No in game tutorial

    In the end Super DBZ was a hidden gem overlooked and shadowed by the success of DBZ Budokai/Tenkaichi. It is an underrated classic and I still come back and play it with my friends with my friends since I discovered it back in 2014. I'd say to give it a shot if you're a DBZ fan or if you are a fighting game fan in general.

    Verdict:
    10/10

    P.S. Check out Super DBZ tournament videos on youtube to see what the game is all about.    … Expand
  7. MajinCCB
    Aug 9, 2021
    8
    Not many characters compared to other ps2 DragonBall fighting games, however this is made up with the fact that each character has more work put into them. Quality over quantity is the description that fits here

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best PS2 Game of 2006
53
#53 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. GamePro
    90
    The gameplay is where Super DBZ truly shines. From the first time you load up and play Super DBZ, you'll notice the game religiously pays homage to the Akira Toriyama Dragon Ball universe.
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  2. IGN
    74
    Designed to appeal to traditional fighting fans before anime nuts, its strengths lay more to the thinking player's side of things rather than the casual. Had it boasted a larger move set and perhaps a few more playable characters, then its value as a long-term tournament title might have been higher.
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  3. Cheat Code Central
    76
    Overall Super Dragon Ball Z would be [better] described as "slightly different" than "new and improved."
    Read full review
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