Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 – WII – Review

Intergalactic
space travel. Super-powerful warriors. Evil adversaries that take 10 episodes
to die (but, like a soap opera, are never really dead).

It’s just
another day in the life of a Dragon Ball Z warrior. What will Gohan wake up to
this morning? The return of his brother? Frieza’s big transformation? Another
android? You never know what’s around the corner, but whatever it is you can
be certain the story will include a universe-threatening villain and an
un-killable dragon who loves to reincarnate.

Dragon Ball
Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 brings the series to its first next-gen platform: Wii.
Essentially a port of the PS2 version, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 looks to the show
for inspiration. The general features and game modes may be the same, but
there are a few Wii-exclusive treats to excite the fans.

 

Just
Move
It

The content
of Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the same on Wii that it was on PlayStation 2. This
version is compatible with the Classic Controller, creating identical
experiences on both platforms. Want something different? Then whip out your
remote and nunchuck to see what the developers came up with.

Attacks and
combos are the same. Tap the A button repeatedly for a non-stop beating of
kicks and punches. General movements are made with the thumbstick. To fly
toward your opponent, push (shake once) the nunchuck in any direction. The
nunchuck’s sensitivity is not as advanced as the remote, so it won’t notice
subtle differences in your movements. You can change the fly/strafe direction
by holding the thumbstick in the direction you wish to fly. Interestingly, if
you push up on the thumbstick and shake the nunchuck while standing right next
to an opponent, your warrior will reach out for a grab combo. Unless your
opponent evades or attacks first, the grab will entrap him for a multi-hit
attack.

 

Shrouded
In Mystery

Budokai
Tenkaichi 2’s best Wii-specific features are not instantly obvious. The
training mode and move list are not instantly clear either. In this case
patience – not practice – makes perfect.

Performing
the DBZ warriors’ super moves is akin to the style of other Wii launch titles:
you hold the Z button (on the nunchuck) and the B button (underneath the
remote) and wave the remote in various directions. There are a couple
different ways the game reacts to your motions. The first is the cursor, which
appears whenever you have the remote pointed at the screen. It seems out of
place – isn’t this something that belongs in first-person shooters?

But it’s not
for shooting, it’s to gauge the amount of remote-waving that needs to be done
for each move. For example, if they tell you to wave "out to the bottom," that
means you need to point the remote down until the cursor is no longer on
screen. The word "out" always means that you have to go off screen, and this
action is often followed by a quick return to the screen. What this amounts to
is a lot of directional swinging.

Technically
a cursor wasn’t needed to pull this off. But there are other moves with
similar motions that could’ve confused the game, the player, or both. One of
Gohan’s most powerful blasts asks you to wave the remote twice, then push it
toward the screen. The waves are supposed to be quick and connected – as if
Gohan were waving his hands, and then pushed them toward his opponent to
unleash the attack.

 

These Wii
exclusive features are not the least bit Earth-shattering, but they are a
decent attempt at mimicking the actions of the warriors’ most prominent moves.
It’s also a fun alternative to playing the game with a traditional controller,
whether you’re a series pro or just starting to get into Budokai Tenkaichi.

Because
One Option Isn’t Enough

Although the
Wii exclusives should be your primary reason for getting this version over the
other (PS2), some of you are bound to stick with what you know and use the
Classic Controller.

Since the
buttons, D-pad, and thumbsticks are close to the Dual-Shock 2 layout, players
coming from a previous version will not have a difficult time figuring out the
control scheme and commands.

The warriors
are extremely fast and responsive in both control types. Combos are relentless
and near-endless, while projectiles are big, dazzling, and always destructive.

 

Next-Gen
Or Not?

Prior to
Budokai Tenkaichi 2’s release, it was indicated that the game would look
slightly better on Wii than on PS2. But "a novice," Producer Donnie Clay told
us, "will not notice huge differences between the two platforms."

A
side-by-side comparison might reveal something, but it’s doubtful that you
will see a difference otherwise, regardless of your gamer status. Both are
equally clean in their textures, having enormous worlds to conduct each
battle. The underwater areas and boundless sky enhance that DBZ feeling, as do
the quick attack moves that exactly match the anime series.

Each warrior
is three-dimensional and coated in rich cel-shaded goodness. They’re supposed
to look like they came from the anime – that was intentional, and the artists
and animators were successful in this area. At the same time, their 3D realism
shines through, forming the best-looking Saiyans seen outside the series
itself.


Review
Scoring Details

for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2

Gameplay: 8.0
Wii owners are
lucky – its only fighting game happens to be a good one. The unique Wii
mechanics and action-packed battles lead to hours of thrills. The story mode
is long and filled with battle after battle. Training and practice options
aren’t entirely clear, but it’s better then waving your hands aimlessly,
hoping to figure out each of the Wii-exclusive commands. Two-player battles
are wonderful and full of replay value.


Graphics: 7.9
Budokai Tenkaichi
2 looks great. The cel-shading effects are the best ever seen in a fighting
game. Top-of-the-line, super-fluid animations coupled with effects and attack
formations that mirror the anime series.

Why then am
I giving this game a lower graphic score on Wii than on PS2? Simple: Wii is a
next-gen console. No one knows exactly how powerful it is, but we do know that
it is at least as powerful as GameCube, a console that was at least a few
percentage points above PS2. Gameplay comes first. I’d rather have great
motion controls or some other innovation over improved visuals. But again,
this is a next-gen console
. There is no way I’m going to accept
PS2-quality graphics from a machine that was released six years later.


Sound: 7.9
Also the same as
the PS2 version, but given how little sound technology advances compared to
graphics, that’s not too surprising. Voice-overs come direct from the show’s
cast. Some of the music is really good, but not every track sounds like it
belongs in DBZ’s universe.


Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Dashing with the
Wii remote is not an instantly intuitive action. That doesn’t really have an
effect on the challenge, which is exactly the same as the PS2 version: easy
enemies, cheap enemies, and enemies that should be holding a sign that says,
“Kick me. I’m serious, kick me! I won’t fight back. If you ask nice I’ll make
it really easy for you and turn around.”


Concept: 7.9
Take the PS2
version, add a few motion-triggered commands, and you’ve got the Budokai
Tenkaichi 2 for Wii.


Multiplayer: 8.5
Super
entertaining, and maybe a hair more enthusiastic than the PS2 version –
watching friends wave the remote before they know what they’re doing is an
added treat.


Overall: 8.2
Slightly better
than the PS2 version, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 makes its Wii debut with motion
controls that were inspired by the anime’s warriors. Fans who have the PS2
version should rent this port to see how the developers have tackled
Nintendo’s new console. If you haven’t purchased the game yet, this is the
version to get – with motion controls and Classic Controller support, BT2 on
Wii gives you the best of both worlds.