Game Review: Super Dragon Ball Z

KAMEEEEEEHAAAAAAAMEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAA! You get a cookie if you know who pulls off that move. Super Dragon Ball Z for the PS2, the latest in the series by Atari, gives us a new take on 3D fighting and how Dragon Brawling should be done.

Super DBZ sports 6 primary modes: Original (you versus the computer), Z Survivor (survival mode against 10 opponents), Training (for honing your skills), Customization (beef up your character anyway you like), Dragon Summonining (use the Dragon Balls you've collected to unlock abilities and charcters), and Versus (old-school free for all).

Super Dragon Ball Z plays like your run of the mill fighter: you have a set amount of characters, choose one, and have at it. However, what sets it apart is the fighting engine and the huge customization options for your character. It's almost like pokemon in the sense that you train your character to become the ultimate warrior as you see fit. Street Fighter creator, Noritaka Funamizu, lended a helping hand in the combat system in the sense that you pull off most moves like fireballs and dragon punches as you would in normal Street Fighter fashion.

Another key component in this game is the customization of fighters, which has been around since the first Dragon Ball Z Budokai game. You have your standard skill tree that you use experience to purchase skills rather than having to rely on capsules. You have have your standard stand modifiers, such as defense and attack, and moveset. What really makes it interesting is how you can give a character someone elses moves. For example, giving Chi-Chi the ability to use Frieza's Death Ball.

As with any game, Super DBZ isn't without its share of flaws. The main flaw encountered is being spammed to death with multiple energy bursts from a CPU opponent and having them go to town on you. Another is flaw is that you'll find yourself in a pinch to finish your opponent, but are unable to because your action (stamina) gauge has run dry, leaving you prone to attacks.

This game will keep you busy with unlockables and customization, making for a rewarding fighting experience. As with all fighting games, the best experience comes from an old-fashioned throwdown with your best friends. If you're a fan of the series, then this will be the best offering the series has to date. If you're not a fan of the series, but are just looking for a crazy fighting experience, then give Super Dragon Ball Z a shot.

Final score: 8/10

Game Review: Tales of Legendia

When it comes to action RPGs, Namco's Tales series delivers when it comes to creating a fun and interactive RPG experience.

The latest entry into the Tales series, Tales of Legendia, revolves around the exploits of young brawler Senel Coolidge. The story starts when he and his sister, Shirley Fennes, are washed aboard an island. Shirley, in classic damsel in distress fashion, goes M.I.A. and it is up to Coolidge to get her back. Along the way, Senel meets various characters and allies to aid him on his adventure, such as Will Raynard, town sheriff and anthropologist, and Chloe Valens, a noble knight on a journey of vengeance and redemption.

The battle system implemented in Legendia is the Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS), unlike the previous entrant, Tales of Symphonia. Utilizing LMBS means that you move in a straight line during combat. The battles in Legendia play like a stripped-down Street Fighter. You have your standard attack and special attack. In many cases, not much strategy is involved in most of the battles, just your old fashioned element weakness and ground-and-pound tactics.

The look in Legendia differs vastly from Symphonia in that the cel-shaded graphics are dumped in favor of polygonal designs and semi SD (super-deformed) on screen characters, almost akin to Final Fantasy VII. This doesn't mean that the environments and locales are ugly, though.

As with any game, Legendia isn't without its share of flaws. Sometimes, you are plagued with random battles when trying to get to a certain location or trying to accomplish a certain task. Also, though the story is well written and executed, there are some plot details that one can see coming from a mile away.

All in all, Tales of Legendia has something to offer everyone who is willing to give it a shot. Great story and battles are only a tip of the iceberg in this game experience.

Final Score: 8/10

Anime Review: GunxSword. Volume 1

This anime is pretty interesting. Better yet, it's awesome. The style and pacing is that of a darker and more action oriented Trigun. The story revolves around the adventures of Van, a mysterious swordsman that wields a powerful mech, referred to in this anime as "Armors". He save a town and then is joined by a young girl named Wendy. Both share a common goal, revenge. Van is forever searching for the man with the Iron Claw and Wend is searching for the man who took her brother.

While similar in some traits as Trigun, such as taking place in a Wild West setting on a distant planet in the future, GunxSword delivers its own unique style in the sense that the main protagonist, Van, is more serious and ready to pull the trigger than his counterpart Vash the Stampede. Another is the fact that the overall series thus far while possessing some comedic quirks, a la Van drowning his food in condiments before eating them, GunxSword tends to be more serious and story driven, rather than the living from episode to episode pacing of Trigun.

GunxSword looks promising, a breath of fresh air in the genre of Anime where everthing seems to be too cliche and cookie-cutter.

Final Score: 9 out of 10.

Next review: Law of Ueki Volume 1.