
	Platform Playstation 3 Genre Fighting Publisher Namco Bandai Developer Spike ESRB T (Teen) Released October 25, 2011

- Easy game to just jump in and play - Lots of cool visuals - Online play is smooth - Affordable

- Stages lack variety within each level

Review: Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 (360) Review: Dragon Ball Raging Blast (PS3) Review: SouCalibur V (360)
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Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi

Score: 6.5 / 10

There are quite a bit of anime fighting games out there, but a lot of them just feel like watered down versions of better original titles. Spike has taken a bit more of a unique approach with Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi and has really tried to nail the look and feel of the anime, rather than just going with something generic.

The problem here like every Dragon Ball Z game is that all the characters are too similar in battle. A lot of the moves are the same or have slight variations and of course each character

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- Playstation 3 Game Reviews
- Fighting Game Reviews
- Games Published by Namco Bandai

does have his or her own signature moves, but it's just not enough. They wanted to replicate the look of the show and to do that, a lot of quick-time input moves are used and while it looks great, you'll see a lot of the same thing over and over again which does get tiresome. When you have a combo streak, a

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lot of it is done by guessing a button and your opponent has to try to match it in order for a combo to end, but there are just not enough different animation sequences and it left me with an unsatisfying feeling. There is also the option to play online if you feel the need to face off against your fellow DBZ fans.

There are a fair bit of characters in the game and multiple transformations, but the roster is lacking compared to DBZ Raging Blast 2 which I have previously reviewed. There is also Hero Mode which allows you to create your own character. You are pretty limited in terms of how your character will look, but at least you can choose whether your character will be better at ki blast/energy based attacks, melee or a balance of both. Skills are unlocked throughout the game and you can customize your character as you move on. Although it is kind of interesting, again, the fighting just felt dry.

The game looks very pretty and is a great recreation of the series. Character models and environments as well as energy effects all look great. I must admit that I think I might still be more impressed by Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm in terms of visuals, but Ultimate Tenkaichi comes pretty damn close. Voice actors will sound familiar to fans of the series and for the hardcore anime folks, there's also the option to change the voice cast to Japanese.

In the end, I found myself sticking to the story mode more than anything (which was short, but decent enough), but I just couldn't get into the game. I have to commend Spike on replicating the look of the anime, but I felt I was left with a shallow experience. Hardcore DBZ fans will probably find it the game worth it and battling fellow fans online might be a good way to pass the time.

- J'Tonello

(March 21, 2012)