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Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Preview for Xbox 360 (X360)

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Preview for Xbox 360 (X360)

Bursting Anime Action

June 2, 2008 – I know what you are thinking: Why another Dragon Ball Z fighting game? Initially, I was asking myself the same question, especially with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 no more than 7 months old. However, I am a junkie when it comes to Dragon Ball Z. Thankfully, this new edition in the vast library of Dragon Ball Z fighting games is looking to breathe new life into the series.

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

For the three people in the world who don’t have a clue about Dragon Ball Z, here’s a brief history of the main story. Dragon Ball Z picks up several years after the end of Dragon Ball. Goku, the main character, is married to Chi-chi, his childhood love, and they have a son named Gohan. Life is good and only occasionally are the mystical wish granting Dragon Balls used, but that all changes with the arrival of an alien named Raditz. Raditz claims to be a Saiyan and the brother of Goku. This came as a bit of shock to both Goku and fans alike. Goku was a character we had known for several years, and then we came to find out he’s just another E.T. Goku defeats Raditz with some assistance from one time villain turned ally, Piccolo, and the stage is set for one of the most hyperactive action-based anime storylines to ever unfold. With everything from otherworldly alien tyrants to evolving androids, Dragon Ball Z became the main catalyst for the rapidly growing love of anime in America.

The heart of the recent Dragon Ball Z fighting games has been the ease of the controls; a true welcome to button mashers and multi-level button combination lovers of all ages. Burst Limit is continuing the tradition of keeping things simple yet complex by retaining a lot of what we have come to expect. However, there are a few differences. For example, a few of the familiar moves have been adjusted to make them feel more natural in terms of button placements. Transformations are still just one button away, but the complex signatures moves of the past require only a few buttons that appear to work similarly with for each character. This is one of the things many have felt hindered the DBZ fighting games, but with this approach it makes it easy for you to learn the basics of one character and then branch out with others

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

While I was playing as Goku fighting Raditz, Goku seemed to move slower and showed more reserve as a fighter. When I played with Yamcha against the Saibaimen, Yamcha was quick and felt more agile than Goku. This leads me to believe certain characters will perform in slightly different ways to show their differences, and it also hints that during story mode we will see the characters evolve into better fighters. I noticed another indication of this during the fight with Raditz. At times, Raditz became more difficult than he was previously, almost as if he was rallying to beat me, and there was a message that popped onto the screen saying his difficulty level increased. Granted, in previous titles we knew the characters became stronger during battles, but for some reason this seems more natural now; almost as natural as the cutscenes that occur during the battles. As every fan of the series knows, or at least feels, during the intense battles there is always at least one point the characters have to stop and talk. These cutscenes really capture the look and feel of the anime.

The cutscenes are only part of the reason fans and new fans alike will drool over Burst Limit. While these are a great addition to the story mode of the game, the smooth graphics are what will have you wanting more. The previous titles have usually been great, but were plagued by the characters looking sort of blocky and dated at times. Burst Limit definitely blurs the proverbial line of translating anime to video games. This is brought to light even more by the background environments of the game. With cities as detailed as the battlefields, waterfalls and streams that actually resemble water effects in an anime, and clouds that move, it is easy to notice the attention to detail the backgrounds were given. Okay, so the clouds might not be that important, but they are just another testament to the improved focus the backgrounds alone received in this update. The stages literally look like the developers took the matte painting of the show, digitized them, and then muted them to give it realistic touches.

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

There is something else that will make fans happy with Burst Limit – the sounds. Of course, this is nothing new to the plethora of DBZ games, but hearing it in sharper quality brings a smile to my face. I am certain all of the voice actors are involved, once more, but there is one thing about the sounds of the game that stuck out; the clarity of the wolf’s howl during Yamcha’s Wolf Fang Fist. It literally made me as giddy as I was the first time I heard it. It will be interesting to see if all of the sounds in the complete game bring me that same feeling, but I guess I will just have to wait. One other note on the sounds of the game, the theme song is great. While I was initially introduced to the Americanized version of the theme song, I have grown to love the songs of Dragon Ball Z in their original language, and the theme for this title is no exception. It captures the fun action of Dragon Ball Z eloquently.

One thing I do not like about Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is the fact I have to wait another two weeks before it comes out. While I was slightly disappointed with the last Tenkaichi 3, Burst Limit looks to rid my memory of the shortcomings of that game. I couldn’t be happier with this title right now unless I had it in my hands already. With 35 playable characters, 15 What If scenarios, and online gameplay that’s stronger than ever, Burst Limit looks like it will deliver a solid experience for Dragon Ball Z fans for the current generation of gaming.

Game Features:

  • Online Feature – Competition grows with the ability to play online in both the co-op and vs. modes.
  • Unique DBZ Story -During each battle, find conditions to create new scenes and watch a unique story unfold at the end of each game.
  • Higher Quality Gaming – Experience visuals and movement reminiscent of the anime due to Z3 shading technology and detailed effects.
  • High Intensity battles – Increased speed of charge and release on the field, free movement around the field, and increased speed and power of attacks.
  • Energy – Use of special skills will no longer drain energy. The lower your energy, the stronger you get, making for a possible turnaround of the battle.
  • Fatal Blow – Each character in the game has their own “Fatal Blow”. If the player successfully attacks his opponent, this would be a finishing move, but if not, it will put the player in the disadvantageous situation, and he must battle with no “Fatal Blow” for the rest of the battle.


  • Dragon Ball Z transforming to super saiyan in next generation form!

    January 29, 2008 – Well, despite some legal issues, Dragon Ball Z looks like it’s preparing to make the leap into the next generation of gaming, and I have to say it is looking very good. Atari apparently had some licensing right issues with FUNimation about creating more Dragon Ball games. Regardless, Atari has opted to not only go ahead with creating the game, but launched a trailer to tease fans as to what’s coming this year. Other than the teaser trailer, Atari has not gone into any specifics about the game other than it will have “radical 3D fighting effects” and online play will be possible.

    Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

    I’ll humor you as if you don’t know what Dragon Ball Z is and enlighten as to why it has such a strong fan base. Dragon Ball Z is a popular Manga and hit anime series created by Akira Toriyama. It initially begins as a series merely called Dragon Ball about a monkey tailed kid, named Goku, who is sent to earth to destroy it. A series of events eventually causes Goku to adopt the customs of earth and inevitably become the planet’s strongest and most beloved hero. The series plays out in a semi-realistic chronological order, meaning Dragon Ball starts off as a very young, naïve Goku, and eventually the series transitions into Dragon Ball Z where he is older, more powerful, has a wife and kid, and well, isn’t really that much smarter, yet still possesses his heart of gold. Some argue whether or not the later series, Dragon Ball GT, should be considered a legitimate continuation of the popular series due to its horrible ratings amongst fans. Dragon Ball GT is the final continuation of Dragon Ball, with a story that turns Goku back into his youthful Dragon Ball iteration and leads him on a journey to once again find the legendary dragon balls to save the universe. During Dragon Ball’s time frame, it attracted millions of both Asian and American fans who are still to this day very loyal to the series. Dragon Ball has also attached a large assortment of video games spanning many consoles over the years, and they keep coming for better or worse.

    So far all we have to go by is the Japanese teaser trailer just released to the public. It showcases a few characters that I think it’s safe to assume will be playable in the game. Some of the random clips show, Goku, of course, and others such as Cell, Vegeta, Frieza, and the Ginyu Force. Nothing was shown past the Cell Saga, and the rumor is that it won’t go past that, though it does seem like a bad choice not to include the entire Dragon Ball series in its entirety by this point. Regardless, the trailer did not show a trace of the Buu saga or GT, so the rumors may be true. I honestly believe that stopping at the Cell saga is a bad choice, merely because the fan base is so huge and there are so many characters that fans want to see and are accustomed to playing as on the other Dragon Ball titles, especially if it’s going to have online possibilities.

    Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

    Despite my concerns, it is very comforting to see the new generation graphics at work on a Dragon Ball title. My first impression was how similar the graphics look to the Dragon Ball Z Budokai series, which possessed a 3D polygon sort of look. What is unique about the look is the next gen ability to use enhancing lighting and shadow effects on the characters; which gives them a lot more of a polished look and natural feel to them. In a clip, we see Goku charging his ki energy, and thanks to next-gen processing, his hair moves naturally as the ki energy rises above him. As usual in the series, rocks, pebbles, and dust rise from the ground demonstrating his rising power level. Also, his clothes actually gave off more of a natural cloth movement as his energy runs rampant, with his clothes and sash flapping naturally with the wind.

    Gameplay is, of course, one on one fighting and looks very similar to the Budokai series, which means it’s more of a one dimensional plane and involves moving from the left to right side of the screen. I honestly wonder if this may be a step backwards, but I hope there is a method to their perceived madness. Nonetheless the fighting looks fast paced and hectic, which is a good thing. It appears they may have truly captured the blinding speed of the Dragon Ball series. From the trailer, you can clearly see constant teleporting back and forth between enemies, and true the series, a well launched punch literally goes through your foes in a very agonizing way.

    Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit screenshot

    One thing that concerns me is the use of Goku’s and others’ special abilities and how will it play into the game. The original Budokai title made it impossible to perform special attacks making even fans of Street Fighter feel flustered. I hope they will not make that mistake with Burst Limit and make special attacks too difficult to perform. Everyone knows that Kamehamaha waves, instance transmissions, and special beam cannons are what make Dragon Ball Z so fantastic in the first place. One of the announcements made at a public release was in regards to the special effects, and yes, they look beautiful. Thanks to the new generation, the Kamaehamaha wave has never looked better. Even more so when energy collides; the collision of power looks and feels unbelievable.

    So far the text and voices are only in Japanese, but it’s safe to assume that the cast will redeem their eternal roles as Dragon Ball Z voice over counterparts. The sound effects seem to all be in their respectable places also. From the instant transmissions, to heavy blows to the rib, and dashes to and fro, the soundtrack doesn’t skip a beat and really has the authentic l of a very well done Dragon Ball Z game.

    The game looks like it is doing really well. I’m honestly really pumped about it. Though it is unfortunate it only goes to the Cell saga, I’m really accustomed to the Super Sayian 3 Goku by now. It has been proven that DBZ games can be great to watch and just as fun to play. Here’s hoping for another enhanced Dragon Ball game!

    Game Features:

  • Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit will blur the line between the anime and gameplay.
  • Play as Goku all the way through the Cell Saga.
  • Unlock a variety of characters through the Cell Saga.
  • Relive the famous iconic moments of Dragon Ball Z.

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