Dragon
Ball Z Supersonic Warriors 2
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Excellent
tutorial |
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Good
production values |
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Two
player Wi-Fi |
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Repetitive |
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On
the shallow side |
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DBZ
superfans will get more out of this than the average
gamer. by Cole Smith
December
20, 2005 - If
you are starting to get weary of the Dragon Ball Z
series then Supersonic Warriors 2 is going to do nothing
to rejuvenate your enthusiasm. This sequel is so close
to the original Supersonic Warriors that it feels
like they are nothing more than unlocked modes of
the GBA game.
It
was a real chore at first getting through this game
to do the review. The button mashing control system
gives you very little vested interest in the combat.
One can't argue that the game is fast paced and at
first the button mashing appears to be the appropriate
natural reaction to combat. It's only later in the
game that we become more confident in our abilities
and want a little more depth. The fighters do get
more difficult as you progress but this isn't depth,
it's just more difficult.
Anyone
familiar with the Dragon Ball Z series knows that
the basic premise is fighting. The combat takes place
in various environments taken from the TV show and
the fighting occurs on land, over sea and in the air.
There are no links or combos which makes for a very
shallow fighting system. All fighters respond to the
exact same control scheme although they have different
strengths and weaknesses. Characters have the ability
to use hand-to-hand combat as well as energy attacks.
Goku for instance has incredible energy attacks while
his melee attacks are rather weak. Vegeta has very
powerful hand-to-hand attacks with weak energy.
Not
all fighters are equal in strength. Like an RPG they
have different points assigned to their powers. You
can have up to three characters under your control
in all modes except the Story mode but they can't
exceed a specific number of points. That's to keep
you from having all strong characters in your stable.
You can start with one very strong character or three
weak ones. Or you could try one weak one and a medium-powered
character. Later in the game you can expand the points
to include one strong, one medium and one weak character.
You can swap these guys on the fly.
Blocking
is facilitated by the B button and unlike previous
games it's not a timed move. It will always work for
you if you press the B button but each time you use
it a meter will fill and when it's reached capacity
you will be unable to block the blows and you'll suffer
some damage. You can also swap fighters tag-team style
on the fly. If one fighter is getting low on health
you can swap him for a fully-loaded character. You
might find that a particular fighter is better suited
for the current enemy. Groups of characters can even
be combined to unleash a devastating group attack.

One
of the better is the tutorial mode. It's presented
in a story fashion that lets you experience the various
powers of the characters while performing light missions.
Here you will learn how to access strong and weak
attacks, energy attacks, blocking, swapping and throwing.
The controls are very responsive but that brings me
to the dual screen and touch control which is not
very well integrated.
All
of the action takes place on the top screen and the
controls are relegated to the bottom. It appears that
this game was intended for release on the GBA and
then abruptly diverted to the DS with a few tweaks
here and there to make some use of the DS's capabilities.
It wasn't very well thought out. By using the touch
screen you have to memorize the positions of the touch
areas since taking your eyes off the main screen can
cause you to lose your concentration. In such cases
it would be preferable to use physical buttons so
you could access them by feel. Eventually you do get
used to it but it can be frustrating for the first
few hours.
A
"What If" scenario is available in the Story
mode. You'll fight different characters from the series
including friends. You can't select the characters
that you fight or fight as in this mode. Each has
a different story that you have to explore. The only
way you can do this is by completing various objectives
and unlocking different branches of the story that
are located on a grid. Some of the objectives include
defeating the opponent within a specific time period,
defeating them with a Perfect Victory, defeating them
with a Special K.O. or just having the most health
left at the end of a bout.

Almost
all of the unlockables are found in the Story mode
including special attacks, new characters and the
ability to become a super Saiyan. All of these unlockables
can then be used in the other modes which include
Free Mode, Battle Mode, Z-Battle and Maximum. The
two-player mode requires two copies of the game. You
are limited to the Verses mode. Each player can use
up to 12 points but you can only access characters
that you've unlocked in the Story mode. It plays real
smooth and might be worthwhile for fans of the series
although it's unlikely that it will stimulate the
average gamer.
The
sprites are bit too small. They are colorful enough
and look good but at times the camera is too far away
to make them stand out. The environments are well
done with 3D backgrounds that add some much-needed
visual depth. Sound effects, music and voiceovers
have been captured from the original TV show but it's
presented in drips and drabs. Still, it's a nice touch
and will keep fans of the show "in touch"
with their favorite characters.
Dragon
Ball Z's first appearance on the DS is not what I
would consider a special occasion. It's a deluxe version
of the GBA title and not a heck of a lot more. If
you're a diehard DBZaholic you might get more out
of than most.
Features:
- Utilizing
the Nintendo DS touch screen and double-monitor
system brings the intensity of Dragon Ball Z battles
to life.
- Goku
fights through an all-new challenge in the portable
realm.
- The
game also offers unique DBZ plotlines and intriguing
"what-if" scenarios.
- Switch
between characters on the fly
- Two-player
Wi-Fi Mode
By
Cole Smith
CCC
Staff Writer
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