Dragon Ball Games That Are 10/10, No Notes

By my calculations, roughly 9000 Dragon Ball games exist, and a few of them are even pretty good! OK, that's a bit harsh, but the franchise has a long history of succumbing to the licensed game curse, producing bottom-of-the-barrel junk like Sagas, Ultimate Tenkaichiand Final Bout (which was my first Dragon Ball game).

For every stinker, Goku seems to find a way to star in a decent romp that respectfully pays tribute to Akira Toriyama's legendary manga and Toei's anime. Good games are easy to come by, but the same cannot be said for truly super-amazing titles. In fact, only a handful of DBZ releases warrant the label of “perfect, within reason.” And I'm going to list them.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

The 10/10 Competitive Fighter

Well, we might as well get the most obvious game out of the way. Dragon Ball FighterZ broke the franchise's competitive curse, and it only took contracting the standard-bearers for anime fighters: Arc System Works. Although not the first or last project to feature satisfying combat, FighterZ was arguably the first to craft a balanced roster, particularly at launch (the DLC characters are cool, but they have messed things up at times).

While it might not offer a billion characters like Sparking! Zero, FighterZ makes up for it with 3v3 battles that demand players put together cohesive teams. By moving away from the 1v1 formula, the game significantly expands the strategic element of fights, as you have to take things like assists and timely swamps into account.

Fanservice is pretty much a cornerstone of every Dragon Ball game, and FighterZ caters to this side of things through its gorgeous presentation, intros, finishes, and sheer animation quality. The graphics are about as “DBZ” as they can be while still allowing the game to find its own style.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

The 10/10 Fanservice Arena Brawler

Before Sparking! Zero took excess to the next level, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was the definitive “everything and the kitchen sink” Dragon Ball game. With roughly 160 characters, Spike didn't even try to balance the roster, instead opting to just create the most Dragon Ball game to ever exist. It's over-the-top, bloated, occasionally frustrating, and style-over-substance, all of which are positive features as far as I am concerned. Rather than 2D screens, Budokai Tenkaichi and its sequels are all about destructible 3D arenas that let you smash enemies through mountains and pull off feats even Goku would be proud of. While very much designed to be pick-up-and-play, the gameplay has more depth than most people likely remember, and there's a huge gap between someone who is “fine” and someone who is “great” in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.If you want a chaotic sandbox where Yamcha can trade punches with Baby or Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, you won't find a better option than BT3.

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Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2 AND Buu's Fury

The 10/10 GBA RPGs

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  Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II

  Systems

  

  
  

  Released

  June 17, 2003
  

  ESRB

  E For Everyone // Violence

  Developer(s)

  Webfoot Technologies

  Publisher(s)

  Infogrames, Atari

  Engine

  game engine

  Multiplayer

  Local Multiplayer

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  Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury
  

  Systems

  

  
  

  Released

  September 14, 2004
  

  ESRB

  E For Everyone // Cartoon Violence

  Developer(s)

  Webfoot Technologies

  Publisher(s)

  Infogrames, Atari

  
  

Remember when I said that no Dragon Ball is a 10/10 in a vacuum? Well, I lied, as Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury are among the very best action RPGs on the GBA, and Nintendo's console isn't lacking in options.

The amazing thing is that Webfoot's first effort in the trilogy, The Legacy of Gokuis kind of terrible, and a turnaround seemed highly unlikely at the time; yet, somehow, both sequels fix almost every issue with their predecessor, becoming proper DBZ masterpieces in the process. No other game translates the anime's power scaling as effortlessly as this duology does, as you gradually feel yourself reaching your full potential by unlocking new moves, improved stats, and transformations.

Thanks to their 16-bit visuals, The Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury still feature absolutely fantastic renditions of Western City, Grand Kai's Planet, and more. Each area comes packed with optional quests and things to discover, so they aren't just set dressing either.

Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure

The 10/10 Love Letter To Original Dragon Ball

95% of Dragon Ball games adapt DBZ (or maybe Super), relegating Goku's formal years to a footnote or a handful of fights buried within the menu. The original Dragon Ball doesn't emphasize battles as much as its successors, so it makes sense that most developers would focus on the more iconic, action-packed eras; However, they are missing an opportunity to create something truly special in an area that hasn't been done to death yet.

A relatively small release in the grand scheme of things, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure does an impeccable job of capturing the tone and spirit of the manga's earliest chapters, blending a sense of adventure with charm and combat. Technically, Advanced Adventure is an action platformer, but that would be a disservice to how it handles both sides of that equation.

Goku's controls are near-flawless, and that goes for both his movement and combat. Rather than beams, battles consist of melee combos, dive kicks, and Power Pole spins, reflecting Dragon Ball​​​​​​'s humble beginnings. The game even includes a 1v1 fighting system, which comes into effect during tournaments or boss battles.

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans

The 10/10 DBZ Turn-Based JRPG

Did you know that Monolith Soft, the developer behind Xenoblade Chroniclesreleased a DBZ Turn-based RPG? Attack of the Saiyans doesn't get the love it deserves, perhaps because it was released on a system that was overflowing with similar projects. While it only covers up to the Vegeta arc, the campaign still feels substantial and spotlights characters like Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien far more than most DBZ games.

Turn-based might sound like a weird fit for the most famous battle shonen story of all time, but Monolith Soft makes it work by using a system akin to Mario & Luigi​​​​​​, allowing players to improve their team's performance by pressing the right button at the right time. While standard battles are mostly just fine, Attack of the Saiyans' boss battles can be downright brutal and even tactical, more so than most DBZ games.

If the last few games prove anything, games exclusive to Nintendo handheld systems seem to constantly feature graphics that still look incredible. Personally, I prefer the art styles of The Legacy of Goku 2 and Advanced Adventurebut Attack of the Saiyans nevertheless has top-notch sprite work and art.