When sending ki blasts back and forth, it is possible to lock the beams if both players fire at the same time. This moves the action to a beam challenge in which you’ll need to rapidly hit a sequence of buttons in order to overpower your opponent and send all of the ki energy his way.

Ki energy can also be spent on a powerful Dragon Rush in which your fighter will get extremely fired up and capable of unleashing a flurry of attacks. At certain moments during the Dragon Rush the players must hit a face button and if the defender guesses the right button, the Dragon Rush is ended. If not, then he can expect an even bigger pummeling. Particularly wicked attacks will send your opponent flying and trigger an animated sequence, such as one in which the unlucky foe is sent right through a mountain only to be unceremoniously tail-whipped by a dinosaur and sent flying back to the battle screen.

The game’s graphics do a great job of capturing the look of an anime cartoon. The cel-shading is colorful and sharp and the animation is fluid throughout. The battles are a visual-cacophony of colors and flashy effects, so if you’re susceptible to seizures you may need to avoid this one but otherwise it makes for a very Dragon Ball Z like experience.

Previous games in the series have been strictly Dragon Ball Z fan affairs, but with Budokai 3 the series is becoming more accessible to fighter fans in general. While there will still be plenty of plot point confusion, Dragon Ball Z newbies will still appreciate the game’s unique look and good fighting action.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 84%.  It’s not just for Dragon Ball Z fans any more.

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