Throughout the last few years, the Dragon Ball Z games have been on the decline despite their relatively good sales. The gameplay mechanics and core elements have been lackluster at best and fans were beginning to wonder if there was any hope left for games set in the Dragon Ball universe. I can say in all genuity that yes, there is hope, as Atari delivers what could potentially be the best Dragon Ball title yet: Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit.

Gameplay 9.0

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is fast paced, action-packed fighter featuring good and evil characters from the Dragon Ball Z universe such as Cell, Krillin, Goku, and Piccolo. The battles take place through a variety of familiar environments from the anime and don’t seclude you to fighting on just the ground like most other fighters. During combat, there are specific moves that can be performed that will send your opponent soaring upwards through the air where you can then follow, taking the battle to the sky. It’s a very interesting concept that prevents the combat growing old and boring.

The fighting mechanics are developed really well and keep combatants moving at lightning speed. You may at first find it to be a bit overwhelming, but after only a few matches and getting a good feel of the controls, you’ll be quite capable of keeping up to speed. The battle system is deep but simplistic, which is excellent for this game as it allows the combat to flow smoothly.

To win a fight, you must deplete your opponents energy from the energy gage at the top of the screen. This is done, of course, by beating your opponent into submission. There are a variety of attacks such as Super Attacks, Ultimate Attacks, and Vanishing Attacks. With the use of Dragon Pieces, it’s even possible to call in a partner to temporarily aid you. What your partner does though, however, is completely dependent on the type of Drama Piece that is equipped before the battle begins.

There are several game modes available that help you to train in combat, learn the fighting mechanics, battle against a friend (local or Xbox LIVE) or the computer, and the most important of all, the Z Chronicles. Z Chronicles is a single player mode that allows you to relive some of the greatest moments in the Dragon Ball Z universe. Basically, you play as a specific character in a variety of different scenarios. Sometimes you will be the good guy and other times the bad. There is more than just the battles here as well. You are also treated to familiar cutscenes from the anime that feature the original voice actors, helping the experience significantly. The only disappointing factor about the Z Chronicles is the repeating of some cutscenes in different scenarios.

Graphics 9.5

Atari did an outstanding job of blending the anime of the series with the core gameplay, which is probably the most impressive feat. The visuals are surreal and immersive, allowing any who play to feel like they’re literally a part of the game and show itself. The environments are quite colorful which is something this generation of gaming has significantly lacked, so its refreshing to be able to see more than just ‘black and grey’ for a change. The cutscenes are remarkable and will please any hardcore Dragon Ball fan to the fullest.

Sound 8.5

Musically, Burst Limit lacks in this area. While the intro song is quite good and faithful to those who enjoy listening in Japanese, the rest of the music in the game lacks variety and can grow old rather quickly. It would have been nice to hear more from the anime and less of the same. The rest of the sound is relatively good though. It’s certainly nice to hear the our favorite characters voiced by the original actors, even though the dialogue can be cheesy at times. And the punches, kicks, and screams are performed good as well.

Control 9.0

The control system is both deep and simplistic, which is surprising for a game that relies on button mashing combos. Anyone who has ever played Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, or even Killer Instinct know that fighters that rely heavily on combos can seem very overwhelming. DBZ: BL manages to prevent this by making the combos easily rememberable. There is even an in-depth tutorial that makes learning how to combat simple and fun!

Replay Value 9.0

Sure, it’s a fighter. Generally fighters can grow tiresome and boring in no time, but in the rare occasion you come across one that can hold its ground for quite some time. Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is one of those ‘rare occasions’ and manages to grasp the genre in a positive manner that will keep you coming back for more and more. And with the inclusion of online play via Xbox LIVE, the replayability factor is upped significantly.

Overall 9.0 out of 10

Overall, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is an excellent fighter and the best Dragon Ball to be released in years. If Atari can keep up the pace and continue to push out DBZ games of this caliber, then the overall impression of the series as video games will continue to increase. Even if you’re not a fan of the anime, this is a game that I highly recommend nonetheless. Who knows? Perhaps it’ll even inspire you to watch the show sometime! With it’s lightning fast gameplay, astounding visuals, and great (but cheesy) dialogue, it could potentially preoccupy you for years to come.

Battle of the Bands is a game exclusive to the Wii that will feel somewhat similar to Activision’s Guitar Hero using only the Wiimote and a simplified control scheme. It would appeal primarily to casual gamers but could essentially attract the hardcore gamers as well who are familiar with the musical genre. While it may not live up to the likes of Guitar Hero, it has the means of standing on its own two feet. Read on to determine why.

Gameplay 8.0

Like most games of this genre, the gameplay is focused on matching certain notes in the songs with precise timing in a means to keep the songs flowing smoothly. The uniquness, however, of Battle of the Bands is the use of the Wiimote. Instead of an implementing the use of instrument or button mashing, THQ opted for the usage of simply shaking the Wiimote at the correct time. There are several different variations allowed such as Basic Beats (moving the Wiimote in the direction of the shown arrows (left, right, or down)) and Skake and Stab (shake the Wiimote left and right on squiggly lines and stab at the target). During matches, attacking is also possible when items have been collected. Just shake the Wiimote at the red arrow when it is available to launch an attack. To block incoming attacks, a simple press of the ‘B’ button is all that is required. Mastering the blocking technique is essential to winning Faceoffs.

The strongest portion of BotB is the Adventure Mode. In this mode you have the option of playing on Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulties, the decision of which will determine how challenging your quest to become the best band will be. There are several different bands to choose from as well such as Sinisister, Silence Asylum, The Rumbleweeds, Holler Hills, Defcon-X, and quite a few more. After making your selections, you go to compete head-to-head against other bands at various stages across the country. In the other mode, Versus, competitions can be against a computer controlled band or one other human player.

Graphics 7.5

Anyone familiar with Guitar Hero will know exactly what to expect here. THQ took a similar graphical approach as Activision and placed their primary focus on the gameplay rather than opt for excellent graphics. The graphics could have been a bit better, however, and should have taken a more unique approach as opposed to what we’ve seen already.

Sound 6.0

When it comes to the music, THQ made some very awry decisions of the songs they included into the title. Perhaps they had issues with obtaining the rights to hit songs, but evenso they could have did a much better job on their song choices. The majority of the songs will be unfamiliar and fail to enthrall even the most avid of those who constantly listen to music. It’s sad considering this should have been one of the biggest focuses of the game yet THQ failed to deliver.

Replay Value 7.0

The Adventure Mode may not be very long and the music not ‘great’, the variety, however, may keep your attention long enough to want to experience the game several times over. With a friend, the versus mode can sometimes be exciting and enthralling as you both battle it out over and over again to see who can reach the highest score.

Overall 7.1 out of 10

Overall, Battle of the Bands offers a unique experience that its competition doesn’t. The simplified Wii controls allows anyone of any age to access the gameplay from start to finish with no complications. With much better song offerings, online play, and even more game modes, a new outing for this possible franchise could have it ‘battling it out’ with Guitar Hero and Rock Band in the future. So all-in-all, if you’re looking for an game in the music genre that’s easy to access and fun to play, then Battle of the Bands exclusive for Wii may be just what you’re looking for.

WW: Roughly speaking, how many items and pieces of furniture will be available to the player?

DS: There are over 400 pieces of furniture available to players.

WW: Will the game contain any ‘unlockable’ bonus elements that are made available as the player progresses, or is everything opened up from the very beginning?

DS: Almost every new level unlocks the new pieces of furniture or a new game feature.

Full interview here

Since the launch of the Xbox 360 one year ago, the console has been touted to be a console ranked toward adults. With most of its games being filled with blood, gore, sex, and violence, one could certainly see why. But Microsoft has been determined to not only keep their adult oriented audience, but also to reach out abroad and gain favor to children and young adults with family-oriented type games as well. Not a game that suited just for families and kids, but one that appeals to all age groups. Thus comes in Viva Pinata, Rare’s third title since the console launched last November.

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