Dragonball Z 2: Legacy of Goku 2 (Future Shock) (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

The original Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku was released late in 2002 with both developers and publisher eager to release anything featuring their newly acquired license. Unfortunately the results were not what fans of the series had hoped for and the title received less than favorable reviews from critics as well. Clearly a little more time has passed now and Bandai have hopefully learnt from the mistakes of the last outing. The press release that accompanied my copy of the game promises enhanced audio and visuals, larger play areas, improved battle sequences and a generally more enjoyable gaming experience. A tall order indeed so have they managed to deliver? Read on and see...

Gameplay

If you've ever encountered a game like this before you'll know exactly what to expect. The Legacy of Goku II is all about exploration. Early on in the game this mostly involves talking to other characters and locating bonus items such as extra health and weapons that become useful in later quests. Soon after you will be challenged to carry out more focused tasks in order to increase your 'levels'. This not only increases your abilities but also allows you to enter different and more advanced areas of the game. Even once you've entered your new area though you'll still notice that some areas are closed off to you and you'll generally find that the only way to open these obstructions is to complete some other task elsewhere in the game. While this is a little frustrating it really is standard stuff for this type of game and a little like the 'leap of faith' in platformers this kind of thing extends gameplay by simply forcing you to backtrack.

Because fans of the series are likely to want to fully immerse themselves in the world of Dragon Ball Z the developers have allowed gamers to play six of the game?s characters which become available as you travel through your quest. Initially it's only Gohan that's available but because of the tasks that face you later on in the game you'll occasionally have to swap between characters to utilize their specific strengths and abilities. It's important to remember here though that the various characters are powered up independently and while one member of the group could be on level four the less popular (or selected) ones may still be a mere level one. Clearly with all these variables available a battery back up is essential and the handy three slots mean you'll always be able to visit the game from the last save area you visited which are dotted about.

Controls

As with most RPGs and Action Adventures things can be a little daunting at first but thumbing your way through a weighty manual is hardly the first thing any gamer wishes to do after they've ripped open their latest GBA purchase. With this in mind the developers have wisely added an in-game tutorial feature whenever a new concept arises and the first few minutes you spend with this title are all about learning the basics. Things do, however, accelerate quite quickly and you'll soon find yourself deep in combat, which is where Dragon Ball veterans will notice most of the changes. This is mostly due to the battle engine being significantly reworked with the focus on both collision detection and ease of use. Overall it appears the developers have concentrated on one of the major weaknesses of the original making one aspect that was previously a little frustrating now intuitive, responsive and ultimately rewarding.

Graphics

This is where most gamers who were a little disappointed with the first outing will notice most changes, all for the better I may add. What makes this truly remarkable though is that this game is actually produced by the same studio that produced the previous Dragon Ball Z title so it's clear that Webfoot Technologies have taken the criticisms on board and endeavored to rectify their previous mistakes. This has resulted in clearer and far better animated characters that wander around significantly more detailed and better looking environments. There are some very pleasing special effects too but there are also some rather strange and, some would argue, unnecessary additions. Most notable of these is the map screen, which could best be described as a 'Mode-7' flyover experience. Obviously variety is something we'd never shun here at EAGB but this really does feel totally out of place. It would possibly have made it less awkward had this section been more integrated into the overall gameplay.

Sound

The audio aspects of this title are really way above average with some mellow and rather haunting themes accompanying each area. The sound effects follow suit with battles featuring some appropriately beefy effects whilst everyday features the required sound. One thing that is disappointing though is the complete lack of dialogue from the series. All communication between characters is done via text. This is not unique by any means and there have been a steady flow of titles recently that utilize the visual aspects of a license but fall considerably short when it comes to sound. I can only assume this is a financially led decision but the absence is very noticeable and no doubt a little disappointing to fans of the series.

Final comments

Because of the 18 or so hours Dragon Ball Z will take you to play through it's definitely recommended for fans of the series although there's a good chance you'll also find it enjoyable even if you have no idea what Dragon Ball Z is. This is most due to the intuitive control system and some tight well-implemented design but the story is also engaging which is generally a must for titles of this nature. It wasn't difficult to improve upon the original but the developers have enhanced almost every area making the second outing a game worthy of the Dragon Ball Z title.

Pro: Very Entertaining RPG.
Con: No Character Audio.
Final score: 7.7

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