Legend Of The Super Saiyan Review

This is the first DBZ game that I ever managed to get my hands on to play, and I can't say that I was disappointed, despite a poor initial impression.

Upon first setting eyes on the screen, you immediately notice the horrendous graphics, which could quite easily be reproduced by anyone with a minute bit of skill on a cheap games making program. The character sprites are blocky and ugly, the backdrops are decidedly dodgy, and the animation is terribly harsh to look at. This was unbelievably annoying and almost put me off before I'd even started, but I didn't want to judge a book by its cover, and my love for DBZ was such that I'd try out any related product.

After I'd overcome the original shock of seeing the pathetic, eye-stinging graphics, I moved on to checking out the gameplay. It didn't take long to figure out it was an RPG where you'd have to interact with numerous characters in order to continue on your way, in the vain of the Final Fantasy series.

RPGs are known to quickly become tedious after prolonged hours of play, which was a little aggravation that I was prepared to deal with. Fortunately though, this one was different, and despite the repetitive battling system, I enjoyed playing it from start to finish. The fighting is done incredibly well, and for the first few fights at least you enjoy trying out new strategies, and testing out new moves thoroughly. It isn't until you get lost or have to go to a location far away that it begins to get boring. When fighting someone weaker than you the battles are bound to be over quickly, and when fighting the same people over and over, one can't help but want to smash the screen in. Try as I might, I was unable to escape without significant damage from the uncountable random battles that took place. Still, this can be forgiven though, as it's a mistake that even the epic Final Fantasy 7 made.

After playing for a while, you will eventually locate a boss of sorts, with their appearance fitting in with the storyline that the game follows. I guess I should explain that in some sort of detail before I move on.

You are pitted up against the seemingly endless evil warriors in a re-enactment of the Saiyan and Frieza sagas, including the King Kai training, the battle with the Saibamen, and even the fight with the many forms of Frieza. As the plot develops more and more you find yourself constantly making references to the series, joyfully remembering when certain parts happened, such as when Gohan and Krillen attacked Dodoria from behind and had to flee. The game handles these accurately, making them appear to be as much like the show as possible. They execute it almost perfectly too.

Throughout the quest you are able to take control of a multitude of characters, including a main one (Usually Gohan or Goku) that has to stay alive in order for you to finish the game. A nice little inclusion to it was the unpredictable Vegeta who will fight for you, but only obey your commands about 50% of the time, due to his excessive stubbornness. Whilst this can be slightly annoying at times, it's a nice little touch which adds depth to the game.

Obviously though, a game cannot be made by simply graphics and gameplay, it's got to have more prominent features than those alone. Not many people notice the music in it, mainly because they'll have the speakers turned off if they have any sense, due to the fact that it is awful. Not only is it of appalling sound quality, but it is also a terrible tune. This can easily be avoided though, and I strongly suggest it is.

Now moving back onto the battles, the way it works is extremely novel and innovative, with cards signifying the power and type of your attack. Particular special cards allow you to use a KI ability, and normal cards have dots to show how strong the defence and attack of it is. This allows for some intensive strategy, putting all your hopes on distinguishing certain cards in order to get a better one in return. Items come into the fray too, with some that can heal you, some that can power you up, and a host of other things which make the game even more exciting and potentially tactical.

When performing the attacks during these battle scenes, the characters are shown as 2D drawings, which looks extremely lame. The only worthwhile point of them is the way that sometimes someone is smashed through a large rock, making it particularly satisfying if you're on the offensive end of it.

Fortunately though, the KI attacks are handled well in the battle screen, switching to realistic, authentic-looking DBZ characters performing their trademark attacks in their trademark ways. Some look a little stupid, but on the whole it's all done fairly well.

This game has many nice little charming points to it, and many inclusions that add to its depth making it an immersive experience. Many of the touches make it seem like you're a part of the show, which can't be a bad thing. The gameplay is excellent, and if it wasn't for the annoyingly frequent random battles, then playing it would consume your whole life. Whilst the battles do slightly detract from the enjoyment, they don't ruin it enough so that the game becomes a chore, as it's always fun.

Of course with all good comments come bad, and it's time to point out the small, yet fatal flaws to the game. As already mentioned the graphics are hideous, with the designers of it clearly having the skills of a drunk 4 year old. Finding locations can often take a long time too, as certain things are hidden away too much to make finding them exhilaratingly fun. At first it's a nice challenge but after a while it gets boring and you just want to get on with the game. The biggest flaw though, is that it's too short. I completed this in a few short hours, and whilst my gaming skills are superb, it would still take the average person 10 hours maximum to complete.

With all that said, I enjoyed the game on the whole, and while it lasted it was amazing fun. Being the first DBZ game I'd ever played, I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to surpass anything that I could have hoped for it. If you're not obsessed with flashy graphics and brilliantly designed levels, but rather enjoyable fighting sequences, impressive innovation in game design, and great gameplay throughout, then I strongly suggest you get this.

Overall Score: 75%

Pros: Good fighting system, based on Saiyan/Frieza saga, different playable characters, recognisable story, various nice little touches.

Cons: Too short, lame graphics, pathetic music, sometimes takes hours to find people, random battles are annoying.