Bandai Namco recently hosted the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2023, a showcase and celebration of games based on the Dragon Ball franchise that included a Dragon Ball FighterZ tournament, a card game tournament, and a concert. The studio interrupted its proceedings for a special announcement, revealing that the long-dormant Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series is making a comeback. Dragon Ball FighterZ is still very popular, so it's worth considering how Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 hopes to compete with the juggernaut fighting game. Luckily, some major differences ensure that both titles can independently flourish.
Dragon Ball Z has a storied history of video game adaptations, with titles appearing on nearly every console since the Famicom. In the west, many players were introduced to Dragon Ball Z games through the release of Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi in 2002. After Budokai received two sequels, it was replaced by Xenoverse before Dragon Ball FighterZ took the fighting game community by storm. Now, 15 years after its last mainline release, BudokaiTenkaichi is making a return that will hopefully take lessons from Bandai Namco's other titles.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi is Very Different from FighterZ
The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series included three main entries across the PS2 and Nintendo Wii, all known for their impressive rosters. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 featured 42 unique characters across the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT series, many with additional transformations. The titles played like other 3D arena fighters of the era such as Tekken or Virtual Fighter, with structured and methodical combat. Budokai Tenkaichi also featured a full story mode, covering the basic plot of the anime.
Dragon Ball FighterZ was released in 2018, and has since become one of the biggest fighting games in the world. It brought a very different type of gameplay to Dragon Ball Z fans, abandoning the 3D arena fighting introduced by Budokai Tenkaichi to instead opt for the rapid tag-team approach of 2D fighters like Marvel vs. Capcom. Dragon Ball FighterZ set a new sales record for the franchise and has received steady support for the last five years. Unlike Budokai Tenkaichi, Dragon Ball FighterZ also featured a unique new story that introduced a fresh antagonist to the series in Android 21.
Budokai Tenkaichi 4 and FighterZ Make DBZ Games More Appealing Than Ever
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi and FighterZ offer players two vastly different options for play, making the franchise accessible to a wider audience. Despite its success, the fast pace and flurried visuals of Dragon Ball FighterZ might not be for everyone. Likewise, the slower and more complex strategy of Budokai Tenkaichi may leave fans of 2D fighters unimpressed. However, both 3D and 2D fighting games continue to thrive in 2023 as Tekken, Street Fighter, and FighterZ all retain die-hard fans.
By bridging the realms of 2D and 3D fighters, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 and Dragon Ball FighterZ can coexist in a way that ensures the success of both titles. They appeal to different groups of the fighting game community, but offer a unified victory for fans of Dragon Ball Z fighting games overall. There will be some crossover between the two groups, as Dragon Ball Z's popularity brings fans to the newest Budokai Tenkaichi who may have been too young to play prior entries, but this week's announcement shows just how significant the franchise continues to be across the modern fighting game landscape.
When Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 releases, it will have a lot of pressure on its shoulders, as later series have surpassed it in terms of gameplay. Budokai Tenkaichi will need to evolve to keep up with modern fighting games' mix of complexity and accessibility, a balance often difficult for 3D arena fighting games. Regardless, fans of Dragon Ball Z are in for a treat with the series' return, and many are hopeful that more news surrounding Budokai Tenkaichi will arrive soon.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is currently in development.