There have been a lot of games set in the Dragon Ball universe, most of them being fighting games. Counting only the ones released in North America, you have whopping 41 video games that cover Goku’s origins all the way up to the evens of Dragon Ball GT (that’s a lot of ground to cover). Of course, as with all large groups of things, not every game is exactly great. So, to help you decipher which ones are worth your time, we’ve decided to rank every single game released in NA based on their critical reception.
Considering how many different games there are, this was not an easy task, but after sifting through the history of the different series and spin-offs it became clear how much the franchise as a whole has grown. From Dragon Power, a game that wiped all references to the Dragon Ball universe from it’s content, to Budokai Tenkaichi 3, the best of the best, it’s interesting to see how different developers incorporated varied elements from the manga, anime, and even other games. Fighting mechanics from Ultimate Battle 22 became the core of Final Bout, Budokai Tenkaichi took the popularity of Budokai but revolutionized the mechanics, and the DS brought us the best adventures we’d seen.
Dragon Ball has a long, storied history in the realm of video games. As we rank everything that came before, we are excited to see what the future has in store for us fans.
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There have been a lot of games set in the Dragon Ball universe, most of them being fighting games. Counting only the ones released in North America, you have whopping 41 video games that cover Goku's origins all the way up to the events of Dragon Ball GT (that's a lot of ground to cover). Of course, as with all large groups of things, not every game is exactly great. So, to help you decipher which ones are worth your time, we've decided to rank every single game released in NA based on their critical reception.
41. Dragon Power (NES)
Dragon Power was one of the very first Dragon Ball games to make its way overseas, and while doing so it dropped pretty much everything that made the series so lovable in the first place. All references to the manga and anime were wiped and the entire experience was "Americanized" making for a really dull game in the west.
40. Dragonball Evolution (PSP)
Dragonball Evolution was the game based on the horrid, live action movie of the same name. The gameplay itself actually wasn't that bad, but it became extraordinarily repetitive early on and fans just didn't want to continue to stare at that Goku impostor.
39. Dragon Ball Z: For Kinect (360)
Like most games on the original Kinect, this DBZ title didn't exactly fare well in the fun controls department. Striking specific poses to fight against iconic adversaries just didn't feel as epic as probably expected.
38. Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 (PS1)
Ultimate Battle 22 as some pretty shoddy balancing and far too many different versions of the same character for a fighting game. It's heart was in the right place, though, and many ideas from it would lead to great games in the future. It's actually the lowest scoring game of the series of all time, but it's influence on later titles helped bump it up a bit.
37. Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu (GBA)
Taiketsu is a pretty basic fighter on the GBA that had complex controls and a roster of 15 popular characters including the first NA appearance of Broly the legendary Super Saiyan. Unfortunately, many thought the game felt rushed and didn't have that oomph that was expected of one of the most popular anime series of all time.
36. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World (PS2)
To be honest, Infinite World may be one of the lower reviewed games in the Dragon Ball universe, but it's pretty divisive. On one hand, some thought it catered too much towards hardcore fans and the mini-games had no place in the complicated story. On the other, many thought this was the best of the PS2 era, adding in variety, not dumbing down the story, and having some impressive visuals. It's definitely a matter of perception for this one.
35. Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout (PS1
Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout was heavily influenced by Ultimate Battle 22. In fact, it shared many of the exact same systems, just a bit more advanced. You could train and personalize heroes by playing with them to make them even stronger adding more variety to encounters with friends, and you had a roster that included some new fighters from the GT series which had yet to hit major popularity here in the west. It still suffered from some of the same issues as Ultimate Battle 22, though, including far too many Gokus.
34. Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (PS2, Xbox, GCN)
For a game called Sagas, this entry was pretty light on them. It covered primarily the beginning of Dragon Ball Z leading up to the end of the Cell Games Saga. It also had only a few playable characters and not a large suite of moves to use, leaving he experience ultimately lacking and missing the mark of what a DBZ action game could've been.
33. Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku (GBA)
The Legacy of Goku was a simple, fun game on the GBA that unfortunately got a few things wrong. There were a lot of discrepancies between the series and the game's events as well as far too many side quests that didn't really contribute to the story, serving as mostly filler for the short story.
32. Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3, 360)
Ultimate Tenkaichi had one of the best rosters of any of the Dragon Ball fighting games, but it's overly simplified gameplay was a problem for some, as was the story.
31. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (PS3, 360)
Raging Blast is one of those games that tries to hide its flaws under mountains of content. There are a ton of characters (43 whose various forms bring the count up to around 120), lots of stories, and plenty of unlockable abilities. Unfortunately, the gameplay was lackluster and had several mechanical issues that muddied that experience.
30. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z (PS3, 360, Vita)
Battle of Z was actually a pretty decent game marred by the lack of certain offline features. With a focus on multiplayer, the game required people to get online to team up with others, making couch co-op and versus non-existent.
29. Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu (DS)
Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu was a card-based RPG that actually had a solid story that was more faithful to the series than many of the other games in the universe. However, the overly simplified gameplay and repetition did weigh heavy on fans and critics alike.
28. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (PS3,360)
While it was an improvement over its predecessor, it still suffered from trying to also hide its flaws under mountains of content. The gameplay had an oddly complicated control scheme that was completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things as spamming basic attack was all you needed to win, and many of the unlockables weren't all that special. Still, a solid roster and original stories for all the characters was fun to experience, especially after going through the true story hundreds of times already in other games.
27. Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS)
Extreme Butoden manages to bring some impressive fighting to the 3DS with an impressive yet small roster and a solid combo system. Some did feel that it was a bit simple compared to other fighting games in the series, and expected a bit more depth.
26. Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 (3DS)
This game actually didn't hit NA until over 20 years after it was initially made available on the SNES in Japan. While solid, by the time it came out on the 3DS Virtual Console, it was somewhat dated.
25. Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card Game (GBA)
After achieving immense popularity in its physical form, the Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card Game received a digital iteration on the GBA. It was still very fun, but there's something about removing the physical collectible aspect that slightly sours the experience.
24. Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury (GBA)
This is yet another GBA Dragon Ball Z RPG that happened to be very fun. The side quests were improved to include interactions with iconic characters such as Hercule, Ox-King, and King Yenma, and there was a large roster of other characters and locations fans would recognize and appreciate. The major downside for the game was the fact that it was far too easy, which tends to become an issue for RPGs where you should be enticed to grow stronger. Also, character-specific melee attacks were removed,
23. Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (PSP)
Tenkaichi Tag Team isn't a bad game in the slightest, it just doesn't really do anything new. On top of that, it has one of the most confusing tutorials out there.
22. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai HD Collection (PS3, 360)
Oddly enough, the Budokai HD Collection only includes the first and third game of the series, though they are beautifully remastered and given full trophy/achievement support. Yet, even with the stunning visuals and achievements, the games didn't really change too much else other than minor tweaks and fixes, and it left out an entire game.
21. Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Wii)
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo was actually pretty fun, if not overly simplistic thanks to the Wii controls. It's a solid brawler for those looking to get into the universe, but, if you happen to be a serious fan, you will definitely be left wanting.
20. Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road (PSP)
Shin Budokai - Another Road follows an interesting alternate timeline that places Buu in Future Trunks' world. It's a fun fighting game on the PSP with impressive visuals for that system and a solid roster that has quite a few different Buu forms.
19. Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 (DS)
Supersonic Warriors 2 is a fantastic, handheld fighting game. The major gripe, though, was that it didn't fully utilize the DS capabilities, namely the touchscreen and graphics.
18. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PS2, GCN)
The first entry in the Budokai series was a great attempt at making a well balanced fighting game in the Dragon Ball Z universe, but it did have a few issues that were sorted out by later entries.
17. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (PS2, GCN)
With this entry the Budokai series started to find its stride. The visuals were true to the anime and the game board story menu was fun to navigate. The gameplay still had some kinks to work out, but balancing was getting much better.
16. Dragon Ball Xenoverse (PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, 360)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse was actually based on Dragon Ball Online, though reworked to fit a more classic fighting game setup. Being able to make your own character and go through key moments of Dragon Ball history was great, but the lack of balancing, and the somewhat lackluster hub world helped hold this title back.
15. Dragon Ball GT: Transformation (GBA)
Dragon Ball GT: Transformation can be considered a solid brawler if you're willing to look past some technical issues such as poor hit detection and sometimes unresponsive controls. Still, the wild story that has you crossing paths with Baby and several other GT enemies, weird enemies, and plenty of series mainstays bring plenty of joy to fans.
14. Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai (PSP)
Thanks to art direction, tight storytelling, and gameplay that is accessible but not overly simplified, Shin Budokai stands as the best DBZ fighter you can get on the PSP.
13. Dragon Ball: Origins 2 (DS)
What should have been a strong followup to the original Dragon Ball: Origins ended up being just more of the same. Visuals were okay for the DS at best, but combat didn't change to much from the predecessor leading to few awesome set-pieces that were surrounded by the same old things you'd already seen. Still, there are far worse games out there and if you're a fan of the Dragon Ball universe, you'll want to at least give this a try.
12. Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3/360)
Burst Limit is one of the better fighting games in the DBZ universe when you consider that there's been over 30 worldwide. It has crisp visuals for each of the fighters, although the worlds look boring, and the controls are both accessible and deep (something a lot of the other games failed to achieve). However, the game is lacking variety, both in its roster and character abilities.
11. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (PS2)
Budokai Tenkaichi is actually a separate series from Budokai, so this was a first outing. As such, it lacks some of the polish and features that Budokai 3 had which released not long before. However, it was a first major step in the right direction as it captured the feel and excitement of the source material very well and set a standard for future games.
10. Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors (GBC)
Legendary Super Warriors was mostly praised for the sheer amount of content and strategy possible on the Game Boy Color. It utilized a card-based battle system that required thought and skill rather than just button mashing, which is common in most DBZ games. However, some slow pacing and sudden difficulty spikes did have a negative effect on the overall experience.
9. Super Dragon Ball Z (PS2)
Super Dragon Ball Z went for a much more up-close fighting experience, focusing on intense combos rather than long distance assaults. There is also a fair share of customization and replayability to keep players engaged long after the credits roll.
8. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2, Wii)
The second stab at Budokai Tenkaichi fared much better than the first, with an improved roster, stunning visuals, and tighter action. The controls were still a bit complex, but balancing helped make it much more accessible while still giving hardcore fans something to master.
7. Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors (GBA)
Considered the best of the handheld fighters in the DBZ game universe, the only thing holding back Supersonic Warriors from being closer to the top is the fact that it relies heavily on button mashing due to characters lacking in the unique attack department. Still, it's a faithful homage to the series with an impressive roster, bright colors, fun action, and great story. There are plenty of unlockables and you can even play with a friend (if you have a link cable that is).
6. Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II (GBA)
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II improves on its predecessor in almost every way. Less bugs, better movement, stronger focus on exploration, and a better story lend themselves well to this title. Unfortunately, it's still a bit lacking in the overall gameplay department thanks to little variety in terms of the action itself, even if it does control better.
5. Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure (GBA)
The only major complaint that fans and critics had with this Game Boy Advance title was the fact that it veered from the known story. But the abundance of modes, locations, minigames, and characters really helped earn this game a place in everyone's hearts.
4. Dragon Ball Online (PC)
Dragon Ball Online is very much so the predecessor to Dragon Ball Xenoverse. This MMORPG let players experience the story right from the beginning as they created their own heroes and fought across the universe. It was well received for its visuals and true to anime action, but was shut down in 2013. Fans are currently trying to recreate the experience for everyone to enjoy.
3. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 - PS3, 360, PS2
What helped Budokai 3 soar over all of its predecessors (and some of its followers) was the fact that it broke the pattern of just adding more content and prettying up the graphics. It actually improved its gameplay to something that was accessible yet engaging to participate in.
2. Dragon Ball: Origins (DS)
Dragon Ball: Origins is the highest rated handheld game in the Dragon Ball universe. It follows the Emperor Pilaf and Tournament Sagas from the very beginning of the series that started it all. The gameplay itself is fun and engaging, if not a little repetitive, and the graphics were fairly decent for their time. The game's sequel failed to build on this one's excellent foundation, though, and is possibly the reason why we haven't received another.
1. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PS2, Wii)
Considered by many to be the definitive Dragon Ball Z fighting experience (for now at least), Budokai Tenkaichi 3 took everything it learned from its predecessors and polished them to a wonderful shine. Solid gameplay, decent story, fun rosters, and fusions made for an experience that fans keep returning to.
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