Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
To preface, I could rant all day about Dragon Ball Z fighting games until I’m blue in the face like King Kai. However, the franchise had excellent games that ventured outside the fighting genre, such as Dragon Ball: Attack of the Saiyans. Released in North America in November 2009 on the Nintendo DS, the game was a turn-based RPG game that combined the classic Dragon Ball story with gameplay mechanics reminiscent of Pokemon and Final Fantasy.
The events of the game take place after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai tournament through the Saiyan story arc (although, with more filler) utilizing six classic characters including Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien. The world and characters were beautifully animated with 2D sprites divided into a diverse world & area map. The game added puzzle elements to area exploration by having you clear obstacles by lobbing ki blasts against rocks and wooded areas. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be a proper RPG without RANDOM BATTLES!!! The combat mode is simple but incredibly stylistic, especially with the execution of special attacks & tag team attack combos, which will have your inner otaku screaming with joy against the likes of the Red Ribbon Army or the Legendary Super Saiyan Brolly.
Overall, Attack of the Saiyans is a refreshing and well-polished departure from the core DBZ fighting game genre with surprising depth and works to provide a new angle & expansion of the Dragon Ball narrative. This is a must-play for fans of RPGs!
