Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout
Now before you raise your pitchforks and torches at me, allow me the chance to explain. True, Final Bout generally did not get any accolades and many critics have negative criticisms about it. However, Final Bout delivered unprecedented gameplay elements that would clearly influence later games,
First of all, it was the first fully 3D rendered Dragon Ball video game to ever be released on the PlayStation in 1997. In all honesty, this was somewhat of a luxury since there would not be another fully 3D rendered game until four years later with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai. When you were 9 years old, like I was, this was simply something that you never saw before in other games.
Final Bout‘s combat system created an easy and seamless means of transitioning into ground and aerial combat. It had also experimented with novel ways of evading and counter ki blasts and special attacks with the implementation of a reaction-based quicktime command causing a slow motion, bullet-time like ki blast battle with the winner being the one who could mash the correct button the fastest. Its character roster had stellar characters such as Future Trunks, Vegetto, and SSJ4 Goku. Unfortunately, Oozaru Baby Vegeta was not playable but his boss fight was challenging, memorable, and fun as hell.
Lastly, Final Bout sported a Build Up Mode which no other game had replicated since. You were allowed to select and save a Z fighter onto your memory card in which you could train and level up. You and your friends could level out your characters to the max, beat the snot out of each other, and achieve eternal glory and bragging rights. You could level up the strength of your character’s melee attacks, or perhaps scale the power of your energy blasts. Whatever poison you chose, it was pure delight seeing the look on your friend’s face when you demonstrated how much work you put in to enable your character to do 1 hit KOs over and over.
