Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 should be more fun on the Wii than on the PlayStation 2, and in that it succeeds. So much of the Dragon Ball series focuses on the movements of the characters, their dramatic poses and grand gestures, that the Wii is an ideal platform for recreating the energy of the show. The mistake that could have ruined the Wii version would be to do things half-way, to refuse to bet it all to capture DBZ's spirit -- a mistake that the BT2 developers didn't make.

The Wii Remote and the Nunchuk accessory are the standard controls, although the game can be played with a GameCube controller. Use the Nunchuk's analog stick to move, wave the Nunchuk to dash. One of the two Nunchuk buttons charges your energy, and the other lets you jump or change your flight altitude. The Wii Remote's buttons let you pause, attack, block, fling your energy attacks and navigate menus. The Wii motion sensors are used to let you live your Dragon Ball fantasies. If you don't have any such fantasies (or issues, depending on your perspective), then this version won't have any more appeal for you than the PS2 release.

In general, to activate a special move you'll hold down the Z and B buttons -- the two "triggers" on the Nunchuk and Wii Remote -- and then move the Nunchuk and Wii Remote in some combination to execute moves like the Kamehameha or the Light Grenade. To throw a Kamehameha, hold down the Z and B buttons, pull the remote back, and then thrust it forward -- that's right, it's exactly like you're throwing one in the show. It's even easier if you're standing, because then you can pivot at the hips instead of having to draw your arm awkwardly back each time and then thrust it forward.

Another attack might require you to twist the Nunchuk around while pushing the Wii Remote a certain direction off-screen and back. It's a less direct pantomime of the show, but it's a neat sensation to reach up and then fling forward and see your fighter reach up, gather a ball of energy, and then fling it forward with a cry. The fun, like a good karaoke game, comes from not worrying about people who might think you look silly. Don't worry about it; go ahead and reach back and charge that Kamehameha. If you're a DBZ fan, it's all but heaven.

The problems with the title are the same as they were on the PS2, but magnified because of the control setup. If you aren't a DBZ fan to begin with, getting to pose like Goku (that's the series' main character, non-DBZ fans) isn't a perk. If you actively dislike DBZ, it's even worse.

The fighting itself is a pretty good rendition of how combat seems to work in the show. It focuses on throwing everything you've got at the other guy, ripping apart as much landscape as possible, and relying on massive blasts of energy and special attacks to win the day. You'll pound the melee attack to create an opening, hold down the melee attack button to get a charged attack and fling your opponent back, charge up your energy, unleash your best special attack, and repeat until they're down. It's a simple formula for a fight, but it's pretty much how the show's fights go. The only issue that using the Wii controller generates is when you're stuck against the edges of the massive stages and utilizing the Nunchuk-shaking dash move fails, fails, and fails some more as you get pounded to pieces.

Honestly, it's easy to forgive a merely okay fighting engine considering the wealth of DBZ goods that Budokai Tenkaichi 2 delivers. Like the PS2 version, you can spend dozens of hours playing through the story mode alone. There are the Cell games, the Super Saiyan saga -- honestly, there's enough DBZ content presented in the game's sharp engine to keep even the most manic 12-year-old busy over the holiday break. The only real feature lacking is that there isn't any Internet-enabled multiplayer. A code allows you to send your customized version of a fighter out for other people to download and play against, but multiplayer is limited to one-on-one, in person.

As a proof of concept for the Wii, and as a game for DBZ fans, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is a sweeping success. It's just as inaccessible to people ambivalent about DBZ as the PS2 version of the title, though. If anything, the integration of posing like show characters to unleash their powers will have DBZ haters grinding their teeth louder and longer than they would for the PS2 version. Certainly, the actual fighting mechanic is just as so-so as it was there.