With its newest release, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Atari has chosen to completely steer away from conventional anime standards. In doing this, the creators have captured the essence of the Dragon Ball Z franchise and deliver a product fans should respect.

Intricate levels allow for fights that begin on an island, continue high into the air, and may even conclude underwater. Multiple notches on the life bar mean that the fights aren't over in seconds, and characters show wear and tear as they take damage. But they're not the only things that take a beating. When impacted, structures such as houses and buildings collapse, further cementing the power of the blows being dealt.

This definitely makes for entertaining combat. Similar attacks on both sides will cancel each other out, the resulting animations showcasing the fast-moving parries of the two opponents. Yet despite the complexity in pulling off these moves, the controls aren't that much more complex than any other typical fighting game. On top of the expected attack, block, and throw abilities; players can adjust the height of their character's levitation, and even charge up for a special attack and taunt their opponents. To execute this, it all comes down to memorizing combos, knowing the right moves for the situation, and avoiding or countering an enemy's more powerful attack.

Backing all of this is a wealth of content, featuring over 100 playable characters pulled from the Dragon Ball Z universe, including multiple versions of characters in different stages throughout the series thus creating a huge selling point for fans of the long running series.

Dragon Adventure, Tenkaichi 2's story mode, serves up a satisfying experience too. Split into different scenarios, it recreates popular storylines and battles taken from the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Z GT chronology. Players fly to stages marked on the map, with arenas highlighted in red containing a story event that further explains the plot, or other areas populated by characters offering advice, and sometimes even some sidequests. However, it's not always familiar territory. "What-if" dream match scenarios and events prevent boredom.