Dragon Z : Kai Ultimate Goku

Let's talk presentation first, as it's easiest to go on and on about how great Dragon Z : Kai Ultimate Goku looks and sounds.

As cinematic a series as Dragon is, it's a wonder it took so long for someone to get the feel of the series' trademark fights so right.

Each and every battle you fight will contain multiple cutaways to attacks and their animations,

dramatic camera shifts that can zoom right in on the blow-for-blow action and environmental destruction that is not only awe-inspiring,

but also quite easy to pull off. The game is chock full of cutscenes that advance the story we all know and love,

and they do the job as good or better than any past Dragon game.

Serious fans will appreciate this more than casual ones, but most importantly,

even non-fans won't have an issue following along. Also of note is the game's opening sequence,

as it is the first to use the Dragon Kai theme song in a game. It's also not half bad to watch, either.

But back to the game itself. With all the cinematic flare, it would be easy to assume that Ultimate Butoden's fighting is all flash,

no substance. Not so. While it might not be the deepest fighter in the vein of Virtua Fighter or the aforementioned Bleach titles,

it does pack enough punch to be considered a great fighter on its own, without the license. Players have all the requisite attacks,

throws and energy blasts that come standard with these characters, and the seemingly simplistic controls hide a battle system that allows for some very tight combat and some seriously fun fights if you happen to have a friend with the game.

As with the other Dragon fighters, though, there is little difference between the characters when it comes to executing moves.

The special attacks feature different little mini games in order to determine their strength, but other than that, the fighters vary little,

aside from the obvious cosmetic differences. But no Dragon or fighter ball will notice when that massive super attack hits,

decimating both the opponent and the entire surrounding landscape.

Thus far, I've basically told you that Dragon Z : Kai Ultimate Goku ball is among the best fighters on the DS and that any Dragon fan's collection is incomplete without it.

Those statements are both 100 percent true, but this is an import only title.

Your enjoyment of this game will hinge on how much Japanese text, text that you nor I have any hope of understanding, you can handle.

All the menus, in-game text, speech, all of it, is completely unintelligible Japanese,

and getting through to the action takes some trial and error.