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There are so many different Dragon Ball video games, but some of them are simply better than the others. Anime fans have come a long way from the simple Famicom and Super Famicom games.
Many of these games are fun for a variety of reasons, but which are the best ones to chronicle the adventures of Goku and his friends?
Dragon Ball has a long and storied history of video games
Since 1986, there has been a Dragon Ball game released nearly every year, for at least one console or another. Many of these were Japan-only, but as far as the criteria for this list goes, as long as a game has been released, that is enough for it to be counted. However, no re-releases or remasters will be counted, only the original release.
Best Dragon Ball games
- DBZ: The Legacy of Goku trilogy
- DB: Xenoverse 2
- DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
- DBZ: Budokai 3
- Dragon Ball FighterZ
There are honorable mentions, of course, since there are simply too many amazing games in the franchise for one list. Kakarot was an incredible retelling of the manga story, but it is just that. Raging Blast and Hyper Dimension also stand out to the writer as fun additions to the franchise.
5) DBZ: The Legacy of Goku trilogy
Okay, so full disclosure: It was too difficult to list any one of these games on their own. The grinding nature of Buu’s Fury was pretty frustrating, but all told, these were revolutionary.
Bringing an action-RPG version of DBZ to the Gameboy Advance was huge, and they were fun and challenging. Players got to see their characters grow in power as the game went on, which was satisfying.
The visuals looked sharp on the GBA, and while each game stands up fine on its own, they work best as a complete trilogy. Perhaps it’s time to revisit these and remaster them in one collection.
4) Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2
One of the major complaints against the DBZ games is that they don’t do anything new or interesting. It’s just the same story over and over. And for Dragon Ball fans, that’s perfectly fine. However, Xenoverse and Xenoverse 2 do something genuinely fun.
Time Travel is another common trope for DBZ and the consequences of mucking about with time. In Xenoverse 2, players create their own characters: Human, Saiyajin, Frieza Clan, Namekian, and Majin. They join the Time Patrol and work to stop an evil force that is manipulating time for their own benefit.
It had excellent online co-operative play, PVP, and tons of main and side missions. There are things to collect, ultra-hard missions to complete and so much more. It did a lot to build on the previous games’ success, and many fans are waiting on another Xenoverse title to drop.
3) DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Through the 2000s, there were two lines of DBZ games: Budokai, and Budokai Tenkaichi. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was the best of the Budokai Tenkaichi games and it’s not even close. The arena combat was appealing to many fans and had 98 characters - 161 total if you count various character forms.
The later franchise games have a lot to thank Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for. Visually stunning for its era, there are tons of characters to play as, and they can also play through the DBZ story if they want to.
There’s also a “What If” saga that’s a joy to play. It had a ton of game modes, many characters, and plenty of replay value. It’s also a joy to play with friends. It’s one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.
2) DBZ: Budokai 3
DBZ: Budokai 3 was the definitive fighting game for such a long period of time for the franchise. It had the best roster, including Super Saiyajin 4 Goku and Vegeta, as well as enjoyable gameplay and gorgeous visuals.
Players can control one of the 11 characters in Dragon Ball Universe, traveling between Earth and Namek through four main stories. It also had replayability due to other playthroughs, allowing for different choices and new battles.
Like many games, it also has a World Tournament mode and 1v1 battles. It doesn’t have as many characters to play as compared to Budokai Tenkaichi 3, the gameplay is sharper and more enjoyable. From memorable music to intense gameplay, DBZ: Budokai 3 is easily one of the best games for Dragon Ball fans.
1) Dragon Ball FighterZ
While Dragon Ball FighterZ is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, it’s the best fighting game the franchise has ever seen. The character's animations and attacks all make sense and fit their anime and manga personas.
The biggest downside to the game is that it has too many “Gokus,” or characters that are either Goku, related to him or his friend and have a similar moveset in general.
This includes fusions, family, and Saiyajin forms. Other than that, Dragon Ball FighterZ is an incredible game. Visually it’s stunning, and it’s very clear that the developers are familiar with Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece.
ArcSys Works are the developers fans wanted to see make a DBZ game for years, and when they finally did, ArcSys and Bandai Namco created a genuinely wonderful fighting game.
It’s a game where players can tackle solo, just playing through single-player content, or compete against the best players in the world online at any time. It’s a brilliant game, and one worthy of the name.
While there are hundreds of DBZ games, some simply stand out as being ahead of the pack. There are other games coming soon too, such as Dragon Ball: The Breakers. While each game does things a little differently, there is always something to love for fans of the anime.
