Dragon Ball Z is probably the most successful anime ever. And with any entertainment success
comes video games. Fighting games, mostly, in the case of Dragon Ball Z. But with the
exception of a butchered NES release, the original, and better, Dragon Ball series has
had few adaptations localized for the States. That�s changed within the past five years
or so, and one of the earliest examples is Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure (surprisingly!)
for the Game Boy Advance. As a fan of the original Dragon Ball series,
this game is pretty exciting. A 2D platforming beat �em up that takes you throughout the
whole Dragon Ball series? That sounds fantastic! Only, there are a couple of snags along the
way. And first and foremost is the gameplay. But let me preface any and all criticisms
by saying Advanced Adventure is in no way a bad game. Kind of average? Sure, but not
terrible. That being said, this game is kind of saved by its license. That�s not something
I thought I would ever say, but it�s true. As I said, Advanced Adventure is a beat �em
up with some platforming elements. A very repetitive one, as most games of the genre
are. I think that the video footage is pretty self-explanatory, and really, it encapsulates
the whole game. The game is very linear, with a few, very
obvious optional areas with extra health or collectibles. Nothing really changes in the
way of Goku�s abilities, except for the initial access to energy blasts and some upgrades
to health and power. There are a few enemy archetypes, and they are translated between
a couple of different sprites and palette swaps. Most levels are 2D platformers, but
One-on-One levels try to break them up quite frequently with a more fighting game approach.
With the relatively limited Game Boy Advance controls, this may not mean much, but the
fights are actually quite fun, if not just as repetitive as the majority of the game.
This isn�t necessarily a bad thing, as Advanced Adventure is actually pretty fun in short
bursts. Speaking of short, the game is just that. The main story will only take up about
2-3 hours of your time, but the �second quest� playthrough as Krillin, One-on-One
fights, and minigames also become available upon completion.
As I�ve stressed a few times, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure is not a bad game. The
repetition only becomes glaring in long play sessions, and the moment-to-moment action
is satisfying. For fans of the original series, or those looking for the roots of the immensely
popular Dragon Ball Z, it�s a fun adaptation that takes some reasonable creative license
with how the events played out in the actual show. Even if the adaptation does leave out
the final saga, and somehow presents a very abridged story with a ton of text. Oh, and
�Dragon Ball� is one word. How dare they?