Dragonball: Evolution Hands-on
March 5, 2009 - If you're totally unfamiliar with Dragonball, you've somehow managed to avoid one of the most widely distributed manga/anime/game licenses around. Revolving around a set of seven magical orbs that have incredible power, as well as ample amounts of over-the-top fighting, the Dragonball franchise has been spread widely across a number of mediums and the action is coming to the big screen next month. A full-length film titled Dragonball: Evolution will follow Justin Chatwin's portrayal of Goku and all the antics therein.
To correspond with the release of the movie, the PSP will be getting a fighting game by the same name. Dragonball: Evolution borrows heavily from the fighting mechanics of the previous Dragonball games but occupies the movie's universe. The result, at least for now, is a bit of a mixed bag.
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To correspond with the release of the movie, the PSP will be getting a fighting game by the same name. Dragonball: Evolution borrows heavily from the fighting mechanics of the previous Dragonball games but occupies the movie's universe. The result, at least for now, is a bit of a mixed bag.
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Dragonball: Evolution has a number of different modes to choose from, including a full Story mode, Arcade mode, an Ad-hoc Network Battle feature, Training options and a Mission mode to unlock content. The battle system itself is the expected one-on-one dynamic where you and an opponent face off in a 3D arena. Although you can strafe around and sidestep in Evolution, it looks like most of the actual combat takes place on a 2D plane. Characters have a healthy assortment of Rush, Smash and Special Attacks to take advantage of, as well as a standard Guard and an Aura Burst for altering/powering-up attacks.
Special Attacks are governed by a character's Ki gauge, which can be charged by holding down the L trigger. Players can stock up to seven Ki charges to save throughout the fight and their Ultimate Attacks can only be executed with close to a full seven charges. Goku obviously calls upon his iconic projectile, the Kamehameha, for his Ultimate Attack, but the cinematic attacks vary widely depending on the character. Bulma, for example, unleashes a flurry of gunshots and close-range strikes to great effect.
As fast and frantic as Dragonball: Evolution is, the game isn't particularly deep. From what I've played so far, most moves in the game can be performed by mashing away at one of the buttons, or perhaps pairing a directional input with a simple button press. There's really nothing else to it, though the fast-paced nature of the battles comes through on the PSP, as the game runs very smoothly with little to no slowdown.
Dragonball: Evolution's training mode is surprisingly slick, with enough options to help simulate combat and an easy method for jumping back and forth between practicing and viewing a character's Command List. Oddly enough, though, none of the moves (of which some characters have more than 40) are named, making it slightly difficult to scroll around and find the ones you like. This isn't a huge issue by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm surprised that more details weren't provided.
Special Attacks are governed by a character's Ki gauge, which can be charged by holding down the L trigger. Players can stock up to seven Ki charges to save throughout the fight and their Ultimate Attacks can only be executed with close to a full seven charges. Goku obviously calls upon his iconic projectile, the Kamehameha, for his Ultimate Attack, but the cinematic attacks vary widely depending on the character. Bulma, for example, unleashes a flurry of gunshots and close-range strikes to great effect.
As fast and frantic as Dragonball: Evolution is, the game isn't particularly deep. From what I've played so far, most moves in the game can be performed by mashing away at one of the buttons, or perhaps pairing a directional input with a simple button press. There's really nothing else to it, though the fast-paced nature of the battles comes through on the PSP, as the game runs very smoothly with little to no slowdown.
Dragonball: Evolution's training mode is surprisingly slick, with enough options to help simulate combat and an easy method for jumping back and forth between practicing and viewing a character's Command List. Oddly enough, though, none of the moves (of which some characters have more than 40) are named, making it slightly difficult to scroll around and find the ones you like. This isn't a huge issue by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm surprised that more details weren't provided.
After learning the ropes in Training mode, I tested out the game's Story offering, which started with a training match between Goku and his grandfather, Gohan. After training, we find out that it's Goku's birthday and he receives one of the seven Dragon Balls from his grandfather. Foreshadowing, perhaps? As Goku heads into school, he's promptly picked on by some bullies who probably wouldn't stand a chance against Goku, but the noble young man has promised his grandfather he wouldn't fight outside his normal training.
After being embarrassed in front of the cute girl Chi Chi, Goku winds up helping her later in the day and getting invited to her house party (Are you keeping up with this?). More antics ensue, and back at Gohan's house, the old man is attacked by a mysterious, knife-throwing woman. I suppose the people of the Dragonball universe are quick to fight.
Although my time with Dragonball: Evolution was short, the combat mechanics still seem to be the same as they've always been in the franchise. I do, unfortunately, have to bring up some serious qualms with the game's visuals: they're awful. Environments are ugly and the character models look like poorly-rendered affairs with the actors' faces pasted on. Oh well.
Keep your eyes peeled for more Dragonball coverage in the coming weeks.
source: http://psp.ign.com/articles/959/959895p1.html
After being embarrassed in front of the cute girl Chi Chi, Goku winds up helping her later in the day and getting invited to her house party (Are you keeping up with this?). More antics ensue, and back at Gohan's house, the old man is attacked by a mysterious, knife-throwing woman. I suppose the people of the Dragonball universe are quick to fight.
Although my time with Dragonball: Evolution was short, the combat mechanics still seem to be the same as they've always been in the franchise. I do, unfortunately, have to bring up some serious qualms with the game's visuals: they're awful. Environments are ugly and the character models look like poorly-rendered affairs with the actors' faces pasted on. Oh well.
Keep your eyes peeled for more Dragonball coverage in the coming weeks.
source: http://psp.ign.com/articles/959/959895p1.html
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