Throughout the March 2023 Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, announcements for variousDragon Ball Ztitles were made.Dragon Ball Legendswill soon receive a new character called Ultra Super Saiyan Rose Goku Black, which will be detailed further later in March. Arollback netcode beta forDragon Ball FighterZwill run on PC later this Spring, and a much-needed final balance patch was revealed as well. That’s all been cause for some excitement, but what has most of theDragon Ballcommunity buzzing is the announcement of a newDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichigame.
Since 2005, theBudokai Tenkaichisubseries has stood out among a sea of playableDragon Ball Zadaptations. The original trilogy, released annually from 2005 to 2007, is held up as one of the most enjoyableDragon Ball Zfight simulators to exist. The second trilogy running from 2010 to 2012, consisting ofTenkaichi Tag Team,Ultimate Tenkaichi, andDragon Ball Z: For Kinect, is considerably less well-regarded, and considered a step down even from theRaging Blasttitles that followed up the first trilogy. Seeing a newDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichigame get announced in 2023 is stunning, but reviving the name comes with very high stakes.
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Budokai Tenkaichi’s Popularity Cannot Be Understated
Hype levels for what many have dubbedBudokai Tenkaichi 4are already immense. Unofficial Twitter posts announcing the game with its trailer have received over 100,000 Likes within a day of being posted, and over 100,000 Tweets were made within a few hours of the games reveal. Even though they are over fifteen years old and not available on modern consoles,Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichistill commands respectfrom the widerDBZcommunity.
Amid a sea of licensedDragon Balltitles, theBudokai Tenkaichitrilogy can be trusted to look great, sound great, and provide fanservice the likes of which few otherDragon Ballproducts can muster. Most of the iconic voices that fans know and love are back, and each game is full of characters interacting with each other and exchanging all sorts of banter, insults, or surprise compliments. The roster picks alone get incredibly granular, withBudokai Tenkaichi 3being known for reaching back not only intodifferentDragon Balleras, but for bringing in minor one-off characters alongside the Akira Toriyama-madeDr. Slumplead Arale. Levels of fan service were reached that exceed any other licensed Shonen Jump title, and recapturing that is no small endeavor.
The Legacy of Budokai Tenkaichi Brings Unreasonable Expectations
Years of nostalgia have built theBudokai Tenkaichiseries a pedestal that newer titles have needed different strengths to match. In the past decade,Dragon Ball Zarena fighters have regained some legitimacy through the wildly popularXenoversetitles, largely owing to their RPG story modes and MMO elements. Adding on to that, dreams of a truly competitive 2DDragon Ballfighting game have finally beenrealized inDragon Ball FighterZ. Having MMORPG and traditional fighting alternatives taken care of lightensBudokai Tenkaichi 4’s load, but they also makeBT4easier to dismiss if it doesn’t live up to expectations.
Bandai Namco andBudokai Tenkaichi 4’s developer need to pull out all the stops and hone in on the details that madeBudokai Tenkaichiso memorable. ABudokai Tenkaichi 4will not be able to bring the old trilogy’s 150+ fighters forward, necessitating controversial cuts and difficult debates overDragon Ball Supernewcomers. Gameplay doesn’t need to be perfect, but singleplayer modes with replay value and what-if scenarios need to be present. Developing a direct sequel to these legendaryDragon Ball Zgames is not an enviable position, but with the fandom’s support, perhapsDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4can be all that it’s hoped to be.
A newDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichigame is now in development.
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