The 16 Best Dragon Ball Video Games And 9 That Were Surprisingly Canceled

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The 16 Best Dragon Ball Video Games And 9 That Were Surprisingly Canceled

Some Dragon Ball games never make it to market — these are the best games and the ones that were canceled along the way. With over three decades of history and merchandise, Dragon Ball has naturally wound up with more than a few games under its belt. Some RPGs, most fighters, Dragon Ball is also the rare licensed franchise that actually manages to consistently pump out high-quality titles. From the Famicom to the Nintendo Switch, Dragon Ball has taken gaming by storm with new games almost always in development. For every two games that have been developed successfully though, what has been canceled. We all remember the Dragon Ball games that captured our hearts and memories, but what about the ones that never saw the light of day? Canceled Dragon Ball games are genuinely quite interesting. Whether they be a part of a series, an enhanced port, or an all-new game that simply never managed to take off in early development, you’ll find that most canceled games clearly could have amounted to something. What exactly is up for debate, but there were more than a few interesting ideas left on the drawing board. Some of these canceled games will fill you with regret, clamoring for an experience you will logically never have, while others will make you question what the developers were thinking. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

CANCELED The Legacy Of Goku IV

via deviantart.com/alanfernandoflores01 Although Dragon Ball GT was never going to be as popular as Dragon Ball Z, especially in the West, the Dragon Ball craze was still very much in full effect at the end of the Majin Buu saga. Taking into account that both The Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury stood out as the two of the strongest gamfes in the franchise, it only seemed natural for Atari to capitalize on the remainder of the series by adapting Dragon Ball GT into The Legacy of Goku IV. Ultimately, TLoG4 was not meant to be and was instead repurposed into Transformation. Perhaps it was because of Buu’s Fury’s lack of sales in comparison to either The Legacy of Goku I or II, but Transformation effectively prevented fans from getting their DBGT RPG. Realistically, if there’s one format GT could work in, it’s the RPG format. Atari changing The Legacy of Goku IV into an unrelated beat em’ up at the last minute with the exact same staff was a massive mistake that cost them their biggest franchise.

BEST Budokai

via justrpg.com The first Budokai will always have a special place in fan’s hearts in large part due to how it handles its story mode. Rather than offering fragmented fights in an arcade styled campaign, Budokai’s story models itself after the anime with an opening, episode previews, and title cards for matches. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Budokai a video game adaptation of Dragon Ball Z up to the Cell saga. Gameplay wise, Budokai stands out from its contemporaries by adding in a level of customization that simply wasn’t found in other fighting games. While characters have their base forms with more than enough moves to be playable, each character’s move set could edited via capsules, allowing fighters to come out all the more unique.

BEST The Legacy Of Goku II

via youtube.com (jDantastic) The fact The Legacy of Goku II is as good as it is should be proof that Kami does indeed exist. After the frankly awful original Legacy of Goku, the developers managed to turn things around by addressing every single complaint lobbed at the game in order to create one of be most cohesive RPGs in the entire franchise. Goku became one of six playable characters; the battle system was given a massive overhaul; and the story nearly quadrupled in length, offering a concise retelling of the Cell saga. Not every Dragon Ball game needs to star Goku. The Legacy of Goku II was so good, in fact, it actually went on to be the only Dragon Ball Z game to be developed in the West and then released in Japan. This means Japan got a taste of Bruce Faulconer’s heavily electronic soundtrack in a format that actually suited it: a video game. Honestly, The Legacy of Goku II is a genuine miracle of a video game, proving that a rocky start can absolutely go on to do amazing things.

CANCELED Transformation II

via.Coleka Atari was really expecting Transformation to do well considering Webfoot felt comfortable ending the game with a literal “to be continued,” something none of the Legacy of Goku games had the gall to do. In a way, it makes sense. After all, Transformation was originally The Legacy of Goku IV so of course fans would want to see the series continue! And nothing of value was lost. Unfortunately, Transformation was more of a Legacy of Goku I than it was a Buu’s Fury. As a result, the game underperformed thanks to how radically different it was from its predecessors and it reviewed rather poorly. Transformation II was subsequently canceled and The Legacy of Goku saga came to an abrupt end with no conclusion.

BEST Gekishin Frieza

via youtube.com (remczyslaw) Released exclusively in Japan for the Famicom, Gekishin Frieza was the third of five Dragon Ball related RPGs for the system, and easily the best of the bunch. Covering the Namek saga from when Gohan heads out to the planet to right before Goku turns Super Saiyan, Gekishin Frieza sets itself in an alternate universe where only Piccolo fell in the battle against the Saiyans. As a result, all the Z-fighters are here to play around and experiment with. Keep in mind, though, that a character losing all their HP actually send them to the Other World. Should they fall early, however, they can actually train with Piccolo and be revived later. It’s basically a “choose your own adventure” version of the Frieza saga. What’s not to love?

BEST Advanced Adventure

via youtube.com (Que te Importa) Dragon Ball Z gets a lot of love on the game side of things, but what about Dragon Ball? The first third of the series, you’re not going to find many games covering Kid Goku’s escapades which is a shame considering one of the best games in the entire franchise is an OG Dragon Ball game. Starting from the start of the series up to the end of the Demon King Piccolo arc, Advanced Adventure is the Dragon Ball beat em up you never knew you needed. What’s particularly impressive about Advanced Adventure- besides its stellar gameplay, built in Tenkaichi Budokai fighting mode, and the ability to play as almost every single original Dragon Ball character- is the fact that it actually adapts the story rather faithfully. Despite being an action game first and foremost, dialogue is ripped right out of the manga, making the journey feel as authentic as possible.

CANCELED The Red Ribbon Army Saga

via youtube.com (Giuseppe Lanza) The Red Ribbon Army Saga is an interesting case of a canceled game in that there’s virtually no information pertaining to its existence online, but just enough where we can deduce that such a game did indeed exist at some point. The Dragon Ball Z website previously had a description for the game which is now lost to time and GameFAQs maintains their page for the title, proving that it was in development at some point. There's no such thing as too many OG Dragon Ball games. Given how close in proximity it would have released to Advanced Adventure, it likely would not have been a beat em up. The theory at the time was that The Red Ribbon Army Saga would have been a Dragon Ball styled action RPG in the vein of The Legacy of Goku covering the start of the series up to the end of the Red Ribbon Army arc. Unfortunately, the game was quietly cancelled before any information could be made public.

BEST Xenoverse 2

via playstation.com Xenoverse 2 is every Dragon Ball fanboy’s dream game come to life. You’d be hard pressed to find anybody who watched the series growing up who didn’t want to be a Super Saiyan at some point. Thankfully, Xenoverse 2 allows fans to do just that. A hybrid fighting game-MMORPG, X2 lets you insert yourself through the events of the entire franchise. What’s most interesting about Xenoverse 2 is the fact that it actually expands the series’ lore, at least in the extended universe sense. Rather than just placing you into DBZ’s action, Xenoverse 2 follows the Time Patrollers, a group of time travelers who work to keep the timelines in check. In a way, Xenoverse 2 does more for the franchise’s lore than Super!

BEST Legendary Super Warriors

via youtube.com (Marcel El Assadi) The only non-Dragon Ball fighting game that actually covers all of DBZ from start to finish, Legendary Super Warriors is the card-based RPG you never knew you needed. Don’t let its reliance on cards turn you off, though. It’s easily one of the best entries in the series. Every playable character can level up, allowing you to modify their stats, and the countless cards you get make it easy to customize a deck wholly unique to your play style. The greatest card game you've never played. It is worth noting that Legendary Super Warriors is probably one of the hardest games in the entire franchise, but it’s worth it if only to experience all of Dragon Ball Z in one concise format. Plus, sometimes you just need a bit of challenge in life. With a new game plus that allows you to tackle the story with any character you want, Legendary Super Warriors stands out thanks to its unique gameplay and hours upon hours of replay value.

CANCELED Motion Controlled Final Bout

via mprd.se Revealed as a tech demo of sorts at a conference, it seems the developers behind Final Bout were planning on adding motion controls to it at some point back in the late 90s. Now, you probably know Final Bout as one of the worst fighting games in the franchise so the idea of a motion-controlled version might actually be intriguing. After all, we’re talking full body motions control, and not just hand movements like the Kinect game. Obviously, the concept for a motion-controlled Final Bout never left the tech demo stage, but the idea for a motion-controlled Dragon Ball didn’t end there. It’s entirely possible this concept was retooled for the first person arcade simulator Dragon Ball V.R.V.S. V.R.V.S. is more hand based like Kinect and only features four playable characters, but it’s likely this was what was realistically commercially possible back then.

BEST Super Butoden 2

via youtube.com (DB-Z.com) Arguably the Super Famicom’s defining Dragon Ball game, Super Butoden 2 is that rare piece of Dragon Ball media that takes place in that very brief period of the franchise between the end of the Cell Games where Gohan became the main character and the early portions of the Majin Buu arc before Goku ever came back into the picture. As a result, Goku is little more than a secret character and Gohan takes center stage. Although Gohan is the protagonist, the story mode can actually be played from Piccolo’s, Future Trunks’, and even Vegeta’s perspective. Through dialogue, players can branch off the story, even transitioning into the Bojack and Broly movies. It’s a fascinating game with a great battle system and even better story. Every fan owes it to themselves to play Super Butoden 2.

BEST Buu s Fury

via MMOExaminer.com Fans will debate for days over whether or not The Legacy of Goku II or Buu’s Fury is the superior Dragon Ball Z RPG, but the fact of the matter is that they’re both exemplary examples of the genre within the fandom. Where The Legacy of Goku II offers a more challenging and skill-based experience, Buu’s Fury feels like a proper, fleshed out action RPG in every sense. It's genuinely amazing just how well The Legacy of Goku trilogy managed to end. Characters can now equip items to better their abilities, stats can be fully distributed between the five playable Saiyans, and there’s even a decent post-game with side content to keep you entertained once the journey’s over. Buu’s Fury is a fantastic retelling of the Buu arc and while it didn’t get a Japanese release like The Legacy of Goku II did, it certainly deserved it.

CANCELED 3D Legacy Of Goku Remake

via twitter (DerekPadula) In 2016, former remnants of Webfoot Technologies got fans of The Legacy of Goku trilogy worked up over nothing when a former employee whipped up a proof concept for a Legacy of Goku 3D remake for the Nintendo 3DS that he had planned on pitching to Namco Bandai. The idea was to pitch the game, show Bandai the fan reception, and get the game greenlit. As expected, the plan didn’t work out. For starters, it seems unlikely Namco Bandai would ever let the Dragon Ball IP slip out of their hands ever again given how much of a merchandising juggernaut it is. More importantly, the actual proof of concept looks fairly bland and more at home in the early 2000s than the mid-2010s.

BEST Super

via youtube.com (Free Emulator) Before there was Dragon Ball Super, there was Super Dragon Ball Z. What was originally the only traditional fighting game in the series before Fighterz, Super DBZ still stands out in large part due to its high skill ceiling and skill floor. This is not a game just anyone can pick up and play. It genuinely demands an understanding of fighting games. Arguably the better version of Super. That said, putting the time into Super DBZ pays off in spades. The combat, while not particularly fast paced, it airtight, making for some legitimately strategic fights. Matches push you to the mettle and demand you play at your absolute best. Plus, Super DBZ has a funky roster with Z-Sword Gohan, Chichi, and Demon King Piccolo all acting as playable characters.

BEST Burst Limit

via giantbomb.com What if Budokai wasn’t Budokai? This may seem like an utterly moronic question, but it does have quite the poignant answer. If Budokai wasn’t Budokai, it would Burst Limit. A soft reboot of sorts of the Budokai sub-series, Burst Limit takes the first game’s foundation and builds off it. Covering the exact same story mode, with an equally cinematic approach, BL was Budokai for the PS3’s era. As a game, Burst Limit advances pretty much all of Budokai’s gameplay to an apex. BL is mechanically the best of the Budokai games. Sadly, customization is severely neutered and the roster is rather small given the material it covers, but Burst Limit is nonetheless a fantastic foundation to the franchise and a wonderful start to a new series. Or at least it should have been.

CANCELED Burst Limit 2

via pinterest.com Burst Limit 2 is the Budokai 2 reboot that never was. In the same way, Burst Limit took Budokai’s format and effectively improved upon it (albeit with weaker customization,) fans expected Burst Limit 2 to come out the next year in order to iron out the kinks and refine the Burst Limit experience. For all intents and purposes, this was something that was bound to happen… until it didn’t. Burst Limit 2 would have been the perfect version of Budokai 2 that didn't bother with a Mario Party story mode. For whatever reason, Burst Limit ended up being a one-off title. Perhaps fans were just not ready for more Budokai at this point. It’s a shame, honestly. Burst Limit 2 likely would have covered the entire series instead of ending at Cell, and the customization surely would have been perfected. Burst Limit 2 could have genuinely ended up the best game in the series with the foundation BL1 left behind.

BEST Hyper Dimension

via youtube.com (MaelodicGames) Where Super Butoden 2 is easily the most influential and important of the Super Famicom Dragon Ball Z games, Hyper Dimension is inarguably the best of the bunch. While it’s rather light on the story, covering only the most important fights in the series (and only from the end of the Frieza fight to the battle with Kid Buu,) Hyper Dimension gets by purely on gameplay. As a Super Famicom game, it can be easy to want to dismiss Hyper Dimension. After all, why would a Dragon Ball Z game for the SNES actually be mechanically competent? Well, this one is. Mixing health and Ki into one singular bar, damaging your foe often means damaging yourself. As a result, Hyper Dimension leads to some extremely high level play where strategy plays a role at all times. Not something you can get from every DBZ game.

BEST The Legendary Super Saiyan

via unemployedbook.tk At the height of the Super Nintendo emulation scene, it wouldn’t be unusual to see a little titled called Dragon Ball Z - The Legendary Super Saiyan topping the most popular rom charts. A card based RPG much in the same vein as Gekishin Frieza, The Legendary Super Saiyan was basically the Famicom’s concept for the series brought to life in its fullest for a 18 bit age. Rather than just focusing on one arc, The Legendary Super Saiyan adapts both the Saiyan and Frieza sagas while maintaining the CYOA elements. Characters cen perish in battle permanently at any time, Ginyu can actually steal someone’s body for the rest of the game, and there’s even a secret boss fight with SSJ Vegeta should players trigger Super Saiyan for Goku at the end of the game.

CANCELED Dragon Ball Online

via mmoculture.com Dragon Ball Online is the rare canceled video game that actually existed in a playable format for a time before being canceled. Of course, that didn’t mean you played it. Honestly, unless you were in Asia a few weeks back, you almost certainly did not play it. An MMORPG that acted as a sequel to the original story long before Super, Online was in many ways a prototype to Xenoverse. Online was the best canon sequel fans had for years. The story followed mostly the same beats, even involving the Time Patrollers, and the RPG elements between the two games are strikingly similar. Unfortunately, before Online could finish its plot or even leave Asia, all the servers were pulled and the game was left in a perpetual limbo. Fans have attempted to bring the game back via private servers, but it will never truly be the same.

BEST Budokai Tenkaichi 2

via nintendolife.com Where Budokai Tenkaichi 3 has a roster capable of allowing you to relive almost every single one of the series’ major battles, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 has a story mode so complete you won’t need to go out of your way to experience Dragon Ball in its purest form. Starting from the beginning of Dragon Ball Z and ending with an abridged version of GT, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the REAL ultimate Dragon Ball simulator. While Budokai Tenkaichi 2 doesn’t have online like Budokai Tenkaichi 3 does, it doesn’t need it. Like Budokai 3 before it, customized characters can be shared online with unique passwords. While customization isn’t as in-depth as the Budokai series, the Potara system does work as a great, creative alternative designed around stat building more than moveset editing.