Dragon BallZ is among the most successful franchises in the world. Boasting countless original characters and locations throughout its anime alone, any video game that attempts to include everything will have a difficult task ahead of it. With the recent announcement ofDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4, the latest entry in a series known for its extensive and granular roster, many players have begun to anticipate a title that brings the entireDragon Ball Zseries together. IfDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4hopes to succeed in meeting player expectations, it shouldn’t forget about including characters and locations from the series' black sheep,Dragon Ball GT.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4’s announcementcomes 15 years after the series' last entry. TheBudokai Tenkaichiseries stands apart from those that came before and after it, due to its remarkable roster and arena combat mechanics. In fact, by the series' third entry, the roster had become so granular that players could choose from even the most minor characters fromDragon Ball,Dragon Ball Z, andDragon Ball GT. TheDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichiseries enjoyed the height of popularity among anime and fighting game fans during the PS2 and Wii eras, but, before long, it was left behind. After some moderately successful entries,Dragon Ball Zwould find its footing in video games once more with the launch of 2015’sDragon Ball Xenoverseseries and 2018’sDragon Ball FighterZ.
RELATED:Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 4: 6 New Moves & Techniques We Need to See
Dragon Ball GT Has Become the Series Black Sheep In Recent Years
WhenDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichiwas in its prime, anotherDragon Ballproperty was fresh on the scene. TitledDragon Ball GT, this anime property deliveredDragon Ballfans the continuing adventures of their favorite Saiyan, Goku, as he battled against all new foes, including manifestations of the Dragon Balls themselves. The series aired in the 90s in Japan, but its popularity peaked between 2003 and 2005 in North America, airing during Cartoon Network’sToonamiblock.
Despite its popularity,Dragon Ball GTbecame the series' black sheepin recent years, supplanted by the release ofDragon Ball Super.Though the events ofSupertechnically fit in betweenDragon Ball ZandGTchronologically, major changes to the series' universe and characters have calledGT’s canonicity into question. The popularity ofDragon Ball Superhas been reflected inDragon Ball Z’s recent video game adaptations, withDragon Ball FighterZ,Kakarot, andXenoverse 2featuring fighters and locations from the property. With Super Saiyan Blue Goku featured in the announcement trailer forDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4, it appears that this series' next entry will heavily focus on the roster and events of theSuperanime series as well.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 Should Feature GT Fighters at Launch
TheDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichiname holds a certain weight for gamersof that era. The series featured amazing gameplay, but, above all else, a remarkable commitment to showcasing the breadth of its source material. With each entry, the series delivered a growing roster of characters that encapsulated the entirety of theDragon Ballfranchise. Whether fromDragon Ball,Dragon Ball Z, orDragon Ball GT, players could choose from a host of fan-favorite characters the moment that they booted up their copy of the game, before unlocking even more over the course of the title’s campaign.
IfDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4hopes to continue this legacy, it should includefighters from everyDragon Ballanime series- includingGT- at launch. Though the title’s teaser trailer denotes a focus onDragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4should buck the trend of segmenting its roster of fighters into content-specific “packs” or DLC, as this directly contradicts its greatest strength. Fans are eager to see howBudokai Tenkaichi 4plans to adapt the series for a modern audience. Given the significant changes that time has brought to both the title’s genre and source material,Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4has quite the task ahead of it. Until more details arrive, players must wait patiently for the next glimpse at this highly anticipated title.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4is now in development.
MORE:Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 4: 8 New Characters That Need to Be Added
