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It’s hard to imagine a time when it was difficult to find a Dragon Ball game on the latest console — especially one that was released outside of Japan. But until the early 2000s, this was indeed the case. Playing as your favorite characters on a SEGA Mega Drive or Sony PlayStation in the USA and Europe was very difficult, as the anime series had not received an English translation.
It wasn’t until its debut on Cartoon Network with an English dub that the series exploded.
For those unfamiliar, Dragon Ball first debuted as a manga series in 1984, created by Akira Toriyama. Son Goku is the primary protagonist, following him from his infancy through adulthood. His main goal is to become stronger through combat and be able to fire energy blasts known as Ki. The series saw multiple successors, with the most notable being Dragon Ball Z, which follows Goku as an adult, now married and with a son called Gohan.
It could be argued that the Dragon Ball games in international markets didn’t start making an impact until the 2002 release of Dragon Ball Budokai, which was released for both the Sony PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube. Fast-forward to 2024, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero continues the series’ legacy, receiving an overwhelming reception and achieving huge sales.
Despite this, however, there are still many Dragon Ball games released in Japan that you’ve likely never heard of. This is why we’ve compiled a list of five classics that you should play as soon as possible.
Key Takeaways
- Dragon Ball was created by Akira Toriyama, who passed away in March this year.
- It debuted as a manga in 1984 before it first took a break in 1996.
- The series stars Son Goku as the main protagonist, charting his birth to current adulthood.
- The newest anime series, Dragon Ball Daima, has just debuted on Netflix.
- The latest game based on the anime is called Sparking! Zero is available on Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S consoles, and PC.
5 Best Dragon Ball Games You’ve Never Heard Of
5. Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension
Released in March 1996 in Japan and February 1997 in Europe, Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension is clearly inspired by the Street Fighter Alpha and Marvel vs. series, especially in its artwork, attacks, and desperation moves.
The game is set entirely within the Dragon Ball Z series from start to finish, and in Story mode, you can follow the sagas from start to finish. An interesting twist made here means that you don’t need to win every round.
If you lose certain fights, the story carries on to mirror Z’s story — however, there is a reward if you beat the mode without losing a fight. The game’s artwork shines here, especially when the game makes use of the SNES’ Mode 7 effects to make certain transitions and attacks feel almost three-dimensional.
The music is just as memorable here, too, ramping up the action and fitting the stage they’re set to. A great weekend game to play with friends if you can find a copy.
4. Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu
Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu (or The Legend of the Great Son Goku in English) is a forgotten gem, which is a shame, given how good the game is. Released in November 1994 for the PC Engine CD-ROM add-on, the game spans both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z timelines, up until the Saiyaman Saga, as the Buu saga hadn’t aired yet.
It’s a straightforward fighting game that features fantastic music and sound effects, as well as cut scenes that faithfully convey the many sagas of both shows.
The action is fast-paced, with up to four characters able to be on screen at once to furiously keep the fun going. You can fire Ki attacks and blast enemies into the background.
To add to the replayability, there are also ‘what-if’ endings that show what happens if the villains win in their sagas, similar to the branching paths you can take in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
3. Dragon Ball: Super Butoden 2
Numerous Dragon Ball games were released on the Super Nintendo in the early 90s — some memorable, some not. But Super Butoden 2 was regarded as one of the console’s best. Released in 1993 in Japan and Europe the following year, you can control eight characters and two hidden ones that are playable thanks to a couple of button presses at the title screen.
The game follows the Cell saga and two Dragon Ball Z movies — Broly and Bojack Unbound. You can charge up the character’s KI gauge to fire small to huge attacks and come complete with cutscenes where the opponent can also try to deflect them.
Super Butoden 2 is a very fun game that makes every punch, kick, and projectile feel satisfying, as well as great music and pixel art to boot.
2. Dragon Ball: Legacy of Goku II
Although this action-adventure RPG sequel was very popular upon its release on the Game Boy Advance in 2003, it feels like the game has been lost to time. Set between the Future Trunks and Cell sagas, Legacy of Goku II allows players to control the primary characters throughout, building up strength and completing tasks to progress the story.
The sequel offers plenty of depth, as well as improvements from the previous game, such as the ability to transform into Super Saiyan forms for certain characters, perform charged-up attacks, and more.
A surprisingly great game that’s full of depth, which also surprises you with how well the Dragon Ball franchise works in this genre.
1. Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure
Imagine Streets of Rage merging with Dragon Ball, and that’s what you get with Advanced Adventure on the Game Boy Advance. Released in 2004, this is a winning combination that shined then and still shines now over 20 years later.
Set during the original Dragon Ball storyline, you control Kid Goku running and fighting through various enemies and settings set across the series, with Ki attacks and more at your disposal.
As a bonus, once you finish Story Mode, you can play as Goku’s best friend, Krillin, and access an ‘Extra Mode’ where it flips the Story levels, opening up extra routes and more characters to control.
Overall, a fantastic side-scroller that should be remastered or brought to the Nintendo Switch Online service. We’re hopeful this title doesn’t get entirely lost in time.
The Bottom Line
After almost 40 years since its manga debut, Dragon Ball has become an iconic franchise worldwide. The early games were essential in expanding the franchise thanks to the pixel-art graphics that were possible on the consoles of the early 90s. Later, the graphics evolved into cel-shaded 3D graphics to better reflect the series.
Yet the five Dragon Ball games listed above showcase how well its developers understood the series, translating it into addictive, fun, and full-of-depth gameplay. It’s a shame that these games and more didn’t make it out of Japan, but there simply was a market unaware of Dragon Ball.
Thankfully, today’s gaming world offers much easier access for playing titles like the above compared to how it was in the 90s. If you’re looking to take a break from playing Sparking! Zero, playing one of the five Dragon Ball games above, is a great way to experience how the series was being played on classic consoles and handhelds from back in the day.
