In Dragonball Z - Budokai 2 you get a combination of a Mario Party style boardgame with arcade cel shaded fighting when your pieces meet up. There are different aims to win the game - sometimes it is to reach a certain area, sometimes it is to reach a person, and there are other objectives as well.

You start with a basic roster of characters and can unlock more as you go. Each pass through the game reveals more skills and characters to work with. There are also VS and tournament modes to enjoy playing against friends.

The graphics aren't stellar, with the simple boardgame area and then fighting area involving pretty straightforward moves. The fighting part isn't a fully fledged fighter. There are only a collection of moves and the AI is pretty simple.

For example, Goku faces the "Saiba Rangers" who are in essence five brain-heads, each of a different color. The five heads do their little 'bouncing' animation in sync, with very little detail or sense of effort.

Still, people who play Budokai 2 aren't doing it because they are looking for Halo-like AI, or Vice City-like realistic graphics. They are playing it because they love animated graphics, they love the Dragonball Z world and want to be a part of it. This game certainly does that! You are seeing your familiar animated faces, hearing their voices and interacting with them. For Dragonball Z fans, that's all you need!

Buy Dragonball Z - Budokai 2 from Amazon.com