Originally a cartoon series created by Bandai to promote new toy lines and other products, the videogame branch of the Dragon Ball Z franchise has enjoyed long-lasting success, with an endless slew of releases garnering more praise than criticism overall. The series has been around for a long time, starting out in the arcades and moving over to the NES, before branching out to every major console up to and including the latest generation machines. Atari show no signs of slowing down either, with new developments pushing the series forward as the hardware continues to evolve.

The central premise of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a fighting game that allows you to take control of a wide range of DBZ characters from all of the series' distinct story arcs and have them battle it out both offline and over the PlayStation Network. The single player mode is augmented by the inclusion of an extensive challenge mode, covering the various sagas of the series, allowing you to play as multiple characters as the story progresses.

If you've ever watched a fight in an episode of the original anime then it's easy to see the appeal of translating the combat into a videogame. Burst Limit succeeds in realising all aspects of the fast paced, high energy and, at times, almost balletic quality of the action within a system that is in no way overcomplicated - quite the opposite, in fact. Pulling off blisteringly fast barrages of punches, kicks and 'ki blasts' (read as: hadouken style energy projectile attacks) is accomplished by use of the top three face buttons on the PS3 controller. The X button is reserved for an extremely adaptive block command; depending on how and when it is pressed, this button allows you to guard against attacks, repel ki blasts, dodge an attack whilst remaining in one place, recover instantly after a fall or teleport around your opponent mid-attack. The three attack buttons are also augmented by the shoulder triggers, which activate taunts, transformations (that, depending on the character, cause an increase in your power level) and throws, although these can also be accomplished by pressing two face buttons at once.

Attacks have been made as easy as possible to pull off, with just a small range of combos, most of which involve a single directional movement followed by the repeated mashing of a single face button. The most complicated (and powerful) moves are executed through combinations of three buttons pressed at once. While this system sounds childishly simple, it is, somewhat surprisingly, incredibly satisfying and it allows the focus to be shifted from the usual combo memorisation - let's face it, nobody likes the guy at the party who has spent weeks learning every character's full roster of attacks and counters - to a more strategic, balanced fighting experience.

The intuitive use of the block button also allows newcomers to quickly pick up the basics and turn the fight in their favour. It is also worth mentioning how good the static dodge moves look; keeping in with the fights seen in the anime, a well timed tap of the block button results in your character swiftly lifting a leg up, ducking, or leaning back to narrowly avoid a punch. This is far more rewarding to execute and watch than the systems found in other fighting games such as Tekken and Soulcalibur, where blocking can feel clunky and limiting. Care is required, however, as you cannot block and dodge indefinitely; above the life bar is a fatigue meter that fills up as you perform moves that require great amounts of physical dexterity and strength (such as dodging). Once this gauge is full, your character is rendered immobile until it goes back down again, leaving you open to a severe ass-kicking.

The counter system also allows for more fluid gameplay, as it favours the player who strikes second, allowing quick-witted fighters to slip an attack in under that of their opponent's blow. This includes the charge up for unblockable attacks (which are, mercifully, a lot shorter than some of those found in the show - whole episodes were wasted!) so it can be a lifesaver at times. While not as devastating as the grab counters found in, for example, Dead or Alive 4, the element of control this grants you is outstanding and means that the pace does not drop as the balance shifts. Fights aren't over until one combatant hits the ground and the tide can turn incredibly quickly.

Another new element in Burst Limit is the addition of 'drama pieces', unlockable events that affect the fight in a number of different ways. You select three before a fight begins and they sit beneath your life bar, waiting to be activated. Depending on the criteria for initiating them (losing a certain amount of your life bar, blocking a particular attack, etc.), each drama piece can provide a status lift, increasing your power or defence, for example, and/or dealing damage to your opponent. These occur in the form of pre-rendered cut scenes that momentarily take control of the characters before smoothly returning control to you and your opponent. Again, there is an added element of strategy thanks to these pieces, requiring some planning and care in selecting which three to use before a fight. Your choice of partner, who acts as a buddy to provide support rather than a secondary character to tag in, also affects the drama pieces. As you unlock more characters (of which there are a generous yet manageable twenty-one), more drama pieces become available to further broaden the system.

This is all combined to produce an ambitious and highly successful premise for a new kind of fighting game - one where the moves are no longer the most important part (although they do help!). Fights can be incredibly deep experiences that require strategy, quick reflexes and skill rather than repetition of a number of tried and tested combos and super moves. Unfortunately, when playing with less enlightened individuals, it is still very easy to succumb to a barrage of button-mashed attacks or the type of in-game behaviour that can get you kicked out of arcades and off servers. If proper etiquette is observed, however, you have nothing to worry about online or against those sharing your sofa space.

So we have some fine gameplay mechanics in place, but by this point I'm sure Dragon Ball Z fans are crying out to know if the game looks and sounds authentic. The first indication that the developers have done well is the fact that the original TV actors provide the voice for every character. A great amount of effort has gone into recreating the full experience with accurate sound effects, music taken from the series and cut scenes that would seem like they were ripped straight from the TV show if not for the use of improved techniques in cel-shading. This gives Burst Limit a pleasantly next-gen appearance and there are no irritating jagged edges, flat textures or anatomy-defying clipping to be found on any character models. The environments and characters keep their cartoony colour palettes whilst managing to feel convincingly solid and the detail is extremely true to the animated series. Explosions are detailed enough to look like more than a massive splodge of colour and the use of cel-shading feels legitimate, rather than gimmicky. Subtle touches are also carried over from the anime, such as the motion blur lines when a character dodges an attack and, when things get frantic, it remains easy to keep track of individual fighters thanks to their aura of energy. This is shown in colourful flames around their bodies for the mere humans among us who aren't capable of sensing such things.

The transition from the action to drama pieces is also wonderfully smooth and, after the first few times, feels seamless. It is clear when it's time to take over the controls again and you never feel kicked out of the experience so that a cut scene can play. Even when repeated (and you'll find them occurring often, even if the characters are different), I was thankful that they weren't skippable, as this would have been too jarring. It's nice to have character exposition and dialogue during the fight that is more than a simple taunt and, by the end of the fight, you feel closer to your chosen character thanks to knowing more about them than simply how hard they can kick.

On the subject of character and story development, however, one major gripe exists. Put this game in the hands of a non-DBZ fan and they won't have a clue what is going on with the story mode. The interlocking cut scenes between each fight, whilst relevant to the saga, do not provide a complete picture and unless you know the story arcs backwards, you're going to miss the point for a lot of the time. I watched the (dire) UK translations some ten years ago and was able to follow three of the sagas depicted before getting lost. This doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the fighting itself, but the developers seem to have missed a trick with regards to bringing new fans up to speed with the series. If this was my first foray into the Dragon Ball Z universe then I'd be thoroughly confused. Oh, and the eponymous balls aren't really involved all that much...

Story issues aside (and really, what matters most in a fighting game is the ability to enjoyably beat the living snot out of your opponents), Dragon Ball Z has a lot to offer to the genre. By mixing up the balance of strength, skill and strategy you are guaranteed an interesting and innovative experience. The game also has lasting appeal thanks to the online side of things. Creating your own room, where you can set your own rules and limits, or just jumping into a fight, is very straightforward; aside from a few occasional issues of lag when fighting people on different continents, it's as though you are sparring with someone sitting right next to you. There is also the ease with which a total newbie can pick up a controller and stand up five minutes later a towering golden-haired warrior god with fists of flame and a power level well over twelve thousand and... sorry, got a little carried away there.

In spite of cries that the series has grown too large (and in all honesty, the franchise is at risk of making greedy plumber Mario jealous), Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a fine example of a fighter with exciting graphics, fantastic sound and enough innovation to keep things interesting. I may be biased as a fan of the show, but even if you've never heard of Dragon Ball Z, this game is well worth picking up. Just be prepared to look up at what's going on every now and then. Better yet, it's a good excuse to watch the series! If you are a fan, rest assured, the developers couldn't have done a better job of placing the fates of the inhabitants of the DBZ universe into your anxiously waiting hands.

Reviewed by Henry Osadzinski for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).