Although undoubtedly popular both here and across the pond, it's in its native Japan that Dragon Ball Z has become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. In a country obsessed with all things anime, Dragon Ball Z currently stands as the most celebrated and widely loved, with Goku and friends adorning every piece of merchandise imaginable. It's this kind of popularity that has led to over fifty Dragon Ball Z games being developed in Japan since the days of the SNES, with Budokai Tenkaichi 2 being the twenty-fifth Dragon Ball Z release in the last four years! That number eclipses both Mario and even the mighty Pokémon in terms of sheer volume and is a testament to the brand's enduring worldwide popularity.

Although not all have made it to these shores, the continuing rise in recognition of Dragon Ball Z in the West has seen more and more games hitting our shelves across nearly every format. Both here and in America the series started out on the PlayStation, simply titled Dragon Ball Z, with later incarnations subtitled Budokai and Tenkaichi on PS2, which has now spawned a sequel that's been brought to Wii as well as PS2. With the next generation of consoles now upon us, there is little to suggest that the output of Dragon Ball Z games is going to slow down any time soon.

With such a huge volume of releases, you could forgive Atari a handful of turkeys, but sadly the fact is that the Dragon Ball Z franchise has rarely risen above mediocrity, with many titles doing little more than feeding the hunger of the insatiable fans without ever realising the potential of such a vast and popular universe. Luckily that has changed to an extent in recent years, with The Legacy of Goku and its sequel for the Game Boy Advance offering a hugely enjoyable and long lasting experience that came very close to capturing the scale and character of the Dragon Ball Z universe.

Now, after the potential that was shown in Budokai Tenkaichi, its sequel, Budokai Tenkaichi 2, arrives on the Wii just a year after the PS2 original's release, and it's ready to deliver on that potential with a refined fighting mechanic that manages to speed up the action to an even more electric pace while somehow making the whole experience more manageable and easier to pick up. Budokai Tenkaichi 2 also expands greatly on the already huge amount of depth and features of the original, by creating a game that spans the entirety of the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT sagas. Although this leans towards a story that is driven by the series rather than by your own actions, it still serves up a hugely immersive experience for both fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Story and minor RPG elements aside, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is a beat 'em up at heart. However, this isn't a beat 'em up in the traditional style of say Virtua Fighter or Tekken - in fact, the game mechanics share a much greater resemblance to the classic Sega mech fighter Virtua On, with battles covering a huge amount of ground and the room to evade, fly and battle from great distances readily available. Although the majority of attacks comes from two buttons, making the game very simple on the surface, with one for long range attacks and another for close combat, when combined with evades, blocks, super attacks and mid-fight changes of form, these attacks allow for more varied and in-depth battles. Combine this with the new counters and vanishing attacks, which allow players to chase or evade mid-combo, and what you are left with is an even faster, more frantic fighter on a simply massive scale that is easy to pick up yet difficult to master.

Of course, when it comes to the Wii version, things unsurprisingly change quite dramatically. Although there are still two primary attack buttons with combos and evades that are largely the same, it's in the movement of your character that the Wii version brings a whole new dimension to the game. Movement is controlled mainly through traditional means, rather than frantic waving of the Wii controller, with a push forward moving your player in the desired direction. For dashing and flying, the Wii controller is raised or pushed in conjunction with a specific button being held. It's quite a simple system but will probably take a bit of getting use to. There are a few moves that are a bit trickier to master however, such as the super moves that require a combination of the Z and B buttons being held in conjunction with a specific movement of the Wii controller, such as pushing back and forth in quick succession. If this all sounds a little too much to handle, don't fret, as you can plug in a Gamecube controller and take things back to basics. Although it's more exciting to use the Wiimote, it is a nice touch that could end up being very handy, especially for newcomers to the series.

The area of the game where you will spend most of your time is the Dragon Adventure mode, which is primarily the story mode that mixes story based battles with light RPG elements. These come from a simple upgrade mechanic that benefits the game as a whole by not getting in the way of the action while giving upgrades in character forms from Saiyan, to Super Saiyan all the way up to Super Saiyan level 3 - more of a natural progression rather than something that simply occurs at a specific point within the game. When starting or continuing the story mode, you can choose a scenario, each with its own primary and secondary objectives. It's here that you can travel the land at your leisure, searching out shops, secondary objectives and battles to further upgrade your character. Like so much of the game, it is simply a means to an end, the end of course being massively expansive and enjoyable battles. This however does work as an enjoyable distraction and certainly works well in regards to immersing you deeper into the Dragon Ball universe.

Aside from the story mode, for those not so interested in the tale of each and every character from the Dragon Ball Z universe, there is also an array of other features to get your teeth into. Dragon Tournament is simply a succession of battles that allows you to earn money and buy upgrades, while Duelling allows for some two-player action or simply a chance to test yourself against the CPU using your own choice of battle settings. There is also Ultimate Battle Z, which is made up of numerous battle-based challenges through an array of courses that when completed reward you with rare items and all-new courses. The Tag Battles, which allow for teams of up to five characters to do battle, is another extremely enjoyable inclusion. This can lead to huge battles that can surpass the five-minute mark with ease. Take into account the sixteen huge, destructible environments and there really is all the potential for some uniquely massive scraps.

Essential for newcomers and useful for all is an extensive and hugely enjoyable training mode, led charmingly by Vageta, complete with great voiceover work and superb presentation. This takes you through the basics of movement up to the more advanced aspects of battle, which on its own is a pretty large undertaking for the uninitiated due to the unique style of fighting found in Budokai Tenkaichi 2. Another bonus, especially for the uninitiated, is the Dragon library, which allows for a quick history of the Dragon Ball Z universe and its array of characters before jumping headfirst into the Dragon Adventure. Although there is no online mode to speak of, there is the Evolution Z mode, which allows for character customisation, stat boosting and the opportunity to buy and sell items to equip your fighter with. More importantly, this mode has a password generator that allows your newly equipped and powered up Super Saiyan to be saved via password and then traded with other players so that they can battle each other's characters from one system to the next. It is a shame that there is no online fighting as, if implemented successfully, it really could have been the game's crowning glory. All the same, this cool little feature does go some way to making up for it.

Although the story does lead events, with an opening battle between Goku and Vageta ending with a defeat for Goku regardless of your personal actions within the battle due to story constraints, it does seem to be a necessary evil that allows the story to flow. Although this may sound hugely annoying to newcomers to the Dragon Ball Z universe, fans of the series will most likely happily accept such minor gripes, as it allows for the epic story to unfold unabated.

Epic is hardly a phrase you might use to describe a beat 'em up, but due to the distinctive nature of the game and the plethora of characters and story to choose from, Budokai Tenkaichi 2 serves up a story and array of characters the like of which has never been seen before in the genre. With over 70 characters to choose from, many of which having numerous different forms, bringing the list to a potential roster of over 120, this is a game whose longevity is not determined by its depth of story or features, which are more than abundant in both cases, but instead by its own gameplay mechanics. Although, as previously mentioned, the game successfully adds to the original's battle mechanics while making the whole experience faster, slicker and more polished, the essential gameplay is still the same and can wear thin a lot sooner than the story or array of features do, especially for newcomers to the series who aren't so interested in the epic storyline.

Minor gripes aside however, the game does have a huge amount to offer. The presentation throughout is as impressive as you are likely to see in any game, current or next-generation, with brilliantly rendered menus, superb voiceover work, available in both English or the original Japanese for die-hards, and an outstanding soundtrack with over thirty songs that mirror the mood perfectly. The overall production value is very high, apparent none more so than in the pre and post fight sequences that easily match the show for sheer good looks. It is here that you will notice just how extensive and impressive the perfectly pitched vocal work is in both languages, with literally hours of voiceover crammed into this truly massive game.

The graphics have a beautiful cel-shaded style that truly captures the look of the series impeccably, and although it's probably not pushing the extra power of the Wii, it all looks simply wonderful. Arenas crumble and fall, while player damage is impressive and noticeable without being over the top, but the real eye openers come in the guise of the special attacks, which are beautifully rendered. These special attacks range from impressively explosive light shows to acts of destruction on the levels of mid-battle nuclear war. There is nothing that quite matches the Spirit Bomb for pure mind bending anarchy, as the camera zooms away to a cut of the planet from space as a huge chunk is destroyed in a burst of flames before action resumes on a hugely ravaged battlefield!

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is an epic anime beat-em-up unlike anything else currently on the market. Although the controls are slightly tricky at first, this is a game with so much depth and character that I can't help but recommend it to everyone. If you're a newcomer to the series then approach with caution, as this is a game that is steeped in Dragon Ball Z lore. However, if you are willing to immerse yourself in the experience, the undoubted quality and charm will more than likely win you over. For anyone who would call themselves a fan of the series, this is simply a must have, as it is by far and away the closest thing yet to a definitive Dragon Ball Z videogame.

Reviewed by Liam Pritchard for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).