One of the better anime-based fighting game series around at the moment is undoubtedly Dragon Ball Z. The series has been successful primarily on the Sony platforms, although releases have hit every other major platform in recent years too. Now it's time for Dragon Ball Z to debut on the Wii, with the third iteration of its Budokai Tenkaichi series. There's a high volume of DBZ titles released, each featuring some improvements or variations but overall remaining largely the same game with added characters, modes and other options. Since the series puts out titles on a rather regular basis, many fans may skip certain releases to get more improved versions down the line or grab the game for a different console. If you are specifically excited about having a fighting game on the Wii however, this might be just what you are looking for; with few fighting games on the Wii that really stand out, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 has unique playability with the Wiimots, good graphics and presentation, multiple gaming modes and a full roster of playable characters and options.

For the Wii, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 has some very unique options as far as gameplay controls go - the nunchuk and Wii remote can be used in transition with each other during battle sequences. Unless you are very ambidextrous or a very good player with waving, lifting and moving both the nunchuk and remote in transition to fire off combinations on enemies, I would almost recommend using a Wii Classic Controller or Gamecube controller, as the game supports both, which is to be applauded. The chaining of motions with the nunchuk and Wiimote in conjunction with each other is the main basis for using the Wiimote during any combat. At times it can be very tough to pull off combinations, due to the movements of the remote. For instance, some combinations require a "wave" of the remote and others require a "side-to-side" motion of the remote that is sometimes misinterpreted. Overall the controls could use some work, but they do have a uniqueness that can be mastered with enough practice.

The overall gameplay during combat modes is in a 3D capacity. For most of the modes there is a fairly large area to fight in and moves that you can execute to close the distance quickly. The gameplay camera sometimes has problems keeping up with the action, but that's probably due to the intense movement, firepower and over-the-top animations of super moves throughout the game. But once you're in a game, really fighting, that's what it's all about. You're in a pretty large battleground where you can go up to the sky or back down to the ground with the press of a button. You've got a button for shooting energy balls and one button for punching, but the most damage you'll get is through combos; you bash your opponent all over the place with different combos, which include both button mashing and Wii waggling. This can get extremely challenging and frustrating, but it's also extremely addictive and has that 'just one more go' quality in spades.

There are multiple modes on offer as any DBZ fan would expect. Dragon History allows you to relive historical battles in the Dragon Ball Z world, lending it an adventure feel, particularly as you can look for Dragon Balls, unlock skills, gain strength and fight some of the fiercest warriors in the history of the series. The Ultimate Battle has a few different modes, one being the Sim Dragon mode in which you can train to improve offensive and defensive skills before battles; strategy is key in this mode. Also within the Ultimate Battle is the Mission 100 mode, which is a ladder-based tournament that can earn you points to spend in the Evolution Z mode, where you can obtain new items and powers. In short, it's like a storefront. The Dragon World Tour is a main tournament mode, which features a plethora of tournaments to fight in, winning unlockable prizes and prestige when you succeed. The Duel mode is exactly as it says - a dueling mode either between friends or the AI. You'll find yourself inside this mode trying to get the controls down pat.

One of the most used modes by this reviewer was the Training mode, which has tutorials on how to pull off certain special moves, combinations, evading techniques and combination strings. It actually comes in two segments - in Training you can simply beat on an opponent that won't move so that you can master moves for the character you select, while Ultimate Training actually puts you through small onscreen tutorials and in some instances takes you to Training to get the moves down. I found this to be the most helpful part of the modes.

Lastly, the game features a great Multiplayer mode, which semi-quickly gets you into a match that usually doesn't have any lag. Simply put, Multiplayer gives you a tough (maybe even tougher than the harder difficulties) opponent that's real and if you finish everything in the game (which will take you a while) you can just play online. This is an added element that brings endless playability and competition to the gameplay.

The one prevailing annoyance throughout the entire set of modes and options is the learning curve. The speed of the moves and the extensive database of combinations associated with the endless amount of playable characters is overwhelming at times. Ultimate Training is definitely an area you will spend some hours in, trying to perfect the movements of a character, although many combination movements are the same regardless of who you pick. I found that in some battle sequences I was unable to even counter or pull off a move before I was completely decimated by my foe. This was discouraging, but it can be overcome by mastering the skills of each character and to a seasoned DBZ gamer it shouldn't be a problem.

Much like the television show and any of the previous games within the series, the graphics make you feel like you're playing an interactive version of the anime. The cel-shading is excellent and the animations of the DBZ characters is some of the better anime work I've seen in the games of this type. The animations involved in the special moves and combinations is nothing short of astounding, the most impressive graphical sequences involving chaining combinations. These high-speed sequences are masterfully implemented and the uniqueness of the special move sequences separates each character from the crowd. Overall, BT3 has the same graphics as other games in the DBZ series, which looks fairly impressive on the Wii console.

As I stated before, the learning curve can be tough and so spending some time in the Ultimate Training mode will help immensely in mastering techniques to defeat your opponent. After you've gained some skill in defeating foes in the Duel mode, there is a vast amount of content to go through and each mode offers new and exciting elements. The tournaments can be against CPU players or you can style a tournament to play with friends only. The storyline modes offer a different feel to the game, while the multiplayer mode obviously adds endless possibilities as well - with a good connection and solid playing skills, you can dominate the world in ever-changing battles with many different kinds of players. The history modes allow you to move through historical battles and adventure-type gameplay, while the sim modes allow you to build characters up and compete with them. Most of the modes have the added bonus of building up points to unlock items that each player can obtain - with so many hours of gameplay to be found, the lasting appeal of BT3 should be more than enough for even the more experienced players who can fly through it.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 offers a unique fighting experience on the Wii and with a very small amount of fighting games on the Wii that really work, you'll be delighted to know that this one works very well. It has some wonderful graphics and animation, excellent sound effects and enjoyable voices to complement the fun and endlessly playable fighting action. Without doubt this is one that the DBZ enthusiasts will love, with enough appeal to draw in fighting fans who are yet to experience the fun of this enduring series - the only question you have to ask yourself is whether to buy this release, or wait for the next part of the series, which will surely be out soon enough.

Reviewed by James Fanciullo for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).