What aspects of each DBZ fighting game did you like the most?

[Majin_Blue]

Just something I've been thinking about, if we were to make a DBZ game that combines the best of everything, what would it include?

 

[SSJ2]

From the ones I've played the most...

Raging Blast - the large map sizes made the combat feel really free and gave you a lot of options.

Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - Obviously the character roster is outstanding. However, I'd like to see this in a current gen video game with all characters feeling more unique.

DBZ Kakarot - Probably my favourite game overall despite having many flaws. Having an "open world" to explore in this magnitude was a first for Dragon Ball games. Ignoring fast travel, the sheer amount of time it took to travel around each map was astonishing. It really felt like you were in the Dragon Ball world for the first time.

I'd like to see a mix of these 3 games on current technology. Maybe the roster doesn't need to be as outrageous as BT3, but there needs to be good representation from every part of the series. Why not? Then, I'd like to see the single player aspect greatly expand upon what Kakarot did. Make the world feel more lively, and make the world larger with more areas to go. All of this should be feasible with current console specs. A bonus would be allowing the story to be co-op in some form so you could experience it with friends. Perhaps a brand new story would need to be developed for this as there's no way to implement co-op if following the DBZ story directly. On top of this, I'd like to see a multiplayer mode added on that features maps at least as large as they were in Raging Blast. If Kakarot had a better fighting engine as well as multiplayer, it would truly be the GOAT of all games imo. There's no reason why they can't achieve everything I've listed on the current tech. I don't care if it takes 3-4 years to develop, it would be the definitive Dragon Ball game.

 

[Mr. Popo Fan]

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 — I enjoy destroying the environment and fighting underwater.

Tenkaichi Tag Team — 2v2, 1v2 can be pretty fun and add variety. Can also be pretty challenging.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

I'm assuming based on the OP is this talking about which games were the best in specific fields rather than simply the best aspect of each game despite what the title says? That said:

Best story mode goes to Kakarot by a nigh-infinite margin, with no other game in the franchise coming as close to not only adapting the story of the manga/anime, but enhancing it through new tidbits that make the world building more concise. Prior to that, the closest thing to the title of best would have been Tenkaichi 2 due to the sheer length of the story, though that's obviously been far surpassed now.

Best combat is a tricky one, as there are points to which you can give it to either Budokai 3, Tenkaichi 3 or Raging Blast 2. Budokai 3 is simple to pick up and each fighter's melee combat feels unique, though suffers from Dragon Rushes being a game of rock, paper, scissors. Tenkaichi 3 does have some characters that feel the same in how they play, though it makes up for it with how their actual combos are noticeably different and the great amount of difference customisation can make (eg. regular Reacoom is too slow to be considered a first choice, whereas giving him items such as Defence +3 and Master Throw turn him into an absolute tank). Raging Blast 2 has smoother combat than the others, but suffers in uniqueness far more than Tenkaichi 3 did through each character's heavy/smash attacks being the exact same input and unique combos mainly require Raging Soul to be activated first. FighterZ could be considered a contender, but only if it's controls and combos were heavily altered.

In terms of the general look and graphics, it'd probably go to either FighterZ or Kakarot. The latter captures the manga's art style the best, whereas the former is the most detailed. I'd also give another shout-out to Raging Blast 2 for its cel-shading being very distinctive. For other general aesthetics and immersive elements, I'll go through them in a lightning round:

Battlefield destruction - Tenkaichi 2 and 3. Destroying the planet really shows off the power of some moves. I could give it to Budokai 3 as well due to that having the advantage of showing differences in the attack's effect on the world, but the look of the planet going red in the Tenkaichi games provides a far greater sense of destruction.
Battle damage - Probably the Raging Blast games in terms of destructible costumes and the like, though Tenkaichi 1 takes it for wounds due to how bloody some characters would look.
Special Attacks - Probably Raging Blast 2 when it comes to the cutscenes of some special moves and how your team can affect them (eg. Goku and Piccolo being able to perfectly re-enact taking down Raditz, no cutscene required).

For unique content, Kakarot takes the cake for its substories, but Budokai 2 deserves a mention for its roster with the inclusion of many hypothetical fusions, forms, etc. Xenoverse 2 is also up there as of its more recent updates that added the ability to give instructor characters new techniques such as Nappa being able to go Super Saiyan. Obviously, DB Heroes in general is the most expansive when it comes to such fanservice content though.

For the general roster, Tenkaichi 3 has got to be the clear winner with not only how expansive it was, but the love it provided to all aspects of the franchise such as DB, GT, the Z movies and even the brief crossover with Dr. Slump in the Red Ribbon Army Arc. Xenoverse 2 comes close, though the lack of some characters until DLC came out such as Gohan Boo were really questionable and paying more for some things that should've been in the base game is never a good thing.

When it comes to modes other than the story, I'd have to say Tenkaichi 3 takes the win again. Not only do you have a lot of options when it comes to tournaments and the Ultimate Battle mode including some unique things such as Mission 100 that both Raging Blast and Xenoverse would draw from to some extent and Simp Dragon being an interesting way of incorporating RPG elements into the game, but the PS2 version's Disc Fusion allowing for you to play the Ultimate Battle modes of the previous Tenkaichi games brought it to a whole new level (though, admittedly, they did a cheap job not including all the battles from BT2's version). Combine it with the Ultimate Victory requirements of the Xenoverse games (and take out Xenoverse's atrocious RNG) and you've got the most options out of any DBZ game.

 

[Majin_Blue]

I'm assuming based on the OP is this talking about which games were the best in specific fields rather than simply the best aspect of each game despite what the title says?

...actually I genuinely did mean what the best aspect(s) of each game were in your opinion. But I'm certainly not turning my nose up at the rest of your post, since you clearly put a lot of thought into it.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

In that case, I'll offer my answer for that too for each of the games I've played:

Final Bout - The Opening theme "The Biggest Fight" and Future Trunks' theme "Hikari no Willpower."

Budokai - It had more effort put into its cutscenes than any DBZ game would until the Xenoverse games and Kakarot. The music is also great regardless of the plagiarism stuff (this can apply for the whole trilogy, but I'll give it to Budokai as one of its best qualities as it doesn't have much to hold up compared to the other 2 instalments beyond the cutscenes). Either that, or the what-if scenario of Cell absorbing Kuririn for how crazy it was (and making Yamcha seem like not as much a joke).

Budokai 2 - Probably the hypothetical characters as already mentioned such as Yamuhan/Tiencha, Boo's new absorptions (Freeza, Cell, Vegeta, Yamcha & Tenshinhan) and Gotan/Gokule. Either that, or the board game aesthetic of the story mode and complete freedom of choice in characters making it have high replayability through doing things such as saving the Earth from Raditz and Nappa as the Champion Mr. Satan or foiling Freeza's plans on Namek as the Great Saiyaman in obstructions to the timeline that make those in the Cell Arc seem tame .

Budokai 3 - So many options to pick, but I'd probably have to go with the story mode's what-ifs. Even though What-Ifs have become a mainstay of DB games, no other one essentially treat them as optional routes to go down after the first playthrough (unless counting the manner in which BT2's stories are unlocked).

Shin Budokai 1 and 2 - Both games stand out for having story modes that are a new story rather than recycling the same old events, even if the writing for them was far from good. There's also the arcade mode that offers some cool ideas such as acknowledging the uneasiness #18 would naturally have around Goku.

Supersonic Warriors 2 - Some of the team ultimate attacks were cool.

Super Dragon Ball Z - As mentioned in a previous thread, some choices in the roster such as Adult Chichi, Ultimate Gohan with the Z-Sword and Bazooka Mecha Freeza.

Budokai Tenkaichi - The Ultimate Battle mode. A ranking system of 100 characters (though some repeats towards the end) with your rank being in jeopardy if losing points with each character's rank not applying to all of them like in BT3 gives this mode a lot of replay value despite the combat being bad when you figure out there's only 3-4 types of combos in the game.

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 - The length of the story mode and its varied covering of events (DBZ Movies, GT and a few what-ifs).

Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - Either the vast roster and options for matchups, the underrated intricacy of its item customisation or having a lot more options for modes than most other instalments in the franchise.

Infinite World - Some of the minigame levels were cool ideas.

Burst Limit - The combat is basically a more refined version of Shin Budokais. Dramatic Pieces, whilst a pain to unlock, also offered a unique take on customisation.

Raging Blast - The What-If Saga was perhaps the most expansive in any DB game, apart from maybe the Supersonic Warriors series. Some of them were also fairly entertaining such Yamcha VS Vegeta or the couples' tournament.

Raging Blast 2 - Either its smooth combat or the general artstyle. Some choices in the roster were also interesting such as the prominence given to Hatchiyack and Tarble of all people.

Ultimate Tenkaichi - The game's take on battlefield destruction was nice, even if not to the same level as Budokai 3/BT2 and 3. There's also the custom characters, but it's hard to appreciate it with the sheer amount of grinding and cheese needed to progress with the battle system and the fact that Xenoverse's take on the same thing was infinitely better.

Battle of Z - The unique skills that some characters have makes teamwork and synergy a lot more important than in past games.

Xenoverse - The premise drawing from DBO's ideas was a nice choice and character customisation was great.

Xenoverse 2 - The combat and hub world are vastly improved from what Xenoverse 1 was, even if still having its flaws (camera angles being terrible at times, for one).

FighterZ - The interactions between many of the characters in the story mode.

Kakarot - Has by far the most detailed portrayal of the manga/anime's original story and expands on it through its substories providing new context or answering questionable parts of the canon.

Could've also included the Legacy of Goku series, but they're very much an RPG first and fighting game second to an even greater extent than Kakarot, not to mention I'd struggle to find anything to praise in the first game.