A DBZ handheld game worth playing (Dragon Ball Z - The Legacy of Goku II (GBA))

Member Name: randomreviews

Product:	Dragon Ball Z - The Legacy of Goku II (GBA)
Date:	07/10/09 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: (see review)

Disadvantages: (see review)

After the disaster of a game that was Legacy of Goku, it seems like Atari decided they'd actually put effort into the sequel and believe me, Legacy of Goku II is lightyears beyond its predecessor in every aspect. If you're a DBZ fan, this game will definitely satisfy you.

Legacy of Goku II continues where the first game left off, after the defeat of Freeza at the hands of super saiyan Goku. The main focus of the game is the Cell Saga so you'll be battling the evil androids but there are also other enemies like Cooler who you can find in side quests. In the first game, you had maybe 3 total hours of gameplay, in this, you'll probably be busy for around 20 hours or so.

You're actually allowed to play as different characters in this game and specific characters are needed in certain missions as well. So rather than just being Goku, you can also choose from Piccolo, Trunks, Vegeta, Gohan and Hercule. Everyone's got their own unique skills which gives you more incentive to play as them. Stages and enemies are much more diverse in this game as well. It takes much better advantage of GBA's capabilities - more vibrant colors, better character sprites, expansive, detailed environments, better sound and familiar music from the TV series, and so on. There are many destinations to roam about and you can go anywhere freely as you can now fly around the world map. There's even the ability to check other characters data for a brief bio on them or their stats if they're an enemy.

In terms of the battle system, its still action-RPG but revamped. The stats are more reasonable now and as you level up your growth is random for each stat. This can be a flaw because your characters can develop very poorly and struggle in the stages - but fortunately there are save points available throughout the game so you can easily save, level up, and if you're not satisfied with the stat growth, simply reset and try again. Each character has the basic physical attack but also numerous ki attack options and a stronger physical strike to choose from as well. You can transform into a super saiyan, however it drains you of ki energy if you remain in that form but it significantly boosts your stats like the damage you deal and how fast your character moves. You're able to carry much more items in this game and the inventory is well categorized and easy to sort through.

The story follows very closely with the anime series unlike the first game which was loaded with inaccuracies. There are also plenty of side-quests to give you more to do as well such as collecting the dragon balls, rare items, and more.

Considering its now worth just a couple of dollars, if you're a DBZ fan, I think its definitely something you should consider playing because you'll enjoy it. This game just has so much more character interaction, freedom and is much more solid than the first game although I think its one negative is that it can be a bit too easy at times.

Summary: LoG2 is a major step up from the previous game and this is actually worth your time.