Anyone who enjoys anime knows that it usually lags behind the manga, and any tied-in video games fall behind both of those.Dragon Ball Super, the latest iteration of the belovedDragon Ball Zanime, has been out for years now and has yet to be properly explored in a video game. It’s a prime example of this, and while fans have been wanting a properDragon Ball Supergame for years, it’s time for it to actually manifest.
It should be noted that currentDragon Ball Zgames have includedSuper(or closely related content) for a while now. Super Saiyan Blue and other characters/forms are available inDragon Ball Xenoverse 2andDragon Ball FighterZ, whileDBZ: Kakarotdipped its toe in Super with its first two DLC packs (though based on the related DBZ movies first and foremost).
In fact,Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2is even adding Orange Piccolo to the roster, but this is simply a bandaid over the wound of not having a dedicated game. Ultimately, what this means is there is a lot ofDragon Ball Supercontent in video games out there, but not a lot ofDragon Ball Supergames.
RELATED:Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC 5 Adds Playable Tien and New Gameplay Feature
Dragon Ball Super is Exploding with Ripe Video Game Content
A lot of modern Dragon Ball games focus on the big arcs of theDBZAnime: The Saiyan Saga, the Frieza Saga, the Cell Saga, and the Majin Buu Saga, with the latter wrapping up the anime. Players have experienced this in so many ways now that it’s effectively old hat in video games. They need something new, and Dragon Ball Super is right there. There are more major story arcs (and major fights within them) that can be explored across the anime and manga: the God of Destruction Beerus Saga, the Golden Frieza Saga, the Universe 6 Saga, the Copy-Vegeta Saga, the Future Trunks Saga, the Universe Survival Saga, the Broly Saga, the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga,the Granolah the Survivor Saga, and the Super Hero Saga.
Most important, of course, are the fights that make up theseDragon Ball SuperSagas. Players deserve a game dedicated to them fighting these new and returning villains, like Golden Frieza, Jiren, Fused Zamasu, Moro, Cell Max, and more. What’s likely to happen, of course, is a game that doesn’t explore all the way up to modern events, which means it needs to start them now to keep them at a good pace. The first one may cover up to the Universe Survival Saga, for example, and not go much further than that. DLC could be the answer there, if not outright sequels like older games.
The fights are the most important part arguably, but the new forms players can be, eventually, is what should drive these games. Super Saiyan Blue is rather old at this point, but tapping into Ultra Instinct Goku in the context it happened would be a big moment for players. Eventually, the video games would need to catch up to more recent forms like Black Frieza and Ultra Ego Vegeta as introduced in the manga orBeast Gohan and Orange Piccolo as introduced inDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The fact of the matter is the games are incredibly far behind as it stands, and every year that a new one doesn’t release, they fall even further behind.
While fans are speculatively calling therecently confirmedBudokai Tenkaichigame"Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4," there’s certainly a case to be made for this to be a properDragon Ball Supergame.Dragon Ball Super: Budokai Tenkaichihas a nice ring to it, and what’s more, the general layout, fighting game approach, and standard gameplay elements make it a proper way to introduceDragon Ball Superin full.
