DRAGONBALL: Evolution – PSP – Review

Most people express disappointment when a game is
too easy, especially a sequel. It is often a determining factor in a game’s
initial length and replay value. If the game is frustrating (which, contrary to
what some developers believe, is not the same as a game that’s challenging), no
one will see it through. If the game is too easy, we’ll see it through but may
never return.

Despite the necessity for balanced difficulty
settings, easiness is rarely the number-one reason why a game fails. Other
factors, such as bad controls, problematic levels and repetitive objectives tend
to lead the pack in that area.

However, we’ve all heard the saying, “There’s a
first time for everything,” so let that be applied to Dragonball Evolution, a
new fighting game from Namco Bandai. Spiritually, it’s a PSP-sequel to the
Budokai Tenkaichi games we know and love on PlayStation 2. Physically, the game
is a bit more ghoulish than ghostly, replacing the depth and minor complexities
of other Dragonball games with overly simplistic mechanics that a toddler could
handle – assuming, of course, that he could slam his little hand onto the square
button.

The Opposite of Evolution

Few Dragonball fans seem interested in the new
movie, so you might be surprised to learn that Evolution pulled its name,
storyline and character models from the film. For the record, my interest in
this game had nothing to do with the movie – it was based solely on my love of
the anime and the last decade or so of DB and DBZ game releases.

In the area of speed (a crucial part of every
fighting game), Evolution is nearly on par with its console siblings. Slowdown
wasn’t an issue, but more importantly, the gameplay was very quick, exciting and
responsive. You don’t have to worry that a character won’t respond properly, or
use loud music to keep yourself awake. During combat, the gameplay is pretty
much a non-stop experience.

But non-stop gaming, no matter how fast, can only
take you so far. In the beginning, Evolution appears to be jammed with play
modes, whose listings fill out the PSP’s gorgeous screen. Story, Arcade, Network
Battle, Training, Mission, Gallery, Survival – what more could you want from a
fighting game?

If only it were that simple. Or in this case, if
only it weren’t that simple. Evolution works off a familiar system: three
buttons to attack, one to guard, and two others for additional functions.
Without reading the manual or glancing at the pause menu command screen (where
all attacks are listed), you’ll quickly discover that the three-button attack
system is more of a one-button attack system. Square button, the “rush attack,”
is all that was needed to get through the entire Story mode.

Granted, it could be finished in less than one
hour, especially if you skip the story sequences, which is highly recommended
since they aren’t very good. But in that 30 to 45-minute period, I only used the
triangle button (“smash attack”) when I was bored, or the circle button
(“special attack”) when the game forced me to do so. Apparently, Evolution
thought it’d be more fun – perhaps even more challenging – if we had to perform
certain moves at the end of some of the battles. The game was wrong.

What about guarding? Forget guarding! The enemies
are stupid; their attacks rarely need to be blocked. The L button isn’t very
useful either; hold it to charge your Ki or pummel your opponent to accomplish
the same thing. Ki may be reserved for special attacks, which are essentially
one massive blow. You may also tap the R button to use some Ki to power-up your
fighter.

Fighters include Goku, Bulma, Master Roshi,
Yamcha, Gohan, Chi Chi, Fu Lum, Oozaru, Mai, Piccolo and one bonus character.
While not a bad lineup by any means, it hardly compares to the huge casts of the
other Dragonball fighting games. More significantly, each character feels the
same. Individuality is the key to every great fighting game, regardless of how
many playable characters are included. Here, you can finish the game with
everyone simply by pressing the square button. You can move the D-pad in various
directions to add some variety to the repetitive combo assault, but it’s still
the same thing over and over.

The Story is Secondary, But…

Now we should all remember that the Story mode is
only one small component and should never make or break a fighting game’s
success. Unfortunately, the other modes are just as shallow. Mission mode is a
predictable set of “do this, do that” objectives. Gallery offers a look at some
of Evolution artwork (again, predictable). Survival mode is just as it sounds.
And then there’s…what, exactly? After playing through the story, Arcade mode
wasn’t too exciting. Ad hoc play lets a friend jump in, but without any skill
required to perform each move, and with every character playing the same, it’s
very difficult to keep the competition going. Basically, it amounts to a game of
who can mash the square button more effectively.

Gameplay: 3
It’s Budokai Tenkaichi gone backwards. The speed is there, which is
respectable considering how many fighting games have screwed that up on PS3 and
Xbox 360. But everything else is a turn-off; if you’re entertained by the
mindless mashing of just one button, you might find some enjoyment in Dragonball
Evolution. But what happens when you beat it in an hour? You won’t want to play
it again, not by yourself or with a friend, and UMD discs are too light to be
paperweights.

Graphics: 4
Polygonally, the character models aren’t horrible. Their individual designs,
however, are based on the movie’s version of each character, which turned out to
be pathetic in a can’t-stop-laughing sort of way.

Sound: 5
Cheesy and unenthusiastic.

Difficulty:
How can you say a game is difficult when it can be finished with just one
button?

Concept: 4
The opposite of evolution.

Multiplayer: 1
It’s a game of who will be bored and want to quit first: you or your friend?

Overall: 2.7
A very short, mindless fighter with boring multiplayer and not even a minute
of replay value.