The Best DBZ Fighting Game - Super Dragon Ball Z

[@drewventura7]

Once I saw Cell adapt a Muay Thai stance, it was love at first sight

[@DarkShadow-pe6ud]

One other good thing about Super Dragon Ball Z that you forgot to mention is that is one of the few games that is highly based on the manga, rather than the majority of the Dragon Ball games that are based on the anime.

[@danzigmodest4046]

I thought he did so I rewatched the vid and at 5:36 he mentions the art style is based on the manga.

[@DarkShadow-pe6ud]

@@danzigmodest4046 You're right my bad, I think I miss that part lol, but still is rare for a Dragon Ball game to be inspired in the manga, the vast majority are based in the anime which is not a bad thing but there also should be more games base on the manga or at least they should give us the option choose between the two art styles.

[@gpbear4]

@@DarkShadow-pe6ud SDBZ does quite a bit to represents the DB roots, even including chinese in the logo. ive also noticed several instances of them including images ripped directly from the manga. often times i hear people talk about things using the wrong colors in this game, so it seems they dont understand SDBZ’s source material, lol

[@akiraeatsguitarpicks491]

Except for chichi

[@windandfireproductions5358]

​@gpbear4 shows what kinda "fans" they are They don't even know about the manga smh

[@superbro6413]

It cant be said enough times, but Arika once again killed it with the ost for SDBZ, as they always do. It was also sick to see some callouts to this game in the mugen fangame Hyper DBZ. Clearly the fans love the heck outta this. Good stuff

[@gpbear4]

Supersweep’s composers do Arika’s music and also do music for other studios

[@Platformer64]

1:34 Leaving this time stamp here so I can always instantly come back to this combo

[@bigredradish]

this game looks like it should have been REALLY big. manga-inspired graphics, a solid roster with some awesome curveball characters, fighting game prestige at the helm--maybe it was just too much of a fighting game for its own good. maybe we weren't ready

[@gpbear4]

neither DB or FG fans understood it. but it was handled a lot better in Japan due to releasing on arcade first and getting two Bandai hosted national tournaments not long after launch.

[@LarryHazard]

with a franchise like Dragon Ball your main audience isn't gamers or fighting game players but a ton of fans and kids, which means they will always prefer something like Tenkaichi that lets you choose almost every character in the series

[@draydra]

@@gpbear4 crazy seeing you here, gpbear

[@gpbear4]

@@draydra hi lol

[@tokyobassist]

People need to put more respect on Nishitani's name. Him and his team were always looking to push fighting games forward regardless of how low the budget got.

[@gpbear4]

did you know Funamizu and Nishitani are planning to make another game together?

[@shinphatman]

1:44. Only the real DB fans would know this Chi-Chi is Canon

[@shygaifu3592]

But she's not? That whole mini-arc about her and Goku looking for the Bansho Fan and whatnot was anime-only filler.

[@shinphatman]

@@shygaifu3592 while that segment was "anime only" , Chi Chi was able to possess/ use the fan and ride Kinto'un

[@gpbear4]

@@shygaifu3592 does the Bansho Fan appear in the manga?

[@stayslapped1568]

@@shygaifu3592 lmao wrecked this dude

[@mr.tie-rex9577]

This makes me miss the old Chi Chi before they ruined her in Dragon Ball Z.

[@FullmetalSonic260]

Outside of FighterZ, it's nice to have some other traditional fighting game style Dragon Ball games, this and Hyper DBZ. Honestly, FighterZ's 3v3 Marvel style overwhelmed me overtime, it was much easier for me to fall back on SDBZ, but yeah the game has quite a learning curve, it's a bit different from the typical fighter as well, yet it's pretty fun.

[@flashbackfrank8781]

Thats because fighterZ is balanced whereas anything from the ps2 era had "cannon power scaling"

[@AgentBurgers]

I think he meant it being a marvel style game. I don't touch fighterZ much either cuz I don't really like to micro manage a team. I normally play 2v2 games or 1v1. Tatsunoko vs Capcom, I really enjoyed MvCi as well. I always enjoy the hell out of watching UMvC3 tournaments but I would never play the game, Too crazy for me yo

[@gpbear4]

@@flashbackfrank8781 Teen Gohan is the worst character in Super DBZ. Majin Buu doesn’t seem very good either lol

[@Xannyphantom905]

That guilty gear looking style of attacks turned me away from Fighter z. Not to mention how you can hardly tell whether you're throwing a kick or a punch half the time with all the lights and explosions.

[@Xannyphantom905]

@@flashbackfrank8781 that's bullshit. It doesn't matter who you pick in the ps2 games, it matters if you can play.

[@cloudnovalab]

If FighterZ is the Mahvel, Super DBZ is the 3rd Strike of DBZ games

[@freshboy3968]

This ^

[@FrMZTsarmiral]

For some reason everyone in my area never played or dismissed this game over Budokai and Tenkaichi, it's a shame although I'm happy to see that it has a following even today. Really love it's unique take on movement. An interesting aspect of this is how good players can really highlight the potential of a game, I don't remember it being as hype as in the footage you showed in this video.

[@tokyobassist]

Everybody dismisses Arika games and it's sad. People act like gimmick is a dirty word when literally it's the only thing separating games from one another.

[@7cross288]

I remember my brother and I absolutely despising this game when we grew up. We never played traditional fighters and didn't know this was one so when we played it expecting a Budokai like experience we had such a rude awakening that turned into hate for the game. This video made me realize how beautiful the game really was and makes me wish I understood that back then.

[@gpbear4]

if you’re interested in giving it a try, id be happy to help

[@kingn0ah377]

​@@gpbear4hey the guy from the video

[@great159]

Same with myself. I had all three PS1 Dragonball games, all three Budokais, and Tenkaichi 1. When I bought Super Dragonball Z when it first came out on PS2 I hated the game because I didn't understand that it was using the manga art style even though I had the Saiyan Saga manga since the 90's (Love the manga over the anime now.) Ten years later I started to really research the manga and learn about it. Now I prefer SDBZ over any DB game since Budokai 1 (UB22/27 is STILL my favorite due to it looking EXACTLY like the anime🤓)

[@docproof26]

RIP Toriyama

[@heavenly2k]

I remember this game on PS2. I was probably 7. I remember having a great time and bringing it over to my friend's house. I certainly don't remember it being this awesome! Crazy how games can grow on you once your brain gets big enough to understand how good they are lol

[@MikeD-hn9hf]

Made by fully developed minds for underdeveloped ones

[@antogame1178]

This game have a playable adult Chi-Chi. 10/10 best game.

[@leik7728]

4:28 this game has a weird but cool roster, this probably where echo fighters came from, 2 Vegeta’s, 2 Frieza’s, technically 2 piccolo, then there’s Gohan’s with the supreme Kai costume which he didn’t fight in once, and Krillin with eyes

[@windandfireproductions5358]

IIRC krillin has eyes in the colored version of the manga

[@EliteZytraxium]

I don't really play fighting games, but Super Dragon Ball Z... that's one of those games I've played since I first got my PS2 and still play to this day. And after years of playing it I couldn't help but ask myself: 'Dang why's this game kinda underrated'. I've been hoping a video like this'd be created one day. The video's amazing and it's nice how you've used SDBZ's music in it btw XD. It summarizes what makes the game great and why it's worth trying out. I hope this genuinely hope this vid'll reach more people. It has a lot of potential. Thanks for the video I've thoroughly enjoyed it till the last second. And for anyone reading this, have a good one Lmao it took me 3 months to see that type. Imma just leave it there

[@MikeD-hn9hf]

The ingenuity required to create this masterpiece... Oh Japan 🙇‍♂️

[@benyamgetahun939]

I remember owning this game in 2011 but never got too into it. Now it peaking my interest. Thank you for the introductory video. it seems very underrated.

[@gpbear4]

i can help you get into it if you’d like

[@RenardtheFoxx100]

I still have this classic of a fighting game. Me and the homies would play this for hours!!!

[@ToyotaKudoFan]

That Chi Chi combo was beautiful... 🥲

[@daisukegori2112]

I bought this game but had to return it because I was poor back then. I am no longer poor so I will buy it.

[@RexyRonin]

Thank you for reviving my love for fighting games!

[@vahlok1426]

I distinctly remember reviews lambasted this game. Game Informer in particular panned it super hard, and many others called it an outright terrible game. Reviewers have always been so dumb.

[@benilinshingoseth2086]

Thank you for this hommage to this underrated gem ! I remember playing this on my PS2 back in 2006... Blew my mind and it was also a GREAT alternative to the BT and TB series !! It definitely had my preference over the others... I liked the fact you said it was hard, because it is !! But the mechanics are so deep, it just makes you want to improve and always learn new stuff and combos ! To a true fan to another !

[@gpbear4]

you should join us on the Super DBZ server

[@dapanduh6490]

Freakin love this game. Glad to see you talk about this game!

[@kneecross2742]

I don't remember how old I was, but as a kid-my first ever DBZ game for the Ps2 was budokai. Since then it had been my mission to collect all the dbz games(at least try). Went to Gamestop and stumbled upon Super Dragon Ball Z close to its release . It looked so weird to me, from the cover and back. But I still remember buying it with saved up money for full-price. Biggest regret ever, I remember crying over it since the game looked so odd and felt unplayable. Looking back I wish I had the capacity I have now, would have a been a ride to learn and play. Definitely a hidden gem.

[@aegisreflector1239]

Arc system works also made a Fist of the North Star fighting game in early 2000s

[@froghatvampirate]

I've been a fan of your channel since I saw the Dragon Ball X One Piece video and saw most of your videos, including this one when that one came out. Thanks to the recent passing of Akira Toriyama, I've been reading the manga from the beginning again and getting a lot of Dragon Ball DVDs and video games. Earlier today, I got Super Dragon Ball Z in the mail thanks to this video. 👍🏼 Your channel is great!

[@ulkimion]

I was already sold when I saw chichi being playable, lol

[@amyrose468]

Especially you can use her old bikini armor costume in this game. She's my main.

[@PassingTheJ]

Super DBZ had a underrated soundtrack it's a must listen

[@assassinonprozac]

I’m still confused as to why the pentagram motion exists. Like, did one guy on the team just wake up one day and decide he wanted to make one of the hardest motions ever? If that’s what happened he definitely succeeded as this is one of the hardest motions I’ve ever done in a fighting game, probably up there in terms of all inputs too (although I doubt you’d use this as often as something like Akira’s one frame knee).

[@gpbear4]

You don’t actually need to do the star to use Ranbu. You can touch of the points of the star by simply rotating the stick. This method can also let you easily combo it from super cancels. As far as usage, Ranbu a level 3 super. King Piccolo can use it for a ToD, but Piccolo has more meta strategies that don’t involve Ranbu. Also Guile didn’t mash the buttons for damage. I suggest checking out whitefreeza’s video guide on King Piccolo and his other Piccolo combo videos.

[@rockmanfan5104]

This was like my favorite dbz game as a kid. I remember spending forever building my perfect mecha frieza and was so proud when I did it.

[@booce6969]

Welcome back to youtube, hope you decide to stay for a while

[@sathishnair789]

Finally someone realized this game's value

[@rongill1234]

cell fly unfly combos where so dope thats what i spent most of my time trying to learn when i got this game back in the day

[@gpbear4]

are you still interested in playing?

[@rongill1234]

@@gpbear4 it's been so long since I played this game but I'm always up for attempting stuff

[@gpbear4]

@@rongill1234 would you like to join the SDBZ Discord server? id be more than happy to show you what i know about the game

[@Heavysauce555]

Pretty good video my lad! Online for this game is really fun! Was playing with gpbear in the discord, feel free to join yall!

[@tinlunlau1]

I went to Hong Kong back in 2007 and was lucky enough to have the arcade experience of this game. Played it in the arcades quite alot but never bought a memory card. Sold out at the time.

[@gpbear4]

did you get to meet any of the players in HK? some of them went to play SDBZ in Japan recently. kabeDBZ uploaded the matches

[@tinlunlau1]

@@gpbear4 don't think I have. The other player is usually on the other side of the arcade machine. You know how Japanese arcades are.

[@gpbear4]

@@tinlunlau1 ah thats right. are you still interested in the game btw? we’ve got a server for it

[@tinlunlau1]

@@gpbear4 would love to play it again but dunno if I still have my copy around

[@gpbear4]

@@tinlunlau1 thankfully copies are pretty cheap. but you can also play online via emulation. the invite to the server is in this video’s description. ill be sure to welcome you

[@rexolve1032]

That CELLGAME cell... gives me nightmares, I hate playing against it

[@DavidLucian]

This was a really hidden gem DBZ game from PS2 Era that many DBZ fans didn't know anything about this Unique and Underrated DBZ game back then and even today.. ✌

[@xeienar]

I had this game as a kid on the PS2 and all I remember is that it was insanely hard, broke many controllers trying to do the specials and had tons of pain in my hands from it. One day I had enough, arcade gamepads were uncommon and very expensive for me back then, so I just accepted that no matter how many practice I did, this game was never supposed to be played with a ps2 gamepad.

[@gpbear4]

the commands are no different than any other traditional fighter, but tbf they’re all originally designed on arcade

[@Monhamd1000]

I can imagine a TeamStarFour mod of this game.

[@HateSonneillon]

I loved this game and played it so much when it was new. Its so much fun and I can't believe that its so unheard of.

[@SnDFrostey]

wonderful video, the attention this game deserves

[@master-o7288]

Never knew about this. Thanks for the very well made video!! Cheers!

[@TheRageng]

Oh heck. Welcome back!

[@SirAsdf]

I remember getting blisters on my palms from this game.

[@SleepyChloeFist]

I just discovered this game about 2 weeks ago now, maybe 3 weeks. Anyway, it's my new favorite PS2 DBZ game, and I can't believe nobody's talking about it.

[@gpbear4]

are you on the Super DBZ Discord?

[@q-uivs]

This game getting reviewed as harshly as budokai is still deliriously bewildering to my brains to this day. Imagine being handed street fighter 2 pedigree n then throwing it directly in the garbage. Rough stuff.

[@gpbear4]

the reviews used to say it lacked depth. now when i tried to get people into it they see high level gameplay and assume its too hard. its as if people just dont want to understand it.

[@DMAN99]

Used to own this game back in the day, wasn’t good at it but I thought it was cool as hell.

[@BaneofCid]

Oh man I loved super dragon ball z. I played it so much. One of the only games with chi chi and king piccolo.

[@thepeanutgallery6100]

I remember as a kid playing this on PS2 when I rented it from my local video store I thought Chi-Chi was a cool addition to the game.

[@beanyzoldyck]

This shit carries the FGC

[@djMaki]

beast vid

[@blackwind677]

A DBZ game that doesn't sell millions sounds like an alternate universe

[@EXFOOLYCOOLY]

Its because ppl wanted tenkaichi and too spoiled by its content, didnt market the game, etc

[@c2ironfist]

I bought both North American Version and the PAL versions Pal version had Japanese dubs while the North American had the english dubs We all know original Japanese dubs are the best It was so hard to find tournament footage of this game too but the high level players from Japan were so fun to watch I think back then I had to type in "Chou Dragon Ball Z"

[@gpbear4]

im plannng on running Super DBZ at Evo again this year, but the level of play isnt as strong as japan. in japan, BigOne recently hosted their 5th SDBZ tournament and a player from Macau attended

[@tarkuslee7278]

I like this video a lot

[@GuileWinQuote]

Thank you! I've felt less confident about this video and it would be my number one choice to go back and redo one day, so I'm glad someone is still getting something out of it!

[@gpbear4]

@@GuileWinQuote how do you improve upon perfection

[@MantisAzul]

finally some love for this game

[@dasenase]

Seeing this game's demo in the stores was surprising since I heard absolutely nothing about it before. My first impression was it felt more stripped down and slower than Budakai 3.

[@MuddyTimms]

I remember buying this game when the HH Center still had a gamestop. It was the only copy they had and being a huge DBZ fan at the time 8 year old me had to have it. I sucked at fighting games at the time but I had a blast with it, and man is the music of this game great. I think I still have it to give it another look.

[@gpbear4]

if you have any questions about the game you can feel free to ask me

[@TheBlackshear]

My guy! You keep surprising me! I had no idea this existed! Thank you!

[@shadeddreamz9063]

I loved this game when it came out in the US. I wish they would bring it back in HD on current gen.

[@great159]

I LOVE when a Dragonball game looks like it was ripped 💯% straight out of the anime and manga and ONLY 2 DB games are like that Ultimate Battle 22/27 (anime) and Super Dragonball Z (manga.) Those are the BEST DB games made in my opinion (Budokai, Kakarot, ECT all start looking 😧💯)

[@IchiExorz]

I wish i played this game more. I remember getting it expecting a regular dbz experience but this is the most unique dbz fighting game i've played. I remember pulling an all nighter just playing this with my cousin. Good times. Sadly I didn't really get to play it with others much besides that one night.

[@gpbear4]

i only started in 2019, so its never too late to get back into it. we can even play online

[@spenserbeckerszs]

I am happy someone covered this game in a positive light. Back in the day I was one of the few who bought this & I fell in love it (that Demon King Piccolo combo was my favorite btw). While I admit I am more nostalgic with Budokai 1-4 (4 being called “Infinite World” btw) You cannot deny how good this game is. It’s just different than any of the other DBZ fighting games out there. You just need to put yourself in a different mindset while playing this game in comparison to the others & I think that was why it didn’t do well. Fans & gamers alike were used to the Budokai series and it’s simplicity. However unless you were a die hard Street Fighter player, you weren’t going to get this game at all. Fortunately as the years have gone by since it’s release, I here more and more SF players talk about this game. In light of that, I am so hopeful that someday we will get an HD re-release of this to “test the waters” so to speak. Hopefully it will be shown more respect then. Until then I highly encourage Fighting game & Dragonball fans alike to check this out. Once you spend time with the game, it truly stands out among the mega pile of DB games out there (fighting & non-fighting).

[@gpbear4]

SDBZ was handled poorly internationally. japan had the arcade release and bandai even hosted a couple national tournaments before PS2 dropped. they shouldve released an arcade version outside japan and given Arika more time to work on the PS2 version. the international marketing sucked and the reviews were terrible cause no one understood it. caused most people to be fickle.

[@sebastianasantiago7382]

@@gpbear4 I’ll be honest when I first played this game back in 2009, i was very intrigued in playing this game because it looked so different compared to budokai and Tenkaichi, I remember i bought Super DBZ in a PS2 trilogy box that contained Tenkaichi 1, 2 and Super DBZ and when i played it, i didn’t understand it, i didn’t know how to perform Fighting game inputs like kamehamehas and super saiyan. Because of this, i sold the game immediately and forgot about it. Years later i started to play more traditional fighting games like Street fighter, Marvel Vs Capcom, Tekken and Mortal Kombat and around 2014 i thought about Super Dbz and my mind was like: “this game is just like street fighter, let me try it again”. In 2021 i bought the game and i think it is one of the more underrated dragon ball games

[@sebastianasantiago7382]

What i also want to know is why did this game fail to catch on outside of Japan, the main criticism that i agree with it’s detractors is that it has very few content outside of Arcade mode and Z survivor and less characters, as a fighting game, im fine with about 30 characters

[@gpbear4]

@@sebastianasantiago7382 the guys in japan have been playing for 16 years on the arcade version. idk if 12 more characters wouldve helped hold the casual audience’s interest a little longer. id rather appreciate the game for what it is. ive been having a ton of fun learning. you should join us on the SDBZ Discord server

[@xXian90Xx]

your channel is awesome!!!

[@qujmilton]

I loved this game as a kid I'm happy someone gave It some love

[@hazegamer4205]

This game was part of my childhood

[@lmfz4800]

This is definitely one of the few games I'd pay any amount of money to purchase. Lol I remember back when MvC2 cost more than my ps2 (ya I play ps2 marvel, deal with it.)

[@gpbear4]

luckily you can find copies on ebay for like $10 USD, lol

[@Sin606]

Thanks for talking about one of my favorite dragon ball games

[@rockhyde7775]

I want Arc System Works to fulfill my dream making a Yugioh fighting game that’s like a mix of DBFZ and GGST.

[@BurnBookAl]

You got me even earlier, the juggling😍

[@mangamastermenz]

Still playing this gem of a game! Super dragon ball z 4 life 😎

[@Khyze]

4:43 Mine was in japanese, that part wasn't as enyoyable as it should, but I still loved it.

[@SatisfactoryBro]

lets go, i was hoping that star input did like 25% LMFAO

[@gpbear4]

he didnt mash. watch episode 4 of Sajam's "Will it Kill?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3qap3qDjJ2slck this is with Enhanced Force + Omega Charge

[@dazzawesome]

Awesome!!!

[@HerneLiedel]

waiting for the day when adult chi-chi becomes playable in another dbz game... someday

[@exaltedfalcheon1793]

SUPER...DRAGON BALL- Adult Chi-Chi WHAT THE HELL!?

[@xxcontrolfr3akxx814]

I used to play this game with my cousin when I was younger. I didn't even know Super DBZ had these kind of inputs. The times were still fun though.

[@ignatz20xx]

This was probably the best fighting game no one bought. It's a shame too because people (outside a small group of people I played with) I introduced this game too back in the day actually liked the game a lot.

[@gpbear4]

you should join the Super DBZ Discord server lol

[@lorenzo4637]

I would lose it (in a good way) if this somehow got a remaster. It was a true gem, and I think it deserves it

[@luvisobsolete]

When I was younger my mom bought me this for ps2 and I hated it but watching this now that I'm older I realize I was too young to understand the mechanics fully 😭😭

[@ajmk2845]

I still have this game

[@0svvan0]

I remember hearing about this, but of course never seeing it anywhere.

[@willingdealer]

This game seems very Tekken like with its juggles and movement

[@darisking252]

I forgot about this game, it’s time to play it again with my kids.

[@charleschase7945]

Tenkaichi 2 and Super Dragon Ball z released at the same time. Super dragon ball z was advertised in the west via internet ads because of the same time release SDBZ was often right next to Tenkaichi 2 on the shelf or behind the Tenkaichi 2 case at block buster.

[@foxtopuscreations6046]

Ah yes Super Dragon Ball Z, not to be confused with Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, or Super Dragon Ball Heroes.

[@GoPlayNTraffic]

Super dragon ball z has the best soundtrack of any dragon ball game hands down.

[@goetia1988]

very underrated game

[@ericjones9668]

Daaaaaamn, I remember this!! I was hoping it would be more like SF back then! It was different the Boutakai but I enjoyed it a lot! Especially after the whole DB Sagas debacle😂😂

[@Vulpas]

I couldn't appreciate SDBZ at the time, I didn't really understand the fighting game genre, I just wanted more buttonmashing Tenkaichi. Now I want this to get a remaster with online.

[@gpbear4]

if you wanna play SDBZ i would suggest playing rather than waiting. you can even play online with emulation

[@Oni64]

This is what Dragon Ball GT Final Bout should have been.

[@DBZAOTA482]

IMO Budokai 3 / Infinite World, Shin Budokai 2, and FighterZ (of course) are better fighters but SDBZ is not far behind. It's basically the FighterZ of its time.

[@glx3846]

They should put Chi Chi and Demon King Piccolo in Xenoverse 2

[@justawarlord]

i used to have this game i still do somewhere but now with emus its nice although i do not play it well its fun and smooth

[@GELTONZ]

This game lets you put adult Chi-Chi in her old bikini armor. Thus it is amazing.

[@blvdes]

still play this game

[@sokustv]

This game in todays era would be crazy😂

[@willmakesfilms]

Looks cool. I also think the fan game hyper dragon ball z is cool

[@chozo914]

man this game is so much deeper than i ever knew as a kid. i really didnt get this game as a kid so i went back to budokai etc. big mistake.

[@gpbear4]

never too late to start playing