Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden (video game)

Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden (ドラゴン ボール Z 超 武闘伝, Doragon Bōru Zetto Chō Butōden; Literally meaning "Dragon Ball Z: Super Fighter Legend") is a fighting game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on March 20, 1993 and in France and Spain on November 30, 1993 and published by Bandai.

This is the first title in the Super Butoden video game series.

Gameplay

It starts with 8 playable characters and 5 unlockable characters, a total of 13 playable characters. The Story mode spans from the Piccolo Jr. Saga to the conclusion of the Cell Games Saga.

Main features

• Massive stages divided by a color-coded split-screen border which tells the players how close they are to their opponent
• Combat on the ground or in the air
• Radar below the health and power bars tells where the characters are in the stage.
• Unique special moves and "super moves" for each character (Goku's Kamehame-Ha, Vegeta's Final Flash, etc.)
• Players can counter super moves by dodging, blocking, or engaging in a beam struggle

Quirks

• Knockdown recovery takes a fairly long time and leaves the characters open to further attack
• Unlike the following games of the series, you charge your Ki manually by holding Down while flying. In later Super Butoden games, you charge by holding B+Y and can do it on the ground or in the air.

Characters

Playable characters

• Son Goku
• Vegeta
• Artificial Human No. 20 (a.k.a. Doctor Gero)
• Artificial Human No. 16
• Piccolo
• Freeza (100% Power)
• Artificial Human No. 18
• Cell (Imperfect Form)

Secret characters

• Future Trunks (Super Saiyan)
• Son Gohan (Super Saiyan 2)
• Cell (Perfect Form)
• Son Goku (Super Saiyan)
• Vegeta (Super Saiyan)

Other

• Mister Satan

Stages

Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta fighting in the World Martial Arts Tournament stage.

• World Martial Arts Tournament
• Canyon
• Planet Namek
• Standard Wasteland
• Standard Wasteland with Crater
• Mountain Road
• Island
• Hyperbolic Time Chamber
• Cell Games Arena

Modes

Story mode

1. Son Goku vs. Piccolo
2. Son Goku or Piccolo vs. Vegeta
3. Son Goku or Piccolo vs. Freeza
4. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Artificial Human No. 20
5. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Artificial Human No. 18
6. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Imperfect Cell
7. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Artificial Human No. 16
8. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Future Trunks
9. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta vs. Son Gohan
10. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta or Future Trunks or Son Gohan or Artificial Human No. 16 vs. Perfect Cell
11. Son Goku or Piccolo or Vegeta or Future Trunks or Son Gohan or Artificial Human No. 16 or Mister Satan vs. Perfect Cell (secret battle)

Tournament mode

Tournament mode is a mode where 8 players can select a character and compete against each other two at a time. Every match is set in the Tenkaichi Tournament Stadium. The winner gets a blinking trophy.

Combat mode

Combat mode is a mode where the player can fight against the computer or another player using a character from the 13 playable characters. It is also possible to set up the rules.

Strategy guide

The title of the strategy guide is Dragon Ball Z: Super Martial Legend.

Gallery

Trivia

• This is the only Super Butoden game to feature the ability to dash into the opponent to knock them down.
• It is often mistaken that there is no way to build up Ki in the game like you can in the following games of the series. Holding Down on the Control Pad while flying, however, causes your character's Ki meter to recharge faster.