Dragon Ball Z Battle Of Z Announced For Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita

Namco Bandai has announced a brand new Dragon Ball Z game called Battle of Z. It's a team-focused fighter that pits teams of four against each other in classic Dragon Ball Z action. Now you can recreate things like the Cell Games or the Earth Warriors versus Nappa and Vegeta from the first season of Dragon Ball Z.

No matter how you mix and match your teams, you'll be able to take full control of your fighters and lay waste to the opposition in local and online battle modes.

Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Namco Bandai Games America Inc commented about the new game, saying...

“The Dragon Ball franchise has transcended its original manga and anime roots to truly become a cultural phenomenon,”... “Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z takes this storied franchise to the next level with its intense brawler action, crisp HD graphics, and expanded gameplay capabilities. Fans and newcomers alike will be able to enjoy this title and appreciate how the Dragon Ball Z universe is presented in the game.”

I've grown a bit tired of the Dragon Ball Z games. It seems like there were enough to fill out a nice palette within the fighting genre this current generation, and it didn't seem like there was much more to explore outside of what Ultimate Tenkaichi already achieved, which had a massive cast of characters, sported an improved physics engine for destruction and rocked a really, really amazing character creation studio and story mode. However, as a testament to their creativity or a willingness to cash in on a predictable crowd, Namco and Artdink (a replacement for the usual culprit of CyberConnect 2) have teamed up to bring gamers this team-based game.

Much like other recent titles in the Dragon Ball Z line, players will be able to dive into some destructible environments, fly around in semi-open battle arenas and utilize some of the most devastating attacks available to the Z warriors.

The above trailer looks pretty standard-fare as far as DBZ games go. I still think that Ultimate Tenkaichi should have been the final swan song of fighting titles from Namco Bandai's Dragon Ball cache for this current generation of gaming, as it would have been awesome to see them start working on a next-gen title for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Anyway, the co-op/competitive fighting game will launch this year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Sony PlayStation Vita. If you're digging the new tag-team modes and you're liking what Namco is selling, then you can learn more about the upcoming title or you can keep up to date on all things Dragon Ball Z by paying a visit to the game's official website.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.