Dragon Ball Z: Legends

Dragon Ball Z: Legends is a 3rd person, 2.5D fighting game created by ExoPlex (more specifically, EcoPlex London), a UK developer. The game was released as a UK exclusive version of Budokai Tenkaichi. It was eventually released in America, but with the language unedited and the box art the same. Two sequels were released, Dragon Ball Z: Legends 2, and Dragon Ball: Legends Z.

Gameplay
Legends takes place on a 2.5D enviorment, were characters may move around by pressing the L2 or R2 triggers, darting to a new position. The camera moves with them, keeping the game in a sidescroller-esque view. The objective of each match is to deplete the opponent's health bar. There are 4 health bars. In order to use Energy or Special Attacks, the player uses L2 or R2. Moving backwards and forwards is controled by the Left Toggle, while flying and touching down uses the Right Toggle. Special or Energy Attacks drain from the Ki gauge, which has 7 bars. Players can enter the air to fight by jumping twice (jumping is linked to the Triangle button). Despite this, the game is fairly straight forward. After a player lands 4 consecutive hits on thier opponent, they can initiate a Pursuit attack, were they knock their opponent around the stage. Opponents can stop the Pursuit and strike back by repeatedly pressing Square.

New to Dragon Ball Z games comes the Capsule System. During the battle, capsules will "fall" (as in, appear in the player's inventory) down. Characters can choose to use the Capsules, which come in 2 types: Attack and Transformation. Attack gives the player a special attack like the Dragon Fist or Meteor Combination, while Transformation gives the player an extra Ki gauge, or allows the player to transform (i.e., Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Frieza's Final form). Transformations specific to a character will only be useable by that character. To prevent unfairness, certain Capsules fall at certain times. (i.e., At the beginning of the match, only Super Saiyan capsules fall, in the middle, only SSJ2 or SSJ3, and at the end, SSJ4, or other transformations).

Story Mode
In the story mode, the player may fight through all the famous battles in the Dragon Ball metaseries, from the fight with Piccolo Jr. to the defeat of Kid Buu. Special cutscenes have been rendered, looking like they are from the anime. These were a novelty at the time of it's release, as it forwent the game's graphics and gave a very cinematic feel to the story mode.

When a character is defeated in Story Mode, that character is unlocked in the Arcade Mode. Movie characters and missions are available, but only if the player beats the Main Plot on Super Saiyan 4 Difficulty first. Only missions form the movies Tree of Might, Broly- The Legendary Super Saiyan, and Bojack Unbound were included, though a secret mission from Fusion Reborn could be found.

Arcade Mode
Arcade Mode is the place were you can take all the characters you've unlocked from Story Mode and make them fight each other. There are three modes: 1P vs CPU, 1P vs 2P, and Team Battle. New costumes for characters may be purchased with Zeni won from the World Tournament Mode. Secret characters such as Omega Shenron and Janemba are unlockable only if the player has beaten the Secret Mission from Fusion Reborn, and has watched the Omega Shenron Rises movie from the Movie Gallery, and played the accompanying minigame on hard difficulty. There are 104 characters, counting transformations and character slots for custom characters. 16 maps are availabel to play on. It had the highest roster of characters until Budokai Tenkaichi 2.

Custom Mode
In the Custom Mode, players may choose a Character (Goku, Vegeta, or Gohan), and add new costumes, a new name, and different attacks, playing through a semi-unique story based on the events of Fusion Reborn. In the custom mode, the Custom Character is a fighter in the Otherworld Tournament, when Janemba begins causing trouble. The character is sent to deal with the escaping villains, while the main cast deals with the problem. Players can save their Custom Character and rename it, which creates a new Player slot. Up to 5 Custom Characters can be created. However, changing thier name requires a small amount of Zeni.

World Tournament Mode
In the World Tournament mode, players can select 8 characters (including Customs), and have them fight each other in a 3 Round Tournament. Depending on the difficulty and placement, the player can win different amounts of Zeni.

Awards at False Super Saiyan- Super Saiyan 2 Difficulty: Awards at Super Saiyan 3- Super Saiyan 4 Difficulty:
 * 1) First Place- 1,000 Zeni
 * 2) Second Place- 100 Zeni
 * 3) Runner-Up- 99 Zeni.
 * 1) First Place- 100,000 Zeni
 * 2) Second Place- 10,000 Zeni
 * 3) Runner-Up- 1,000 Zeni.

Reception
Legends garned mixed to positive reviews. IGNUK said, "The Capsule System breathes some fresh life into the game, but the reused engine and cliche difficulties stop it from being a true greatest hit." IGNUK gave it a 8.1. GameSpot UK gave it a 8.2, saying "The reused engine is painful, the catchphrases and modes feel old. Only the Custom characters and amazing Capsule System manage to make this game fun to play.

Playable Characters

 * Goku (Base, Super Saiyan, Full Power Super Saiyan) Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan 4, Kaiyo-Ken)
 * Vegeta (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Vegeta, Super Saiyan 2, Majin)
 * Gohan (Base, Super Saiyan, Full Power Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Ultimate)
 * Goten (Base, Super Saiyan)
 * Trunks (Base, Super Saiyan)
 * Piccolo (Base, Super Namek, Sync with Nail)
 * Raditz
 * Nappa
 * Turles
 * Broly (Base, Super Saiyan, Legendary Super Saiyan)
 * Paragus
 * Hercule
 * Krillin
 * Yamcha
 * Tien
 * Chaotzu
 * Tarble
 * Frieza (First Form, Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form)
 * Cooler (Fourth Form, Fifth Form)
 * King Cold
 * Future Trunks (Super Saiyan, Ultra Super Saiyan)
 * Android 19
 * Dr. Gero (Android 20)
 * Android 18
 * Android 17 (Super 17)
 * Android 16
 * Android 15
 * Android 14
 * Android 13 (Super Android)
 * Cell (Imperfect, Semi-Perfect, Perfect)
 * Great Saiyaman
 * Videl
 * Pui Pui
 * Yakon
 * Dabura
 * Majin Buu
 * Super Buu (Gotenks Absorbed, Piccolo Absorbed, Gohan Absorbed)
 * Kid Buu (Ultra)
 * Supreme Kai
 * Omega Shenron (unlockable)
 * Super Janemba (unlockable)
 * Super Saiyan Hercule (Joke character, unlockable)
 * Pan (Unlockable)
 * Gogeta (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 4)
 * Vegito (Base, Super Vegito)
 * Gotenks (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3)
 * Prillin (Joke character, unlockable)

Stages

 * Plains
 * Wasteland
 * Kame House
 * Planet Namek
 * Ruined Planet Namek
 * Kami's Lookout
 * World Tournament
 * Babidi's Spaceship
 * Hyperbolic Time Chamber
 * Space
 * Planet
 * Supreme Kai's World
 * Earth Rocky Area
 * Underworld
 * Snake Way
 * King Kai's Planet