Kakarot

Release Date: January 16, 2020

Developer: CyberConnect2 Co. Ltd.

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

Price: $19.99

Dragon Ball Z seemed so new and refreshing when it first started airing on Toonami. An action oriented “kids” “cartoon” on a strange version of Earth that seemed to have a completely different set of rules for existence. New planets like Namek and Vegeta, proof of an afterlife, resurrection, and badass characters like Picolo and Vegeta. If you were a fan of non-nonsense antagonists who eventually change sides and assist the protagonist then there is plenty to enjoy.

My family had two fighting games on the SNES, Street Fighter 2 and Killer Instinct. I sunk many hours into those games but lacked a dedicated companion, a vital component in the age of couch co-op. After the SNES I dabbled here and there, Smash Bros. of course, Digimon Rumble Arena, but it was ultimately the DBZ games, Budokai and Tenkaichi, that I spent a proper amount of time playing. Layer on the GBA games Legacy of Goku 1 and 2, you could say I was the target audience for Kakarot. A full 3D DBZ RPG fighting game.

I really enjoyed my time, and sunk a ton of my early Steam Deck hours into Kakarot, a game I doubt my 2015 laptop can handle. Unfortunately I lost my save data early into the Buu arc, a devastating way to lose dozens of hours of progress. I never got past the Buu saga from a television watching perspective so I guess that’s fitting. It was fun to play, took me back to my Budokai days and each new character added some variety. Very sad I wasn’t able to finish it, or at least play as the fusions. Maybe one day. All said it was a good repackaging but didn’t add as many new, meaningful features as I would have liked. I need more!

6/10

CM 3/27/25

Links:

https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/dragon-ball/dragon-ball-z-kakarot