Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout is not the first Dragon Ball fighting game on Sony’s Playstation console, nor is it the first Dragon Ball game to appear on a 32-bit console. However, it is the first Dragon Ball game to make use of a fully 3D engine, making it a landmark of sorts.
Normally, I would start the review proper by outlining all the positive things about a game, but unfortunately I can’t think of one good thing about Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout. The intro FMV, perhaps. Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout had a really kick ass FMV intro, which you can watch below:
Other than that into FMV, and the fact that it’s the first 3D Dragon Ball game, Final Bout has no other redeeming qualities. For instance:
Content
There’s a decent amount of fighters available. 90% of them need to be unlocked through the story mode, but it’s easy enough because you just need to beat them in order to make them playable – no weird conditions. Additionally, there’s an easy button input code used on the menu that will unlock everyone instantly. The real flaw of the roster is the fact that there’s really only 8 or so characters available – the rest are just alternate versions of another character with the same move. I mean, off the top of my head, there are 5 different Gokus.
Graphics
The graphics on Final Bout are awful. The models are not cel-shaded, but the textures are flat so it looked like they made every character using a bunch of differently colored cubes, and then halfway through assembly the cube store ran out of stock. It’s common knowledge that 3D games were still finding their legs during the PSX era, but even by that time’s standards, Final Bout’s graphics were piss-poor.
Gameplay
Gameplay is arguably the most important part of a game, and can redeem any game regardless of flaws in other areas. However, Final Bout also failed hard in this area because of the poor controls. The controls are so slow and floaty that it’s not an exaggeration to say that each move will only happen a full second or two after you’ve pressed a button. It’s the one really disappointing thing about the game, because there was no technological hurdle preventing the developers from providing comfortable and responsive controls. Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout is virtually unplayable for one or two reasons – either the developers were inept or simply didn’t care.
Conclusion
Unless you simply want to collect all available Dragon Ball games, there’s really no reason to get Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout. I won’t even bother to criticize it as a cash-in. All Dragon Ball games that were made after the anime and manga wrapped up are franchise cash-ins, but at least the other Dragon Ball games were playable cash-ins. Final Bout is simply a waste of license through and through.
