Dragon Ball Z (rev B)

Based on Akira Toriyama’s popular manga series, Dragon Ball Z is a two-player versus fighting game released by Banpresto in 1993. Players choose from a roster of characters drawn directly from the anime, engaging in head-to-head battles utilizing simple controls: an eight-way joystick and three buttons mapped to punch, kick, and hard attack actions. The game’s technical specifications include a Motorola 68000 main CPU alongside a Zilog Z80 for sound, with Yamaha YM2151 and OKI6295 chips contributing to its audio output. The gameplay focuses on direct confrontations between characters, requiring players to master basic attacks and timing to overcome their opponent. While the game may appeal most strongly to dedicated fans of the Dragon Ball Z franchise, it provides a straightforward fighting experience with recognizable characters brought to life through digitized sprites. A limited-edition soundtrack album featuring music from this title was released years later in 2005. This version, designated “rev B,” is part of a series that would eventually include Dragon Ball Z 2 - Super Battle and Super Dragon Ball Z, all building upon the foundation established by this initial release. The character designs are true to Akira Toriyama's original vision, and the game features contributions from a large development team including Takayoshi Nakazato as director and Yoshiko Yamaguchi composing the music.