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Dragon Ball Z

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Arcade

Dragon Ball Z is a fighting game designed and manufactured in Japan by Banpresto in 1993. The game's cabinet is shaped like a robot with markings similar to Goku's gi (suit). The game features large sprites and a color palete that is identical Toriyama's water color scheme in the manga. The envir...

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Developer
Cobra Team

Released on
1993

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Fighting

Publisher
Banpresto

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Description

Dragon Ball Z is a fighting game designed and manufactured in Japan by Banpresto in 1993. The game’s cabinet is shaped like a robot with markings similar to Goku’s gi (suit). The game features large sprites and a color palete that is identical Toriyama’s water color scheme in the manga. The environments are semi destructible as chunks of wall or ground could be destroyed. The controls are unique as most of the characters movements are flight related. The playable characters are Goku, Super Saiyan Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, Captain Ginyu, Recoome, and Burter.

Dragon Ball Z

Overview & History

Released to Japanese arcades in 1993 by Banpresto, Dragon Ball Z is a rare and distinct side-scrolling action-brawler that diverges from the standard one-on-one fighting game genre popularized by Street Fighter II. Set primarily during the intense narrative arcs of the Saiyan and Frieza sagas, the game allows players to step into the boots of Earth's mightiest defenders—Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, and Vegeta—as they battle waves of Saibamen, Namekian wildlife, Frieza's elite Ginyu Force, and ultimately the tyrant Frieza himself. Eschewing traditional sprite-scaling engines of the era, this coin-op cabinet combines beat-'em-up progression with cinematic anime flair, offering a nostalgic and surprisingly faithful retelling of Akira Toriyama’s legendary galactic conflict through authentic pixel-art sprite work and booming arcade sound design.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike traditional arcade fighting titles, Dragon Ball Z blends standard melee combos with projectile-heavy pacing. Players traverse horizontal and vertical stages, dispatching swarms of foot soldiers before facing formidable boss characters. Combat relies on standard punches and kicks, but the true essence of Z-fighting shines through the Ki Meter system. By holding the charge button, fighters can unleash devastating signature moves—such as Goku’s Kamehameha, Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon, Krillin’s Destructo Disc, and Vegeta’s Galick Gun. Furthermore, the game features high-speed aerial dashes and mid-air clashes that capture the frantic, gravity-defying velocity of the anime. Special defensive parries allow players to deflect incoming energy blasts, adding a layer of tactical reflex to the button-mashing chaos.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move character across the stage and navigate menus
Action Keys: Attack / Jump / Charge Ki (Configurable for Punch, Kick, and Special Energy Blasts)
Enter: Start / Pause