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Chrono Trigger
1995
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SNES
9.9
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2
Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo ·
Bandai and TOSE's 1993 SNES fighting game based on the Dragon Ball Z Android and Cell arcs — Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 features 13 playable characters including Future Trunks, Android 18, Android 17, Piccolo, and Cell, with the series' signature energy-based combat and Super Saiyan transformations.
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💡 Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 — Key Facts
- → Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 was developed by TOSE and published by Bandai
- → Released in 1994 on SNES
- → Genre: Fighting
- → We rate it 8.1/10 — highly recommended
- → Bandai and TOSE's 1993 SNES fighting game based on the Dragon Ball Z Android and Cell arcs — Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 features 13 playable characters including Future Trunks, Android 18, Android 17, Piccolo, and Cell, with the series' signature energy-based combat and Super Saiyan transformations.
Overview
Ki charging. Energy blasts filling the screen. Future Trunks arriving from a ruined future to fight the Androids that destroyed his world.
Super Butōden 2 was Dragon Ball Z as a fighting game — the ki-based combat system that the anime had built over four years of escalating power levels translated into charge inputs and energy exchanges.
The Ki System
Hold the button. Power level rises. Release it into a Kamehameha.
The fighting game convention of special move inputs (quarter-circles, charge-backs) was replaced by ki accumulation — a charging mechanic true to the source material’s energy-gathering moments. The Kamehameha requires a charge period; it delivers accordingly when released.
The system slows the pace compared to Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat contemporaries. This was deliberate: Dragon Ball Z’s combat had pauses, power level standoffs, ki sensing moments before the exchange. Super Butōden 2’s ki mechanic translated the anime’s rhythm into a fighting game’s turn structure.
The Transformations
Super Saiyan wasn’t just a power boost in the anime — it was a visual transformation with narrative weight. Hair turns gold. Eyes turn green. A character who had been losing becomes capable of winning.
Super Butōden 2 put this in the player’s hands. Achieving the transformation condition mid-fight changed the character’s appearance and capability. Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 state — achievable under specific conditions — reflected the Cell Games moment when the child who had been holding back released the power he’d been afraid to use.
The transformation mechanic as a mid-fight power state was Dragon Ball Z’s specific contribution to the fighting game genre.
The Cast
Android 17 and 18 — the twins whose activation triggered Future Trunks’s timeline catastrophe. Cell in Perfect Form, the sequence’s ultimate threat. Future Trunks himself, whose presence in the roster represented a character from a possible future fighting to prevent it.
The roster selection captured the saga’s specific cast rather than the entire Dragon Ball Z timeline.
Our Review
8.1
Excellent / 10
🎮
Gameplay
★★★★★
🎨
Graphics
★★★★★
🎵
Audio
★★★★★
🔄
Replay
★★★★★
Gameplay
Super Butōden 2 is a 2D fighting game featuring Dragon Ball Z characters from the Android and Cell sagas. The game uses an energy charging system (ki) — players charge their power level by holding a button, then expend ki on special moves. Flight controls allow limited vertical movement. 13 characters: Goku, Gohan (Cell Games era), Future Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo, Android 17, Android 18, Cell (Perfect Form and Semi-Perfect), Broly, Mr. Satan, Krillin, Cell Jr. Characters can transform mid-fight (Goku's Super Saiyan, Gohan's SSJ2 trigger during combat). The fighting system emphasizes energy blasts and rushes over conventional martial arts.
Graphics
Super Butōden 2 presents the Dragon Ball Z characters in SNES-appropriate sprite form — Toriyama's character designs are recognizable, and transformations change character appearance noticeably. Energy blasts and special move effects fill the screen during ki exchanges.
Audio
The soundtrack uses compositions from the Dragon Ball Z anime adapted for SNES hardware. The music matches the anime source's dramatic battle tone.
Replayability
13 characters with ki-based combat, transformation mechanics, two-player versus competition, and story mode provide fighting game replay. The transformation system creates mid-fight escalation.
Historical Significance
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 (1993 Japan; limited 1994 Western release) was among the first Dragon Ball Z games that Western audiences encountered, primarily through import channels. The Super Butōden series (three entries) defined early DBZ gaming on SNES before the franchise's later gaming output became more widespread. DBZ's anime popularity in Japan drove the game's development; Western release was limited, making import cartridges and later releases the Western access point. The franchise would later produce Budokai (PS2, 2002) and subsequent modern fighting game entries.
✅ Pros
- + 13-character roster covering Android/Cell saga cast
- + Transformation mechanic (Super Saiyan) mid-fight
- + Ki energy charging system appropriate to the source material
- + Future Trunks, Android 17/18, Cell playable
- + Flight mechanic adds vertical dimension
❌ Cons
- - Fighting mechanics less sophisticated than contemporaries like Street Fighter
- - Ki charging requirement slows combat pacing
- - Limited Western release originally
- - Character balance uneven between energy attackers and rushers
Also Known As
DBZ Super Butoden 2Dragon Ball Z Super Butoden SNESドラゴンボールZ 超武闘伝2
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 FAQ
Who are the playable characters in Super Butōden 2?
Super Butōden 2's 13-character roster covers the Android and Cell sagas. Heroes: Son Goku (Super Saiyan capable), Gohan (Cell Games version, SSJ2 trigger), Future Trunks (Super Saiyan), Vegeta (Super Saiyan), Piccolo, Krillin, Mr. Satan (with comedic weak attacks). Androids: Android 17, Android 18. Villains: Cell (Perfect Form and Semi-Perfect Form as separate characters), Cell Jr. Special: Broly (the Legendary Super Saiyan from the 1993 movie Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan). The roster selection focused on the two-year anime arc's most prominent fighters rather than the full Dragon Ball Z cast.
How does the ki and transformation system work?
Super Butōden 2 centers combat around ki (life energy) management — the resource used for special moves and the source of the series' most iconic attacks. Holding a charge button builds ki power level; releasing it stores the accumulated power for use in energy blasts (Kamehameha, Final Flash, Galick Gun, Special Beam Cannon). Stronger ki charges power more devastating blasts. Characters with Super Saiyan forms can transform during combat — Goku and Gohan's Super Saiyan states increase attack power and access to advanced techniques. Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 form is unlocked through specific combat conditions during a match. The transformation mechanic creates the escalating power level narrative of the anime in game form.
Why was Dragon Ball Z games' Western release limited in the 1990s?
Dragon Ball Z's Western release was extremely limited before the late 1990s. The Dragon Ball Z anime aired in Japan starting 1989 but didn't air in the United States until 1996 (Funimation dub), and didn't achieve mass popularity in North America until Cartoon Network's broadcast from 1998 onward. Without established Western fanbase or name recognition, Bandai's SNES DBZ games had no significant Western market. Super Butōden 2 received a French release (France had the Dragon Ball anime earlier than North America) but not an official English-language release. Western players who accessed the game in the early 1990s did so through import channels. After the Funimation dub's success, Dragon Ball Z games received widespread Western release starting with Budokai (2002).
Is Dragon Ball Z Super Butōden 2 available on modern platforms?
Super Butōden 2 has not received an official Western digital re-release. The series is available through Japanese Super Famicom cartridges (which work in SNES hardware with adapters) and through SNES emulation. Modern Dragon Ball Z fighting games include Dragon Ball FighterZ (2018, Arc System Works) — widely considered the definitive DBZ fighting game experience with 3-on-3 combat, anime-accurate presentation, and a large roster. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series (PS2) and the Xenoverse series (PS4/Xbox) provide alternative modern play. For players seeking the specific Super Butōden 2 experience, SNES emulation is the primary access method.
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