A new Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi game is in development

Those who played the myriad Dragon Ball Z fighting games over the years will no doubt remember the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Starting with 2005’s Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi on the PlayStation 2, the series saw two players duking it out on a massive, fully 3D arena. This allowed for destructible buildings and other dynamic elements that attempted to recreate the large-scale battles of the anime. Although plenty of other Dragon Ball games adopted the free-roaming style of the Tenkaichi games, the series itself has not seen a main numbered installment since 2007. But surprisingly, Bandai Namco has finally decided to revive the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series with a brand new game.

The new Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi game gets a teaser trailer

A brief teaser trailer posted on Twitter depicts the previous Tenkaichi games displayed on a classic CRT TV. Eventually, the trailer shows a shot of Goku gearing up to transform before cutting to black. The trailer then cuts back to the same shot of Goku transforming, but this time in full HD and without the CRT TV.

Goku then turns into his Super Saiyan Blue form before the trailer displays the phrases “Get Ready for Battle” and “A New Sparking Begins.” For those unaware, Sparking serves as the name for the Japanese versions of the Tenkaichi games.

Plenty would argue that Arc System Works’ Dragon Ball FighterZ easily outclasses the Tenkaichi series both as a fighting game and as a tribute to the source material. But others undoubtedly want to reexperience the distinct brand of 3D arena brawling that only Tenkaichi could offer. And with the announcement of a brand new Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi game, those players’ wishes will finally come true.

Fans will likely become especially excited to see what the playable roster will look like. The Tenkaichi games were known for featuring an obscene amount of characters both known and obscure. But considering the unique challenges of modern game development, whether or not this new title will have a similar roster size remains a mystery for now.