The second Dragon Ball Z action/RPG for the GBA has been recently announced and is set to release sometime near the end of June. After the decent original, the people at Webfoot Technologies have been hard at work improving almost every aspect of the gameplay. Many of the suggestions have come from devoted fans of the series, including the possibility to play as multiple characters. From the looks of the screens and the information the developers have released, The Legacy of Goku II shaping out a terrific and engrossing action/RPG.

Features:

• This chapter covers the Trunks, Android, and Cell sagas
• 5 playable characters
• Hundreds of areas to unlock and explore
• 20-25 hours of gameplay
• Improved battle system

The Legacy of Goku II takes place shortly after the events of its predecessor. For those familiar with the series, the game explores the Trunks, Android, and Cell sagas of the popular anime. The story begins with a very powerful kid named Trunks arriving in a time machine with an awful revelation about the future of Earth. He tells Goku that it's up to him and the other Z-Fighters to prevent this future from happening. While Goku is a playable character, he becomes seriously ill early on in the story, leaving the fate of the world in the capable hands of the others. Infogrames has reportedly made significant effort to represent the storyline of the anime as accurately as possible for the new game. So expect plenty of cameos from series regulars to add comic relief and helpful hints.

Even though the game's basics appear to remain the same, the developers claim to have significantly changed the gameplay. The world now features hundreds of areas to explore. What's more, the world gradually up as the player progresses and these new areas can be explored whenever players want. This can be done by using one of the other improvements: a giant 3D world map. Not much has been mentioned about the new map, but it will supposedly make travel around the immense world much easier. Also, players can now play as one of five alternate characters. Those available are Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta. Gamers must unlock the characters first before they can be used. Afterwards, they can switch between characters at any save point. Storylines may play out differently depending on what character players use. The battle system has also reportedly been revamped. Improved physical and Ki attacks, more responsive controls, diagonal movement, and an impressive Super Saiyan mode are just a few of the new additions.

Graphics have remained relatively the same as before. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, seeing how Legacy of Goku featured some of the nicest looking sprites seen on the Game Boy Advance. In addition cool cut-scenes from the anime and the new 3D map should impress. Infogrames has also stated that the game now features over an hour of music. All things considered, Legacy of Goku II will definitely be a musical and visual splendor.

Webfoot Technologies and Infogrames seem pleased with their latest work and have said that the original Legacy of Goku was a great learning experience. Hopefully gamers and series fans will be satisfied with the effort they have put into the sequel. Expect the game sometime in late June, along with many yet un-named improvements over its predecessor.

-Jeff