It’s been over fifteen years. Think about that. In the world of licensed anime games, a decade and a half is basically an eternity. Most titles from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era have been relegated to the bargain bin of history, remembered only by collectors or people with a very specific brand of nostalgia. But Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 is different. It’s weirdly resilient. Even with the massive success of Dragon Ball FighterZ and the hype surrounding Sparking! ZERO, there is a vocal, almost stubborn contingent of the fanbase that refuses to let this one go.
Why? Because it’s fast. Like, genuinely, uncomfortably fast.
If you grew up on the Budokai Tenkaichi series, Raging Blast 2 felt like the natural evolution of that "behind-the-back" 3D brawler style. It didn't try to be a traditional fighting game like Street Fighter. It tried to be an episode of the anime. It succeeded.
The Raging Soul Mechanic and Why It Changed Everything
Most Dragon Ball games follow a predictable rhythm: punch, kick, charge your Ki, throw a beam. Rinse and repeat. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 threw a wrench into that with the "Raging Soul" system. By sacrificing your ability to use Super Attacks for a limited time, you entered a state of pure, unadulterated physical aggression.
Your character would glow with a distinct aura, the sky would turn dark—a classic series trope—and suddenly, you were playing a different game.
In Raging Soul mode, you could string together combos that felt infinite. It removed the "floaty" feeling that plagued earlier 3D titles. You weren't just tapping buttons; you were orchestrating a rhythmic assault. The camera would zoom in tight on the impacts. You’d see the character's face wince. It added a visceral layer of feedback that Spike (the developer) hadn't quite mastered until this specific release.
Honestly, the removal of the story mode was a massive gamble. Instead of playing through the Raditz saga for the thousandth time, we got "Galaxy Mode." It was a map-based progression system for every single character. While some fans hated losing the cinematic cutscenes, Galaxy Mode forced you to actually learn the roster. You couldn't just rely on Goku. You had to figure out how to win with Cui. You had to understand the movement patterns of Hatchiyack. It was a grind, sure, but it made you a better player.
A Roster That Went Deep Into the Lore
One of the coolest things about Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 was the character selection. We aren't just talking about the heavy hitters like Super Saiyan 4 Goku or Legendary Super Saiyan Broly.
The game went deep into the OVA (Original Video Animation) territory.
- Hatchiyack: The main antagonist from Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. He was actually included in the game alongside a high-definition remake of the anime episode itself. That was a huge deal back in 2010.
- Tarble: Vegeta’s younger, non-violent brother. Seeing him in a fighting game was surreal.
- Android 14 and 15: Often forgotten in favor of 13, these two rounded out the movie-villain roster in a way that felt complete.
There were over 90 characters. That's a lot. And unlike modern games where half the roster is locked behind a $30 Season Pass, these were all on the disc. You earned them by playing. What a concept, right?
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The environmental destruction also took a leap forward. In the original Raging Blast, knocking a character into a rock felt a bit stiff. In the sequel, the "Pursuit" attacks allowed you to smash an opponent through a mountain, teleport behind them, and then slam them back down into the crater you just made. It captured that sense of scale. The stages felt like playgrounds for gods rather than just static boxes.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Controls
People often say the 3D Dragon Ball games are "button mashers."
That’s a lie.
If you mash in Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 against a competent player, you will get destroyed. The game relies heavily on "Snap Vanish" timing. This is a defensive maneuver where you disappear right as an attack hits you. It requires precise frame data knowledge, similar to a "Just Frame" in Tekken.
Then there’s the "Signature Skill" system. Every character had a unique move triggered by the right analog stick. For some, it was a buff. For others, it was a counter. Learning when to use these—and more importantly, when to expect your opponent to use them—was the difference between a casual fan and a competitive player.
The game also introduced "Beam Struggles" that didn't feel like a chore. While the Budokai games were notorious for destroying your controllers' analog sticks during rotations, Raging Blast 2 refined the input. It felt competitive without being a literal physical hazard to your hardware.
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The Technical Performance Gap
Something that rarely gets discussed is the frame rate. Raging Blast 2 targeted 60 frames per second. In an era where many console games were struggling to maintain a stable 30, this was a massive technical achievement for a game with this much particle physics and destruction.
The fluid motion made the combat feel responsive.
When you fired a Final Flash, the screen didn't stutter. When two characters traded blows in a high-speed rush animation, the animation remained crisp. This is why the game still looks "good" today even on a 4K TV. The cel-shaded art style is timeless, of course, but the smoothness of the motion is what keeps the gameplay from feeling dated.
Compare this to Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, which came out a year later. That game was essentially a high-budget version of Rock-Paper-Scissors. It was visually stunning but mechanically hollow. Fans pivoted back to Raging Blast 2 almost immediately. It was the last time a 3D Dragon Ball brawler felt like it had true "depth" before the series transitioned into the Xenoverse era.
The Competitive Legacy
Even today, you can find Discord servers and small tournament scenes dedicated to this game. They’ve discovered tech that Spike probably never intended.
- Canceled Teleports: Using Ki blasts to cancel the recovery frames of a dash.
- Guard Breaking: Specific strings designed to drain the opponent's stamina bar instantly.
- Team Synergy: Swapping characters mid-combo to extend the damage ceiling.
It's not perfect. The camera can still get stuck behind a tree every now and then. Some characters are objectively "top tier" (looking at you, SSJ3 Vegeta) while others are almost unusable in high-level play. But the flaws give it character. It feels like a product of a time when developers were still experimenting with how to make 3D space feel intuitive.
How to Get the Most Out of the Game Today
If you’re looking to revisit Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 or try it for the first time, don't just jump into the online mode—it’s mostly a ghost town on original hardware, and the netcode wasn't great even at launch.
Instead, focus on the "Power-Up" system.
The game allows you to equip items and buffs to your characters. This isn't just a minor stat boost. You can fundamentally change how a character plays. You can build a "Glass Cannon" Goku that does massive damage but dies in one combo, or a "Tank" Piccolo with insane health regeneration. This customization adds a layer of strategy that Sparking! ZERO is only just now starting to bring back to the forefront.
To really master the combat, spend time in the training mode learning "Manual Flight." Most players let the game auto-track their opponent. If you learn to move independently of the lock-on, you can set up angles for Super Attacks that are nearly impossible to dodge.
Next Steps for Players:
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- Unlock Hatchiyack first: Go through the Galaxy Mode for the main Saiyan characters; it unlocks the remake of the OVA, which is a must-watch for any fan of the lore.
- Master the "Perfect Smash": Practice holding the attack button just long enough to get the flash. It’s the key to breaking guards without using Ki.
- Experiment with the "Team Effects": Certain character combinations in team battles provide passive buffs. Pairing brothers or rivals often yields better results than just picking the three strongest characters.
- Tweak your settings: Turn off the music if you find the "generic rock" soundtrack grating—many fans prefer to play with the original Japanese "Flow" tracks in the background for a more authentic feel.
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 isn't just a licensed tie-in. It was the peak of a specific philosophy of game design—one that prioritized speed and mechanical mastery over cinematic hand-holding. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, the depth of its systems offers a level of satisfaction that modern titles still struggle to replicate.