The Game Boy Advance is home to some truly amazing games. Titles like Golden Sun, Pokémon, Super Mario Advance, Sonic Advance and Metroid Fusion are just the tip of the iceberg. Among these classics, there are timeless RPGs like Mario and Luigi and ports of Final Fantasy. But did you know that there are two action RPGs on the system that shine just as bright?
Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku II alongside its sequel, Buu’s Fury, are exceptional RPG experiences that many other Nintendo websites and publications fail to mention.
While there are no shortage of contenders for the title of “best Game Boy Advance game,” Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury stand out for their incredible replayability and sheer fun factor. This is especially true for fans of Dragon Ball (and, frankly, if you’re not a fan, what’s wrong with you?). Personally, I’ve played these two games to completion about 20 times a piece. For someone like me, who rarely revisits games after the credits roll, this speaks volumes about their quality.
Why Replayability Matters
I typically move on after beating a game, but the ones I revisit share a special quality—games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Galaxy all fall into this category. These are legendary titles, and I place Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury in the same league for their sheer replay value. It’s not like there’s hundreds of hours of content. It’s only that the games are so entertaining.
Though I wouldn’t claim they match the technical or artistic brilliance of something like Super Mario Galaxy, they’ve carved out a special place in my heart. Even when I have access to all the Mario and Zelda games, I often find myself choosing these action RPGs instead. It’s all about the mood I happen to be in.
The Redemption of a Flawed Predecessor
The original Legacy of Goku game, while nostalgic, is objectively not…great. It has balance issues that make it a chore to play. Even after applying a mod to improve the gameplay by reducing the attack power of the wolf enemies that roam the game world (among some other needed tweaks), it pales compared to its sequels.
The dialogue was so close to the anime that it was like reading a television script (but far more fun).
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That said, Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury take everything fans loved about Dragon Ball Z and turn it into an engaging handheld experience. Developer Webfoot Technologies (who are mostly known for shovelware) really got their act together for the sequels. These games capture the anime’s essence and deliver it in a format you can take anywhere.
I remember playing these games, and watching friends play, at school. When we came home, we’d sometimes even plop the cartridge into the Game Boy Player on the GameCube and play the game on the big screen, often reading the dialogue aloud. The dialogue was so close to the anime that it was like reading a television script (but far more fun).
The Magic of the Bruce Faulconer Soundtrack
One of the standout features of these games is the music. The Legacy of Goku series is among the few Dragon Ball Z games to include Bruce Faulconer’s iconic American soundtrack. For fans of the US broadcast, this music is more than background noise—it’s a defining part of the experience. I’d be so bold to claim that without the Faulconer score, these games would be missing half the experience of the American show.
Sadly, it’s unlikely we’ll see another Dragon Ball Z game with this soundtrack, making these titles even more special for fans like me.
Staying Faithful to the Anime
The Legacy of Goku series sticks closely to the anime’s storyline, condensing it to fit within the constraints of a Game Boy Advance cartridge. Many lines of dialogue are lifted straight from the show, and the gameplay incorporates elements like training and leveling up that reflect the anime’s themes.
That’s not to say the games stay strictly to the anime canon, as throughout the games you will encounter movie characters like Broly and Cooler that never appeared in the television series. These artistic liberties are actually welcome and keep the game fresh. If the games were just a word-for-word retelling with no side content or unique NPCs to discover, things would grow stale. To be honest, I wish the games went further and included every movie character to fight.
While some players might complain about the grinding required, I see it as an authentic extension of the Dragon Ball Z experience. Just as Goku and his friends trained to overcome challenges, you’ll need to do the same in these games.
Still, the ocassional grind is the biggest complaint you’ll find about these games online, and I would suggest you ignore those naysayers. The grinding is nowhere near as bad as in Pokemon or nearly any other RPG which are universally loved. So, relax and put on a podcast while you punch some thieves to dust.
Gameplay That Stands the Test of Time
The gameplay in Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury involves running around, talking to characters, punching enemies, and blasting them with energy attacks. Though straightforward, it’s immensely satisfying. You’ll need to level up so you can pass through certain gates to progress to the next area and usually fight a boss. Occasionally, you’ll need to solve simple puzzles that help with game pacing.
Each game has its twists—Buu’s Fury, for example, adds gear customization and manual stat allocation, making it slightly more complex than its predecessor. When you level up in Legacy of Goku II, stats are automatically increased without player intervention.
If I’m being honest, as a child I had no idea you had to manually assign your stats in Buu’s Fury. I beat the entire game at essentially the weakest level. That made the game harder, but I don’t remember minding it. Maybe I was better at games back then.
Buu’s Fury also introduces airships and submarines throughout the game map, so when you’re flying around you can board a ship or sub, beat the crap out of pirates, and take their gold and treasures. These fights are cool the first couple of times, but they eventually get repetitive. Overall, it’s a good thing because it adds variety, so I’m not going to complain about it.
Even with these additions, Legacy of Goku II remains my favorite of the trilogy. Its balance of simplicity and depth makes it the ultimate comfort game to play on the small GBA screen.
Misunderstood Masterpieces?
Are these the deepest RPGs ever made? Absolutely not. But they’re fun, relaxing, and perfect for unwinding. For Dragon Ball Z fans, they’re the ultimate comfort food games, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Instead of watching the anime, why not play the anime with awesome sprite-based graphics?
But, clearly, a lot of critics weren’t Dragon Ball fans…
While Legacy of Goku II had a far too low 75/100 on Metacritic, Buu’s Fury holds a downright disgusting 62. Yes, IGN strikes again with a 6.5/10 for Buu’s Fury. But most egregious are the reviews from Gaming Age (2.5/10), and Game Informer (4.5/10). Ridiculous, guys!
Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury are must-play titles that capture the heart of the anime. If you’re not a fan, well, these games probably won’t convert you—but why would you review a licensed game for a property that you aren’t interested in?
You won’t be disappointed.
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It would be like if I reviewed Metal Gear Solid 4 and complained that there were too many cutscenes, and gave the game 2.5/10. Or if I gave Heavy Rain a 3/10 for having little to no gameplay. Clearly, there are fans of both series, and it wouldn’t be appropiate for me to review games I have a bias against. Gaming Age and Game Informer clearly had some sort of bias going into Buu’s Fury, because in no universe do they deserve such low scores.
My fear with low scores from huge gaming publications is that they’re blemishes forever keeping potential new players away from great games. My advice? Don’t listen to the negativity. If you are a Dragon Ball fan, play these two amazing gems, and don’t trust Metacritic. You won’t be disappointed.
Behind the Scenes
Check This Out: There’s an amazing TV-length documentary about the making of Legacy of Goku II. It clearly shows the developers putting a lot of effort into the game to redeem themselves and rise above their “shovelware” status. It’s well worth a watch (below).
Conclusion
Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury remain my favorite Dragon Ball games two decades after release. What’s more, they are my personal favorite Game Boy Advance games. While objectively there may be “better” games on Nintendo’s 32-bit system, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I will die on this hill.
Where’s that Switch remake of Legacy of Goku?
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I would love to see an HD remake of The Legacy of Goku trilogy (if those remakes retained the Bruce Faulconer soundtrack). Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening in my lifetime. Hopefully, a fan will soon do the job a major company will not.
Until then, enjoy these amazing action RPGs on Game Boy Advance, and ignore the critics.
This article is dedicated to Akira Toriyama, the man who made all this possible.