It’s always promising to see a franchise with a novel concept, though maybe not lucky enough to get it right the first time, noticeably improve with each iteration. We’d like to think such will continue to be the case with Atari’s Dragon Ball Z Budokai series, which today had its latest awaited installment, Budokai: Tenkaichi, reach gold status. Taking the fight to a new level, the fighter will now encompass open, destructible environments, making this the first true 3D addition in the series.

"Atari continues to deliver new firsts for the Dragon Ball Z franchise," said Matt Collins, Director of Global Brand Management at Atari. "With DBZ Budokai: Tenkaichi, gamers can now battle in true 3D with more characters than ever before and experience the game in highly destructible, authentic environments."

With 50+ playable characters, multiple modes of play and a mix of melee and energy attacks at your disposal, this just might be the DBZ game that nails the concept on the head. Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi ships October 18.