Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout throws you straight into full 3D battles where positioning and timing are everything. You’ll find yourself darting around in all directions, leveraging both ground and air moves to outmaneuver opponents like Frieza, Cell, Buu, and of course Goku in his Super Saiyan 4 form. Combos chain smoothly into flashy special attacks, and the instant-kill potential of certain signature moves keeps each clash high‐stakes and adrenaline-fueled.

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The game features three distinct modes to suit different playstyles. Taisen mode is your bread-and-butter one-on-one battle arena, perfect for quick matches or local multiplayer showdowns. Tenkaichi Budoukai mode mimics the World Martial Arts Tournament format, pitting you against a gauntlet of increasingly difficult opponents under tournament rules. Build Up mode injects an RPG-style progression: by winning fights you earn points that can be invested to boost your character’s speed, strength, ki, and other stats, giving you a real sense of growth.

Controls are generally responsive, with a combination of simple button inputs and directional commands for special moves. However, the lack of modern buffering mechanics means you’ll need to master precise timing if you want to pull off advanced combos consistently. The CPU can sometimes feel unforgiving in higher difficulty brackets, rewarding only perfect dodges and counters. Still, this challenge can be incredibly satisfying once you learn each character’s move list and find synergies that fit your style.

Graphics

As one of the earlier PlayStation fighters to embrace 3D, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout delivers environments and character models that, while blocky by today’s standards, were impressive for their time. Each arena is expansive enough to allow freedom of movement, from rocky wastelands to futuristic cities, and the arenas dynamically respond to powerful attacks with cracks, dust clouds, or collapsing structures.

Character likenesses reside somewhere between the anime’s crisp lines and the PS1’s hardware limitations. You won’t find smooth, cel-shaded animation here—instead you get a mix of flat textures and rigid polygonal figures. That said, the game makes up for it with bright color palettes and bold visual effects. Ki blasts explode with force, energy barriers shimmer, and ultimate attacks fill the screen with dynamic camera zooms and dazzling particle effects.

Loading times between battles can be noticeable, especially if you’re cycling through multiple modes or experimenting with different character matchups. Cutscenes, where they do appear, are brief and often consist of static artwork or simple animations, offering context rather than bombastic spectacle. If you’re hunting for a graphical showcase, this title won’t break new ground—but it holds a certain nostalgic charm that fans of the series will appreciate.

Story

Unlike traditional story-driven fighters, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout doesn’t present an extensive narrative campaign. Instead, the game leans on its Build Up mode and Tenkaichi Budoukai framework to loosely reference key arcs from Dragon Ball GT—Baby’s takeover, the Shadow Dragons saga, and Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation. You won’t find fully voiced sequences or deep cutscenes, but each mode offers bite-sized nods to those legendary moments.

Tournament mode gives a tournament-style “what-if” scenario, imagining how battles might unfold under martial arts rules rather than free-for-all destruction. Build Up mode, meanwhile, feels like a reward loop: you fight, you earn points, and you unlock more powerful versions of your favorite warriors. This progression system provides a tangible goal, even if the narrative context is minimal—fans will enjoy collecting alternate costumes, level-up bonuses, and hidden characters.

For players seeking a faithful retelling of the GT storyline with cinematic flourishes, this game may feel sparse. There’s no branching dialogue, character interactions are limited to brief text prompts, and the story unfolds more in your head than on screen. However, if you view it as a competitive arena that occasionally sprinkles in memorable moments from the series, it still captures the spirit of Dragon Ball GT in bite-sized chunks.

Overall Experience

Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout stands out as a nostalgic trip back to late-90s 3D fighting, offering a robust roster of GT characters and multiple play modes to keep you engaged. Its core combat loop is solid, with tight controls and an array of flashy special moves that capture the anime’s high-octane battles. The Build Up mode adds replay value by letting you gradually power up characters, while Taisen and Tenkaichi Budoukai satisfy both casual skirmishes and tournament-style grudges.

Graphically, it shows its age: polygonal models and load times occasionally remind you of the PlayStation 1 era. Storytelling is minimal, presented through short text or basic animations rather than elaborate cutscenes. But for fans of Dragon Ball GT, that simplicity can be part of the appeal—every fight feels like a fan-service-packed showdown, and the unlockable roster gives you all the iconic villains and heroes you’d expect.

If you’re looking for a deep narrative experience or cutting-edge visuals, you might want to explore more modern Dragon Ball fighting titles. However, if you’re a collector or a longtime fan eager to revisit Super Saiyan 4 Goku and the rest of the GT crew in 3D, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout remains a worthy, nostalgia-fuelled choice. Just be prepared for its period-specific quirks and you’ll likely have a blast reliving those epic battles.

Retro Replay Score

5.2/10