Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road, known as in Japan and Europe, is a fighting video game that is the sequel to the best-selling game Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, and the second Dragon Ball Z game to be released for the PlayStation Portable. It was developed by Dimps and released on in 2007.
==Overview==
The plot of this game is a brand new story revolving around Majin Buu being released in Future Trunks' Alternate Timeline. Like most of the Dragon Ball movies, Another Road is considered a side story to the Dragon Ball series.
===Key features===
*Seven game modes (including a completely new story arc following the world of Trunks on his adventures against Majin Buu)Confirmed info
*24 unique playable characters (the player can choose heroes and villains from Dragon Ball Z)
*High-speed Ad-hoc battles with the universe's most powerful fighters
*In-game transformations to make the battle even more intense
*An improved fighting system with over 50 new fighting skills and ultimate attacks
*Brand new power level-system in Story Mode
*Network Battle
*Able to change camera angles
==Gameplay==
Gameplay is very similar to Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai, the game's predecessor. The controls remain the same, but there are some additional functions that can be used during gameplay. The story mode gameplay features something similar to what was in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2.
===Basic Controls===
These are preset controls:
*Analog Stick/D-pad = Move
*Square = Rush attack
*Triangle = Smash attack
*Circle = Energy Blast
*Cross = Guard
*L-button = Gather Ki
*R-button = Aura burn
===Ki Controls===
These are the default Ki controls:
*O: Energy Blast
*Front + O: Special Attack
*Rear + O: Special Attack 2
*Down + O: Transform (when the Ki gauge is 4 or higher)
*Up + O: Ultimate Attack
*Up + O + O: Ultimate Attack if Above Fails
==Story==
;Chapter 1
After the defeat of the Androids and Future Cell, Future Trunks enters the World Martial Arts Tournament. He meets Future Kibito and Future Shin, who inform him of Future Babidi's plan to resurrect Future Majin Buu with the help of his henchman Future Dabura. During their match, Future Kibito asks Future Trunks to turn Super Saiyan, which lures Future Dabura into stealing his energy for the Majin Buu Resurrection. Against Future Supreme Kai's will, Future Trunks pursues Future Dabura and fights him:
*If he defeats Future Dabura, after being wounded by Future Dabura while protecting a city from one of his Ki Blasts, Future Trunks realizes that he can not do it alone and the story progresses to chapter 2.
*If he fails to defeat Future Dabura, one of Future Dabura's Ki Blasts mortally wounds Future Kibito when the latter takes the terrible blast with his own body to protect Future Trunks. Though Future Kibito saved him from one blast, another comes shortly thereafter and hits Future Trunks. With no means of healing him, they have to resort to medical treatment. Meanwhile, with no one to oppose them, Future Babidi and Future Dabura gather enough energy to resurrected Future Majin Buu, who kills Future Dabura in short order and soon, where at first he was heeded by Buu, Future Babidi himself is killed as well. With no orders, Future Buu simply goes on destroying, purely for innocent fun. Though injured, Future Trunks is the only one who can face Future Majin Buu. Future Buu kills him in a battle. With the death of Future Trunks, the fate of the world is sealed: Future Buu destroys the world, and then the universe, then he turns to the Kais. Those who could have stopped Buu were long gone, the world will soon return to nothingness.
;Chapter 2
After being wounded by Future Dabura while protecting a city from one of his Ki Blasts, Future Trunks realizes that he can not do it alone. Future Trunks decides to travel back in time once more to receive help from the Dragon Team of the past, he has to save the Time Machine from Future Dabura's attack on West City:
*He, Future Supreme Kai, and Future Kibito can decide go to Korin Tower first, which is attacked by Future Dabura. Once Future Trunks defeats Future Dabura, it is revealed he is one of the Fighting Puppets created by Future Babidi and the real Future Dabura is at the Time Machine. Future Trunks and company climb the tower to find Future Korin, who explains he survived hiding himself inside a pot when the fighting puppet came. Future Korin then gives some Senzu Beans. Future Trunks then heads to West City, and manages to fend off Future Dabura and protect the Time Machine. Before leaving, Future Dabura fires a blast towards Future Bulma, but Future Trunks saves her just in time.
*If he does not go to Korin Tower, while on his way to West City, Future Trunks meets Future Korin, who fled Koring Tower, and he gives some Senzu Beans as well. He then fights with Future Dabura as well, but Future Dabura leaves after his defeat without attempting to attack Future Bulma.
In both cases, after Future Dabura's defeat, the story progresses to chapter 3. However, if he fails to protect the Time Machine from Future Dabura's attack, Future Trunks decides to bring Future Gohan and Future Pikkon back to life for one day on Earth:
*If they defeat Future Dabura and Future Babidi's Fighting Puppets (evil clones of Frieza, Android 18, and Cell created from Future Trunks' memory), Future Buu's resurrection is prevented. On this joyous occasion, the single day passes all to quickly: Future Pikkon is able to train and Future Gohan sees Future Trunks, but they soon have to return.
*If they fail to complete the mission in time, during the long battle, Future Gohan and Future Pikkon's single day on Earth runs out and Future Trunks has to fight alone. By himself, he can not stand up to the enemy and is destroyed. With Future Trunks gone, there is no one left to oppose Future Babidi's ambitions and the world is doomed.
;Chapter 3
Future Trunks brings Goku, Kid Trunks, Goten, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, Android 18, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan to help him. Meanwhile, Future Babidi creates more Fighting Puppets, evil clones of the Z Fighters this time, in order to kill Future Trunks and the real Z Fighters. He then manages to take control of Piccolo; after Piccolo is saved from Babidi's Manipulation Sorcery, Vegeta lets himself fall to Future Babidi's spell again. Goku fights Majin Vegeta and manages to bring him back to his senses. However, just as in the main timeline, the energy of the battle between Majin Vegeta and Goku revives Future Majin Buu; Vegeta confronts Buu, but Future Majin Buu defeats him. As Future Majin Buu refuses to listen to him, Future Babidi leaves him in Future Dabura's care and goes off to New Namek to use the Namekian Dragon Balls to place Buu under his control. The Z Fighters follow Future Babidi to New Namek while the Supreme Kai and Kibito return to their world.
;Chapter 4
On New Namek, Future Babidi remarks Future Cooler's arrival on the planet, and the Z Fighters remark the presence of a Meta-Cooler. The Z Fighters fight the Meta-Coolers, but one escapes and reports to Future Cooler, revealing that Goku, the one who defeated his brother Future Frieza, is on New Namek. Future Cooler decides to personally head out with the Meta-Coolers to fight Goku. Meanwhile, the Z Fighters find Future Dende's village. Future Moori learns the situation and tells Future Dende to help their friends. The Z Fighters collect three Dragon Balls in a course against Future Cooler and his Meta-Coolers, and they then get their fourth and fifth Dragon Balls in a course against Future Babidi's Fighting Puppets.
*In one of the possible endings, after losing the first three Namekian Dragon Balls to Future Cooler, he launches a vicious attack: Meta-Coolers surround the Z Fighters, and ultimately defeat them. They go on the attack the other villages and take the Dragon Balls. Future Cooler's wish gives the Big Gete Star limitless energy, thus Future Cooler truly becomes the strongest in the universe, his unlimited power ensuing that his dominion would truly be eternal.
*In another one, if the Z Fighters fail to defeat them on New Namek, the Dragon Balls are stolen by the Fighting Puppets. The Z Fighters make to pursue, but Future Babidi appears before their eyes with Future Broly and Future Cooler under his control. Future Broly goes berserk upon seeing Goku and is even more powerful. The Z Fighters are unable to stand up to Future Broly's sheer power and his rampage leads him to kill Future Babidi and Future Cooler, and go out of control. He destroys the nearby planets, and uses the Big Gete Star to depart. There is no one left to oppose Future Broly as he rampages across space.
While they are looking for the last two Namekian Dragon Balls, Future Broly appears in front of the Z Fighters, controlled by Future Cooler, but the Z Fighters still manage to get all the Namekian Dragon Balls in a course against Future Broly, Future Cooler, and the Meta-Coolers. Just as Future Dende is calling Porunga, Future Babidi makes his entrance and reveals that Future Broly and Future Cooler are working for him. The Z Fighters fight with them and the moment Future Babidi retreats, Future Dende summons Porunga and makes the three wishes: the first is to revive those slain on New Namek, the second is to eliminate the Big Gete Star, and the third is to bring back the destroyed villages. Before the third wish is made, Future Babidi comes back and tries to attack Future Dende. Future Dende cries for help, and Porunga takes this for a wish: an unknown spirit then appears and stops Future Babidi, so Future Babidi leaves New Namek with Future Broly and Future Cooler still on his side. The Z Fighters bring Future Dende to Earth to become the new Guardian and have Dragon Balls on Earth again.
*In another possible ending, Future Trunks and his allies can not stand up against Future Broly and Future Cooler. The moment they show a hint of weakness, Future Babidi snatches the Namekian Dragon Balls and wishes to control Buu, for eternal life, and to trap his foes on New Namek.
;Chapter 5
While the Z Fighters and Future Babidi are on New Namek, Future Buu meets Future Mr. Satan when the latter falls on the ground due to a pebble on the ground while running away. Future Mr. Satan gives Future Buu the pebble as present, and two make friends. When Future Dabura comes back, he sees Future Buu playing with Future Mr. Satan and launches an attack at Future Mr. Satan. This causes Future Buu to create Future Evil Buu, who then battles and eats Future Good Buu, turning into Future Super Buu. Future Super Buu then turns Future Dabura into chocolate and eats him. The Z Fighters come back to Earth, Future Dende restores each of the Dragon Balls, and Tien and Yamcha go to collect the scattered Dragon Balls. At the same time, Future Babidi comes back to Earth and remarks Buu has slimmed down. When he wonders where Future Dabura is, he learns Buu ate him and is happy that Buu is powerful enough to defeat him easily. He then remarks a Dragon Ball in Buu's hand (the rock Future Mr. Satan gave him), thus learning that Earth's Dragon Balls are restored. He orders Buu to play with Future Trunks and goes to collect the Dragon Balls with the brainwashed Future Cooler and Future Broly. Following orders, Future Super Buu heads straight for The Lookout. When the Z Fighters sense him, they hide Future Dende, and meet with Future Super Buu. Future Trunks and the others manage to repel Future Super Buu. Meanwhile, with no Dragon Radar, Future Babidi is starting to get frustrated. When Future Trunks gets back to the lookout, Future Supreme Kai and Future Kibito are waiting. Future Supreme Kai tells the Z Fighters about the Z Sword and asks someone to come. Goku says Gohan should go again, and tells him to remember the promise to the Old Kai. Future Supreme Kai and Gohan go to the Sacred World of the Kai to use the Z Sword, but it is to no avail. Future Supreme Kai tells that only the chosen one can pull it out, so Gohan concludes it is Future Gohan. Thus they begin searching for the Future Gohan that would be in Other World. Future Janemba shows up, with Gohan defeating him, though Future Janemba was toying around with him and is now heading for Heaven. Future Janemba meets Future Pikkon, and Future Pikkon defeats him, though he was toying around once again and retires. Gohan congratulates Future Pikkon, and Future Pikkon tells Gohan's spirit is just like Future Goku's. Gohan tells Future Pikkon he would like to see Future Goku and asks if there is someone like him in the Other World as well. Future Pikkon says there is and saw him with Future Goku a little while ago. With Future Pikkon's guidance, they encounter someone new: Future Bardock (Future Goku's father). Future Pikkon tells he is different, but looks very similar to Gohan. This newcomer suddenly launches an attack on Future Pikkon, and then attacks Gohan but Gohan defeats him. Future Bardock congratulates Gohan, and they then recruit Future Bardock for the battle against Future Super Buu. As they make to search again, the deceased Future Goku appears before them. Future Goku and Future Bardock fight against each other in a sparring match, and then he helps Gohan to find his future counterpart. Future Gohan is in rage over his death at the hands of Future Android 18; this rage continues until Future Goku calms him down. After this, the group goes to the Z Sword. Future Gohan easily pulls the Z Sword out and Gohan shatters it to reveal Future Old Kai. Future Gohan has his potential unlocked. He is brought back to life by Future Old Kai, and Future Pikkon and Future Bardock have one day to help, while Future Goku stays in the Other World and wishes the others good luck for the rest of the battles since he has already been back to Earth once. Before they leave, Future Old Kai also gives them Potara earrings, saying they can fuse with this.
;Chapter 6
With all the fighters they have amassed, Goku is astounded by the number, even commenting on how his own father is here. Soon, Future Babidi arrive on the lookout and requests the Dragon Balls, menacing to have his Fighting Puppets destroy the whole town. While Future Babidi has one Dragon Ball, someone comes in the shadows to steal the others from Yamcha: Future Janemba.
*If the Z Fighters decide to let Shenron fix the cities and go to Future Janemba, when they catch him, Future Janemba points directly at Future Pikkon. Future Pikkon easily defeats Future Janemba, but the monster quickly revives. Future Janemba quickly grows in power, exceeding his counterpart in the past. While they are overwhelmed, Future Janemba launches an attack. The Z Fighters are quickly defeated, leaving only Goku and Vegeta. Goku then proposes the Fusion Dance. Though unhappy about it, Vegeta assents, and they get ready to fuse. The find a hiding place, and do the Fusion Pose, forming Gogeta. He defeats Future Janemba and the Z Fighters take back the Dragon Balls. However, Babidi's puppets ares sill wreaking havoc, and must be stopped. By the time Future Trunks and his allies arrive, the damage is already severe as it was not his puppets but Future Broly and Future Cooler that Future Babidi had sent in. Seeing this, the Z Fighters charge into battle. In the midst of this epic battle, Future Babidi steals the Dragon Balls. Not needed anymore, Future Babidi betrays Future Broly and Future Cooler. Future Cooler's rage frees him from Future Babidi's control and he attacks the sorcerer, so Future Babidi has Future Super Buu to absorb Future Broly and Future Cooler. Thus, Buu becomes even more powerful. However, through the long battle, the Z Fighters are able to cause serious damage to Buu.
*If the Z Fighters decide the cities come first, Future Babidi continue to request Dragon Balls and says that the attacks will continue if he does not get them. Trunks and Goten decide to become Gotenks so they can beat Future Buu and Future Babidi. He defeats Future Super Buu. However, once again Gotenks ignores the time limit and the fusion ends before he can catch Future Babidi. Future Babidi decides it is time to use Future Broly and Future Cooler. Between his own Saiyan blood and Babidi's magic, Future Broly is more powerful. The nightmare continues as Janemba comes to take in Future Broly's evil energy. Future Babidi wonders why Jamenba has the Dragon Balls. The Z Fighters then face Future Janemba, Future Broly, Future Cooler, and Future Super Buu. They are able to repel their opponents, but Future Babidi manages to steal the Dragon Balls. Just as they emerge victorious from the battle, Buu appears, having abosrbed Future Cooler and Future Broly. Having made their power his own, Buu has gained incredible power, but Gotenks stands against him. Future Super Buu absorbs Gotenks and Gohan, just like in the mainstream timeline, but thanks to Vegito (the Potara fusion of Goku and Vegeta), Gohan and Gotenks are freed.
;Chapter 7
Future Babidi calls forth Shenron and while stating his wish, he is cut off by Future Mr. Satan who wishes to become the most popular guy in the universe, this to stop Future Babidi's evil. Enraged at having his wish stolen, Future Babidi lashes out at Future Mr. Satan, but Future Super Buu takes the blow instead, leaving him near death. Future Babidi desperately tries to revive Future Super Buu. Once revived, Future Super Buu is enraged that Future Babidi tried to hurt Future Mr. Satan and he eats Future Babidi. Upon gaining Future Babidi's power, Future Super Buu changes form and achieves his pure form, Future Kid Buu. However, he suddenly begins feeling intense pain, and purposely speats out Good Buu. With the innocent Buu out of his body, Majin Buu becomes pure evil. Future Kid Buu then begins making countless copies of Super Buu, which begin spreading chaos. Future Good Buu joins the Z Fighters and helps them save Earth from the armies of Majin Buus and Fighting Puppets. Somehow, Future Trunks and his allies defeat the many Super Buus. However, the defeated Buus combine into a single body: all of the various copies of Buu return to the original, Future Kid Buu. The final battles are set after a long battle with the Z-Clones, Frieza, Cooler, Cell, Broly, Janemba, and Future Kid Buu. After defeating Future Kid Buu, two different cutscenes can play:
*Vegeta suggests Goku to use the Spirit Bomb to destroy Future Kid Buu. Future Old Kai, Future King Yemma, Future King Kai, and Future Mr. Satan help to gather energy from the people of Earth, Heaven, Hell, and other planets, powering the Super Spirit Bomb fired by Goku. Thus the ultimate Spirit Bomb flies towards Future Kid Buu. Buu seems ready to fight back for an instant, and then he was gone, forever.
*Goku, Gohan, Goten, Future Bardock, and Future Gohan use their Kamehamehas to wipe out Future Kid Buu. Buu is still standing up against the barrage, and Goku presses on. The ultimate power the universe or any other. Their combined power completely obliterates Future Kid Buu.
And thus the future world's battle with Majin Buu draws to a close. Future Trunks and his allies use their remaining wish with the Dragon Balls to undo the damage done by the attackers. With the destruction and death fixed, the cities overflowed with people. With Future Babidi's ambitions crushed and Future Buu defeated, the Earth's future world is peaceful once more. However, Goku and the other visitors from the past have not yet returned home. Krillin wants to see his daughter Marron again, however, as it is a larger Time Machine, it is not charged up yet. While the Z Fighters have some time to kill, and Future Gohan wants to train with Goku. Since the World Martial Arts Tournament got canceled, Future Bulma suggests they ask Future Mr. Satan to arrange an exhibition match for them, which motivates Vegeta. He asks Trunks to call Future Mr. Satan right now, and wants to have some matches and fight Goku. Future Mr. Satan hears all about it and tells is going to help them out. Goku says it looks like this is going to be fun, but first he is kinda hungry and asks Future Bulma if they can get something to eat. Future Bulma says they do not have a choice and tells Vegeta to eat as well. Vegeta obeys, embarrassed by Future Bulma's authority, he then proposes Goku an eating contest. The future has again survived a difficult future, and Future Bulma and the others once again live in peace.
==Timeline placement==
The events of Shin Budokai - Another Road take place several years after Future Trunks defeated the Future Androids and Future Cell in his timeline. For the Z Fighters, it takes place at least two years after the defeat of Kid Buu (who was defeated in Age 774), after the events of Shin Budokai in Age 776 with no conflicts in-between, as the Earth was said to have been at peace since the events of Shin Budokai in Shin Budokai - Another Road.
In Dragon Ball Super, it is revealed that the events of Shin Budokai - Another Road do not take place within the main series continuity as the actual Future Majin Buu conflict is shown with Future Trunks successfully preventing the release of Future Innocent Buu, though at the cost of the lives of Future Shin (who dies of his injuries), Future Kibito (killed by Future Dabura in the same manner as his main timeline counterpart), and Future Old Kai (killed as a result of the Z Sword being destroyed by Future Dabura after being petrified with Stone Spit), as well as Future Beerus due to his Life Link with Future Shin.
According to Fu in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Future Janemba didn't actually exist in the official history of Future Trunks' timeline (with Fu creating an anomalous Future Janemba as part of his current experiment), indicating the events of Shin Budokai - Another Road take place in a different version of Future Trunks' timeline or the events take place within a timeline that isn't recorded in the Scroll of Eternity.
==Characters==
===Playable characters===
Name 	Returning Transformations	New Transformations	Available at Start
#18 	 	 	Yes
Broly 	
*Super Saiyan
*Legendary Super Saiyan	 	Yes
Cell 	
*Perfect Form
*Super Perfect Form	 	Yes
Cooler 	
*Fourth Form
*Fifth Form	
* Meta-Cooler 	Yes
Frieza 	
*Final Form
*100% Full Power	 	Yes
Gogeta 	
*Super Saiyan 	 	No
Gohan 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 2
*Elder Kai Unlock	 	Yes
Goku 	
*Base
*Kaioken
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 2
*Super Saiyan 3	
*Super Saiyan 4 	Yes
Gotenks 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 3	 	Yes
Janemba 	 	 	No
Kid Buu 	 	 	Yes
Krillin 	
*Base
*Unlock Potential 	 	Yes
Piccolo 	
*Base
*Fuse w/Kami 	 	Yes
Pikkon 	 	 	No
Teen Gohan	
*Base
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 2	 	Yes
Trunks 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan 	 	Yes
Vegeta 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 2
*Majin	 	Yes
Vegito 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan 	 	No
===New characters===
Name 	Transformations	Available at Start
Bardock 	 	No
Dabura 	 	No
Future Gohan 	
*Base
*Super Saiyan
*Super Saiyan 2
*Elder Kai Unlock	Yes
Future Trunks	
*Base
*Super Saiyan	Yes
Majin Buu 	 	Yes
Super Buu 	
*Base
*Gotenks Absorbed
*Gohan Absorbed	No
==Battle Stages==
*Planet Namek
*Destroyed Planet Namek
*Plains
*Mountains
*Muscle Tower
*Kami's Lookout
*Hyperbolic Time Chamber
*Hell
*Destroyed Future City
*Sacred World of the Kai
==Reception==
Publication 	Score 	
IGN 	7.0 of 10 	
GameSpot 	6.8 of 10 	
Gamezone 	7.1/10 	
Review compilations	Review compilations 	Review compilations
Game Rankings 	64.4% (based on 21 reviews)	
Metacritic 	65% (based on 20 reviews) 	
Shin Budokai - Another Road received "mixed" reviews according to Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one six, one five, and two sevens for a total of 25 out of 40.
IGN said of the game "It certainly won't draw any new fans that the last game couldn't have, but it should appease fans for a fair bit of time, especially with its multi-tiered storyline."
The game has sold 91,000 units in Japan by the end of 2007.
==Trivia==
*In the alternate pathway of chapter 2, there is an error, or possibly a mistranslation in the English version, in which Future Gohan answers in the place of Future Trunks to Future Goku's comment on Future Trunks being a baby the last time they met.
*While the form is not shown on-screen, this is the first game to feature Frieza having a fifth form.
*Goku is the only character in the game to have the Super Saiyan 4 transformation.
*When Goku transforms into Super Saiyan 4, his attire changes into his GT attire (the yellow pants) whereas when he gets back to normal form, he is shown in his orange gi of Z.
*The word Hell is censored to HFIL as seen in the dialog box in the arcade mode.
*The game is playable with both English and Japanese voices, which can be changed in the options.
*Goku can use the Super Spirit Bomb not only when he is selected in SSJ (which he originally used in the anime & manga), but also in his SSJ2 and SSJ3 forms.
*In arcade and all other modes (except story mode), both Gohan & Future Gohan can transform into the Elder Kai Unlock ability during the match, which they never did in the actual anime.
*Like the previous Shin Budokai series, Future Gohan has the Super Saiyan 2 transformation as well as the power up of Elder Kai, which he couldn't in the actual anime but is a reference that he has the ability do it like his present counterpart. Also these forms are part of the story mode.
*Piccolo can transform into Fuse With Kami during the battle.
*If the player chose the top row of Chapter 6, it can be surmised that Future Kid Buu's Majin clones are as strong as the originals due to his prior absorption of Broly and Cooler.
==Gallery==
==References==
==External links==
*Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road Official PlayStation website
*Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road IGN Page
*Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road Gamespot page
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