How to Play

This game is very simple, but I'll make it even easier for those who don't know how to play. Let's start with the controls:

A: Used as the affirmative button (to choose options)
B: Used as the cancel button (to exit out of menus and such)
START: Calls the menu while you are on the map
SELECT: No use.

When you first begin the game, you will have to fly around. Here's what your screen looks like:

 

A: This is the place where you can see your characters are walking around or in battle.
B: This is where the menu appears when there is one.
C: This is where all of the cards you will use to move are located.

To move, you will choose a card from the five cards that you have. Depending on the number Dragonball in the top-left corner of each card, you will be able to move a certain number of spaces. In the menu to the left, where the letter B is located, you will see the names of the characters in your group with an arrow pointing to the member who's turn it is. In window A, you will see your character moving.

This is what the cards look like:

A: This is the Dragonball that determines how many spaces you move (based on the number of stars)and also your attack power.
B: This is the symbol of the card. If the symbol matches the symbol of your character, than your character will get a temporary boost in power when he attacks. If it is a symbol that looks like a big X, then you can use a technique.
C: This is the symbol that determines the power of your defense in battle. Otherwise, it has no other need.

Battling in this game is quite simple. When you battle, you choose a card for a character to use. If that card matches the symbol of your character, he gets a boost of power in battle. If that card looks like a big X, your character can use an ability that costs KI. Furthermore, the number in the top-left corner is the attack power while the number in the bottom-right corner is the defense number. The numbers are in Japanese, but the number that takes up the most space is the one that typically has the greatest value.

When you enter a battle, which happens randomly as you move around, you will see the faces of the enemies that you will have to fight. You can choose either Fight, Item, or Run. Item calls a menu for your items and Run allows you to try to escape from battle. If you choose Fight, you pick a card for each character depending on the strategy above. If your BP is lower than your enemy's BP, than you want to use defensive cards and hope to survive. If you have a higher BP, you would want to use cards with a higher attack power. If you have about equal, the choice if up to you, but watch out for KI attacks. After gaining enough BP, your level will increase, giving you a bonus of HP and KI. However, with every battle, your fighting ability increases. If your next level is 4000 BP, while you train to achieve that level your fighting power will increase anyway. That's more similar to the way the anime is, but it is not typical of most RPGs.

As you travel around on the map, take note of the Healing Houses that you encounter. Not only can they heal you, but they can serve as a base for you to train near to avoid being defeated in combat. With exception to the beginning of the game before you defeat Raditz, and of your characters, if killed by an enemy, can NEVER be revived. Be sure not to let your characters die by training them carefully against difficult enemies and using item cards on them to heal them when necessary. You can't throw out your cards, but if you need to get rid of some crappy cards, like Bulma, use them after your character has lost only a couple HP. That way, when you get to a training place which gives you the opportunity to gain even more cards which will be by far much better than the poor ones you received early in the game.