Dragon Ball is a huge franchise with a fan base dating back to 1990. Dragon Ball has been a huge success in the anime and manga industry, so it’s only natural that the franchise would eventually turn to video games. Considering the number of Dragon Ball games out there today, it’s understandable they did well.
However, these official launches aren’t the only Dragon Ball video games in circulation. There are also many fan-made games that were born just out of passion for Dragon Ball. Although many projects often remain unfinished or almost undeveloped, there are quite a few that have achieved their own success. Keep in mind that they are not ranked in any particular order, so none are considered better than the others.
Updated May 21, 2023 by Axel Bosso: It’s always a good time to look for Dragon Ball fan games. In this updated list, you’ll find some of the best fan-made titles in the series, with different mechanics and art styles.
10 Heroes United and Heroes United 2
A platform/game engine called BYOND, which has been around since 1996, allows people with some coding knowledge to create games. For a few years, around 2010, these two games were arguably the most popular on the platform.
In both Heroes United and Heroes United 2, you travel through the world of Dragon Ball, with graphics and world design inspired by the Legacy of Goku games. There are deep learning systems, statistical data systems, and transformations unique to people with them. There are original specials for countless characters, and some versions have beam collisions. You can switch between popular characters and more obscure oneswhich gives you the feeling of having as much freedom in the world of Dragon Ball as you can get.
9 Dragon Block C
Minecraft recognizable even by those who don’t play video games. This is due to its huge growth in popularity over the years, but a contributing factor is that anyone can easily add their own mods to it and give the game their own meaning. While mods aren’t technically games made from scratch, they still take a huge amount of time and effort to create out of passion alone.
Dragon Block C is much more than any standard Minecraft mod, as it completely changes the way the game works. It represents everything you would expect from a Dragon Ball fan game. This includes things like flying, ki attacks, a fully developed combat system, and transformations. You can relive the iconic battles from the series that everyone knows and loves, progressing through the story through a different lens, even traveling between different planets! This project has more than enough mods to keep it from playing anything like the base game.
8 Dragon Ball Unreal
Unreal Engine is a popular game engine used in many games. This applies even to names like Dragon Ball FighterZ or Final Fantasy VII Remake. It has a large number of features that allow it to support graphics-intensive games and run smoothly.
Dragon Ball Unreal, like Dragon Ball FighterZ, uses the Unreal Engine. This game has similarities to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot or Xenoverse 2 in how it works, playing as an arena brawler that lets you fly around an area to fight enemies.
7 ZEQ2
ZEQ2 is another game in the Dragon Ball universe that functions as an arena brawler. Although comparable to the other sub-series mentioned, this game received the most support around the same time Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z launched.
In ZEQ2, you are initially presented with a wide variety of characters to choose from. A map is then selected from several locations that you will find in the Dragon Ball universe. You can battle your friends on these large maps with a deep combat system, including special attacks that can cause powerful explosions.
6 Dragon Ball Z team training
Dragon Ball Z Team Training, like Dragon Block C, is a major modification of an existing title rather than its own game from scratch. In the same vein, it also has enough significant changes to justify it as its own fan game. This name is based on pokemon Fire/Red or Leaf/Green from GameBoy Advance.
Every Pokemon has been changed to reflect character from the Dragon Ball universe, all of their types and evolutions have been changed accordingly. The characters aren’t the only thing that has been changed, as most of the moves have also been changed to better fit the universe. The Team Training game is guaranteed to be a journey unlike any other, starting from the very first step when you choose Goku, Gohan or Vegeta as your first fighter.
5 Dragon Ball transmission
Dragon Ball Devolution, originally known as Dragon Ball Z Tribute, is a 2D action game with simple yet charming pixel art. It features characters from all over the Dragon Ball universe, including not only fighters from Z, but also GT and Super.
It has a large story mode that complements its extensive roster, starting at the very end of Dragon Ball where Goku faced off against Piccolo. Combat in Devolution is simple and not limited to the ground, so you can fight in the air at your leisure. Battles are fast-paced, meaning the better your reflexes, the better you’ll do.
4 Dragon Ball Super Climax
Dragon Ball Super Climax is just one item in the endless list of anime action games classified as Mugen games. The term comes from a game engine called MUGEN, based on the Japanese word for dream. This allows fighting game fans to invent their own fighters with few restrictions, hence the popularity.
This Mugen fighter has a multiplayer mode with a a wide cast of characters, all of which come from Dragon Ball Z, Super, related movies, and some from GT. It is currently updated to cover Dragon Ball Super: Broly and may see future updates when Dragon Ball Super returns.
3 Dragon Ball Z Mini Warriors
Dragon Ball Z Mini Warriors is a 2D fighter similar to Dragon Ball Devolution, featuring a smaller but more diverse cast of fighters. The combat is just as fast and dynamic, meaning that the fight can change at any moment. It has great quality in terms of sound design, all the special effects and the graphics themselves.
Despite these impressive qualities, this game has been particularly criticized for its difficulty and lack of in-game instructions. While the latter can be solved by searching the Internet, the former can only be handled by simple refinement. Dragon Ball Z Mini Warriors isn’t for everyone, but if you like taking on really tough challenges, you’ll enjoy it.
2 Hyper Dragon Ball Z
Hyper Dragon Ball Z is another game based on the MUGEN engine that has a large production team compared to most fan games. Hyper DBZ features original assets ranging from character sprites, maps, special moves, music and voice acting. The team has done a phenomenal job in each of these departments, and the work is still receiving updates.
In addition to the quality of the game, the combat system also does not cut corners. Each character has their own unique set of moves and features, making each one feel different depending on who you’re fighting or playing as. This is as close to Dragon Ball FighterZ as fan games go, even having its own dramatic treatments.
1 Dragon Ball Demon Breaker
This game is still just a demo, but it’s outstanding. Dragon Ball Demon Breaker features unique hack ‘n slash adventure gameplay unlike anything seen in Dragon Ball so far. The graphics and interface look polished, and the combat is smooth and satisfying, especially when you’re doing combo lines.
It will feature characters from Super Dragon Ball Heroes, a universe rarely explored in video games. This factor gives this game a lot of potential that could be explored later, like Trunks’ Super Saiyan God transformation. Although only a demo at the moment, this title is worth checking out.