Summary
Dragon Ballis one of the oldest anime series out there and has inspired more shows than Goku has power-ups. But alongside the legendary anime, there’s also a mountain of games—over 100, in fact—many of which date back to the NES, SNES, and Famicom days. If you were gaming in your childhood, chances are you’ve punched a few pixels as Goku.
While Dragon Ball itself never gets old, some of its games have aged like fine wine—rare, expensive wine. Their rarity has driven prices through the roof, and if you’re looking to buy certain titles today, you might need to raid Capsule Corp’s vault first.
All values are based onPriceCharting’s complete price at the time of writing. However, for price comparisons, the new prices have been used.
One of the reasons this game is surprisingly expensive is, as you might’ve guessed, it includes two games in one. But don’t get it twisted—the individual versions aren’t exactly cheap either. As the title hints, both games are based on Dragon Ball Z. In The Legacy of Goku, you play only as Goku,eventually going Super Saiyanto throw hands with Frieza. Pretty standard Saiyan stuff.
The Legacy of Goku II picks up right after and covers the Cell Games Saga. This time, you’re not stuck with just Goku—Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and even Trunks are ready to dish out some pixelated justice. More characters, more chaos, more Kamehamehas.
This game goes by a few different names. In Japan, it’s known as Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2—and fun fact, that version is actually cheaper to find. The European version, on the other hand, was released in 1994 as Dragon Ball Z: La Legende Saien, and it’s rarer, pricier, and fancier-sounding.
Gameplay-wise,it’s basically Street Fighter II: The World Warriorwith more hair and screaming. You can play solo or bring a buddy for some good ol’ multiplayer chaos. There aren’t a ton of characters—just eight—but with cheat codes, you can unlock two more fighters. Compared to the first Super Butoden, this sequel kicks things up a notch with Ki blasts, special move counters, and glorious meteor combos.
8Dragon Ball Z: Gekitou Tenkaichi Budoukai - $454.50
Platform: NES
How about a little trip back in time? If you’re looking for the very first Dragon Ball Z video game, this is the one. Released only in Japan in 1992, its age isn’t the only thing that makes it special. It came bundled with a fancy little gadget called the Datach Joint Rom System—basically an old-school card reader.
To play as your favorite characters or use certain items, you had to swipe special trading cards through it, like some kind of anime credit card machine. Despite being ancient by gaming standards, the game featured around 28 characters—some even had multiple card variants. It was half fighting game, half collector’s quest. Retro chaos at its finest.
If you’re itching for an adventure with kid Goku, this might just be your game. Staying pretty faithful to the manga, it lets you play through several story arcs, ending with a showdown against King Piccolo. There’s even a separate story mode for Krillin—because short kings deserve screen time too. Unlike typical Dragon Ball Z fighters, this one’s a 2D side-scrolling beat’em up.
It also features a one-on-one mode with a whopping 30 playable characters. The game is jam-packed with content: Versus Mode, Survival Mode, Extra Mode, and even some quirky minigames. Critics loved all the extra modes, but weren’t too thrilled about the Story Mode being, well, more of a short story.
This game also goes by the name Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo. Ready for a fun fact? It’s actually the second Dragon Ball video game ever made—released in Japan in 1986, making it older than most of us. In the U.S., it got a visual makeover and was rebranded as Dragon Power in 1988.
The gameplay features 2D overhead segments where you battle enemies as Goku, but during boss fights, it switches to a side-scrolling style. You’ll throw down with classic foes like Krillin, Yamcha, and even the mighty Bear Thief across 14 chapters. The U.S. version may look the same, but all the names and DB universe terms were changed—because apparently America wasn’t ready for Kamehamehas just yet.
This game actually has two versions—one for Super Famicom and one for SNES. The Super Famicom version is way cheaper, while the SNES version will have your wallet screaming. The gameplay is heavily inspired by Street Fighter II: The World Warrior and offers three different modes. It was a smash hit at launch, selling around 1.3 million copies in just two months.
It also kicked off a long line of sequels, making it the granddaddy of DBZ fighters. The roster includes 13 playable characters like Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Cell, Trunks, and Gohan. You can fight on the ground and in the air, with flashy special moves and super attacks lighting up the screen.
Released for both the Wii and PlayStation 2, this game’s Wii version is generally cheaper—but don’t let that fool you. While the standard PS2 version won’t break the bank, the Bonus Disc Bundle will definitely take a bite out of your budget. That bonus disc features the top ten anime battles up to that point—pure fan service.
The game boasts a ridiculous 162 fighters, including some exclusive forms you won’t find anywhere else. Stages shift between day and night, and yes, you can transform into a Great Ape by using the moon. One of the wildest features? Disc Fusion—pop in an earlier Budokai Tenkaichi disc and unlock special Ultimate Battle modes. It’s like a fighting game and a science experiment in one.
Dragon Ball Z: Ultime Menace is actually the French version of Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 3. Released in 1994, it’s the third installment in the Butoden series. Like the others, it features one-on-one fights, but this time, there’s no story mode to follow. However, the Tournament Mode is pretty long and detailed.
Just like the other Butoden games, it’s heavily inspired by Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. There are ten characters, one of which is unlocked via cheat code (because who doesn’t love a good cheat?). And of course, just like its predecessors, it has split-screen mode, allowing you to put some serious distance between you and your opponent—because sometimes, you just need space to unleash a Kamehameha!
What makes this game so pricey? The Limited Edition, of course—complete with a bonus DVD packed with juicy behind-the-scenes footage of the game’s development. Even outside the Limited Edition, a new copy of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 can set you back around $200. The European version even includes characters not found in the North American release.
The roster is huge, with fighters pulled from Dragon Ball, Z, GT, and the movies. The graphics are flashy and full of anime-style energy, capturing that chaotic DBZ combat feel. It’s loaded with mechanics and modes like Dragon Universe, World Tournament, and Dueling. In 2012, the game got an HD makeover as part of the Budokai HD Collection for PS3 and Xbox 360—because nostalgia deserves high resolution.
This game might cost an arm, a leg, and maybe a Dragon Ball or two—but the Famicom version is a bit more wallet-friendly. It’s often considered the SNES farewell party for the Dragon Ball series, being the final DBZ title released for the system. Set somewhere between the Frieza Saga and the Majin Buu Saga,it launched only in Japanand parts of Europe.
Sadly, the European version got roasted by fans for cutting out the Story Mode entirely. The game features ten playable characters and sticks with the classic one-on-one battles. But unlike the Butoden series, it ditches the split-screen and introduces the Rush Battle System—because nothing says chaos like rapid-fire ki blasts in a tight space.
