Atari's upcoming Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the latest in the company's successful run of DBZ-inspired fighting games. Though the series has typically led on the PlayStation 2, with the GameCube versions following some time after, this year finds the Nintendo Wii version of the game almost matching its current-gen cousin in development. We've seen the game on and off over the past few months and have finally gotten an exclusive peek at a near-final version of the game, which is being polished up for its November launch.

　　If you wanted to play a Dragon Ball Z game a get a little exercise at the same time, this Wii version may be for you.

　　Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is another chance for fans of the series to reenact their favorite ki-powered beatings by using a who's who of the Dragon Ball universe, including a roster of more than 100 characters. The game will feature a variety of modes that will let you run through the scenarios from Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball GT, with fan-favorite heroes and villains battling it out in 15 environments. The game will once again feature role-playing-game-like features to let you customize your fighters. In terms of content, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is a carbon copy of its current-gen console cousin and features all the gameplay modes and characters found in the PlayStation 2 game.

　　In lieu of unique modes or characters, control is obviously the big-ticket offering on the Wii. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 offers two major control options, which should cover the bases for all Wii players. The primary control option is using the Wiimote and its analog attachment to fight. The Wiimote scheme has changed since the last time we saw it, as it relies less on frantic waving. The new scheme mixes button pressing with selective waving, which feels a good deal better than the last time we played it. You'll move your character with the analog stick and perform your primary melee attacks with the A button. Your ki blast will be triggered by the B button. The Wiimote's D pad will let you block by holding down and find your foe by holding up. You'll dash by pushing a direction and shaking the analog attachment. You can boost the move up to a super dash by holding down the Z button while you shake.

　　A few moves will incorporate motions with the remote. For instance, you'll jump with the C button, and once you've taken flight, you can change your height by holding down the button and moving the controller up or down. You'll trigger each character's super moves by holding down the Z and B buttons and moving the Wiimote and analog attachment in one of several intuitive motions. For example, Goku's Kamehameha blast is performed by moving the Wiimote and analog attachment back and forth in a stabbing motion. If all of the above sounds a bit too complicated for your tastes, the second control option might be up your alley, although it's decidedly less Wii-tastic. If the Wiimote isn't to your liking, you can plug in a corded GameCube controller or Wavebird and kick tail via more conventional means.

　　The visuals in the game stay true to the look and style of the previous games, which were faithful to the franchise's anime roots. The whole gang is on hand and represented in cel-shaded style. The backgrounds offer a sampling of familiar locations that feature a high level of interactivity on par with the previous games, so you can plan on knocking people through mountains and wrecking cities as you go about your business.

　　You didn't think any of your favorites were going anywhere, did you?

　　Audio in the game is exactly what you'd expect out of a DBZ game and follows the smart formula applied to the last handful of DBZ fighters, offering up screaming guitars, familiar show tune-y themes, and buckets of voice. As always, the fighters in the game are brought to vivid life by the anime's crack voice actors who capably sell the game's dialogue, whether it's a battle cry or a meaty diatribe. The final piece of the puzzle is the satisfying mix of authentic sound effects from the cartoon and a good array of collision effects for punches and kicks.

　　Based on what we've seen so far, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 has seen some positive changes over the course of its development. The new control options are a smart move, and implementing the traditional GameCube controller should ensure no one gets left out of the action. We're curious to see just how a match between a GC-controller user and a Wiimote user would play out. If you've dug the previous DBZ games, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 appears to be offering everything you'd want, along with support for the Wiimote--not a bad offering overall. Obviously, we would have liked to have seen some proper exclusive content for this version, but as launch titles go, Tenkaichi covers its bases. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is currently slated to ship this fall for the Wii.