We always talk about powerscaling in the anime itself, but what about in fighting games? Do games like Dragon Ball FighterZ or Naruto Storm manage to make characters feel appropriately strong, or is it always just game balance over lore accuracy?
We always talk about powerscaling in the anime itself, but what about in fighting games? Do games like Dragon Ball FighterZ or Naruto Storm manage to make characters feel appropriately strong, or is it always just game balance over lore accuracy?
It's almost always game balance. How else would Yamcha be able to beat Goku in FighterZ? 😂 It's necessary for competitive play, but it definitely breaks the lore illusion.
Naruto Storm does a pretty good job of making ultimate jutsus feel powerful, even if actual damage is balanced. The cinematic aspect helps a lot with the 'feel' of powerscaling.
I think it's a trade-off. You can't have actual lore-accurate powerscaling or else only like 5 characters would ever be playable. Balance has to win for a fun game.
Some games like My Hero One's Justice try to show quirks having different effects, but ultimately, everyone still deals similar damage. It's a visual representation, not true powerscaling.
Tekken and Street Fighter, for example, don't really have 'powerscaling' in a lore sense, so they focus purely on balance. Anime games have this extra layer they have to try and address, and usually opt for fun over strict accuracy.