Introduction
Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension is a 2D fighting game that was released in 1996.
Game Mechanics
Anyone familiar with other SNES DBZ games made by TOSE such as the Butouden series will be right at home with the control layout for this game:
B = Kick
Y = Punch
A = Generic Fireball
X = Special Function / Throw
L and R = Dash
Punches and kicks work like KOF normals. There are close standing normals, far standing normals and crouching normals. Double tapping and then holding forward or back will result in short ranged hop. Holding forward or back while holding down L or R will cause the player to dash. Special "3D attacks" can be performed by pressing B or Y while holding down L or R. If you are on the left side, use R, If you are on the right side use L. 3D attacks shift your character into the background as they charge towards the opponent, bypassing all attacks. The X button serves a few purposes. X by itself is an attack that can swat away light projectiles, including generic fireballs and level 1 "Kamehameha" attacks. Forward or back + X is throw. On hit, QCF.X launches both players into the sky battle stage, if available. QCB.X sends both players back down to the ground stage. Forward-Back-Forward.X sends the opponent flying into the corresponding neighboring stage, if available. The stage chosen on character select determines which stage layout will be used. Game mechanics change drastically during sky battles, so for the purpose of this wiki, unless stated otherwise, all information presented here will assume players are playing on the ground.
In Hyper Dimension, all close range standing punches and kicks can be cancelled into any other normal or special, including a special launcher attack. Launchers can be performed by pressing B+Y during a combo chain, regardless of whether the opponent is blocking or being hit. Launchers cannot be performed outside of combo chains. Some specials also launch the opponent. When hit by a launcher, the opponent will be propelled into the air in an untechable juggle state. After the launch, you can hit the opponent with any attack, for a maximum of 3 hits before hard knockdown is forced.
Contrary to the Butouden series, there is no ki meter in this game. Instead, health and ki are are combined into one bar, meaning most special ki attacks will detract from your health when performed. To compliment this, powering up (by holding B+Y) will regenerate your health by 5 points per tick. When your health falls below 81, you gain access to your character's unique "Desperation Attack", which costs nothing to perform and can be done as often as you like.
Basic Strategy
Hyper Dimension is a very jump-heavy game. Think of it like older KOF entries; hops are fast and even have some invincibility during startup, air normals are fast, and most anti-airs are slow and not invincible. In contrast, walk speed and dash speed is quite slow. This is not to say that you can't play an effective ground game, it largely depends on your character, but the risk/reward for playing a grounded game is often much worse than playing the aerial aggressor. This is because most anti-air and air-to-air attacks do not lead into significant damage or loss of positioning, whereas most air-to-ground attacks lead to huge, often fatal damage.
Contrary to what you might initially think, playing a basic fireball game is not viable in Hyper Dimension. Generic fireballs are slow and have extremely long recovery, so unless your character has unique projectile specials, a proactive long-range game is often ill-advised. This is a fast-paced, up-close style of fighting game. Try your best to control the air, use hops to get on top of your opponent and land a clean jump-in for explosive damage.
Advanced Strategy
Tier List
Top Tier
Goku, Vegeto, Piccolo
High Tier
Frieza, Vegeta, Kid Buu
Mid Tier
Gotenks
Low Tier
Cell, Gohan
Bottom Tier
Fat Buu