Despite how big the Dragon Ball franchise is, only two Dragon Ball mobile games have risen to the top over the years: Dragon Ball Legends and Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle.
Sure, you’re always welcome to play both. But due to their gacha aspect, it’s understandable that some of you only have room in your heart (and wallet) for one game. Curious about which Dragon Ball mobile game is for you? Join us on this Dragon Ball deep dive to find out how these two fare against each other!
Gacha Mechanics
Yep, both games are essentially gacha, and while that might turn off some people from trying these games, know that one is less harsh with its gacha mechanics.
Because Dokkan Battle is non-PvP, you can get away with not gacha-grinding the game. It’s also more chill when releasing “hype units” now and then.
Legends, on the other hand, is PvP, thus needing its players to invest in better units. The good thing is, there are DBL accounts for sale that are safe and easy to buy to help you get started.
Dragon Ball Legends VS Dokkan Battle Gameplay
One of the most important aspects of a game, especially for Dragon Ball games, is gameplay.
These two are night and day when it comes to that. Dragon Ball Legends is a mesh of fighting game and card game battle system, while Dokkan Battle has a puzzle-tactic mechanic in its combat.
In Dokkan Battle, you tap Ki Spheres on the screen to make a character’s attack stronger. For Legends, there’s a rock-paper-scissors mechanic with elements, you spend Ki on attack cards, and even flick the screen to dodge.
To summarize, Dokkan is more PvE RPG and Legends is PvP. Dokkan can let you just chill and tap, but you have to be on your toes with Legends. It’ll be up to you what you’re in the mood for.
Manga Style VS 3D Visuals
Visual-wise, both Dragon Ball games are absolutely stunning! However, they do differ in the graphics that they use. One looks more like a manga, while the other uses 3D models.
Dokkan Battle creatively makes it seem like it’s an animated manga panel (in color!) but adds intense animation for powerful attacks and scenes. In a way, it feels nostalgic.
Legends, being newer, uses 3D for its models and scenery. But it still tries to make the models look 2D-ish with shading, and the character illustrations during dialogues are still 2D. It definitely tries to merge the old and the new!
2D or 3D—ultimately, this will be up to your taste in visuals.
Story Differences
While gameplay and graphics might be the main draw, a well-told story will make you want to stay in a Dragon Ball game.
Both these games have original and separate plots from the source material, and both also involve timey-wimey stuff. But there seems to be a clear winner if you base it on what the DB community thinks is better.
Without spoiling anything, Dokkan Battle’s story is generally regarded as something convoluted by the community. Something has caused the Dragon Ball villains to show up in the game’s Earth, and it’s up to you and an oddly weaker Trunks to stop the baddies.
Meanwhile, Legends has an all-new character as its protagonist, designed by Akira Toriyama himself. Shallot is an amnesiac Saiyan who seems to come from a very distant past. He wakes up wondering who he is. Intriguing, right?
If you ask the community, it’s a common opinion that Legends has a more coherent plotline. Some even prefer it over Super!
Final Thoughts
Your gameplay style, preferred gacha mechanics, and interest in the story will ultimately dictate which one is your Dragon Ball mobile game pick. However, if we’ve convinced you to try Dragon Ball Legends, check out our Dragon Ball Legends Tier List to help you get started with your team. Happy playing!