What Is Dragon Ball Z: Team Training?
The most ambitious DBZ crossover ever built on a GBA Pokémon engine.
Dragon Ball Z: Team Training is a fully completed ROM hack of Pokémon FireRed, created by Z-Max and originally shared on PokéCommunity. It does exactly what the name promises — it takes the structure of a classic Pokémon adventure and rebuilds it entirely around the Dragon Ball Z universe, replacing every single Pokémon with a DBZ fighter, every move with a DBZ technique, and every piece of music with a DBZ soundtrack.
The result is something genuinely special for fans of both franchises. You are still working through the familiar FireRed world map, challenging gym leaders and building toward the Elite Four — but instead of Bulbasaur and Charmander, you are recruiting Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, Cell, and dozens more across all major DBZ sagas. Your team is a squad of warriors, not a collection of pocket monsters.
Version 9.2, the latest build updated in April 2024, is the most complete and polished release to date, featuring 200 fighters in total. This is one of the longest-running and most actively maintained anime crossover ROM hacks in the GBA scene — and the fighter roster size alone puts it well ahead of most similar projects.
What's In the Game
Everything Z-Max changed, added, and rebuilt for the DBZ universe.
The Fighter Roster
200 characters pulled from every major Dragon Ball Z arc.
The roster is the heart of Team Training, and at 200 fighters it is one of the most comprehensive DBZ character lists ever assembled in a fan game. Characters are drawn from every major saga — Saiyan, Namek, Android, Cell, and Buu — meaning you can build a team representing completely different eras and power levels of the story.
Because the game uses the FireRed structure, fighters are distributed across routes and areas in a way that mirrors how Pokémon are placed — meaning you will encounter different characters in the wild depending on where you are in the story. Rare and powerful fighters are harder to find, creating a genuine sense of progression to building out your full roster.
Moves and Techniques
Over 130 brand-new DBZ techniques, all with custom animations.
This is one of the most technically impressive aspects of Team Training. Z-Max replaced the bulk of the Pokémon move list with DBZ-specific techniques — not just renamed versions of existing moves, but genuinely new animations built for the GBA engine. Watching Goku fire off a Kamehameha, seeing Cell use Perfect Barrier, or triggering Final Flash with Vegeta all feel distinct and deliberate.
- Ki Blasts and Energy Attacks: Kamehameha, Final Flash, Special Beam Cannon, Galick Gun, Destructo Disc, Spirit Bomb, and more — the signature ranged techniques of the series are all in.
- Physical Techniques: Moves like Kaio-Ken, Tri-Beam, and various melee techniques cover the close-combat side of DBZ combat.
- Transformation Support: Certain moves interact with fighter forms and transformations, reflecting the power-scaling logic of the source material.
- Retained Pokémon Moves: Around 30 original Pokémon moves (like Headbutt) were kept where they made sense as physical or utility techniques.
- Type System Adjustments: The creator deliberately simplified the type advantage chart — the strategy in Team Training comes from team building and matchup knowledge rather than complex elemental coverage.
Fusions
One of the most beloved features in the game — and one of the trickiest to unlock.
Fusion is a defining part of Dragon Ball Z lore, and Team Training implements it as a game mechanic. Certain fighters can be combined to produce fused forms with entirely different stats, movesets, and sprites. The fusion system mirrors the Pokémon evolution mechanic in structure, but the theming is pure DBZ.
The most sought-after fusions in the game include Gogeta (Goku + Vegeta via Fusion Dance), Vegito (Goku + Vegeta via Potara Earrings), Gotenks (Goten + Trunks via Fusion Dance), and Kibito Kai (Kibito + Supreme Kai via Potara). Getting the right fighters to the right levels and meeting fusion conditions is part of the late-game challenge and gives the roster considerable replayability.
Difficulty and Gameplay Feel
An honest look at how the game plays from start to finish.
Team Training is fairly accessible in terms of difficulty across the main story. The standard trainer battles and route encounters are manageable, and the simplified type system (where most fighters share similar types) means you are not locked into complex coverage planning. However, the League difficulty spikes noticeably — the final stretch is where the game stops pulling punches.
- Main Game Difficulty: Globally easy to moderate — approachable for new players and casual fans of the franchise.
- League Difficulty: The elite four and champion are significantly harder than the main game, providing a proper challenge for the endgame.
- Type System: Deliberately simplified — Fight beats Dark, Dark beats Ghost and Psychic, with a few other tweaks. Strategy comes from fighter selection and movesets rather than type coverage charts.
- Post-Game Content: A number of the more powerful fighters and rare encounters are available after completing the main story, extending the playtime considerably for completionists.
- Pacing: The familiar FireRed structure keeps progression steady — gym badges, rival battles, and story beats follow the original game's rhythm, just reskinned for the DBZ universe.
Good to Know Before You Start
Practical advice for a smoother run through Team Training.
- Save frequently using save states: The in-game save system has known quirks in emulated environments. Use your emulator's save state feature (Shift + F1 through F10 on most emulators) to save at any point, and load states to recover if things go wrong.
- The type system is different here: Do not rely on your knowledge of standard Pokémon type matchups. Most fighters share similar types, so concentrate on raw power, move variety, and team synergy rather than coverage.
- Explore every route thoroughly: Rare fighters are scattered across the map and some are only available in specific areas. If you want a full roster or a specific character, exploration and catching early is the approach.
- Plan around fusions for the League: The fused fighters are among the strongest in the game. Getting the fusion requirements sorted before the Elite Four will make the endgame considerably more manageable.
- Post-game is worth playing: A significant chunk of the best fighters and content unlocks after you finish the main story. Do not drop the game after the credits.
- Best for: DBZ fans first, Pokémon fans second — but you do not need deep knowledge of either franchise to enjoy the game. If you like anime RPGs and GBA games, this is an easy recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions before loading Team Training.
What is Dragon Ball Z: Team Training?
Dragon Ball Z: Team Training is a completed GBA ROM hack of Pokémon FireRed by Z-Max. It replaces every Pokémon with a DBZ fighter (200 in total), replaces the move list with 130+ custom DBZ techniques with new animations, and adds fusions, DBZ music, Senzu Beans, new items, new maps, and custom battle backgrounds.
Is Dragon Ball Z: Team Training finished?
Yes — it is a fully completed ROM hack. The latest version is v9.2, updated April 21, 2024. There have been multiple major updates over the years expanding the fighter count and fixing bugs.
How many fighters are in Team Training?
Version 9.2 includes 200 fighters, drawn from every major Dragon Ball Z saga including Saiyan, Namek, Android/Cell, and Buu. This includes base forms, transformed forms, and fused fighters.
How do fusions work in Team Training?
Fusions work similarly to Pokémon evolutions — you raise specific fighters to certain conditions and they become their fused form. This covers iconic combinations like Gogeta, Vegito, and Gotenks.
Is the game hard?
The main story is accessible and globally on the easier side. The type system is simplified, so strategy is more about team composition than type coverage. The League (Elite Four equivalent) is considerably harder and provides a proper challenge for the endgame.
Can I play Dragon Ball Z: Team Training on mobile or in a browser?
Yes. As a GBA ROM hack it works through browser-based GBA emulators on both desktop and mobile. You can play it directly here on RomHaven with no downloads required.
Who made Dragon Ball Z: Team Training?
Z-Max created the hack, which was originally posted on PokéCommunity. The project has been maintained and updated over several years, with v9.2 being the most current release as of April 2024.
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