Before you begin your trek through the wonderful world of Dragon Ball Z, here are some tips and tricks for both newcomers to the game, as well as those who might be struggling later on in the story.

• Always check the Story option on the main menu to see if there are any Substories available after every main story mission. There will be a blank spot (will show as ???) if one is available, plus it should tell you who you need to play as in order to start it.

• Do not fret about collecting Z Orbs on the map when exploring. You will get more than enough from doing all of the battles in the game, plus random encounters later on will reward you with more than you know what to do.

• Keep a healthy stock of healing items for use in battles at all times. You will never know when you will happen upon an enemy that might push you to your limits. You can purchase these at any vendor that sells food items.

• The best offense is a good defense. Mashing buttons will only get you so far, especially not too far in the game, when boss battles will present a larger challenge than regular random encounters. Remember that you can block enemy attacks, but blocking too long results in having that guard broken. Dashing/dodging is also a useful ability, since it gives you time to study the behavior of those tougher opponents.

• Don’t neglect the Community Boards. These helpful things can give you that extra edge during all aspects of the game, from battles to exploring. If you feel you’re underleveled, place your Soul Emblems in the Training board. If you want extra power during battles, go with the Z Warriors board. Each board offers different bonuses.

• You can run away from the random encounters while exploring. Click the right analog stick to get rid of the lock-on, then fly away from the enemies to escape the battle.

• Do not forget about meals and full-course meals. Not only do these meals grant you temporary buffs, but they also give you permanent stats. Do not worry about saving them, either, as the permanent stat boosts are given to all characters, even those you haven’t met yet.

• Sell any item that says it can be sold. You don’t gain Zeni, the game’s currency, by winning battles or naturally exploring. What you can do is find items that say they can be sold, which will help build up your bank account.

• If you happen to see a named character (one with a portrait) out in the wild, talk to them, as they will typically give you a free item.