Dragon Ball Z Side Story: True Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans - Earth Saga

Dragon Ball Z Side Story: True Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans - Earth Saga is an interactive animated game released in Japan on September 23, 1994, for the Playdia console. The gameplay consists entirely of branching animated sequences drawn from the first half of the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans story. Players watch animated scenes and must choose from several options at key decision points to advance the narrative. Selecting the correct option moves the story forward, while incorrect choices lead to defeat scenes or alternate bad endings.

The game requires no conventional combat input; instead, it functions as an interactive branching narrative that demands knowledge of the Dragon Ball Z story and the events of the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans OVA. Success depends on the player's ability to anticipate which choice aligns with the canonical story path. The format is more closely related to a visual novel or interactive film than a traditional video game, making it distinctive within the Dragon Ball library.

Earth Saga covers the first half of the full Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans story, with the Z Fighters combating the Destron Gas machines and facing the ghost warriors in West City. The playable characters active during this portion of the story include Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Future Trunks, all of whom appear in the animated sequences.

Earth Saga adapts the first half of the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans narrative, which was itself released as an OVA that served as an "Official Visual Guide" to the original Famicom RPG. The story follows the Z Fighters as they work to dismantle Destron Gas machines placed across the Earth by Doctor Lychee while contending with the ghost warriors of past villains including Turles, Lord Slug, Cooler, and Frieza.

The enemy roster in Earth Saga covers the Destron Gas creatures and ghost warriors encountered during the Earth-based chapters of the story. Supporting characters such as King Kai, Master Roshi, Yajirobe, Bulma, Dr. Brief, Korin, Oolong, Fortuneteller Baba, Cyborg Tao, and Ox-King appear in animated sequences. The sequel, Space Saga, continues the story from where Earth Saga ends, covering the journey to the Dark Planet and the final confrontation with Hatchiyack.

Earth Saga is the first of two Playdia games adapting the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans story, following the 1993 Famicom RPG and the OVA release. The Playdia console was a Japan-exclusive CD-based platform aimed at children, and the animated game format was well-suited to its audience and hardware. The decision to split the story across two games allowed Bandai to cover the full narrative while giving each game a focused scope.

A shared soundtrack was later released for Earth Saga and its companion title Space Saga, indicating that Bandai viewed the two games as a unified creative package. The games preserve the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans story in an animated interactive format, serving as an accessible companion to the OVA for younger fans. Together they represent a distinct approach to Dragon Ball Z gaming that prioritizes storytelling and animation over mechanical challenge.