The game is based on the famous Dragon Ball manga series, starring Son Goku, and spans a long time period of the hero's life. It begins with Son Goku being a mere child and meeting the mysterious Bulma who asks him to add her on her quest to find seven Dragon Balls, which can grant any wish. The game follows Son Goku becoming stronger, defeating many foes, and even getting married.

You control Son Goku and his friends Krillin and Yamcha in this game. The gameplay is mostly based on training your characters and then taking them to fight enemies, advancing the plot. All the activities in the game (including walking around on the world map) are performed through choosing one of the available cards. Depending on the value of the card, you can move a certain amount of squares on the map, have an advantage in a battle, etc.