Ultimate Tenkaichi North American Details Confirmed VegettoEX @ 2:23 pm EST -- Namco-Bandai has confirmed that the game previously known as "Game Project Age 2011" will be titled Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi for its North American release, set for later this year on 25 October 2011 on both the PS3 and 360.
THE FANS HAVE DECIDED! NAMCO BANDAI GAMES LAUNCHES DRAGON BALL Z® ULTIMATE TENKAICHI THIS OCTOBER
Formerly Untitled 'Dragon Ball Game Project' Coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 System
SAN JOSE, Calif., (June 30, 2011) - Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced the official release date and fan-decided name for Dragon Ball Z® Ultimate Tenkaichi for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game will launch on October 25th, 2011 in stores across North America. Prepare to dive into the world of Dragon Ball Z with Earth-shaking combat, a massive character selection, faithful manga-style graphics, and exciting new features.
"Fans of the Dragon Ball series of games are among the most passionate gamers and anime experts in the world," said Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., Carlson Choi. "That's why we reached out to them through our social channels and forums last month to find out what the name should be for the deepest, richest and most intense Dragon Ball game yet. The fans have spoken, and today we're happy to announce that Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi will be hitting stores across the country this October."
The upcoming Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi is currently in development by Spike Co. Ltd., who are honing their considerable talents to create a new landmark game for the Dragon Ball Z franchise. The game features upgraded environmental and character graphics, with designs drawn from the original manga series. Destructible battlefields, including massive craters and ki blasts cutting across the sky deliver a more dynamic experience and immediate sense of urgency to the exhilarating fights. An enhanced story mode drops players into the rich Dragon Ball Z universe, filled with beloved characters and powerful enemies. An accessible battle system allows gamers of all ages to hold their own in fast-paced battles, while still retaining tactical depth for hardcore fans.
The name was decided in part based on a survey the company conducted a few weeks back asking for fan input. The title change was inadvertently leaked / hinted at a little over a week ago when online retailer Play.com put up a listing for the game under said title. A new trailer has also been provided with the press release:
Podcast Episode #0263: Manga Review (Vol. 40) VegettoEX @ 7:33 pm EST -- This week on our show we recap and expand upon what little news there has been over the last week, and turn our attention over to the 40th volume in our on-going "Manga Review of Awesomeness". We are closing in on the end of the series, but there is still plenty of material to cover. In this volume alone we have transformations coming out at us left and right. Does it still feel fresh, though? Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
FUNimation Dragon Box 7 Delay VegettoEX @ 1:03 pm EST -- As expected based on the last few Dragon Box releases from FUNimation, the release date for the seventh (and final) Dragon Box for the DragonBall Z TV series has been pushed back approximately one month. The set is now due on 11 October 2011, as indicated on its RightStuf catalog page.
21 June 2011
Podcast Episode #0262: Summer Convention Season VegettoEX @ 9:30 pm EST -- This week on our show, in addition to catching up on all the news (particularly of the Bardock variety) with Hujio, our buddy Marc joins us to talk about the summer convention season. With Anime Expo in less than two weeks and Otakon just a little over a month off, what should we expect from FUNimation in terms of special announcements for our favorite franchise? 2009 brought us the fantastic Dragon Box announcement, but those are coming to a close. Is anything special on the horizon? Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
We tossed this out on our Facebook page earlier today (you do keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook, right?), but if you do not happen to live near a major city that has a Japanese book store, Play-Asia does stock V-Jump every month, and the August 2011 issue (just released this week) with the first new Bardock material is indeed available for $9.99.
There is a pretty hefty shipping charge along with it, but if this is your only way to grab it, be sure to go for it.
20 June 2011
DBZ TV Specials Receiving Individual R2 DVD Releases VegettoEX @ 3:53 pm EST -- Included as "extras" on the two Dragon Box releases for the DragonBall Z TV series in Japan back in 2003, the Bardock and Trunks TV specials never went on to receive individual disc releases like the rest of the TV series and movies. They, along with things like the DragonBall GT TV special and the original Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, remain Dragon Box exclusives to this day.
That all changes, at least partially so, later this summer. By way of the latest V-Jump issue (once again courtesy of Peking Duck as dug up by our buddies at Kanzentai), we have learned that the Bardock and Trunks TV specials will receive their own individual R2 DVD releases in Japan on 05 August 2011 for a reduced price of ¥1,000 each.
DragonBall Heroes Manga & Character Updates VegettoEX @ 9:30 am EST -- We noted (as what we called "non-news") on our podcast a few weeks back that while "something" related to DragonBall Heroes appeared to be coming soon in V-Jump, contrary to other reports, Naho Ooishi's (DragonBall SD) name was not attached to whatever that project happened to be.
While that was true at the time (and props to Hujio for sticking to his guns about proper fact-checking), things have changed so that her name has indeed shown up... but still to a project we know very little about! In the August issue (due out in Japan this week), a "special manga" from the author will appear, though all we know about the story is that some "super warriors" will attack. There will also be a special "Dragon Hero Times" extra included with the magazine, and everyone who applies (presumably through an included postcard, special e-mail address, or what have you) gets a free "Ultimate Bag".
UPDATE: By way of Kanzentai and our Japanese buddy Peking Duck, we now know the new manga as "DragonBall: Episode of Bardock", a three-part short by Naho Ooishi based on a new "What If?" story in which Bardock becomes a Super Saiyan, tying in with his new transformation in DragonBall Heroes (see below). The series will span over three issues of V-Jump.
While the third card in the promotional image above on the V-Jump website is obscured, it has since been revealed to be Super Saiyan Bardock, who will presumably show up soon in the card-based arcade game.
New Super Saiyan 3 transformations for both Broli and Vegeta showed up in the card-based arcade games (previously Dragon Battlers) before appearing in the Raging Blast console games over the last two years, making this new transformation for Bardock at least a semi-likely candidate for this fall's new fighting game.
"Ultimate Tenkaichi" Name Confirmed? VegettoEX @ 9:05 am EST -- Play.com has a new listing for what is clearly Game Project Age 2011, the new fighting game developed by Spike for Namco-Bandai due out on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall. What sets this listing apart from others is the fact that the name "Ultimate Tenkaichi" is already attached to it, a name that showed up a couple weeks back on a survey from the publisher. The listing also pegs the game for 01 November 2011, at least in Europe, though the Raging Blast games were released within the same week across all regions.
Does this confirm the name "Ultimate Tenkaichi" for non-Japan regions? Will the "Tenkaichi" branding have any impact on the name of the game in Japan, where it has never previously been used? It seems as if we will known soon enough!
Last year Play.com had listings for two games that never (or have yet to have) surfaced: "Spike", a game for the Nintendo Wii, and an un-named Nintendo 3DS game. With the former was a head-scratcher, Namco-Bandai had at least announced shortly after the 3DS' reveal that they had plans for a game on the portable system.
16 June 2011
Developer Game Republic Shut Down? VegettoEX @ 6:01 pm EST -- Gaming blogs are passing around the story this afternoon that Japanese video game developer Game Republic has apparently shut down its offices in Tokyo, as well as its website. Cited reasons include the rumor that founder Yoshiki Okamoto has racked up significant debt and is nowhere to be found.
While most of the attention in fandom is usually given to developers such as Dimps and particularly Spike that handle the main console games year in and year out, Game Republic has actually stepped up to the plate and released a trilogy of Nintendo DS games that range from interesting in theory but forgettable (DragonBall DS / Origins) to impressive follow-ups (DragonBall DS 2 / Origins 2) to flat-out fantastic surprises (DragonBall Kai: Ultimate Butôden). It would certainly be a shame if this ends up being it for Game Republic.
FUNimation Home Release Announcements VegettoEX @ 9:03 am EST -- The next batch of releases for our favorite franchise over here in North America have some information trickling out.
First up is the seventh and final Dragon Box for the DragonBall Z TV series, coming 13 September 2011 from FUNimation. This set covers DBZ TV episodes 251-291, and closes out the series. RightStuf is already taking pre-orders, and we expect listings to spread to other retailers soon. MSRP on the boxes is currently $59.98, but there have been some pretty great deals online, so shop around.
Also coming out on 13 September 2011 is FUNimation's "Part Six" of DragonBall (Z) Kai. The next set continues onward into the Cell story arc and retails for $34.98 on Blu-ray and $29.98 on DVD. RightStuf is also currently accepting pre-orders on this release, both on DVD and Blu-ray.
The fifth set, due out later this month, has already been confirmed to have the "replacement score" of Shunsuke Kikuchi's music, re-inserted into the series after the debacle with Kenji Yamamoto's score possibly infringing on other compositions.
Speaking of which, our "Kenji Yamamoto Retrospective" feature has been slightly updated with a spiffy chart breaking down the point at which each prominent release of the series switches the musical score. Whether you need a refresher or a complete, from-the-beginning education on the situation, we have you covered!
13 June 2011
Podcast Episode #0261: News & E-Mails (Free Wishes!) VegettoEX @ 6:15 pm EST -- This week on our show, we catch up on the last two weeks worth of news, but also dive deep into a few e-mails. One listener needs help purchasing CDs, another wonders what the cast of the series would wish for if they got a freebie, and another wonders if the Super Saiyan transformation loses its emotional impact as more and more characters are privy to its power. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
Minor Worldwide Licensing Tidbits VegettoEX @ 2:34 pm EST -- GMA has announced that down in the Philippines, the original DragonBall TV series is back on TV as of this past weekend. The show will air Saturdays after Hanep Buhay, and Sundays after Pinoy M.D. on GMA-7.
Meanwhile, Cartoon Network Latin America has DragonBall Kai coming soon via Televisa in Mexico, with the first 54 episodes (through to the end of the Freeza story arc) confirmed for broadcast. Additionally, City TV in Columbia has licensed twenty of the series' movies for broadcast — while it was not specified, doing the math, we can assume this includes the three movies for the first series, thirteen movies for the second series, the 10th anniversary movie, and then possibly the two feature-length DragonBall Z TV specials along with the DragonBall GT TV special to get to that magic number of twenty.
Short Dragon Box 6 Delay From FUNimation VegettoEX @ 2:59 pm EST -- RightStuf notes that the sixth Dragon Box for the DragonBall Z TV series from FUNimation has been delayed from 05 July 2011 to just two weeks later on 19 July 2011 (also a Sunday).
The second-to-last bad boy in our near-perfect dream release for this part of the series in North America (no, seriously — go back and check out our reviews of the firsttwo boxes for how great these are) is a mere $30.99 on Amazon right now. Grab it!
03 June 2011
Namco-Bandai Survey to Name New Video Game VegettoEX @ 11:48 am EST -- A new survey has popped up from Namco-Bandai with the company asking for, among other minor tidbits, name suggestions for what we can only assume is "Game Project Age 2011", the working title for the upcoming PS3 and 360 fighting game. Current options include:
Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Z
Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Rising
Dragon Ball Z: Awakening Saiyans
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Warriors
There are a couple interesting tidbits to pull out of this. When the Sparking! games were released in North America under the prior Atari regime beginning back in 2005, they were re-named to (an in-universe named-backwards) "Budokai Tenkaichi". While the "Raging Blast" moniker was kept over the last two years and games, last year's PSP game TAG VSwas re-branded as "Tenkaichi Tag Team" internationally, calling back to the prior games it was based on. It would seem that Namco-Bandai is considering the "Tenkaichi" branding going forward still, perhaps as a way to distance themselves from the dwindling sales of the Raging Blast games and grab a few older fans back into the mix.
Before the first Sparking! game's international release, Atari distributed a similar survey (which indeed had "Budokai Tenkaichi" as a possible name choice). Despite whatever the original Japanese name for the game may end up as, it is likely that the official international name for "Game Project Age 2011" is among the five titles above.
01 June 2011
DragonBall Online Coming to China in 2012 via Shanda VegettoEX @ 11:43 am EST -- Shanda Games, an online game developer and operator in China, announced their Q1 2011 results yesterday. As a part of the conference call discussing their results, Chairman and CEO Alan Tan also announced that they will be brining the Korean-developed DragonBall Online MMO to China "early next year". Along with Final Fantasy XIV, the game is currently undergoing customization to launch in their region.
Podcast Episode #0260: Bulma Character Profile VegettoEX @ 6:38 am EST -- This week on our show, we dive back into the universe to talk about Bulma. Just how deep of a character is this woman? She is introduced right at the very start of the series, and arguably sees and participates in more than some of the regular heroes. The week's news and some great e-mails round out the episode. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
