31 August 2004

Final Bout Ships Today... Win the Soundtrack!
VegettoEX @ 12:00 am EDT -- Final Bout has its official re-release today, so in order to... err... "celebrate" this fact, we're holding a new contest!

Most fans will agree that the game's soundtrack is one of the only redeeming factors. Well, then... want to win the game's soundtrack?! Check out our new contest!

Create a sell-sheet or a press-release for the game! Hype up what little there is for "good" aspects, and cleverly dance around all of the absolutely HORRID aspects! The best entrant will win a free copy of the Final Bout soundtrack! Come and enter!

I can't wait to see what you all come up with :P

29 August 2004

"Ask VegettoEX" + Budokai 3 Theme + Reunion Concert!
VegettoEX @ 11:20 pm EDT -- "Ask VegettoEX" has been updated for the first time in half a month. Heh. Have fun!

More importantly, we've got information (thanks to Joshua Thompson for the heads-up!) concerning the theme song for DragonBall Z 3 / Budokai 3... Hironobu Kageyama will be back, once more... but that's not all~!

Here is the majority of the 14 June 2004 entry from "Kage-chan no Himitsu Nikki" (or "Kage-chan's Secret Diary" — Hironobu Kageyama's very own blog on his official website), as translated by Julian:

6/14 (Monday)

Today was also a very exciting day. (^_^)v First, in Komuro-san's own Logem [?] Studio, I worked on finishing up the vocal track from the DragonBall LA session. I re-sang it from the updated and corrected official lyrics, and we put in the chorus. The chorus is being done by the well-known YUKA-chan. And somehow, New York resident KÛKO-chan proved she could return to her home country and participate in a hurry!! (^_^)v Those two were able to sing a capella just by looking at the sheet music, so we finished in the blink of an eye. They had such a memorable tone. It reminded me of back when we were making Dragon Ball albums for the Monolith Project. Even nowadays, I sometimes drag out those CDs and listen to them; they're still good. My own ones are as well, but among the ballads and such that KÛKO-chan has done, there are so many lovely songs that just pierce my heart. Our talk turned to that today, too, since the lyricist, Yuriko Mori-san, likes "Hitomi no Naka no Chikyû" ["An Earth Within Your Eyes"]... (^_^)v I like that one, too— and "Mizu-Iro Seijin" ["Sky-Blue Aliens"], and "Sora Meguru Bôken" ["Adventures All Around the Sky"], and... err, there's so many that I can't really count them all. And, though it's a bit off-topic, I hear that when KÛKO-chan drives her car, she really steps on the gas when she hears my songs. (Laughs) Also, the conclusion we finally reached with everyone is that next year, we're definitely going to have a DBZ Reunion live concert!! (^_^)v It'll also be exactly 20 years since KÛKO-chan's debut... really! After that, everyone said that of course, we'll be inviting Shin['ichi] Ishihara-chan!! (Laughs) And then, once my song's finished, next time we'll move over to Yotsuya's Sound Valley Studio and do the recording for "Nyahho~~ Sensei"!! What's great about Nyahho~~ Sensei is that the tension in the acting is really incredible. (^_^)v As a joke, I said, "Sakura-chan, all of your fans might run away, because you're too intense," (laughs) but that might be the new situation. (^_^)v Being busy is a good thing. You know, it's like the sense of art and skill in the songs I've attached myself to have become essential in the world. Every day is fun. So, then, I've got to try a lot harder!! (-_,-) Whew...

Summary?!

• Hironobu Kageyama is indeed performing the main vocals on the new opening theme for DragonBall Z 3 / Budokai 3
• YUKA and KÛKO are performing back-up vocals on the same track
• There will be another DBZ reunion concert (will we be lucky enough for a tour?) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of DragonBall

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaah~! Remember where you read it first, kids ^_~. Who loves ya'~?!

26 August 2004

"Tidbits" Section Premiers!
VegettoEX @ 4:01 pm EDT -- We threw together a new little section for you all to check out the last couple of days! Head on over to the new "Tidbits" section for... well... some really interesting tidbits of information!

For the premier of the section you'll find some great information concerning the release of DragonBall Z 2 V in Japan, as well as a full, detailed description on the naming schemes for the "evil dragons" in DBGT ("Shenlong" vs "Shinlon," etc.).

Let us know what you think!

24 August 2004

Final Bout Re-Release Seemingly For Real!
VegettoEX @ 3:18 pm EDT -- EBGames has updated their listing with some actual information... and dear god... it seems like this game really is seeing the light of day, again!

Crazy stuff! The game was originally released back in 1997 when fandom was... well... it wasn't on Cartoon Network yet. The game actually had two sets of voices in the first North American release; all in-battle voices were the original Japanese, while the character select screen and pre-fight voices were done in-house by Bandai (so they were neither the original Japanese nor associated with the actual English TV dub in any way). Anyway, here's the blurb from EBGames:

Vintage Dragon Ball Action! First released in limited quantities in 1997, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, is back to honor the enormous popularity of the Dragon Ball animated series. Faithfully reproduced in its entirety, this much sought-after title offers a one-two punch of DBGT and DBZ characters, as well as a powerful variety of ruthless fighting modes. Brilliantly packaged with exclusive cover art from Toei Animation, Final Bout is the perfect addition to every fan's collection.

EBGames is listing the ship date as 31 August 2004 for $14.99... crazy, I tell you! "Brilliantly packaged"... *snicker*... I guess that's the best thing they can say about the game! :D

I still find it rather odd that no official sites (such as FUNimation and/or Z-Store) have anything to say about this, especially considering it supposedly comes out in a week! Sheesh!

23 August 2004

Banpresto Announces Dragon Ball: Advance Adventure
VegettoEX @ 10:33 pm EDT -- GameSpot reports VJump's original report of Banpresto's announcement (wow, say that ten times fast!) to release yet another new DB game in Japan!

Titled Dragon Ball: Advance Adventure, it will be a 2D, side-scrolling action game that takes place during the very beginning of the DB storyline (Goku as a child). The game is slated for its Japanese release in November for ¥5040. No word yet on a possible (and probable) American release.

The Buzz has been updated with all relevant information (and some cleaning up of other things!).

Thanks to Jetto for the heads-up!

EDIT: www.dbnet-fr.com has three scans up from the VJump announcement, which includes some early screen-caps!

22 August 2004

"DVD Guide" Updated
VegettoEX @ 10:56 am EDT -- Well, no "Ask VegettoEX" again, this weekend... I have no motivation to answer any questions when I only get... err... two sent it :P. If you send more, we'll answer them!

That said, the appropriate "DVD Guide" page has been updated with the most recent cover and the next cover for the "Cell Games" series. Silly cover change.

18 August 2004

Neat... Legacy of Goku 2: International
VegettoEX @ 11:07 pm EDT -- This page from Banpresto showcases the "Reverse Import" (that's just awesome!) version of Atari's Legacy of Goku 2, called International in Japan.

Apparently it came out last month (23 July 2004) for ¥5040. Way to go, Daizenshuu EX... totally missed that one :P

17 August 2004

Updated Movie 9 Info + Detailed Synopsis
VegettoEX @ 6:25 pm EDT -- Movie 9's detailed synopsis has been updated with appropriate new screen caps for the title cards and in-movie events. Also updated the main movie 9 info page with information about the disc, itself, and a fully complete English voice cast.

Note to FUNimation... please fire Vision Wise. Thanks! :D

Interesting... Final Bout Relisted on EBGames
VegettoEX @ 11:52 am EDT -- This new listing was found over on EBGames by our forum go-er Ash. Quite interesting, indeed. As I noted in the forum, back in high school when I worked at Blockbuster, all three PS1 games suddenly showed up in the computer system as having upcoming American release dates (and, of course, only Ultimate Battle 22 saw the light of day, and that was years later).

I see this listing nowhere else. If it was to actually be coming out, I'd expect at least a little hype... the darn date is listed as 24 August 2004... that's only a few days away!

Expect nice re-done screen caps for the DBZ movie 9 detailed synopsis, probably later tonight ^^.

16 August 2004

Tons o' DB Stuff for Sale! Legit! Cheap!
VegettoEX @ 8:18 am EDT -- Our forums are hosted by our ol' buddy Josh, who has a crapload of DragonBall stuff for a pre- college sale! Looking for daizenshuu? How about some wall scrolls? Maybe some Super Battle Collection figures?

Come check it all out. Josh wants your money! :D

And while you're there, sign up and stick around for some posts. We've got a pretty kickin' community revolving around the site, and it's the greatest darn group of people I've ever met.

15 August 2004

September Shonen Jump Cover Added
VegettoEX @ 12:57 pm EDT -- The "Covers" page has been updated with this September's domestic Shonen Jump. Sure, there's no DBZ on the cover, and we're a little bit late with it... but it's there, and it's nice :D.

14 August 2004

(Disappointing) Budokai 3 Trailer Up on GamePro.com
VegettoEX @ 2:30 pm EDT -- GamePro.com has up the new "exclusive" trailer for DBZ3 / Budokai 3... and it's nothing we haven't already seen before. No new characters shown, no new outfits shown. More of the same, sadly.

No "Ask VegettoEX" this weekend. Not enough questions. Of course, I shouldn't have said that, because now I'll get a gazillion this afternoon, alone :P.

And for the record, please don't e-mail me asking about One Piece and/or this morning's FoxBox trailer. I'll just delete it.

13 August 2004

Exclusive Budokai 3 Video Tomorrow on GamePro.com
VegettoEX @ 4:30 pm EDT -- GamePro.com will be holding an exclusive streaming of all-new DBZ3 / Budokai 3 footage starting tomorrow (Saturday, 14 August) at noon. Read the story here.

In the meantime, you can read GamePro's interview with Daisuke Uchiyama over on GamePro's site to hold you over! Some interesting stuff concerning new play mechanics.

We'll be updating with some more confirmed characters, soon!

12 August 2004

DBGT TV Special English Title — "A Hero's Legacy"
VegettoEX @ 9:39 pm EDT -- Kinda pointless update that I generally don't like to make, but the title for the DBGT TV special English home release by FUNimation has been announced as "A Hero's Legacy" over on AnimeOnDVD.com. Both the "DVD Guide" and "Movie Guide" have been updated with the title.

And yes, it was originally a TV special, no matter how much they refer to it as a "movie." Thus far there has been no distiction between any of the "features" by FUNimation, so this shouldn't exactly be a surprise. Not really a big deal, either, just interesting more than anything else.

"FAQ" Updated
VegettoEX @ 11:51 am EDT -- The incredibly out-dated "FAQ" has been updated with more relevant questions, and hopefully makes for a much more interesting read.

Not that anyone ever reads it, but I had fun working on it :P.

11 August 2004

"Links" Slightly Cleaned & Updated
VegettoEX @ 10:36 am EDT -- The "Links" page has been slightly cleaned up and updated, removing a couple dead links, and also adding the link to the official DIMPS website (DIMPS being the company responsible for the DBZ / Budokai series).

Also, if you're even halfway interested, the "Project DOOMRIDER" website has been updated with a little more recent information. It's getting there...!

Hey, Clay... are you alive? ^^;;

10 August 2004

Budokai 1/2 OST Cancelled?
VegettoEX @ 10:09 am EDT -- I received an e-mail from CDJapan this morning explaining that my order on the DragonBall Z & DragonBall Z 2 soundtrack has been cancelled, due to the item being cancelled by the publisher. Awwwww! The page still lists all of the information on the product, so we'll see if it disappears from listings in the coming days...

08 August 2004

Bonus Update! "Ask VegettoEX" + New Music!
VegettoEX @ 8:11 pm EDT -- "Ask VegettoEX" has been updated, despite it being a little late in the day. Tied in with its update you'll find two new songs available for download! Read through the question/answer, and check out the "Music Downloads" page for two great techno remixes of Tapion's theme from DBZ movie 13. Huzzah are you!

Lyrics! Images! DVD Guide! Super Update!
Julian @ 11:50 am EDT -- Hey, everyone. Long time no see, huh? I know I haven't been terribly active on the site this past summer (long story short: 40-hour workweek outside = complete exhaustion), but I intend to make up for it! I now present to you, a super-sized update!

First up, we've got both the DragonBall FOREVER and Tenka-ichi Densetsu guidebooks on display over in the "Covers" section. But that's not all! in the "DVD Guide," we now have cover art for "Earth's Last Hope" and a release date for "Awakening" on the Cell Games page, and a release date for "Ruination" on the DBGT TV page.

And last, but not least, I've got new song lyrics for you all! To be fair, I'll admit that the first two, "Dragonaut (Eternal Sacrifice)" (from the DBZ Movie 8 dub) and "Rock the Dragon" (from the first 3 dubbed seasons of DBZ), aren't exactly going to wow anyone, but this last one should... because it's the Budokai 2 theme song, "Kusuburu Heart ni Hi o Tsukero!!" Rockin! Of course, all of these can be found linked in the "Lyrics" section, as well. Enjoy, and expect more frequent updates from yours truly in the near future~!

06 August 2004

Budokai 3 Special In-Store Preview in San Francisco
VegettoEX @ 2:02 pm EDT -- If you live in California, you might want to go check this out. Wednesday, August 18th from 3-6 pm, at the Sony PlayStation Store at The Metreon in San Fransisco, Daisuke Uchiyama (the producer of the DBZ/Budokai series) will be premiering a special demo of the upcoming game (DragonBall Z 3 / Budokai 3). Autographs, prizes, and a sneak peak at the game! Awesome stuff!

Here's the PDF flyer for the event. Thanks, Corrie! Julian's got some lyrics coming your way... check back, soon.

05 August 2004

Ongakushû Vol. 1 & 2 Japanese Re-releases
VegettoEX @ 10:09 am EDT -- Ongakushû volumes one and two have been re-released in Japan, with limited presses of only 5000 copies each... and they're budget-priced around $10 each! Both are due out on 22 September 2004. If you're into background music (BGM), these are the ones you want! For more information, visit the "Movie Music" page of our "Music Database."

Remember that the DragonBall Z & DragonBall Z 2 soundtrack is also due out in September (01 September 2004). If you'd like to pre-order / purchase any of these CDs, head on over to CDJapan.

In other random news, the boxart for the Tenshinhan (err... "Tien Shinhan") two-disc set has been added on the respective "DVD Guide" page; thanks to all who gave the heads-up.

01 August 2004

*waves* Back from Otakon~
VegettoEX @ 9:56 pm EDT -- What a rockin' weekend! Let's just cut to the chase; I'm exhausted, and don't feel like typing my life story :P.

"Three Outta Four Ain't Bad" came in third in its category (which makes it an "Honorable Mention") and can be found up for download, now! Hope you've all got your AnimeMusicVideos.org accounts up and running :D.

I finally got to meet Chris Sabat. After all these years, I'd never actually met the man face to face. He was signing stuff in the dealer's room today, so I figured I'd be a good guy and go apologize for being such a generic 17-year-old jackass fan all those eons ago. Surprisingly, he very well remembered me and all the crap I put him through, and was totally cool with it all.

Say what you want... Chris is a cool guy, and I hope we can stay in touch, again. The Fullmetal Alchemist dub? Rocked my socks off. L~Arc? Rocked my socks off. Otakon in general? Rocked my socks off.

AWA, you're up next... *cracks knuckles*