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Daizenshuu EX - Updates from August 2008 |
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31 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:59 pm EST -- Episode #0144 of the podcast is available for download! As you'll hear during the show, this is the episode that seemed to do everything it could to prevent itself from being recorded. While we unfortunately were unable to do a standard topic, Meri and I marched onwards with a good recap of all the recent news, all of September's releases, and a nice little batch of e-mails. Definitely check it out.
VegettoEX @ 10:46 am EST -- Amazon has been providing quite a bit of information recently... yesterday with the Trilogy info, and today with the VIZBIG info! We now have releases dates going into early/mid next year, so here's a quick breakdown for you (including ones that are already out, since it gets a little confusing):
DragonBall:
- VIZBIG Volume 1 (tankôbon 1-3)
03 June 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 2 (tankôbon 4-6)
16 September 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 3 (tankôbon 7-9)
16 December 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 4 (tankôbon 10-12)
17 March 2009
DragonBall Z:
- VIZBIG Volume 1 (tankôbon 17-19)
03 June 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 2 (tankôbon 20-22)
19 August 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 3 (tankôbon 23-25)
18 November 2008
- VIZBIG Volume 4 (tankôbon 26-28)
17 February 2009
- VIZBIG Volume 5 (tankôbon 29-31)
19 May 2009
Remember, this doesn't even include all that "Collector's Edition" stuffage that starts coming out in October of this year, which appears to be single volumes as opposed to the omnibus-style "three-in-one" packaging... ugh...
Hey, hopefully we'll have a podcast for you later today...! |
30 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:27 pm EST -- Amazon has a complete listing for the upcoming DragonBall Z Trilogy three-pack on the PS2.
Yes, that's right. You're reading that correctly. It's going to contain:
- Budokai Tenkaichi
- Budokai Tenkaichi 2
- Super DragonBall Z
With Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (or Sparking! METEOR, of course) being so recent, I'm not entirely shocked that they didn't throw it in. While we love Super DragonBall Z, it's a completely random game to toss into this pack when you consider what else it's packaged with. The first Budokai Tenkaichi is completely irrelevant if you have the second game, so it's almost like you're really just getting only two games.
The three-pack drops on 09 September 2008 for a cheap $29.99. Honestly, you're better off picking up Super DragonBall Z on its own, and then Budokai Tenkaichi 3 / Sparking! METEOR on its own... |
29 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:05 pm EST -- Amazon Japan is showcasing the covers for the individual R2 DVD releases of DBZ movies 3 through 6:
I especially like that DBZ movie 6 cover, for some reason. It's just so shiny...! Movies 3 & 4 are due out on 12 September 2008, while 5 & 6 are the month after on 10 October 2008. |
26 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:39 pm EST -- I have no spectacular news to report here, but instead I have just a few neat little things for you to check out.
Jean Snow has a little article over at the awesome Game|Life blog about UFO catchers in Japan. His buddy Sho was going after a really nice Goku one, but couldn't get it. Aww.
We've been hearing "rumors" (and boy-oh-boy, do I use that term loosely) about trailers for the upcoming live-action DragonBall movie, but it seems like we finally have some actual, concrete, valid information. ComingSoon.net is reporting that the Max Payne movie (video game adaptation, if you didn't know) will be the first to feature the DB trailer. Neat.
The first two DBZ movies are doing pretty well with their individual releases, taking the 2nd and 3rd places on the Japanese charts for last week. |
24 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 8:14 pm EST -- Episode #0143 of the podcast is available for download! Julian was finally able to join in with us for recording, and we were all very excited to check out and review Viz's release of the first daizenshuu in English!
Ain't that trippy to see, with both of them right next to each other? We've said it before, but we were pretty sure this day would simply never occur. As you'll hear in the review, there is very little "negative" we had to say about it. We were both shockingly and gratefully impressed with the near-perfect quality of this release. Definitely check it out.
Oh, OK... one more picture:
I was planning on doing a full "Feature" on the release, but honestly... there's just not enough to say about it. It is what it is, and what it is happens to be great. Pick that shiz up. |
21 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:44 pm EST -- You probably already have read about it over on Kanzentai, but they got it from our forum, so nyah! :D
Per Tatsunoboshi Horoko's translation of the V-Jump info:
Table and Avo & Cado, opposing enemies!
You can tell that Table is a Saiyan from his tail. He's similar to a certain person in facial features, but...!? Also, Abo and Kado, in pursuit of Table, arrive on Earth!!
That would be Tâbaru (or "Table"; yes, from "vegetable"), along with Aba and Kado (or "Avo" and "Cado"; yes, from "avocado"). So there you have it! It is confirmed that we have these three new characters in the upcoming new DB short, Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokû to Nakama-tachi!!" ("Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!").
Here are a couple other little plugs for you:
Episode four of "DBZ Abridged" is out. I keep forgetting to plug the new episodes as they come out, and this one absolutely deserves it. Big props to the guys at TeamFourStar. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, we interviewed Kaiser and Lanny back on Episode #0135 of the podcast.
In keeping with the spirit of total fandom awesomeness, the newest Japanese TV spot for DragonBall DS is amazing.
Honestly, we teared up a little bit. I don't know that I've ever seen anything that totally sums up what makes the series so amazing, and I refuse to write anything else tonight after leaving you with that. |
20 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:07 pm EST -- Now that their French portion has already stolen their thunder, it makes sense that they'd go ahead and let the information come on out.
Final Dragon Ball Z Game for PlayStation 2 System Combines the Greatest Elements from the World-renowned Dragon Ball Z TV Series and Video Games
NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's time for one final mighty Kamehameha for the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system as Atari announces the upcoming North American launch of NAMCO BANDAI Games' Dragon Ball Z(R): Infinite World in November. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World combines all the best elements of previous Dragon Ball Z games, whilst also boasting new features such as "Dragon Missions", new battle types and drama scenes for fans to delve deeper than ever before into the Dragon Ball Z(R) universe.
The new "Dragon Missions" in Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World include many famous scenes from the Dragon Ball Z series never before seen in a video game. A range of missions from time attack in the "Snake Road Mission" alongside other action and racing-style missions puts players' strategy and quick-thinking skills to the test beyond simply showing off their deadly fighting skills.
But no Dragon Ball Z game would be complete without its fair share of spectacular battles. Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World uses a simplified battle system taken from the recently released next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for thrilling hand-to-hand fighting on the ground, or flying leaps and aerial combat in the skies. Defeat your opponent by blasting damaging Ki attacks from the sky or by diving into him and launching an explosive smash attack.
The game features over 40 unique characters, not counting the different forms that each character can transform into which multiplies the playing potential. On top of characters, fighting techniques and battle stages, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World also includes selected drama scenes from the previous games all presented using beautifully refined effects and shading techniques.
Representing the last "Z" title for the PlayStation 2 system, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World combines the many of the best elements from the previous Budokai and Shin-Budokai series, as well as the recently released and much-admired next-gen Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, to deliver the definitive DBZ experience on PlayStation 2 system.
We learned just about all of this yesterday, but it's nice to see formal words coming from Atari in English. |
19 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:50 pm EST -- Well this will be a rather large update! Looks like either I'm halfway psychic, Namco-Bandai is specifically listening to me, or we all just think like smart businessmen. While it's not exactly called Final Budokai, we do have news of a "new" game coming out on the PS2, as well as confirmation of a US release of a DS game!
Atari put out a press release earlier this morning confirming their release of DragonBall: Origins, which we know is actually DragonBall DS over in Japan. While the game drops in Japan on September 18th, we do not have a firm release date from Atari other than "November" (though online retailers are listing it as November 3rd).
Innovative Action-Adventure Gameplay of NAMCO BANDAI Games' Newest Chapter in the Dragon Ball Saga for DS Comes to North America in November 2008
NEW YORK, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Dragon Ball bounces back with the announcement that Atari is bringing NAMCO BANDAI Games' Dragon Ball: Origins for Nintendo DS(TM) to North America in November 2008. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Dragon Ball: Origins takes players back to the original Dragon Ball series and around the world for a thrilling action-adventure game with innovative touch pad controls.
The single player game follows Goku and his clever sidekick Bulma as they travel the world overcoming enemies and obstacles to collect the 7 Dragon Balls. In the shoes of Goku, the player must protect Bulma from incoming enemy attacks using special skills, such as fighting with his power pole, or unleashing a kamehameha. Combined with Bulma's brains and her knack for inventing machines and weapons out of discarded spare parts, the intrepid pair make a formidable team able to defeat even the strongest of boss enemies or trickiest of obstacles.
The innovative controls mean the player uses only the touch pad to control Goku. Players must draw lines or shapes to direct the character and control the action by tapping on the screen, for example a double tap on Goku followed by tapping on the Ka-me-ha-me-ha letters unleashes his devastating signature move.
Goku can perfect his skills in training with Master Roshi or by gaining experience through playing mini-games, so when the Dragon radar warns of imminent danger he's always ready to fight. Bulma's spare part creations include a time machine, different vehicles and add-ons to Goku's power pole to help in battle. For extra Dragon Ball fun, hunt down and collect the many virtual figurines hidden in the game world which can then be swapped and traded with friends via wi-fi to get the full collection.
Dragon Ball: Origins pulls no punches in terms of graphics with both screens displaying vibrant 3D visuals, and with the lively, fun humour of Dragon Ball present throughout the game, fans will be able to immerse themselves completely in the spectacular universe.
The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z(R) series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 30 different games and over 12.7 million units sold since May 2002.
Nothing we haven't already heard, but it's great to know that they actually plan on releasing the game over here. Our buddy godofchaos has some more information and images over on his website.
What's slightly obnoxious is their desire to change the name of every single game they port from Japan. It ranges from Sparking! turning into the bizarre and backwards Budokai Tenkaichi, all the way to the "let's add one letter for no reason!" Advance Adventure turning into Advanced Adventure. Now we have the perfectly-titled DragonBall DS turning into DragonBall: Origins. Again, it's nothing more than slightly obnoxious and amusing to write about; it hardly affects the gameplay. It's just interesting.
Additionally, we have confirmation (slightly) on what this Infinite World game will be for the PS2. Strangely, Atari France was the first one (even including Japan!) to drop word of the game. It appears to be another iteration on the Budokai series, though it is not clear if it will be using Budokai 3 or Shin Budokai as the main engine. From the screenshots, it would appears that the handheld version is actually being used as the general basis.
We know that the game will contain at least 40 characters not even including transformations. Keep in mind that Budokai 3 itself actually only had 38 characters not counting transformations and fusions, so this will probably be even bigger than that. Then again, if the handheld version is being used as the basis, that's even more of a jump up.
Standard fighting isn't all we're going to get with this one, though. It looks like "Dragon Missions" will be the new single-player experience, ranging from things like racing down the Serpentine Road, to catching Bubbles, and beyond!
So far we know the title of the game, that it's being handled by Namco-Bandai, and it will be released exclusively on the PS2 in December. It's safe to say that since Atari (France) was the one to spill the beans on the game, all of the major territories (Japan, USA, Europe, and probably Australia) will be seeing the game, hopefully in time for the holidays in all areas. It's rather interesting that Atari was the one to break the news... it almost never happens that Namco-Bandai doesn't go with V-Jump over in Japan to hype things up first. Perhaps the US will even see its release first, similar to how the original three Budokai games went...?
It will be interesting to see if that Infinite World title remains the same in all territories, though. I'll both laugh and cry if Final Budokai ends up being the title somewhere :P.
Finally, I've got a new Anime Music Video for you all to enjoy. It's my Otakon entry from this year, and while it's not DB-related in any way, there should be a pretty good crossover of fans.
I'm Above The Age Of 10 And I Like Pokemon
( Download XviD / 60 MB )
You can read all about it over on the respective AMV page, download both the XviD and/or the H.264 over on its entry on AnimeMusicVideos.org, or (if you must), watch it on YouTube.
I'd say that's enough for one day... ^_~ |
17 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:10 pm EST -- Episode #0142 of the podcast is available for download! We were finally able to get around to that "Manga Review of Awesomeness" for Volume 18. That's right, we're continuing the so-called "Z"-era if you're going by the Viz release. Surprising comments from all hosts abound! We also went over all the awesome stuff that took place at Otakon! Definitely check it out.
Speaking of Otakon, here is what makes it (and forgive me for the usage of slight internet-speak) full of complete win:
Hellz yeah.
In other less-exciting news, apparently there will be a "junior novel" coming out for the upcoming live action movie. In other words, just a written adaptation of the movie by a couple people not known for anything other than a couple quasi-Disney-related children's books.
We also have some very strange video game listings popping up on American retail sites.
- DragonBall Z Trilogy (PS2); Sep. 9th
$49.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
- DragonBall Z Infinite World (PS2); Nov. 1st
$29.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
- DragonBall Z: Origins (NDS); Nov. 3rd
$29.99 @ Amazon; $29.99 @ GameStop
We are assuming that DragonBall Z Origins is actually DragonBall DS, despite its "Z" in the title. We have no real evidence for this, though, especially considering that the game drops in Japan pretty soon on September 18th.
This Trilogy on PS2 is probably going to be a collection of the three Sparking! (or Budokai Tenkaichi) games. Again, there's no real evidence for this, and despite it not really making much sense to package three slight iterations on each other together, it is labeled as "Fighting"... Here's hoping our pretty thorough debunking of Final Budokai doesn't make us eat our words!
This Infinite World is completely confusing, though. Nothing more than a date and a (moderately low) price.
What makes this all the more confusing is that the only new Japanese game we are aware of right now is DragonBall DS, and since Atari no longer creates games in-house, it's completely perplexing. I guess we'll have to stay tuned to V-Jump...! |
14 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 11:22 pm EST -- In a strange twist, it appears Atari has actually made money for the first quarter of the 2009 fiscal year. In fact, they made $3.5 million, up from a net loss of $11.9 million at the same point last year. The growth was driven by the success of Burst Limit and Alone in the Dark, on which they also spent $2.8 million for advertising.
In other news, we have this:
That's right, we have the cover art for the upcoming dual- Burst Limit and Sparking! METEOR soundtrack. It drops on August 27th in Japan (LACA-5808) for about ¥3000. |
13 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:06 pm EST -- Today is a day I pretty much assumed would never happen. I'm holding an English release of a daizenshuu in my hands.
OK, technically it's on my floor while I type this.
It's almost as strange as when I first purchased a subtitled DVD release from FUNimation back in 2000. Since it's only just arrived I don't have too many thoughts on it, but we have a discussion going on with lots of images and text over on our forum.
Expect to hear about it on the podcast, and maybe a feature if I get the time to work on it... which isn't likely... maybe I'll leave all the hard work up to Kanzentai...
Technically the book isn't due out until August 19th. Despite this, Amazon's still got the "pre-order price" of $16.49 and have it in-stock and ready to ship. Go for it, man! |
10 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 9:07 pm EST -- Episode #0141 of the podcast is available for download! Despite being gone for the entire weekend, we threw something together ahead of time so there wouldn't be a break ^_~. This week, Meri and I took a look at the various henchmen over the course of the series, and how their roles evolve and expand. We start out with random comedy relief henchmen, and end up with characters with fully-detailed back-histories! Definitely check it out.
Yes, the convention was amazing. It was probably the best time I've ever had at a con. Hironobu Kageyama was amazing. Everyone was amazing. Everything is amazing. Pictures to come.
Additionally...
The upcoming DragonBall GT remastered set numero uno will indeed be five discs instead of the previously-indicated three-discs. This is a good thing.
Finally, according to Atari themselves, the only DBZ game to be on display at the Games Convention in Leipzig later this month will be the already-released Burst Limit. No word on this most-likely-made-up Final Budokai. |
07 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 1:33 pm EST -- Otakon, ahoy! We'll be taking off in a couple hours to spend the weekend down in Baltimore with a couple tens of thousands of other people.
Want to say hello? It'll be tough, but you'll definitely see us waiting in line far ahead of when we logically should be for the JAM Project concert on Friday night. Just look for the group of DBZ fans singing karaoke-style (per Maggie's request). Saturday you'll see us at the AMV contest screening, since we're skipping it on Friday to see the concert (and yes, both Meri and myself have our own individual videos in the contest... neither are DBZ, though :P).
Like AnimeNEXT, I'll be heavily Twittering throughout the convention weekend. That might be a good way to stalk us keep tabs on us, especially if you turn on your mobile alerts. The entire Daizenshuu EX extended family will be there this weekend (minus Julian, who's [obviously] still in Japan), so please feel free to say hello!
Looking forward to seeing you there! If you can't make it down, expect a regular podcast episode on Sunday... that is, if I can manage to stay awake long enough upon return to put it up. In the meantime, episode two of Video Game Conversations is up, so that could hold you over! |
06 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 7:30 am EST -- We noted this in the recording, but less then 22 hours after we recorded the last podcast, we were already doing the next one :P. We had to delay the "Manga Review of Awesomeness" for volume 18 (DBZ volume 2) a week, again, due to all the Otakon (and wedding) planning currently taking place. No worries, though... you've got a good episode coming your way next Sunday.
You may be reading a few things across the interwebs about something called Final Budokai. It's important to note just a few things about this:
- Only Portuguese sites have been reporting this
- All of these sites are copying-and-pasting the exact same text; no original reporting has occurred
- European enthusiast press are well known for breaking embargos
- Dimps, the developers of the Budokai series, have moved on to Burst Limit
- While it is plausible that a new PS2 game would come out (see this old pondering from January), and it is the direction a couple Japanese publishers are going with (see Persona 4), it seems highly unlikely
- The Bakuretsu Impact series of card-based arcade games do indeed feature a highly-evolved game engine based on the previous Budokai series
- The Budokai games (specifically the third) are well-known for being highly "hackable"; that is, they are relatively easy for those in-the-know to customize characters by altering colors, shifting around body parts, etc.
- Namco-Bandai did not take the Budokai name until Shin Budokai on the PSP (the games were DragonBall Z, DragonBall Z 2, and DragonBall Z 3 in Japan)
- DBZ games are almost always first announced in the Jump series of magazines in Japan (specifically V-Jump); rarely are any "secrets" held and announced at gaming conventions, where the vast majority of attendees are not their target audience
- There has been no announcements past DragonBall DS from either Namco-Bandai or Atari
- We know nothing about this :P
Do with all of that information as you will. Remember that it is extremely important to be critical of your information sources, and do not be afraid to require actual cited sources before you start believing anything.
Of course, I would love for there to be a new Budokai game, since the Sparking! series (and more recently, Burst Limit) just haven't done anything for me...
Finally, Anime News Network has word via Internet Watch that a Japanese man has been arrested for selling bootleg copies of various anime, including the various Dragon Box releases:
Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software (ACCS) announced that a 37-year-old male company employee from Kakogawa City in central Japan was arrested on Thursday for selling unauthorized DVD copies of 10 anime works, television programs, and other titles. The man allegedly sold DVD-R copies of the 50,000-yen (about US$470) Dragon Ball's Dragon Box the Movies DVD set for 4,000 yen (US$37), the 50,000-yen (US$470) Dragon Ball GT series set for 5,500 yen (US$51), and the 72,000-yen (US$675) Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ box set for 4,000 yen (US$37). Police from the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido and Sapporo City's northern police office arrested the man on charges of copyright infringement and sent him to the prosecutors in Sapporo City.
Good for them, I say! If you learn one thing from visiting Daizenshuu EX, let it be the fact that we hate bootlegs.
I'll try to post something resembling an Otakon schedule later tonight... |
03 August 2008
VegettoEX @ 10:51 pm EST -- Episode #0140 of the podcast is available for download! This week we not only took a look at the recent Super Survivor CD single... we gave the damn thing away. That's right, tune in to see if you won the contest! Along with our in-depth review of the CD, we scoped out the recent news, checked August's releases, and had an all-around good time. Definitely check it out.
Check back in with us over the next couple days to see what we'll be doing at Otakon. We're not running any panels, but we'll at least be going to see some by friends, watching the AMV contest (both Meri and I are in with our own individual videos)...
... and, oh yeah, we'll be at the JAM Project concert. |
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