Contest Reminder + Dragon Box 5 + Raging Blast 2 Details VegettoEX @ 10:24 am EDT -- We are giving away (at least!) one copy of Tenkaichi Tag Team for the PSP, and today is your last day to get that entry in! Head on over to our "Contests" page for all the details. We will be announcing the winner(s) tomorrow here on the website, along with releasing the latest podcast episode, so be sure to come on back for all that.
Amazon now has a listing for the fifth Dragon Box from FUNimation with a release date of 08 February 2011. This certainly fits in with FUNimation's "early 2011" tweet from a little while back, so keep an eye on this one.
While you are over on Amazon, if you are still undecided about whether or not to pick up Raging Blast 2, they are offering a $10 credit toward a future game purchase with the pre-order of either the PS3 version or the 360 version. Not a bad little deal.
Our buddy TanookiKuribomanaged to snag a copy already at a local retailer and has been dropping a few bits of info here and there as he makes his way through the game. Of most interest to you folks is probably the fact that the re-made feature Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans (which is sub-only, as previously announced) is indeed available for viewing right from the get-go (no need to unlock it), and Table is indeed tucked away and available in the domestic version of the game.
Expect our full review of Tenkaichi Tag Team next week, and then we are right back to square one going through Raging Blast 2 immediately afterward!
26 October 2010
Raging Blast 2 American PS3 Demo Now Available VegettoEX @ 10:43 pm EDT -- When they said "later this month", they were not kidding! Previously exclusive to the Xbox 360 in North America, the demo for the upcoming DragonBall: Raging Blast 2is now available on the PlayStation 3 (where it had already been available worldwide, sans U.S. o' A.). Get your download on, folks.
Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (PSP) UMD-Only VegettoEX @ 3:55 pm EDT -- A lot of folks have been asking about potential digital distribution for Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team on the PSP, the domestic release of DragonBall: TAG VS, so we checked in with Namco-Bandai. Unfortunately for all you PSP Go owners (and loathers of physical media, I suppose), at least in North America, there are no plans to bring anything other than the game's demo to the PlayStation Store.
The PSP Go, which features a slide-out control area, no UMD slot, and relies solely on digital distribution and flash memory, was released a year ago in North America in October 2009. It has just received a price drop from $249 to $199 (still more expensive than the otherwise-standard PSP-3000 model at $169), and details are starting to surface about the oft-rumored "PSP2".
We are currently running a contest to give away (at least!) one copy of Tenkaichi Tag Team, so head on over to our "Contests" page for all the nitty-gritty details. Full coverage courtesy of our podcast and "Reviews" section are on their way.
24 October 2010
Podcast Episode #0236: Ki & Fighting Styles in DragonBall VegettoEX @ 8:53 pm EDT -- We are back with another doozy of an episode for everyone. In addition to catching up on the recent news (including a few new items, which we will get to below shortly) with Marc from The Fanboy Review, Josh from Sparking Turtle joined us for a topic we have been wanting to discuss for a long time now: ki. What exactly is ki, how is it represented in the DragonBall franchise, and how about those fighting styles? Lots of great tidbits get dropped throughout the conversation, and is one you definitely do not want to miss. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
FUNimation Dragon Boxes: "Limited"...?
You may have noticed the second Dragon Box from FUNimation going in and out of stock on various online retailers. We had hesitated on reporting about this since there did not seem to be much of an issue — places like Amazon and RightStuf would ultimately get another batch of them, and fans went along their merry way. When the listings began disappearing (even when they would return with more stock yet again), many fans, including us here at Daizenshuu EX, were unable to get a concrete answer from FUNimation as to what was going on. Some retailers said that the stock was out, more might be coming in... nothing consistent was getting out there in terms of common language.
In the latest episode (55) of Anime News Network's ANNCast, FUNimation's Marketing Director Lance Heiskell dropped by and answered a few questions about the franchise. Kai continues to do well, and the franchise and its purchases are reinvigorated thanks to the television partnerships with NickToons and TheCW4Kids. Furthermore, "Season Nine" from the orange bricks is their second-best-selling item so far in 2010 (behind only Evangelion 1.11).
Of most interest and relevance to the Daizenshuu EX audience, however, was a confirmation that FUNimation's Dragon Box sets are "limited". What that exactly means was not described in any detail, unfortunately, but it was also confirmed that the second set is indeed low on stock. What it sounds like is that the Dragon Box sets have either a finite stock that will be exhausted, or will be dwindled down as interest dives. You can listen in to this week's podcast for a little more speculation, and we will certainly do our best to follow up with FUNimation and get some definitive answers.
In the mean time, you may wish to pick up any sets you have not already grabbed! Here is a quick link list for your convenience:
The fifth set is due out sometime in early 2011. As should be apparent from our reviews of the first and second sets, these are exactly what we have wanted for years upon years, and we toss our full support behind them.
20 October 2010
Dragon Ball Z®: Tenkaichi Tag Team (PSP) Contest! VegettoEX @ 12:30 pm EDT -- TAG VS was released in Japan for the PSP just a couple weeks ago, and the North American release (Tenkaichi Tag Team) hits store shelves this week. Namco-Bandai has released a launch trailer, but that is not all.
Courtesy of Goku's Corner, the official fan community of Dragon Ball games by NAMCO BANDAI Games, Inc., we are giving away a copy of the game to one lucky winner! All you have to do is tell us what your fantasy "Dream Team" would be. Pick any two characters from the DragonBall franchise, and tell us who that team is. Maybe you have a funny duo involving Appule, or maybe you have a serious rivalry that seems like it would work to make them a better team. It's up to you!
You have until the end of the month to get your entries in, so head on over to our "Contests" page for the full details.
19 October 2010
Brazilian Kai Dub News + Amazon Packaging + More! VegettoEX @ 9:41 am EDT -- One of our forum members, TheBlackPaladin, has done some great digging around ANMTV regarding the upcoming dub of DragonBall Kai for Brazil, who will be third in line to receive the show internationally following U.S.A. and Mexico. It seems that the local Portuguese dub of the show will be retaining its original Japanese title (sans "Z"), the new dub is already being worked on, and it will air on their Cartoon Network beginning in early 2011.
Similar to the Mexican dub, however, the new Brazilian dub will have a number of re-cast voice roles. Confirmed to be re-cast so far are the characters Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Yajirobe, and Freeza; confirmed to return include the actors and actresses for Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Kuririn. Also returning will be Wendel Bezerra, the original voice of Goku, who took up a campaign on Twitter and directly appealed to the show's producers and licensors (having a "long talk" with them about the role and its fans).
Much of this situation directly mirrors the upcoming Mexican dub of Kai with its financial issues, voice replacements, and online campaigns fronted by those directly involved in its production.
Speaking of the Mexican dub, rumors of the English version somehow coming into play with its translation may indeed be true. While FUNimation does not appear to have any influence over the production itself, as voice actor and director Irwin Daayan previously hinted, materials received appear to be FUNimation's (including the "Z" title addition), and the script may be based on FUNimation's English adaptation rather than directly from the original Japanese. Some fine translation work over on our forum revealed that the new Mexican versions of "Dragon Soul" and "Yeah! Break! Care! Break!" appear to be based on FUNimation's own lyrics for the songs (which change certain lines rather than adapt them from the original lyrics). It should be noted that, as of right now, this is only the case with the lyrics to the songs, as no proper footage from the series exists with the upcoming Mexican dub to compare just yet.
Back over here in North America, Amazon is offering up something called the "DragonBall Z Kai: Saiyan Set" on Blu-ray. Rather than a combined "season set" style of release, it appears to literally just be parts one and two (previously released) shipped together in one item order. Its list price of $79.98 is a savings of somewhere in the ballpark of $20 over the individual items separately, and still a savings of a couple bucks even with Amazon's own lower prices. If you have not yet picked up either set, their $71.99 price may be worth looking into.
As many of you know, the great Daisuke Gôri unfortunately passed away earlier this year, leaving the role of Mr. Satan in Kai uncertain; a few of his other roles were immediately recast (such as Ryûzaburô Ôtomo as King Cold). Something we missed earlier this week which a lot of you have sent our way is that Mr. Satan may have a confirmed voice replacement. In the Japanese release of TAG VS for the PSP, the character is played byUnshô Ishizuka, a newcomer to the franchise but one with experience in many other past and current shônen properties. There has been no official word whether or not Ishizuka will continue onward to play the character in Kai. Many prior voice replacements in video games ended up being temporary before a final re-cast in Kai (Tenshinhan, Kame-Sen'nin), but this is in the midst of production. We will keep an eye on this one, for sure.
We have some pretty fantastic stuff coming your way, some of which may even be later this afternoon. Stay tuned!
17 October 2010
Podcast Episode #0235: "Official Visual Guide" Review VegettoEX @ 12:00 am EDT -- With a little bit of cautious optimism as Raging Blast 2 inches toward us with an included remake of the feature, we decided it was finally time to take a look back at the original 1993 version of the "Official Visual Guide" for the Famicom game, Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans:
Our buddy Corey joined in on the discussion as we provide a quick history, recap both parts of the feature, and tear it to shreds. To be fair, there are a couple pieces in there that genuinely got us laughing and having a good time, so you will definitely want to listen in for that. October's news and releases along with your fantastic e-mails all round out the episode. Download the show now, or head on over to the podcast page for more information or to subscribe.
In additional Mexican Kai dub news, Ayelén dropped us a note letting us know that René García (previously the voice of Vegeta) announced at the event Fahrenheit 2010 in Argentina that he will indeed not be working on Kai due to the same money issues we previously heard about. He even tried getting in contact with the appropriate folks at Toei over it, but it was all for naught.
To wrap things up, our buddy Marc from The Fanboy Review is currently holding a contest to win The Klutz Book of Animation. Since he is a pretty awesome guy hosting our podcast for us, we figured it would be worth it to give the content a little plug. Free stuff is cool, right?
14 October 2010
Raging Blast 2 Global Demo Details VegettoEX @ 3:16 pm EDT -- There is a lot of speculation floating around out there about a playable demo for the upcoming Raging Blast 2, so let's put the rumors to rest!
Namco-Bandai has announced that, in North America, the demo will remain exclusive for the Xbox 360 (until an as-of-yet unspecified time later this month) and will be released today:
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. is pleased to announce the downloadable demo for Dragon Ball®: Raging Blast 2 is now available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The demo will first be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on October 14 and will be available for download on the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system later this month.
Download the demo to freely command Super Saiyan Goku, Ultimate Gohan, Kid Buu or Demon King Dabura in the ultimate battle of strength and stamina. Feel the power of your bone-crushing attacks as you square off in VS. Mode using an arsenal of special moves to dominate your rival in two of the game’s large-scale 3D environments.
The sequel to last year’s high-flying fast-hitting, versus battles series, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 promises to bring the intensity that Dragon Ball fans know and love. Fans of the series can expect the anime’s hyper-kinetic trademark gameplay, including destructible environments, character attacks and transformations, and signature Pursuit Attacks which enable players to initiate attack combo strings, juggling your opponent in a string of devastating strikes throughout the environment.
Additionally, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 will feature an exclusive 30-minute Dragon Ball anime episode “Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans” on the game disc, making this latest chapter a must-have for diehard fans.
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on November 2, 2010. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 is rated “T” for Teen and will carry an MSRP of $59.99.
The Xbox 360 exclusivity applies only to North America, however. The German PlayStation Store currently features the same free, downloadable demo for the game (released yesterday) which is playable on any PlayStation 3 system (provided you have the knowledge to create a German account, as well as are playing on an HDTV; many reports are coming in noting the game will not play on an NTSC standard definition television due to NTSC/PAL issues).
Furthermore, the demo is also available on the Japanese PlayStation Store for those of you who can navigate your way on over for downloading goodness.
Finally, those of you who actually subscribe to the podcast (rather than visit the site each week to manually download it) should have discovered a special treat in the feed. Enjoy!
13 October 2010
Catching Up On October's News Thus Far VegettoEX @ 10:52 pm EDT -- It is great to be back! The sun was shining, the monkeys were jumping off my head, and I got my picture taken with a certain famous air-bender. Good times.
It seems like it has also been good times 'round these ways over the last two weeks. Relatively slow times, sure, but good nonetheless. Let's catch up on what has been going on!
TAG VS / Tenkaichi Tag Team Tidbits
The newest PSP game, developed by Spike, saw its release in Japan a couple weeks back on 30 September 2010. It is due out here in the US next week on 19 October 2010 for an MSRP of $39.99. Amazon actually has a pretty good deal on the game for a slightly-lower $39.82, but also a free $10 credit toward any future video game purchase.
A demo for the game is available both on the Japanese and American PlayStation Stores, so give it a whirl.
Namco-Bandai also released a new trailer for the game today showcasing "Dragon Walker Mode":
Raging Blast 2 Tidbits
The game is still three-to-four weeks out depending upon where you are in the world, but a couple extra tidbits are leaking out in anticipation of the final release.
Namco-Bandai EU released a new trailer for the game showcasing much more of the game's opening sequence, which includes the new opening vocal theme song ("Battle of Omega") from franchise veteran Hironobu Kageyama. The trailer also showcases some new scenes from Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, the included remake of the 1993/1994 Famicom/Playdia video games and OVA/guide.
The final roster also appears to have been revealed, which includes newcomers such as all three members of Coola's Armored Squad from DragonBall Z Movie 5 as well as Table from the 2008 Jump Super Anime Tour special.
GameTrailers has a quick developer walkthrough for the game with Dennis Lee, brand manager with Namco-Bandai. A quick look is given at some fighting mechanics, but also at the "Museum" mode which houses the character profiles, voice samples, BGM collection, movies, and more.
Reports are coming in that a demo for Raging Blast 2 is popping up across some of the European PlayStation Stores (though not the Japanese or American...), so start making those extra accounts and get your download on!
FUNimation Dragon Box 5 Release Details
While no specific date has been pinned down, FUNimation has been tossing out on Twitter that we can expect the fifth Dragon Box for the DragonBall Z TV series in "early 2011". This set will pick up with episode 169 and presumably take us through episode 210 into the Great Saiyaman story arc.
DragonBall Heroes Official Launch
As part of the larger carddas.com family, the official teaser page and first commercial for DragonBall Heroesnow sees the light of day in an official capacity.
As expected, the Japanese arcade-only game will allow for some sort of personal character customization alongside standard characters from the franchise. The commercial features a musical tune from Dragon Soul (not to be confused with the song "Dragon Soul", the opening theme to DragonBall Kai), comprised of members Takayoshi Tanimoto and Takafumi Iwasaki... though it does indeed sound very similar in parts to the actual "Dragon Soul" song.
Portuguese DragonBall Manga Re-Release
Our forum buddies DNA and rereboydropped a ton of information regarding a new re-release of the DragonBall manga in Portugal from Edições Asa — the prior version came from Planeta DeAgostini and was poorly translated from the Spanish version, though this new version from Asa appears to be translated from Viz's English version rather than the original Japanese.
So far only the first volume is out, released for an MSRP of €9.6 (though Asa's online store has a 10% discount bringing it down to €8.64). While based on the original tankôbon run, it sounds like the paper is of a higher-quality print. It looks like Asa will be on-schedule with one volume per month for the foreseeable future, so those of you in Portugal looking for a better release of the manga in your own native language, it sounds like you finally have a decent option.
There you have it. Anything we missed? Shoot us a line, since we love to cover as much news as we can from around the world. We have a bunch of new "Reviews" additions coming your way if I can find the time to finish them up, and we definitely have new video games hitting soon which will be a big subject of discussion. In terms of podcast plans, we have a "Manga Review of Awesomeness" that is due, and we will be having all sorts of blowout coverage and conversation about the original and new versions of Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. As Goku would say, look forward to it!
