Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Discussion of all things related to Dragon Ball video games (console and portable games, arcade versions, etc.) from the entire franchise's history.

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
Super Sayian Prime
I Live Here
Posts: 2296
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:26 pm
Location: Hail

Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Super Sayian Prime » Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:50 am

With Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 coming to Nintendo Switch, do you think Ultimate Mission X will be the final handheld-exclusive Dragon Ball release? I get the sense it might be. We saw the end of PlayStation handheld specific Dragon Ball projects with Vita receiving ports of Battle of Z and J-Stars, rather than built from the ground up titles its predecessor saw. While that can certainly be attributed to the platform's commercial failure, it can also be attributed to a shifting development environment. It's never been easier to release a game on multiple platforms (as long as the specs are capable enough) and never more expensive to make a game. The incentive for multiplatform development is there and at the moment, Nintendo finally has portable hardware capable of sharing content with other devices. Is this the end of smaller, more experimental portable Dragon Ball experiences?

I guess the argument could be made that Switch might be like the Wii, which initially received ports before getting its own game as PS2 faded. I'm not sure that's going to be the case, though. For starters, the cost of making a Switch project might be too prohibitively expensive to not port it to the other platforms. Could Bandai Namco justify making a game like Dragon Ball Fusions exclusive on HD hardware? I'm not sure. Plus, PS4 and XB1 aren't going to be sunsetted for at least 2 years and it's hard to imagine Nintendo wouldn't have prepared a more powerful Switch somewhere by then.

Bad news for Bandai Namco is that this pretty much means it's the end of the line for the cheap and successful Ultimate Mission ports. 3DS replicates the arcade experience thanks to its two screen setup. Nothing of the sort on Switch.
"I like the money it brings in, but Dragon Ball Heroes is the worst. That's actually the real reason I decided to start working on new material. I was afraid Bandai would make something irredeemably stupid like Super Saiyan 4 Broly." - Akira Toriyama, made up interview, 2013.

User avatar
songohan619
Patreon Supporter
Posts: 1435
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:17 am
Location: Askøy, Norway

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by songohan619 » Tue Mar 21, 2017 4:37 am

I think no right now, because the 3DS still aint dead, but in the long run? Yup...

User avatar
Footlong Shoe
Patreon Supporter
Posts: 404
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2015 10:47 pm
Location: Durham, NC
Contact:

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Footlong Shoe » Tue Mar 21, 2017 12:16 pm

I'm pretty sure Nintendo outright said the Switch isn't replacing the 3DS, so I'd say it's not the end just yet. You also have to consider the next step for Nintendo after the Switch, which might be back to the standard console format.
Discord - Footlong Shoe #1327

User avatar
VegettoEX
Kanzenshuu Co-Owner & Administrator
Posts: 17541
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 3:10 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by VegettoEX » Tue Mar 21, 2017 9:09 pm

Something that's been on my mind, as well. Thanks for outlining it so well.

With 20+ million units sold each in Japan, America, and Europe, there's still a decent-sized 3DS base for them to market to, especially in these early Switch days where it's primarily the Nintendo enthusiast (and presumably an older one) that's buying into the new system so soon.

That being said, 2018 really feels like the most they can stretch 3DS Dragon Ball development.
  • It's clear (or at least it feels that way) that they're looking to wrap up Ultimate Mission on 3DS with X this year. Super DB Heroes still has a healthy lifespan ahead of it... or... at least I think it does? I dunno how long this damn thing can last. We're six years in. Can they truly go for a decade...?! I'd say they're setting up X for at least another year of support (if UM2 was anything to go by), taking them into at least late 2018 (if not 2019) that they have to worry about a new home/portable version. And by that point, will anyone still be interested? Overall, I think Heroes is in a pretty safe place: ride out X, see where the next couple years takes the arcade game, and make a decision then. If need be, make it on Switch, and I guess see if they can get it running above 3 FPS. That'd be neat.
  • Fusions almost certainly gets a sequel. I'd say it's on 3DS. That game was really well-made, and I wonder how well they future-proofed development in terms of assets. Do they have higher-poly models? High-res backgrounds? Maybe Switch gets an updated port of a theoretical Fusions 2, but I think that for sure comes to 3DS first. Another one where they can slightly extend its life with DLC (a la the first game) to bide their time.
It's the other stuff, though, where all the REAL questions come in. DS/3DS has always been a great test-bed for lighter projects, and that pretty much goes away with Switch. I mean, it doesn't HAVE TO, but it would seem really weird to have janky, low-res stuff come out there. Again, I think UMX and a theoretical Fusions 2 take them through the rest of the 3DS lifespan pretty well, so at that point we're left with...

Yeah, I guess just console-level stuff? But then the Switch isn't going to forever be competing on the same level as the new systems, and judging from other cross-gen/system games (see: Dragon Quest Heroes), XV2 is likely to run in reduced form. So... yeah, we lose out on the less-risky-yet-experimental stuff that likely brought us Fusions in the first place.

Elephant in the room: do they just crap out some more mobile stuff? It was so weird to see them release and then COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND ENTIRELY REMOVE a whole slew of iPhone games in Japan, only to then jump in whole-hog with Dokkan Battle internationally. But mobile is an entirely different market, and we all know we'd never see anything truly experimental and satisfying long-term over there.

I really do think the DS catalog was the most diverse and satisfying run for this franchise. It was great to see it slightly extend to 3DS, and I'm sad to hear "Taps" playing in the distance.
:: [| Mike "VegettoEX" LaBrie |] ::
:: [| Kanzenshuu - Co-Founder/Administrator, Podcast Host, News Manager (note: our "job" titles are arbitrary and meaningless) |] ::
:: [| Website: January 1998 |] :: [| Podcast: November 2005 |] :: [| Fusion: April 2012 |] :: [| Wiki: 20XX |] ::

User avatar
Super Sayian Prime
I Live Here
Posts: 2296
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:26 pm
Location: Hail

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Super Sayian Prime » Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:16 pm

I'm not sure 3DS has more than Ultimate Mission X left in it. DS, a platform with a userbase nearly twice that of the 3DS, never got another Dragon Ball game after its successor launched. Barring a miracle, UMX will almost certainly be a case of declining sales for Bandai Namco and I hazard to guess the same would be true for a Fusions sequel. Remember when we were so sure Attack of the Saiyans would get a sequel? If Ganbarion has higher resolution assets, I'm not sure why they wouldn't launch an HD port/expansion this year. Their last large scale 3DS project, One Piece: Unlimited World Red, had that happen. Would be decent filler for a year where (internationally) it seems Bandai Namco is just relying on DLC from Xenoverse 2.

I view mobile (iOS/Android) completely independently of the dedicated space. After Bandai Namco's original trio of paid smartphone games cratered and the gacha-style Dokkan Battle took off, I knew we'd never get experiences comparable to handhelds on those devices again. The only exception might be something like Ultimate Mission. I can see some free-to-play rendition coming out. The expectations for mobile gaming are low, so PS2 assets wouldn't be as much of a visual turn off as on modern dedicated devices. The vertical screen orientation is better suited towards emulating the arcade experience and more kids will own a phone than will ever own a Switch.
"I like the money it brings in, but Dragon Ball Heroes is the worst. That's actually the real reason I decided to start working on new material. I was afraid Bandai would make something irredeemably stupid like Super Saiyan 4 Broly." - Akira Toriyama, made up interview, 2013.

User avatar
Chuquita
Namekian Warrior
Posts: 15155
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:16 am
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Chuquita » Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:30 pm

Probably. Some kids still play 3DS, but more of them have and play games on their phones. Portable gaming systems probably seem to parents more a luxury where phones are a necessity.

I personally used to play handheld Nintendo games all the time up until around the time I got my first smartphone, then I slowly drifted away from my handhelds. I don't play phone games though because I prefer the tactile experience of pressing buttons on a controller, so I play games on my laptop instead (I bought a controller I can plug into the laptop).
My deviantart * My tumblr * My twitter
---
フレフレ みんあ! フレフレ 私!

User avatar
Thanos
I'm, pretty, cozy, here...
Posts: 1630
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:33 am

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Thanos » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:38 pm

I'm still skeptical of Nintendo's commitment to the 3DS--though, it's not really problematic for me. The 3DS has been out for six years, and it's had its fair share of heavy-hitters that I'm still collecting. I'm not sure how profitable it is moving forward for Nintendo, and if it's really worth possible cannibalization of the Switch's success continuing to support both platforms (including releasing games like Fire Emblem Warriors on both). For the immediate future it seems Nintendo is still interested in supporting it, but I see it going much in the way of the GBA, where Nintendo described the DS as a "third pillar" to the GBA and GC, and we all know how that turned out.

As far as Dragon Ball goes specifically, the concern about handheld games is a real one. I always liked the distinct feel of console and handheld from one another (especially with games like Supersonic Warriors, Attack of the Saiyans and Fusions), and while I look forward to playing Xenoverse 2 on the go, it seems that quaint, more simple style is going the way of the dodo. :-/ The one vestige I can see is indie games... I mean, you take a look at Wargroove, which is more or less a medieval Advance Wars clone that is also being released for Xbox One and PC. Ideally, I'd like for bigger commercial developers to not feel obligated to push the graphical capabilities and design games with the handheld aspect in mind, but we'll see how it goes.
Thanos before Thanos was cool.

User avatar
Xeogran
I Live Here
Posts: 3056
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:04 am
Contact:

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Xeogran » Wed May 10, 2017 12:10 pm

Super Saiyan Prime wrote:Barring a miracle, UMX will almost certainly be a case of declining sales for Bandai Namco and I hazard to guess the same would be true for a Fusions sequel.
This miracle happened.

Alongside many other additions, having an entire Arcade Machine on a portable platform helped Ultimate MIssion X sell well. And so far it's doing better than both of it's predecessors.
Having played it myself, I can admit that the game really is a big improvement over the past two, in terms of characters and features. So glad it's selling very well!

...There is still hope for humanity after all.

User avatar
Super Sayian Prime
I Live Here
Posts: 2296
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:26 pm
Location: Hail

Re: Does Nintendo Switch mark the end of handheld specific Dragon Ball games?

Post by Super Sayian Prime » Wed May 10, 2017 3:18 pm

Xeogran wrote:
Super Saiyan Prime wrote:Barring a miracle, UMX will almost certainly be a case of declining sales for Bandai Namco and I hazard to guess the same would be true for a Fusions sequel.
This miracle happened.

Alongside many other additions, having an entire Arcade Machine on a portable platform helped Ultimate MIssion X sell well. And so far it's doing better than both of it's predecessors.
Having played it myself, I can admit that the game really is a big improvement over the past two, in terms of characters and features. So glad it's selling very well!

...There is still hope for humanity after all.
Maybe it won't matter in the end, but a second week drop of ~70% for a general audience game in Golden Week might indicate UMX is ultimately grabbing the people who bought UM2 faster, rather than grabbing new ones. Sequels are typically more frontloaded, especially as a platform gets older.
"I like the money it brings in, but Dragon Ball Heroes is the worst. That's actually the real reason I decided to start working on new material. I was afraid Bandai would make something irredeemably stupid like Super Saiyan 4 Broly." - Akira Toriyama, made up interview, 2013.

Post Reply