Episode #0452 (12 August 2018)

[VegettoEX]

Episode #0452 (download MP3) (rss feed) (subscribe in iTunes) (YouTube version) (SoundCloud version)
52:55; 96 kbps, mono; 36.5 MB

Episode #0452! Mike and Randy discuss "Dragon Ball FighterZ" and its debut at Evo 2018! How did the final eight shake out, what did the lineups look like, and what have we learned about the game since launch? Tune in for a nice overview of the tournament, and stick around for some extra news and website content!

SEGMENTS:

• 00:13 - Introduction
• 02:00 - News
• 07:41 - Topic
• 45:00 - Wrap-up

REFERENCED SITES:

• NEWS: Evo 2018 "Dragon Ball FighterZ" Recap: SonicFox Wins + Goku & Vegeta Release Date + Coola Reveal
• NEWS: "Dragon Ball FighterZ" Coola Promotional Video Showcases Special Moves...
• NEWS: "Dragon Ball FighterZ" 1.11 Patch Notes
• NEWS: "Dragon Ball FighterZ" Nintendo Switch Open Beta Details
• NEWS: Bandai Namco Holdings Q1 Fiscal 2019 Figures
• NEWS: "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z" Theatrical Film Eight-Volume Remastered Blu-ray Release...
• TWITTER THREAD: Vegeta's "Galaxy Breaker" Technique Name Origins
• TWITTER THREAD: "Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission" Bonus Chapters
• LISTEN: VegettoEX Interview @ Fresh Geek Context

Sorry for the extra week off, but we're back on schedule again!

[KBABZ]

I was super-torn on the story modes for FighterZ. On the one hand, the endless slog of fighting Schindler's List clones was a terrible way to pad out the combat, and the animation in the cutscenes was so far below anything in the actual fights that I felt like I was playing a Telltale game. On the other hand, I was really captivated by the eventual story for Android 21; while she's rather one-note in the first two sagas (aside from the whole "secretly psychotic" thing), she gets rather fleshed out with the third saga and becomes a more multi-faceted character that I'd love to see appear in a later arc in Super.

I also can't seem to do Hit's combo challenge, that ice-freeze combo is BS!

[dualist]

I totally agree with you in regards to Xenoverse and FighterZ. Because FighterZ is such a superior fighting game, I feel like it would be best for the XV series to put more focus towards its RPG elements. I prefer that type of game to the fighting genre and therefore prefer XV over FighterZ, but I am so happy to see the attention that FighterZ has garnered. This a huge win for DB fans everywhere!

[AgitoZ]

Good to finally see an episode on the game. I was wondering when you were gonna get around to it. I've already clocked more than 200 hours in the game.

If Mike isn't too good with hyper fighters like FighterZ or Marvel vs. Capcom then maybe the 1 on 1 mode on the Switch will be more his style. Will also be a good excuse to go back to the game on the podcast.

I was super-torn on the story modes for FighterZ. On the one hand, the endless slog of fighting Schindler's List clones was a terrible way to pad out the combat, and the animation in the cutscenes was so far below anything in the actual fights that I felt like I was playing a Telltale game. On the other hand, I was really captivated by the eventual story for Android 21; while she's rather one-note in the first two sagas (aside from the whole "secretly psychotic" thing), she gets rather fleshed out with the third saga and becomes a more multi-faceted character that I'd love to see appear in a later arc in Super.

I feel like Arc should've just made a full CG movie as the story mode like they did with Guilty Gear Xrd and kept the actual gameplay parts of the story as its own separate single player mode maybe just a place to farm zeni. I like the character interaction you can come across but it's not enough to justify what a chore the mode can become. Also I wish the arcade mode would add the DLC to its roster.

I also can't seem to do Hit's combo challenge, that ice-freeze combo is BS!

I'm assuming you're talking about his final combo, no.10? The main parts I struggled with was the timing after the vanish. What you have to do is delay the standing medium after vanish as much as possible and then it's pretty straight forward from there. There's no strict timing aside from having to do Icy Glare fairly quickly after his standing heavy. The string from standing medium into the Vital Point Attack is pretty lenient so take your time or else the game sometimes thinks you're trying to do his Tides of Time move.

[KBABZ]

I was super-torn on the story modes for FighterZ. On the one hand, the endless slog of fighting Schindler's List clones was a terrible way to pad out the combat, and the animation in the cutscenes was so far below anything in the actual fights that I felt like I was playing a Telltale game. On the other hand, I was really captivated by the eventual story for Android 21; while she's rather one-note in the first two sagas (aside from the whole "secretly psychotic" thing), she gets rather fleshed out with the third saga and becomes a more multi-faceted character that I'd love to see appear in a later arc in Super.

I feel like Arc should've just made a full CG movie as the story mode like they did with Guilty Gear Xrd and kept the actual gameplay parts of the story as its own separate single player mode maybe just a place to farm zeni. I like the character interaction you can come across but it's not enough to justify what a chore the mode can become. Also I wish the arcade mode would add the DLC to its roster.

I think the real problem was simply how long the arcs were. There were too many instances of maps that never had opening or closing cutscenes, and important events would require clearing a map first rather than being introduced earlier for better pacing. For example, "Oh, we found the energy signature of Trunks and Goten!" would be separated by having to clear a map, and the reward was the cutscene where you recover the two (which means MORE clone fighters to do). This is story design from 1987, not 2018. There's a good story in there but it's broken up by endless and unrewarding fights.

I also can't seem to do Hit's combo challenge, that ice-freeze combo is BS!

I'm assuming you're talking about his final combo, no.10? The main parts I struggled with was the timing after the vanish. What you have to do is delay the standing medium after vanish as much as possible and then it's pretty straight forward from there. There's no strict timing aside from having to do Icy Glare fairly quickly after his standing heavy. The string from standing medium into the Vital Point Attack is pretty lenient so take your time or else the game sometimes thinks you're trying to do his Tides of Time move.

Haha, it's been a while so I'm not up with the lingo, but thanks for the advice! I'll have to give it a go sometime.

[Majin Buu]

Sorry if this is long, but I have a lot to say about this game in relation to myself as a gamer, as a listener of the podcast, and as a Dragon Ball fan; and didn't want to necropost in the older podcast threads on it.

I've always been more of a casual player of traditional fighting games. Though these types of games were part of my formative gaming experiences and I enjoy playing them with people that are around my level, I've never been engaged enough in one to want to get super good at it; and since I haven't had anyone around to regularly play with until very recently (and the last time I tried to play any of these online I was slaughtered constantly), I don't play many fighting games anymore outside of Smash Bros. .

However....

This game is fun. I was introduced to it through a friend a few weeks ago and even though he kicked my ass repeatedly, I didn't want to rage quit. I still wanted to play it. Then I found out about the open beta for the Switch version and got to play a bit of the tutorial before I was kicked out due to server errors (and wasn't able to get back in for the rest of the beta period ). I'm planning to pick up the game when it comes out for the Switch in Sept and want to get good enough at it to compete online.

After finding out about the game, I listened to the Podcast episode where Mike and co expressed their hype for it, and I couldn't help but get swept up in it myself. As a long time listener of the podcast, I know it had to be especially cathartic for Mike since he has had to play through and review many Sparking style 3D Arena games and would always make variations of statements like "I don't love these types of games", "I comes from a Street Fighter background", "I don't like that most of these characters play the same", "I would rather play Super DBZ". I went back and listened to those review episodes again and I would smile to myself when Mike made a statement like that, knowing that he will eventually get the Dragon Ball game he's been waiting for.

At the time those old podcast episodes were released I was more of a fan of the 3D Arena style than I am now and was kind of bummed that Mike (and Meri) didn't share my enthusiasm for them. But after Sparking Meteor I sat out the entire next generation of Dragon Ball games since they were still doing the Sparking style with Raging Blast and I felt that I had gotten the best version of that type of game with Meteor and was ready for something different. Now I find myself agreeing with Mike's statements from those old episodes after getting bored of the 3D Arena style. It also helps that this is IMO the best looking Dragon Ball game since Budokai 3/Infinite World. I like the destructive finishes as well, they help feel like you're playing the show even though this isn't a 3D Arena fighter.

It has also snapped me out of a negative attitude I've had in regards to Dragon Ball as a franchise for a little while now. As a fan that still adores the original series, I haven't liked most of what I've seen and read about Super and as such had become kind of jaded about the franchise in general, but this game has gotten me into a Dragon Ball kick again, prompting me to revisit what I still like about Dragon Ball and not be as jaded about the new material I don't like.

As a casual fighting game player that hasn't regularly played a traditional fighting game in some time; and as a Dragon Ball fan that hasn't been enthusiastic about new Dragon Ball stuff in some time, I'm really looking forward to getting this game. I know I'm late to the party with this game, but at least I made it.