Namco-Bandai has sent out a press release confirming the 22 June 2010 release date in North America for Dragon Ball Origins 2 (the domestic release of Japan’s Dragon Ball DS 2 from earlier in the year). Of particular note is the demo coming to the Wii’s Nintendo Channel next Monday, 31 May 2010:
DRAGON BALL®: ORIGINS 2 FOR NINTENDO DS™ HAS GONE GOLD AND DOWNLOADABLE DEMO AVAILABLE ON MAY 31
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (May 24, 2010) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that Dragon Ball®: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS™ has gone gold and will be available in North America on June 22, 2010. In addition, a free downloadable demo version of the game will be available via the Nintendo® Channel on the Wii™ console starting on May 31, 2010. Dragon Ball: Origins 2 is the sequel to the original Dragon Ball: Origins for DS. The new game takes players on an action-packed adventure around the world, as young Goku and his friends battle against the nefarious Red Ribbon Army as they hunt for the legendary Dragon Balls.
Players who download the free demo will get a preview of Goku’s gameplay in Dragon Ball: Origins 2. While traveling on his Flying Nimbus cloud, Goku was attacked by the Red Ribbon Army led by the malevolent Commander Red, causing him to lose his trusted Power Pole weapon. In this single-level demo, players will attempt to retrieve his gear as they solve puzzles, hone their skills, encounter skillful opponents and face off in an ultimate boss battle that provides just a sample of the final gameplay experience.
In Dragon Ball: Origins 2, players battle through the Red Ribbon Army saga and have the chance to play not only as Goku, but also the added variety of his friends from the series along the way including Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and more, each with their own abilities and power-ups. In addition to an exciting single-player mode, two players can join up for satisfying co-op multiplayer challenges via a local wireless connection. By playing the single-player adventure, special multiplayer stages including challenging boss fights unlock and become available. Players are also able to carry over their saved character from the single-player mode as they battle alongside friends in co-op mode.
A challenging mix of action and exploration awaits, as Goku and friends must use a wide range of skills to solve puzzles, find treasure chests, and defeat armies of baddies. A situation-based camera adapts with the changing gameplay to bring players closer to the action as they jump, swing and charge through forests, underwater areas and more. Meanwhile, key boss battles switch to side-view to emphasize the signature fighting style of the Dragon Ball series. With support for both stylus and button input options, players are free to choose their preferred control style.
Dragon Ball: Origins 2 for Nintendo DS is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and will have an MSRP of $29.99. For more information about the game, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com or http://dragonball.namco.com. To join the official fan community, please visit http://www.gokuscorner.com.
Beyond our initial thoughts on Episode #0151 of the podcast, we never got around to giving the first game a full review. We are looking forward to the sequel and hopefully seeing a lot of its predecessor’s issues corrected.
In related video game news, a new trailer for Raging Blast 2 is popping up online, though with a seemingly replaced audio track and specifically branded for a European audience. Nothing of particular note is showcased in this new trailer.