If characters from Dragon Ball appeared as Guest Characters in Mortal Kombat or Injustice

[Tai Lung]

If characters from Dragon Ball appeared as Guest Characters in Mortal Kombat or Injustice ...





Which characters from Dragon Ball would you choose to appear in the games?
What would you make them do for their two "Fatality" finishers?
What would you do for their endings if you won the entire game with them - beating the final boss?

[Xeogran]

I think that Frieza would fit MK the most, he often gets his limbs torn
But otherwise, the concept of Fatality doesn't fit DB characters. It's too brutal.

[LoganForkHands73]

Personally, I don't think Netherrealm could do any anime character justice, let alone Dragon Ball characters. The quality of animations in recent games have improved, but they're still nowhere near the standard of other prestige fighting game titles. Besides, their whole "realistic" aesthetic is really not catered to highly stylised character designs, especially from non-Western franchises. Considering how little NRS games have appealed to Japanese markets, Japanese companies really don't seem to have any interest in collaborating with them. Netherrealm's attempt to make Hellboy look like he leapt out of an original Mike Mignola comic in Injustice 2 backfired horribly imo, so the idea of an Akira Toriyama-designed character in one of these games would probably look vomit-inducing (think Jump Force on crack). On the same token, while a Dragon Ball character could conceivably fit into the slapstick combat of Injustice, there's no way in hell anyone would let Goku's eyes get poked out in Mortal Kombat.

In terms of guest character representation, NRS have a really spotty track record. Sometimes they more-or-less nail it, like with Robocop in MK11 recently, but there's usually still some kind of drawback, like the characters are really boring to play or their animations look especially trashy. Robocop animating like a janky robot makes more sense than Spawn doing the same. In general, NRS seem way too preoccupied with appealing to dude-bro audiences with all these guest character choices.

Sorry, rant over. I would be enthusiastic about Dragon Ball characters appearing in other Arc System Works fighting games. There's rumours about a guest character potentially appearing in Guilty Gear STRIVE. As it is more of a weapons-oriented fighter, Trunks with his sword would fit in excellently. I unironically wouldn't mind Goku appearing in Smash Bros either, seeing as he's got a storied history in the video game medium ever since the Red Ribbon Army arc (Masako Nozawa holds the world record for voicing a video game character the longest). Lastly, even though it may seem hypocritical considering Tekken 7 is more of a "realistic" fighter, Namco have nailed more stylised character designs in the past (hell, Gon got in Tekken 3) and they have a pedigree for representing them perfectly. I once imagined how Vegeta would work in Tekken - they'd probably bring over mechanics from FighterZ such as Vanish and super-dashing... he'd be broken as hell though

[JulieYBM]

For story and dialogue, I feel like using Freeza would probably fit the most. He has the most striking dialogue and design that I think would make for the most interesting conversations, unless they're willing to have Son Gokuu go all-out and be poisonous by not being antagonistic toward the evil characters.

[VegettoEX]

Agreed on Freeza probably being the best and only fit for a Netherrealm crossover (and even then, as noted, I just don't think the aesthetics could be adapted in a way that works, with Jump Force indeed being the horrifying closest equivalent).

His obvious fatality would be the telekinetic explosion used on Kuririn; maybe a series of consecutive Death Beams for another. Lots of good keep-away moves for distancing, like rocks and beams and such (a la FighterZ).

If Dragon Ball ultimately had to cross-over with something and there was a gun to my head about it, I'd probably just cave and say Street Fighter, though. Honestly would just rather see a proper Jump (BLANK) Stars sequel .

[LoganForkHands73]

Agreed on Freeza probably being the best and only fit for a Netherrealm crossover (and even then, as noted, I just don't think the aesthetics could be adapted in a way that works, with Jump Force indeed being the horrifying closest equivalent).

His obvious fatality would be the telekinetic explosion used on Kuririn; maybe a series of consecutive Death Beams for another. Lots of good keep-away moves for distancing, like rocks and beams and such (a la FighterZ).

If Dragon Ball ultimately had to cross-over with something and there was a gun to my head about it, I'd probably just cave and say Street Fighter, though. Honestly would just rather see a proper Jump (BLANK) Stars sequel .

Jump Force is still quite baffling to me. The generic semi-realistic graphics felt like such a cheap marketing gimmick. The game could have been visually salvageable if they kept a similar cel-shaded aesthetic to J-Stars Victory VS, but tweaked and improved with new enhancements. J-Stars was great! It was a simple, loving tribute to a magazine's vast library of characters and stories - I'm not sure what Jump Force was trying to achieve in comparison.

If any characters absolutely had to be in an NRS game, then Frieza as well as Gero, Cell and Super Buu may be the only candidates who can come even close to keeping up with the ultraviolent aesthetic of MK. Even then, I can't say I'd be too comfortable with seeing them get flayed and disembowelled in such horrific detail, even if the latter two can regenerate. There's only a few times when Dragon Ball has reached anything close to that level of viscera, like when Frieza got cut in half by his own discs or Dr. Gero decapitating a guy with his bare hands - though if I remember rightly, the anime toned down scenes like that. With Injustice, more or less any Dragon Ball character could work, but I don't think the gameplay engine can convey the sense of speed, power and momentum to do the characters justice (hahaha)

It's also kinda funny that Street Fighter is really the only fighting game series left that has kept "integrity" by not indulging in guest characters. The closest they've had is Zeku being able to fully transform into a Strider.

[SSJgogeto]

I always thought about Mercenary Tao in MK.

[Polyphase Avatron]

How about Majin Buu? He could do the fatality where he becomes liquid and flows into the opponent's mouth and they explode.

Although doing various fatalities on him might look weird because of how his body works.

[Yuli Ban]

Dragon Ball's a bit too childish for Mortal Kombat, unfortunately. It never really indulged in that over the top ultraviolence outside of a few choice moments because, even though this was 80s Japan, it was still made for little kids. It's like Sonic the Hedgehog and the Mario cast appearing in a Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia game— tonally mismatched despite ostensibly being the same genre.

Hokuto no Ken or even Yu Yu Hakusho, I can see. But Dragon Ball is squarely "elementary school children" tier. I mean, so are those other two, but their target demographic is just a tad bit older altogether.

Dragon Ball Z's the kind of show that has characters appearing in goofy school supply adverts, giving lessons about crossing the street safely and following street signals, and telling you to eat your veggies. That also just happens to have bubblegum Eldritch abominations and sexual predators and a possibly sexually sadistic space Hitler often molesting muscly men wearing spandex. It's not meant for the likes of Mortal Kombat.

"But didn't Cersei and Tyrion meet Elmo from Sesame Street that one time?"

...... Get out.

[DBZAOTA482]

The only suitable characters are Freeza, Dr. Gero, Cell, and Super Boo.

[FoolsGil]

Only Cell would fit in Mortal Kombat, because his fatalities wouldn't be atomizing a person, or turning them into chocolate. Even a beam of energy that didn't eviscerate, it would be so quick, there'd be loss impact. No with Cell It would be disgusting, and gross and nasty.

I would personally want this to Imperfect Cell, so he would have a wish to keep absorbing people.

Fatality 1, he absorbs you through his tail, like that rich guy in the anime. And it's just as gruesome, if not more so. Netherrealm knows what to do. And in the event of fighting a cyborg/android/robot, he absorbs their skin, and their robot body, the lights go out on their body to signify death.

Fatality 2, he uses the absorption he did to 17 and 18. And his body will transform and take on the characteristics of who he absorbed. For example, with Reptile, Cell absorbing him, Celltile will look like Reptile from Mortal Kombat 4.



*shudders* fucking goosebumps

If Cell were to win, he'd probably get so much power he'd be able to kick off the programming restraints of wishing to absorb 17 and 18, and kill Goku. But he's still a monster, so he'll terrorize the realms like a fucking bogeyman, clearing out settlement after settlement, civilization after civilization, and having fun with it.

[Cold Skin]

For Injustice, it is limited in violence so it could be the heroes.

For Mortal Kombat, it would definately be the bad guys.
But the Japanese rightholders wouldn't allow it anyway, they wouldn't want the characters to be associated with explicit, gruesome violent scenes. Even the bones breaking during the X-ray sequences would be too much for them to show.

[Grimlock]

In Injustice I would like to see Daishinkan (and to be part of the story). How well would the DC characters fare against the strongest in Dragon Ball?

In Mortal Kombat, well probably Freeza's the best choice for obvious reasons.

[DBZAOTA482]

Dragon Ball's a bit too childish for Mortal Kombat, unfortunately. It never really indulged in that over the top ultraviolence outside of a few choice moments because, even though this was 80s Japan, it was still made for little kids. It's like Sonic the Hedgehog and the Mario cast appearing in a Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia game— tonally mismatched despite ostensibly being the same genre.

Hokuto no Ken or even Yu Yu Hakusho, I can see. But Dragon Ball is squarely "elementary school children" tier. I mean, so are those other two, but their target demographic is just a tad bit older altogether.

Dragon Ball Z's the kind of show that has characters appearing in goofy school supply adverts, giving lessons about crossing the street safely and following street signals, and telling you to eat your veggies. That also just happens to have bubblegum Eldritch abominations and sexual predators and a possibly sexually sadistic space Hitler often molesting muscly men wearing spandex. It's not meant for the likes of Mortal Kombat.

"But didn't Cersei and Tyrion meet Elmo from Sesame Street that one time?"

...... Get out.

It might be for kids by Japan's standards but for Americans, DBZ is at least for tweens/teens and young adults.

Also, the comparison to Mario and Sonic is absurd because those two franchise have little-to-no adult content.

[Tai Lung]

by the way how to interpret this that ed boon said?

https://twitter.com/noobde/status/1258034892472037378

[Peach]

I don't think Dragon Ball characters fit in that style.

The guy from Berserk might fit though

[Melee_Sovereign]

I think Imperfect Cell would fit perfectly (no pun intended) in Mortal Kombat. He's got the right look for MK, and dude could literally liquefy and absorb people with his tail as a Fatality (among other things). And I think his look can work in more realistic art styles.



I could see Moro working too.

[LoganForkHands73]

by the way how to interpret this that ed boon said?

https://twitter.com/noobde/status/1258034892472037378

It's a pun on Dead or Alive, another fighting game series developed by Team Ninja (then carrying on with Street Fighter and Dragon Ball FighterZ). Ed Boon doesn't have any control over those IPs, it's just his usual Twitter trolling.

[FoolsGil]

by the way how to interpret this that ed boon said?

https://twitter.com/noobde/status/1258034892472037378

It's a pun on Dead or Alive, another fighting game series developed by Team Ninja (then carrying on with Street Fighter and Dragon Ball FighterZ). Ed Boon doesn't have any control over those IPs, it's just his usual Twitter trolling.

Robocop in Fighterz confirmed

[Hellspawn28]

I think Freeza would be only the one that I can see fitting in MK. It would be cool and funny seeing him interact with the characters.

Freeza: You remind me of another monk that I've killed
Kung Lao: You won't be killing me so easily

On a serious note, I doubt it will ever happen. The only character that I can see working in Injustice would be Gohan as the Great Saiyaman or Jiren because they are both superheroes.