Episode #0273 (02 October 2011)

[VegettoEX]

Episode #0273 (download MP3) (rss feed) (subscribe in iTunes)
49:36; 96 kbps, mono; 34.3 MB

Episode #0273! VegettoEX and Meri, in light of what appears to be a fantastic opening to "Ultimate Blast" due out this month, take a look back at all of the major video game openings the franchise has received over the years. From the 32-bit generation up through today, there have been a lot of highs and lows. Are the classic ones still the best of all time? A surprise return of the Top 5 list reveals what Meri considers the lousiest video game openings! Referenced sites:

• "Ultimate Blast" Footage (Off-Screen) @ YouTube
• "Shin Butoden" Opening @ YouTube
• Meri's Top 5 Lousiest Game Openings @ Daizenshuu EX
• FUNimation DBZ TV Dragon Box 7 @ Amazon
• "Kai" Season One (DVD) @ Amazon
• "Kai" Season One (Blu-ray) @ Amazon
• "Ultimate Tenkaichi" (PS3) @ Amazon
• "Ultimate Tenkaichi" (360) @ Amazon

Two topic-only shows two weeks in a row! Whoa! Not only that, but after just over 100 episodes, Meri returns with a Top 5 list! Whoa! Enjoy!

What's your favorite opening? What's your least favorite opening? Why? Go into extreme detail!

[Super Sayian Prime]

You forgot Dragon Ball Online! A shame too, since out of the CG ones, it's actually my favourite.

There's also Sagas, but as that doesn't have a theme I can understand why you'd ignore it.

[PuppetDoctor]

Really good podcast. I learned about games and intros that I never even knew about (although they were all from the 32bit era).

I am REALLY hoping for a Manga Review of Awesomeness of next week.

[samuraix123]

Great episode! I have played all the Dragonball Z games, That was mentioned in this podcast Also my two favorite games are Hyper dimension & Budakai 3.

[Casual Matt]

I actually kind of like the original Sparking Opening, but only the English version. Don't get me wrong, I love We Gotta Power, but having that song over something other than the actual show intro feels awkward, and as you guys pointed out, it doesn't sync up with the animation at all. The song composed for the English release actually fits the animation and ends up being better.

Also, I looked up the Raging Blast 2 intro while listening to this since I hadn't seen it before. It was surprisingly good, but I think a big part of that is the fact that the song was great.

[Chuquita]

I still love Budoukai 2 and 3's openings. They're fun and semi-nostalgic. My favorite part of 2 has to be Goku spinning around in flight during the sunset. With 3 I'd also have to go with the very beginning part with them going over the ocean.

I also remember 56k downloading speeds; it would take hours upon hours to download video-clips. And now not even a full decade later anything I want to see can be loaded within seconds. Technology's definitely something.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

I don't know if you or Meri had noticed, but during the Final Bout intro discussion, you talk about Goku just flying toward the screen after he charges past Freeza, Cell and Buu, but that's not really what he's doing. He's charging a silhouette of Super Oozaru Bebi. I've always wondered if people actually realized that's what is going on... lol

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

Holy cow, Ultimate Tenkaichi opening. I would have hated them for bringing genric created characters into the mix if not for the gawking at Shenron clip.

English music saved Tenkaichi's opening, as much as it could be. I really took for granted how freaking amazing Budokai 2's opening was at the time. As for Shin Butoden (Which I saw for the first time thanks to that link- I think...), here is how Super Buu's effect makes sense; he's "Elephants on Parade" crossed with Giygas. See? Now it's awesome.

[LeprikanGT]

Why skip Sagas?

[Shiyonasan]

Great podcast! Good to see Meri's Top 5 return after 102 episodes! Yes, I checked...

I love some of the video game openings that have come out over the years, especially the openings for Budokai 2 and Budokai 3. The fluid 2D animation and awesome rockin' tunes just sell the whole package to me for those two openings. I also liked the Raging Blast 2 opening. I had never seen it before, since the most recent Dragon Ball game I've played is Infinite World. The Ultimate Blast opening looks incredible as well.

Also, I don't know if you've realized this Mike, but the link for Dragon Box Seven goes to Dragon Box Six. Just thought I'd point that out.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

I'm gonna save this for the train ride home tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, this topic is right up my ally!

[The Tori-bot]

I'm gonna save this for the train ride home tomorrow.

I wish I had your resolve. My next train journey's not until Thursday, so I tried really really hard to resist listening until then, but... challenge failed.

I don't know if you or Meri had noticed, but during the Final Bout intro discussion, you talk about Goku just flying toward the screen after he charges past Freeza, Cell and Buu, but that's not really what he's doing. He's charging a silhouette of Super Oozaru Bebi. I've always wondered if people actually realized that's what is going on... lol

Huh? Where? I can see a lot of black clouds, but nothing that resembles a Bebi silhouette... I guess there's something that could look like a tail, but that's about it.

[MCDaveG]

Will listen to it tonight.

- I also didn't noticed anything like Bebi in FB intro and it was my favorite opening as I was playing this game countless times back in the days.

[VegettoEX]

There are a lot of other games we could have included, but we really just cut it off with "Japanese-created games" and "traditional console games". That means Sagas is out, DragonBall Online is out, all the portable games are out, etc. Just too much to cover, otherwise!

Also, if you want to get technical, the Sagas FMV we think of as the "opening" is actually just the Chapter 1-1 opening... there are tons of other FMVs in the game, but they're all just from the show, and that one just happens to be the first one... but it's not really the pre-title-screen opening... but that's all just wacky non-justification for not covering it .

He's charging a silhouette of Super Oozaru Bebi.

Not so sure about that. Here are a couple shots from the ending --

As he's running along, the dark clouds just seem to be random against the red sky:


As he flies away from the screen at the end, it doesn't seem any more or less random than it just was before:


I suppose you could kinda fudge it into sorta looking like a silhouette of a character at the end... but I wonder if that's seeing what you want to see, rather than seeing what's actually there. Then again, the more I look at it now, the more I'm starting to believe.


Also, meant to mention it during the show, but WTF is up with the brightness level of the Final Bout intro? It's TERRIBLE.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Not so sure about that. Here are a couple shots from the ending --

As he's running along, the dark clouds just seem to be random against the red sky:

As he flies away from the screen at the end, it doesn't seem any more or less random than it just was before:

I suppose you could kinda fudge it into sorta looking like a silhouette of a character at the end... but I wonder if that's seeing what you want to see, rather than seeing what's actually there. Then again, the more I look at it now, the more I'm starting to believe.

I guess it could be a case of seeing what I want, but I I also really doubt that (even you're becoming a believer =P). The clouds while he is running do look pretty random, fairly natural...for red clouds I suppose. lol But after he jumps, it looks a lot less random too me. The portion of the silhouette that looks like the tail is simply too much of a coincidence in my opinion. It looks kind of like they did him in the hazy style of when characters are in the dust clouds after someone tried to blow them up and accomplished nothing, though without the dust clouds...

[Tanooki Kuribo]

There are a lot of other games we could have included, but we really just cut it off with "Japanese-created games" and "traditional console games". That means Sagas is out, DragonBall Online is out, all the portable games are out, etc. Just too much to cover, otherwise!

Well, you could always make this a re-occurring topic. I figure in three or four years time you'll have another good amount of video game openings to warrant a "part 2". Sure, it won't be as many openings but probably enough for a podcast.

[Big Momma]

He's definitely charging at a silhouette, but it definitely doesn't look like Oozaru.

Great episode! I don't usually listen to the podcast(I don't really have much time), but I'm about 3/4 through this one and I'm loving it!

[hudemx]

I always thought it was Baby in his golden Oozaru Form, which is also unlockable in the Game as most of us should know...


... or is it?

[sangofe]

Hey, you guys (or at least Meri) aren't being far to Shin Butoden! Its opening isn't that bad...

[Rory]

I always thought it was Baby in his golden Oozaru Form, which is also unlockable in the Game as most of us should know...


... or is it?

Of course it is, I thought that was pretty obvious (if you've completed the game).