Kanzenshuu

Published by VegettoEX24 June 2013, 5:46 PM EDTComment

It was a pretty eventful week filled with news in the Dragon World, so we took the opportunity this episode to really dig deep into it all as well as discuss some of the great content that has been popping up on the site throughout the month of June. From an in-depth discussion about the upcoming Battle of Z video game to international movie news to interviews from the 80s, 90s, 00s, and beyond, our podcast here at Kanzenshuu this week has something for every type of Dragon Ball fan!

boz_logo_500w

SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Episode #0337! VegettoEX and Julian dive into a huge week’s worth of news including “Dragon Ball Heroes” updates, “Battle of Gods” international news, and more. Joe stops by to talk about the newly-announced “Battle of Z” video game before the group dives back into discussing the wealth of content posted to the website throughout the month of June.

REFERENCED SITES:

Enjoy! Discuss this episode on the Kanzenshuu forum!

Content

New Review: FLOW “Battle of Gods” CD Single

Published by VegettoEX24 June 2013, 2:36 PM EDTCommentDBZ Movie 2013

The CD single in question was released three months ago (where does the time go?!), but the review is still as relevant as ever!

Read on for a review of FLOW’s CD single for “Hero ~Song of Hope~ / CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA”. Both songs appear in the new film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, and the CD single comes packed with a bonus remix track of an older song, and English version of “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA”, and instrumentals of both movie songs. Is this a required purchase for all fans, or just the music aficionados?

News

Miscellaneous “J-Stars Victory Vs” (PS3/Vita) Updates

Published by VegettoEX24 June 2013, 12:21 PM EDT1 CommentJ-Stars

While we had previously mentioned the latest two roster additions — Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach) and Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin) — for the upcoming “team battle action” game J-Stars Victory Vs on the PlayStation 3 and Vita, last week’s August 2013 issue of V-Jump in Japan digs a little deeper into the characters and some of the gameplay techniques.

jstars_art_ichigo-kenshin

So far, we know there are regular attacks, power attacks, area-based attacks, and finishing moves. Regular attacks are of course the main part of the battle, and all combos begin with them. As for power attacks, they do leave you open, but they have a big impact if they connect. You increase power of the attack by charging it up. Area-based attacks, appropriately enough, allow you to hit your opponents over a wide area. The finishing move is what it suggests. Highlighted is Ichigo’s Getsuga Tenshō, which lets loose black Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) over a long distance, while Kenshin comes equipped with his Shinsoku – Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, as well as his Kuzuryū-sen (nine-headed dragon beam).

By using different techniques, you can lead your team to victory; the promotional text declares that learning each character’s different power, range, and effects is the first step towards being unbeatable. Coming as no surprise, the swordsmen have quite the long reach.

At the top of the screen, there is a “WIN” gauge, which fills one section each time you defeat an opponent. By filling all three sections, you win the battle.

The field in the game is 3-D, and it appears you can move in all directions. The magazine suggests that you should learn the lay of the land, and formulate a battle plan with a character suited to it. The stage highlighted in the screenshots is Planet Namek, which includes Freeza’s spaceship.

To wrap things up, V-Jump takes the reader through a four-part simulation of a fight in the game:

The battle begins, and is two-on-two as a rule. You take one character, while the other character on your team is controlled by the computer.
Defeat one character, and it becomes two-on-one. The one who is defeated is at an overwhelming disadvantage, but after a set amount of time passes, they invariably come back.
Depending on the makeup of the team, the battle situation changes; you can use different characters to take advantage of different areas of expertise, such as battles in the air or charging in head-on.
By defeating an opponent three times, you light up all three parts of the “WIN” gauge and achieve victory. Finish the job in style!

Celebrating the 45th anniversary of Jump, the game will launch for the PlayStation 3 and Vita at an unknown point in the future. Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece), and Toriko (Toriko) were the first three characters teased for what was originally known as Project Versus J, with Naruto being announced alongside the formal name change.

There is currently no word on an international release for J-Stars Victory Vs, and judging by previous crossovers (Jump Super/Ultimate Stars on the Nintendo DS and Battle Stadium D.O.N. on the Nintendo Gamecube and PlayStation 2) sticking in their home country, we are not holding our breath. Thankfully, the PlayStation 3 and Vita are region-free by default, with only a few select titles venturing down the region-locking rabbit hole.

News

“Dragon Ball Heroes” Galaxy Mission 9 Preview

Published by VegettoEX22 June 2013, 9:38 PM EDT4 CommentsDragon Ball Heroes

While the Nintendo 3DS port (which covers up through “Galaxy Mission 4”) continues strong well into its fourth month since release, the original arcade version of Dragon Ball Heroes is staying strong with its “Galaxy Mission 9” update hitting Japan 11 July 2013, previewed in the August 2013 issue of V-Jump released yesterday in Japan.

One mission presents you with two stages: Present and Future. In “Present” you face off against #16, #17, #18, and Cell. If you beat the stage, you get a special support part that will add 2000 battle power and 2000 HP to your team in the second round. In the “Future” stage, which is under the control of the Artificial Humans, you face off against #13, #14, and #15 (from Dragon Ball Z Movie 7) in addition to #17 and #18, with help from the future versions of both Gohan and Trunks. If you win the “Future” stage, you will receive special support parts that recover 25% of your team’s Ki and adds 2 to your team’s Hero Energy in the second round.

If you beat both of these stages, you can access the Hell stage where you fight alongside Super Saiyan 3 future Gohan and Trunks to break out of Hell.

There are also three new Hero Avatars, a first for the “Galaxy Mission” series:

Artificial Human Avatar: Berserker Type (looks like a Cell Jr.)
Artificial Human Avatar: Elite Type (dressed like #19 and #20)
Artificial Human Avatar: Hero Type (dressed like #17)

The new avatars work in conjunction with the new Card Action Ability: Double from “Galaxy Mission 9”, which adds secondary effects that vary depending on the type of avatar you and your partner have. The Card Action Ability is found in all eight of the “Galaxy Mission 9” campaign cards, with Super 17 being the highlight.

gm9_new_avatars

There will also be a special (and as-of-yet unrevealed) card included in the next (September 2013, releasing 21 July 2013) issue of V-Jump in Japan. The August 2013 issue of Saikyō Jump (releasing 04 July 2013) will have a Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta card (with “Garlic Blazer” technique and Card Action Ability: Z from “Galaxy Mission 7”).

saikyojump_ssj3vegeta_heroes

Dragon Ball Heroes shows absolutely no signs of slowing down!

News

Gotenks & Pure Majin Boo Join “Zenkai Battle Royale”

Published by VegettoEX22 June 2013, 7:59 PM EDT1 CommentZenkai Battle Royale

While the new home console game Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z is taking the limelight this week, the Japanese arcade “don’t forget about me, I’m also a multiplayer, online fighting game” sensation Zenkai Battle Royale is gaining yet another two characters to its roster: Gotenks and the Pure version of Majin Boo.

zbr_gotenks_pureevilmajinbuu

Shown off in the August 2013 issue of V-Jump released yesterday in Japan, Gotenks will (of course!) come equipped with his Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack, while the Pure version of Majin Boo has a soft body that allows for things like stretching his arms and rolling into a ball.

The characters have yet to be added to the game’s official website. When they are, expect more details and screen shots!

The fat, “Mr. Boo” version of Majin Boo joined the roster last year alongside his good friend Mr. Satan. The game has received numerous other updates since its original launch, including — most recently — Beerus, God of Destruction and Super Saiyan God Son Goku from the new film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods.

UPDATE: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the form as “Pure Evil” Majin Boo. Thanks to Kaboom for the correction.

News

Tōru Furuya Announced As Guest For Anime Revolution 2013

Published by VegettoEX22 June 2013, 7:42 PM EDTComment

It may be hard to top this spring’s Animazement down in North Carolina, but Anime Revolution up in Vancouver, Canada is kicking things into overdrive in terms of guest announcements, themselves. Of particular note for Dragon Ball fans is the one and only Tōru Furuya, the voice of Yamcha. Furuya also played Goku Jr.’s friend Pack in the Dragon Ball GT TV special.

While only marginally related to Dragon Ball (having provided the Japanese dub voice for Goku in the live action Dragon Ball Evolution), voice actor Kappei Yamaguchi has also been announced as a guest for the convention. Today’s big shōnen fans likely know Yamaguchi best as Usopp in One Piece.

News

Namco-Bandai Announces “Battle of Z” For North America

Published by VegettoEX21 June 2013, 2:24 PM EDT2 CommentsBattle of Z

As expected, the American branch of Namco-Bandai joins the party today alongside Japan and Europe to officially announce Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Vita in North America, Latin America, and Brazil.

Of particular note in the North America press release (below) is the announcement that the Vita release will be digital-only. Namco-Bandai has previously released the One Piece Pirate Warriors games on the PlayStation 3 as digital-only, while the games received physical releases in other territories.

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES AMERICA INC. ANNOUNCES DRAGON BALL Z® BATTLE OF Z FOR THE AMERICAS

Goku and All of His Friends Return for the Ultimate Dragon Ball Z Brawler Guaranteed to Make Fans Go Super Saiyan

SAN JOSE, Calif., (June 21, 2013) Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced Dragon Ball Z® Battle of Z for North America, Latin America, and Brazil on the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and a digital version of the title coming for the PlayStation®Vita system. The over-the-top anime action and intensity of the Dragon Ball Z world will be presented in new cell-shaded HD graphics, paying homage to the original anime. Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z will also feature expanded versus and co-op modes, allowing players to create teams of four characters to take on opponents across the globe.

Developed by Tokyo based game developer ARTDINK; Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z will feature a large cast of playable characters including Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and a variety of melee and famous attacks including the Kamehameha, Special Beam Cannon, and Spirit Bomb. The epic battles in Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z derive their style from the original anime series and will take place in rich environments on both land and in the air. Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z will let players form teams with up to four characters to participate in group melee action, take on massive boss battles, or challenge other players around the world for brawls featuring up to eight characters on screen at the same time.

“The Dragon Ball franchise has transcended its original manga and anime roots to truly become a cultural phenomenon,” said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z takes this storied franchise to the next level with its intense brawler action, crisp HD graphics, and expanded gameplay capabilities. Fans and newcomers alike will be able to enjoy this title and appreciate how the Dragon Ball Z universe is presented in the game.”

Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z will be available for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation Vita (digital download only) in North America, Latin America, and Brazil. For more information on the game, please visit: http://dbzboz.bngames.net, http://dragonball.namcobandaigames.com, https://www.facebook.com/DBZ.videogames
or www.facebook.com/NamcoBandai.

News

“Battle of Z” (360/PS3/Vita) JP & EU Reveals

Published by VegettoEX21 June 2013, 8:08 AM EDT4 CommentsBattle of Z

With today’s release of the August 2013 issue of V-Jump in Japan officially revealing Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Vita, Namco-Bandai is pulling out all the promotional stops to get fans hyped for the next big game.

A teaser website — with both Japanese and English options — has been rolled out that features the first promotional video for the game (also available in both Japanese and English).

The trailer, in addition to promoting all of the game elements mentioned in the V-Jump debut (team battles, eight players total, online matches, giant bosses) reveals Artdink as the game’s developer, a newcomer for the franchise.

With the teaser site available in English, it comes as no surprise to see a western release already confirmed… at least for Europe! In addition to removing the region-locked restriction on their official Dragon Ball Z video games Facebook page, Namco-Bandai EU issued a formal press release announcing the game:

DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF Z prepares to Ki Blast into Europe with all-new team melee action

June 21, 2013
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe announces the latest title in the all-powerful Dragon Ball video game saga, coming to PlayStation®3, PS®Vita and Xbox 360®

Europe’s legions of Kamehameha devotees have something special to look forward to: NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe is preparing to bring team melee battler Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z to these shores for PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita and Xbox 360®.

Are you a team player with the crazy skills and cool composure needed to triumph in massive cooperative battles? If this sounds like you, then Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z has just what you need, with revolutionary team battling for up to 4 players together in cooperative play against a host of fearsome opponents or in a giant 8-player battle royale. Found his weak point? Push your advantage and take him down together in a flurry of fur!

“The Dragon Ball games continue to thrill fans across Europe, and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z brings some very exciting new features to the series,” said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President, NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. “The large scale cooperative team melee battles are like nothing players have seen before in a Dragon Ball game. Fans can’t afford to miss it.”

With four different battle types, breath-taking visuals faithful to the inimitable Dragon Ball universe, plus full-featured solo play for those days when you want to bathe in the glory alone, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z represents the next essential evolutionary phase in the illustrious history of the franchise. Appearances from Special Force and Super Saiyan GOD are the icing on the cake of this irresistible recipe for ki chaos on the ground and in the air. Prepare your battle cry!

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z is coming soon to Europe. For the latest news and updates, join the DBZ family at http://www.Team-Up.eu

Battle of Z will no doubt also make its way to North America, so stay tuned (hopefully today!) as the rest of us all wake up to digest and spread the news.

News

FUNimation Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Re-Release Survey

Published by VegettoEX20 June 2013, 7:28 PM EDT8 Comments

FUNimation’s high definition, remastered Blu-ray release of the Dragon Ball Z TV series lasted all of two volumes and about six months between original announcement and a release hiatus/suspension.

The company has mostly avoided talking about continuing the series in such a format since then, falling back on promoting the (cropped/widescreen) orange brick season sets originally released from 2007-2009 after completing the “Dragon Box” run and working on the “refreshed” Dragon Ball Kai TV series.

Today, FUNimation launched a new survey asking fans about their purchase history with the franchise and continuing with a new Blu-ray release, which would tentatively span nine volumes (similar to the DVD bricks) and cost $44.98.

Perhaps most interestingly, the company is specifically asking about aspect ratio preferences:

While the orange brick sets were cropped to 16:9 removing approximately 20% of the original picture, FUNimation’s “Level” Blu-ray sets remained in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. FUNimation also released Dragon Ball Kai on both Blu-ray and DVD in its original 4:3 production aspect ratio.

FUNimation’s question about which year you started watching the series starts with 1996, the year that FUNimation themselves began airing their dub of Dragon Ball Z in syndication.

Visitors of Kanzenshuu that select a 16:9 preferred viewing option for a 4:3 original production will be considered non-canonical readers and will promptly be shot out of a cannon.

Thanks to everyone who gave us the heads-up!

News

“Battle of Gods” Coming via SM Cinema in Philippines

Published by VegettoEX19 June 2013, 1:46 PM EDT2 CommentsDBZ Movie 2013

SM Cinema has revealed that fans in the Philippines have a special treat coming: the new film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is hitting theaters beginning 14 August 2013!

smcinema_bog

Posts from SM Cinema on both Twitter and Facebook are garnering ecstatic reactions from fans.

The Philippines join a slowly-amassing army of international locations getting a theatrical release of the new movie, including various countries across Latin America.

Big thanks to Pio Rafael T. Nepomuceno for the heads-up!