It looks like Play-Asia has updated their database listings with both the official logo for “Battle Stadium D.O.N.”:

… as well as the cover-art for the Japanese release of “Super Dragon Ball Z” on the PS2:

The official website for “Sparking! NEO” flashes up a bunch of names in its intro movie. Following the image below, I have listed any names that appear… corrected from their sometimes strange romanization, of course!

• Cell
• Chiaotzu
• Freeza
• Ginyu-Tokusentai
• Kame-Sen’nin
• Kuririn
• Majin Boo
• Mr. Satan
• Nappa
• Piccolo
• Son Gohan
• Son Goku
• Son Goten
• T’ao Paipai
• Tenshinhan
• Trunks
• Vegeta
• Yamcha

The Magic Box is reporting that “Shin Budokai” for the PSP sold a little over 700,000 copies last week. Not too shabby for its Japanese debut.

RightStuf has added Dragon Ball Z movie 13 (quite strangely renamed “Wrath Of The Dragon” by FUNimation) to their store, which includes the official domestic cover art. FUNimation is going out with a bang and continuing to use the original Japanese cover art as their basis, so mucho thanks to them for that nod.

Mostly-substantiated rumors have been floating around for the last couple of weeks, but when it comes directly from Atari, I guess you can call it official!

Atari Announces 2006 Dragon Ball Z(R) Line-Up for PlayStation(R)2

Games Will Showcase Exciting Variety of Gameplay Elements and Characters

NEW YORK, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced the development of two new Dragon Ball Z(R) titles for 2006 release, Super DBZ(R) and Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi 2, both for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system.

Super DBZ(R) is a new highly intense DBZ(R) fighting experience unlike any other Dragon Ball Z game. Featuring an all-new and more complex DBZ fighting system with unique fighting combos for all 18 characters, Super DBZ promises fans and gamers explosive on-screen environmental damage. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Crafts & Meister, and including the creators of the acclaimed Street Fighter II arcade game, Super DBZ will be available in July 2006.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, the top-selling DBZ(R) game of 2005. Combining action, fighting and light role-playing game (RPG) elements, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 will send players into a rich story mode that spans the entire Dragon Ball(R), DBZ, and Dragon Ball GT(R) series. The game takes the acrobatic and intense 3D flying and fighting dynamic made popular in last year’s hit and takes it to a whole new level with over 100 playable characters, 15 vast and vibrant 3D destructible environments, and nine different game modes, including intense single and multiplayer battles. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is slated to release during the 2006 holiday season.

“This year’s DBZ line-up offers more gameplay variety than ever before,” said Emily Anadu, Product Manager, Atari, Inc. “Super DBZ provides a more hard-core 3D fighting experience to reflect the maturing gaming desires of our fan base and simultaneously remains true to the DBZ experience — that of being the best anime and cartoon-based series out there.”

Anadu continued, “Newcomers to DBZ will enjoy the colossal selection of characters, authentic recreation of the Dragon Ball story, dazzling enhancements and intense fighting combos of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2. It represents an accessible and faithful way for a new fan to experience DBZ in its entirety.”

Dragon Ball Z is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 24 different games and 10 million units sold since May 2002. For additional information about Super DBZ and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, please visit http://www.atari.com .

About FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation(R) Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation (Nasdaq: NAVR), is a brand management company and one of the nation’s leading independent home video entertainment companies. The company’s most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel(SM), a new 24-hour digital network featuring programming from the top anime brands in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For images, or more information on FUNimation Entertainment, the FUNimation Channel, or any of FUNimation’s properties, contact Jeff Dronen at 817-788-0627, ext. 251 or pr@funimation.com.

About Atari

New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company’s 1,000+ titles include hard- core, genre-defining franchises such as DRIVER(TM), The Matrix(TM) (Enter The Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo), Stuntman(TM) and Test Drive(R); and mass- market and children’s franchises such as Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues(TM) and Dora the Explorer(TM), and Dragon Ball Z(R). Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext – ISIN: FR-0000052573), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit http://www.atari.com .

Thanks to all of our forum members for keeping us on our toes! There it is — confirmation that “Sparking! NEO” will indeed be released for both the PS2 and Revolution (both in Japan and in the US).

The official Japanese website for “Sparking! NEO” has gone live, which contains the typical Flash opening, horrendously-awesome Engrish, and little other information.

Atari has issued an official press release announcing the game (seemingly called quite simply, and still incorrectly, “Budokai Tenkaichi 2” for its non-Japanese release, which contains no information about its release to any console other than the Nintendo Revolution:

Atari Announces First Next-Generation Dragon Ball Z(R) Game

– Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Game Set for Nintendo Revolution –

NEW YORK, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced that Dragon Ball Z(R): Budokai Tenkaichi(TM) 2 is in development for Nintendo(R) Revolution. Combining action, fighting and light role-playing game (RPG) elements, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 will send players into a rich story mode that spans the entire Dragon Ball(R), DBZ, and Dragon Ball GT(R) series. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. / Spike, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is slated to release during the 2006 holiday season.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 takes the series’ popular acrobatic and intense 3D flying and fighting dynamic and takes it to a whole new level with over 100 playable characters, 15 vast and vibrant 3D destructible environments, and nine different game modes, including single and multiplayer battles.

Matt Collins, Director of Marketing, Atari, Inc., said, “The innovative controller featured with Nintendo Revolution is perfectly suited for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, which engages players with fast-paced fighting moves. Gamers will be able to play in a very physical way, mimicking several of the show’s most popular character moves and pull off awesome combos and attacks.”

In addition to the unprecedented number of characters, wide selection of massive 3D destructible environments and abundance of game modes, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 will feature in-game transformations, which players will be able to trigger in real-time, making battles even more dramatic and exciting than ever before. Using the Nintendo Revolution controller, players will be able to mimic signature moves as they are performed in the Dragon Ball Z animated series, such as Goku(R)’s Kamehameha, moving both hands to execute this devastating energy attack.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is set for release this holiday season. For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, please visit http://www.atari.com

More information as it comes in!

IGN has some screen shots from the upcoming Sparking! NEO game.

Not too bad for a site that only within the last day couldn’t even confirm that the game existed.

The sequel to “Sparking!” (known outside Japan — somewhat incorrectly — as “Budokai Tenkaichi”) has officially been announced! Shown in the latest issue of “V-Jump”, it looks like the game will not only be coming to the PS2, but also the Nintendo Revolution! Jeux-France is currently hosting some preliminary images and news from the afore-mentioned latest episode of “V-Jump”. New characters (of at least 100, the magazine claims) appear to include Slug and the “integrated” version of #13:

Look for the game later this year, and of course all the news you can eat right here!