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!

GoNintendo.com is hosting several images from the upcoming PS2 & Gamecube (JP-only, at this point) game titled “Battle Stadium D.O.N.” No, it is not just a Dragon Ball game, but a Dragon Ball + One Piece + Naruto crossover fighting game!

The game is slated for release very soon this upcoming 20 July 2006!

Dimps has a new website specifically for “Shin Budokai”, which is due out in Japan 20 April 2006. The website is being updated pretty frequently, so hopefully we can get some good scoops in the coming days!

Thanks to our forum member Nyoibo for the heads up.

Ruliweb is listing the development of Sparking! 2 (listed with the domestic Atari title of “Budokai Tenkaichi 2”) for the PlayStation 3 (yes, the PS3, and not the PS2 that the first game came out on):

More info as it pops up. Thanks to Nyoibo for this one.

As seen on AnimeOnDVD.com, FUNimation has officially announced Dragon Ball Z movie 13 for a North American release on 22 August 2006. “Ryū-Ken Bakuhatsu!! Gokū ga Yaraneba Dare ga Yaru (“Dragon Fist Explosion!! If Goku Won’t Do It, Who Will?”) has been retitled to… well, “Wrath of the Dragon”.

Quite frankly, I am shocked we’re seeing this in 2006 — I was placing bets on 2006 finishing out with the re-release of DBZ movie 2, with movie 13 coming out in Spring 2007.