Not one to be outdone by Atari in America, Banpresto (a subsidiary of Bandai) of Japan is currently in the process of creating their own Nintendo GameBoy Advance fighting game for the franchise! Unlike previous fighters, this will be a 3-on-3 fighter (a-la “Marvel vs. Capcom”). You can check out some early screen-shots via The Magic Box.
Note that this game is currently slated for a Japan-only release, and is in addition to Banpresto’s Japanese release of “Taiketsu” for the GBA.
“Taiketsu”, the upcoming fighting game for the Nintendo GameBoy Advance, is due out on 28 November 2003 according to its Amazon listing.
In addition to this, continuing this fantastically strange trend of DBZ games being created in America and shipped over to Japan (a la “Legacy of Goku 2: INTERNATIONAL”), Banpresto will be releasing a Japanese version of “Taiketsu” over in Rising Sun land in the spring of 2004 — thanks to The Magic Box for the tip on that one.
Shueisha’s “Comics News” website has a fascinating new listing: it seems that, to commemorate the kanzenban re-release of the manga, a special book named “LANDMARK” is on its way out! The book, which is to be released on 19 December 2003, will include:
The new book sounds almost like a daizenshuu for the new version of the manga! This new book comes hot on the heels of the TV anime guide book, “Son Gokū Densetsu”, released this past 03 October 2003 (which we totally neglected to mention!).
The Magic Box has updated with a whopping four pages of images from the upcoming Sony PlayStation 2 fighting game “Budokai 2”.
Fat Gotenks! Button-presses to do fusion! Galactic Donut!
The Magic Box has released five new screen shots from the upcoming WonderSwan Crystal Dragon Ball game (which, as noted in past updates, is a remake of an old Nintendo Famicom game from 1989; it was actually the third DB game to be released).
Bandai will release Dragon Ball for WonderSwan Crystal in Japan on November 20,f or 3980 yen. A remake of the classic Famicom action RPG from 1989. The game is based on Goku’s first adventures in the Dragon Ball series, your mission is to guide Goku to collect all 7 dragon balls. The story is based on the first 17 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga, before the Saiyan episodes. The battles are in the form of card battle.
(Little Goku is so damn cute, I can’t stand it!)
The GC is getting a new DBZ game entitled, “Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Smash!”
Nintendo has added this game to their official Nintendo of America games list. However there isn’t any information about the game thus far. All we know is the release date is Q3 2004.
Thanks to Clay Reynolds for the news tip.
The Magic Box updated with the release date for Japan’s “Budokai” on GameCube (coming out as simply “Dragon Ball Z), which reminded me that there are a few new DB-related games coming out soon! Here is a helpful list for you to see what is coming out and when:
Big updates over on The Magic Box: check out the new screen shots for “Budokai 2” which showcases more of the confirmed characters (the kids look so cute all cel-shaded!), as well as three screen shots from the previously-revealed upcoming Bandai WonderSwan game.
There has been a massive amount of information released in the past day or two regarding the three Dragon Ball series, and specifically with respect to them airing on Cartoon Network this fall.
New episodes of Dragon Ball will be starting on Monday, September 1st at 5:30pm ET, starting the Demon King Piccolo saga. This season is expected to complete the show’s run, with the final 52 episodes (102-153).
Every Friday in September at 6:00pm ET, a Dragon Ball Z “feature” of one form or another will be shown. This starts on the 5th, with a showing of the Bardock TV Special. The week after that will be the Trunks Special, then Movies 5 and 6 (the two Coola ones) in the weeks after that.
Dragon Ball GT will start on Cartoon Network on October 3rd, apparently airing just Fridays at 6:30. According to FUNimation’s announcement at Otakon, it will begin from the FUNimation-created recap ‘episode 16,’ “A Grand Problem”, as does the DVD release. They still say the first 15 episodes (whatever happened to the real Episode 16 that was not included on the first DVD?) will be released eventually, although they have not said when.
Special thanks to AnimationInsider.net and Rachel Oliver for the info.
The “First Alert” list (which tracks overall VHS and DVD sales) lists Dragon Ball GT in the top 20 for both VHS and DVD for the week of 20 July 2003. As listed on Anime News Network:
#1 DBGT: Preparation (edited)
#2 DBGT: Ramifications (edited)
#9 DBGT: Preparation (uncut)
#10 DBGT: Ramifications (uncut)
#13 DBGT: Proliferation (uncut)
#20 DBGT: Creation (edited)
In related news, YTV (the Canadian TV channel) has confirmed both the original Dragon Ball TV series as well as Dragon Ball GT for programming this fall. So far there has been no word from FUNimation or Cartoon Network about an airing of Dragon Ball GT state-side.