Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi
Encyclopedia
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, known in Japan as , is a video game based of the manga
and anime
franchise Dragon Ball
. It is developed by Spike
and will be distributed by Namco Bandai
beginning in late October of 2011 for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
gaming consoles.
The game is a 3D fighter that allows players to take controls of various characters from the Dragon Ball
franchise or created by the player to either fight against the AI
, or with another player locally or online.
magazine. The announcement featured several screenshots with Son Goku
and Vegeta
, in both normal and Super Saiyan forms, highlighting the game's mechanics. The announcement stated that the game would feature superb visuals and would be released in Japan sometime in autumn of 2011 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. A few days later the North American branch of Namco Bandai released a press statement announcing that they would be releasing the game throughout North America. They also confirmed that Spike would return to work on the game. The June issue of V Jump magazine showcased several screenshots of Goku and Vegeta, in his Oozaru form, demonstrating a type of timed button action mechanic. It also confirmed the return of the destructible environments mechanics from previous Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games.
In the following Namco Bandai press release, it was announced that the game's official English title would be Ultimate Tenkaichi and that its release date would be October 25, while its European release date was revealed to be October 28. The title was chosen by fans through a survey conducted by Namco Bandai along with four other possible choices. In response, Namco Bandai marketing president Carlson Choi stated their reasoning for the outreach by describing the fans as "the most passionate gamers and anime experts in the world." Later in July, it was announced that the game would not only include the return of GT characters to the roster, but also include a type of character creation and customization mode. The August 8 issue of Shonen Jump featured screenshots of the story mode, showcasing a type of free-roam mechanic similar to that found in Budokai 3 and the later Budokai Tenkaichi games, where the player could explore the entire planet from the sky and land in certain areas. The following issue of V Jump revealed that the game will be released under the title of Ultimate Blast in Japan, with the release date for December 8.
In early September, more details were divulged on the character creator mode referred to as "Hero Mode". The mode gives players the option of customizing a character of their choosing with a variety of existing and original outfits and hairstyles, in addition to the ability to change and adjust their color schemes.
The following issue of Shonen Jump revealed that Japanese release would include a new opening introduction in traditional 2D animation set to the song "Cha-La Head-Cha-La
" by Hironobu Kageyama
.
figure in Super Saiyan form dressed in his Great Saiyaman costume.
gave the game a 7.5 out of 10, praising the Graphics and Explosive Combat, but disliked the storytelling and the repetitive nature of the battles.
Gamespot
gave the game a 4.0 out of 10, praising the Graphics, but detested the game's Combat System as there is no sense of originality; the Boss Fights due to the frustrating Quick Time Event
Stages; and the Character Creation System due to the limited amount of items the game has given.
Destructoid
gave the game a 7.5 saying "While combat can be a bit on the repetitive side, there's still that hint of satisfaction when you decimate your foe with an canyon-creating power move. There's a lot here for fans to enjoy, and while the story may be streamlined for new fans of the franchise, I can't really recommend it to anyone but the hardcore."
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
franchise Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
. It is developed by Spike
Spike (company)
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment. Human's Fire Pro Wrestling series is owned by Spike.-Games developed:*Crimson Tears*Dangan Ronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei...
and will be distributed by Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
beginning in late October of 2011 for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
gaming consoles.
The game is a 3D fighter that allows players to take controls of various characters from the Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
franchise or created by the player to either fight against the AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, or with another player locally or online.
Development
The game was first announced under the working title Dragon Ball Game Project Age 2011 in the early May issue of Weekly Shonen JumpWeekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
magazine. The announcement featured several screenshots with Son Goku
Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
Goku, known as in the English-language manga and original Japanese-language version, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in Journey to the West...
and Vegeta
Vegeta
is a fictional character and antihero in the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Vegeta first appeared in the manga chapter #204 first published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on December 19, 1988, and in episode 5 of its anime adaptation Dragon Ball Z...
, in both normal and Super Saiyan forms, highlighting the game's mechanics. The announcement stated that the game would feature superb visuals and would be released in Japan sometime in autumn of 2011 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. A few days later the North American branch of Namco Bandai released a press statement announcing that they would be releasing the game throughout North America. They also confirmed that Spike would return to work on the game. The June issue of V Jump magazine showcased several screenshots of Goku and Vegeta, in his Oozaru form, demonstrating a type of timed button action mechanic. It also confirmed the return of the destructible environments mechanics from previous Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games.
In the following Namco Bandai press release, it was announced that the game's official English title would be Ultimate Tenkaichi and that its release date would be October 25, while its European release date was revealed to be October 28. The title was chosen by fans through a survey conducted by Namco Bandai along with four other possible choices. In response, Namco Bandai marketing president Carlson Choi stated their reasoning for the outreach by describing the fans as "the most passionate gamers and anime experts in the world." Later in July, it was announced that the game would not only include the return of GT characters to the roster, but also include a type of character creation and customization mode. The August 8 issue of Shonen Jump featured screenshots of the story mode, showcasing a type of free-roam mechanic similar to that found in Budokai 3 and the later Budokai Tenkaichi games, where the player could explore the entire planet from the sky and land in certain areas. The following issue of V Jump revealed that the game will be released under the title of Ultimate Blast in Japan, with the release date for December 8.
In early September, more details were divulged on the character creator mode referred to as "Hero Mode". The mode gives players the option of customizing a character of their choosing with a variety of existing and original outfits and hairstyles, in addition to the ability to change and adjust their color schemes.
The following issue of Shonen Jump revealed that Japanese release would include a new opening introduction in traditional 2D animation set to the song "Cha-La Head-Cha-La
CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA
is the first opening theme song of the anime series Dragon Ball Z and is the fifteenth single by J-pop artist Hironobu Kageyama. It was released on vinyl, cassette, and mini CD on May 1, 1989 in Japan only. It is coupled with the first Dragon Ball Z closing theme "Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power!"...
" by Hironobu Kageyama
Hironobu Kageyama
is a Japanese musical artist prominent in the soundtracks for anime, video game, and tokusatsu productions. He is sometimes called Kami by his fans. Kageyama got his big break at age 16, as lead singer of the pop group Lazy. By the early '80s, the band split and Kageyama went solo...
.
Promotions
Preorders for the Japanese release will come with a life-sized replica of the . While in Europe, preorders will come a free capsule pen with their purchase. The European version will also have a special collectors edition that will come boxed with a Son GohanSon Gohan
is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball universe created by Akira Toriyama as a protagonist for the media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, movies, television specials, video games, and other collectibles...
figure in Super Saiyan form dressed in his Great Saiyaman costume.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a 7.5 out of 10, praising the Graphics and Explosive Combat, but disliked the storytelling and the repetitive nature of the battles.
Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a 4.0 out of 10, praising the Graphics, but detested the game's Combat System as there is no sense of originality; the Boss Fights due to the frustrating Quick Time Event
Quick Time Event
In video games, a Quick Time Event is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen prompt. It allows for limited control of the game character during cut scenes or cinematic sequences in the game...
Stages; and the Character Creation System due to the limited amount of items the game has given.
Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
gave the game a 7.5 saying "While combat can be a bit on the repetitive side, there's still that hint of satisfaction when you decimate your foe with an canyon-creating power move. There's a lot here for fans to enjoy, and while the story may be streamlined for new fans of the franchise, I can't really recommend it to anyone but the hardcore."