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Dragon Ball: Origins Review for Nintendo DS

Dragon Ball: Origins Review for Nintendo DS

Back to the Beginning

It’s hard to believe, but before Dragon Ball Z’s Goku was a Super Saiyan he was just a kid. Before the epic Dragon Ball Z series ever began there was just Dragon Ball, a quirky martial arts-inspired anime filled with cute characters and a whole lot of adult humor. Although this series was pretty big in Japan, it only enjoyed a brief run on American television. But if you missed it, fear not! Dragon Ball: Origins channels all the lighthearted humor from the original series into a cute cartoon adventure on the DS that has a whole lot of attitude and will give fans of any of the Dragon Ball series something to cheer about.

Dragon Ball: Origins screenshot

The story in Dragon Ball: Origins begins with Goku meeting Bulma for the very first time and revolves around their subsequent adventure looking for the seven legendary Dragon Balls. In addition to the two lead characters, fans will be excited to know that almost the entire supporting cast is in the story as well, including series mainstays like Krillin, Master Roshi, Chi-Chi, and Yamcha. Those who play the game should know that the humor in the game is as adult-oriented as the series that inspired it, and this game is one of those that really earns its “Teen” rating. But if you can handle the game’s dirty jokes and nudity, then you’ll find a surprisingly cute and heartwarming story in this title.

The gameplay itself is based on a two-player cooperative system. You are only able to play as Goku, and you will be accompanied by Bulma, who is an auxiliary character controlled by the game’s A.I. As you progress through different levels, you will find that Goku and Bulma have different abilities, and you will have to work together to accomplish missions. For instance, Bulma is not able to cross wide divides or fight close range enemies, so you’ll have to build bridges and fight enemies for her. However, Bulma is not completely useless as she carries a gun on her and is very useful for shooting long-range enemies. Both Bulma and Goku will have upgradeable stats and abilities, and you’ll have to learn how to work together through well-designed environments with numerous obstacles to get both characters through each level alive.

One big complaint I have with this title is the lack of multi-cart co-op. Because you essentially play as two characters already, it would have been nice to have another person play as the secondary character, and this title is one of the few on the DS that would have been worth the price of two game carts for the co-op experience. But, unfortunately, the multi-cart play functionality in this title is limited to trading special action figures you have purchased or found in the game with friends. And, if you ask me, this is just a waste of wireless capability.

Dragon Ball: Origins screenshot

The controls in the game are completely stylus-based. You are able to move around by pointing your stylus in the direction you want to go, and the character will follow the stylus. Combat in the game is executed by either tapping the stylus over enemies or making certain patterns with the stylus. Goku’s main weapon in the game is his extender pole, which you can use to execute moderate, powerful, or special attacks. These attacks can be executed by selecting the pole with the stylus and then doing a special move with it.

As you progress in the game, you will be able to unlock more abilities, and certain treasure boxes with secret techniques are hidden in several levels. Because the control is exclusively stylus-based, it becomes increasingly difficult to chain together special moves, especially if the different stylus moves are complex. The game also doesn’t register the control as well as it should, which creates some considerable confusion while you are playing. The key to controlling this title seems to be repetition. I had a very difficult time controlling the character and battling enemies successfully until I was able to spend some time practicing my moves on a very easy level. Once I got them down, controlling the title was a breeze, but just be aware that the stylus-based control does feel quite awkward at first and there is a definite learning curve.

Dragon Ball: Origins screenshot

The graphics in Dragon Ball: Origins are very good, and the animated cutscenes are of especially high quality. The game’s animation is also very good and is true to the series’ unique style. Characters have the series’ trademark big-headed “chibi” style to them, and environments from the anime translate well to the game. One very interesting facet of Dragon Ball: Origins is that uses both screens to display levels and cutscenes. While the separator in the middle does create some awkward proportions and lines (especially when it runs right through someone’s face) the system works well overall.

Dragon Ball: Origins screenshot

The sound in this title is fairly good and features some pleasant original tunes for each level. There is also some sparse voice acting during a few of the longer dialogue scenes. However, the voice acting is so infrequent that it sounds a little awkward when it is triggered, and the sound clips generally consist of an “OK!” or “Let’s Go!” which was probably sampled from one of the anime voice tracks. Even though the voiceover is a little bit on the annoying side, the sound on the whole isn’t bad, and there are some decent sound effects in addition to the background music.

Dragon Ball: Origins is definitely a fun title to play through, and even though “Z” or “GT” fans might find the tone of the game a little different from what they’re used to, I am grateful that the game stayed true to its source material. It packs plenty of adult humor, action, and martial arts into a nice little package, and though it is the first game of its kind to be based on the original Dragon Ball series and has nothing in common with the multitude of Dragonball Z-inspired brawlers of the past few years, it really succeeds on its own. Dragon Ball: Origins is a treat for both diehard fans that have been with the series for the past twenty years as well as those who are only casual fans of the series. No matter which category you fall into, you’ll definitely want to check out this blast from the past!

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
Graphics are very colorful and vibrant, and cutscenes look very sharp. 3.7 Control
Stylus-based controls work well most of the time, but they are not as precise as they could be and take some dedication to really learn. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The English voiceover is nicely done, despite being very sparse. Level music is cute and enjoyable. 3.7

Play Value
The cute story and fun adventure elements are definitely enough to keep you playing this one to the end, but this title could have really benefited from some co-op functionality.

3.8 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • The single-player game follows Goku and his clever sidekick Bulma as they travel the world overcoming enemies and obstacles to collect the seven Dragon Balls.
  • In the shoes of Goku, the player must protect Bulma from incoming enemy attacks using special skills, such as fighting with his power pole or unleashing a kamehameha. Combined with Bulma’s ability to invent machines and weapons, the intrepid pair make a formidable team able to defeat even the strongest enemies or trickiest of obstacles.
  • The innovative controls mean the player uses only the touch pad to control Goku. Players must draw lines or shapes to direct the character and control the action by tapping on the screen. For example, a double tap on Goku followed by tapping on the Ka-me-ha-me-ha letters unleashes his devastating signature move.
  • Goku can perfect his skills by gaining experience through defeating strong enemies.
  • For extra Dragon Ball fun, hunt down and collect the many virtual figurines hidden in the game world, which can then be swapped and traded with friends via the wireless connection to get the full collection.
  • Dragon Ball: Origins pulls no punches in terms of graphics with both screens displaying vibrant 3D visuals, and with the lively, fun humor of Dragon Ball present throughout the game, fans will be able to immerse themselves completely in the spectacular universe.

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