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• Trailer Review: Dragon Ball Z: Evolution

  I reviewed the last Dragon Ball Z fighting game for Popmatters.com. Here's an excerpt:  Budokai Tenkaichi, which roughly translates to “Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament” captures the feel of the cartoon exactly, with seizure-inducing speed, cornball dialogue, and outrageously grandiose battle scenes. The swooping camera, responsive remote gestures and intricate animations make for an intensely cinematic experience. This is the closest that gamers have come to being inside a cartoon, so far, anyway. So the game's comittment to the source material is one of the few things that I liked about the game, even though I am not the least bit interested in the Dragon Ball cartoon. The cartoon graphics sparkled, and the designers did everything they could to make every punch, slap, and, er, kai blast sound like the cartoon. And that's the reason I think that Dragon Ball Z: Evolution will fail. It's basically another Dragon Ball fighter, only this time it lacks the charming cel-saded look. Here the characters look drab and samey.  Video after the jump: Read More... Posted Feb 17 2009, 02:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: cole stryker, fighters, dragon ball z, dragon ball z: budokai tenkaichi 3, dragon ball z: evolution, popmatters

• Dragonball: Evolution: The New Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game?

  First of all, I'd like to apologize for the number of colons in the subject of this post; please note that they're completely necessary, both to convey meaning and to win me that world record. That being said, I feel it's important to remind you that the American Dragonball movie is about to come into existence--sure, it's already been made, but it will no longer be safe from the eyes of the general public after April 8th. Before you jump to any conclusions, my general disdain from the film doesn't come from any sort of love for Akira Toriyama's masterwork; my interest in Dragonball didn't really continue past the 17th year of my life. I just find that making a dull, Americanized version of a property roughly 7-9 years after it's peaked is not the soundest business or creative decision. Hell, with the Dragonball movie on the horizon, I wouldn't be surprised if Fox brought out their film adaptation of The Weakest Link this summer. Read More... Posted Jan 20 2009, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with no comments Filed under: psp, fighting games, dragon ball z, bob mackey, movie games, dragonball: evolution

• Dracula's Bad Day

  On the Internet, there is a man named Kajetokun. Kajetokun brought us videos like Over 9000 and Gutsman's Ass, so you may have already decided you hate him, even if you weren't familiar with his name. Since hate doesn't tend to slow down the contributions of the creatively insane, Kajetokun has posted another something on YouTube. It's A Day in Dracula's Life. In fact, it's the only day in Dracula's Life. No sooner is Dracula resurrected by the dark priest Shaft than his delicious pot roast dinner is interrupted by the arrival of Richter Ballmont. What follows is a lot of cursing and stuffing of meat and money into candles and lanterns. Read More... Posted Jan 19 2009, 11:40 PM by Nadia Oxford with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: castlevania, mega man, symphony of the night, dracula, dragon ball z, nadia oxford, death, over 9000, kajetokun, gutsman, succubus

• Shonen Love-Ins: Can We Find a New Plot Device Already?

  I recently watched my husband finish Mega Man Star Force for the Nintendo DS because I can't be bothered with it; the series is just to far removed for me to associate it with the franchise. See, Mega Man is a little robot warrior boy, but I am okay with his spinoffs. I'm okay with him being a brooding refugee from Blade Runner. I'm okay with him being the crazed overlord of a dystopian society. I'm more than okay with him being a miner with a sinister past. I'm even okay with him being a dead baby. But Mega Man as a generic energy-form alien gives me a major case of the blahs. Anyway. Watcing husband finish Star Force. I don't know if there's some kind of virus going around Japan that dulls the senses of game developers, manga-ka and anime producers, but I wish someone would take some Dayquil and realise that shonen love-ins, also known as anime love-ins, lost their impact many, many years ago. In fact, when I am Queen of the World, any storyteller from any nation who dares to pen the line "Lend me your power!!" as part of a tale's climax will be drawn and quartered with their own ballpoint. Read More... Posted Aug 12 2008, 05:01 PM by Nadia Oxford with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: earthbound, shonen, mega man star force, sailor moon, dragon ball z, cheap plot devices