NIS America has released a new trailer as well as a handful of new English screenshots for Demon Gaze. The screenshots show some of the boss enemies that players will encounter while traveling through dungeons and the trailer gives a brief overview of a number of the features that are available in the title.
You can check out the video and the screenshots below and as for the game itself, Demon Gaze is set to be released on the PlayStation Vita on April 22nd in North America and a few days later in Europe on April 25th.
In ZOMBIE STAMPEDE players are immersed in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a devastating virus. Facing waves after waves of flesh-eating zombies through intense action sequences, the game proposes users to take control of a team of ferocious hunters with a variety of unique combat abilities and destructive weapons.
Beyond the action, the game offers a powerful cocktail of strategy and collectability with multiple in-game commodities such as the Card Box filled with common and rare hunters and items to be added to one’s game. Players also have to be tactical in their use of the precious ‘Zombie Juice’ collected from slaughtered zombies on the battlefield and that helps unleash hunter skills.
ZOMBIE STAMPEDE is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch or at http://www.AppStore.com. Available in the US, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
That’s right folks, Wargaming has revealed its plans to introduce flying saucers into the MMO flight combat of World of Warplanes.
Starting April 1st, the Tier 5 German Kampfflugplatte Sleipnir I UFO will be available to all players registered in World of Warplanes for the low, low price of free. Along with the aircraft itself, pilots will also be able to earn the “Sleipnir Rider” and “Wrath of Odin” medals for their time spent testing this bizarre new way to fly.
Before it receives a true release, the testing period will serve to estimate the gameplay potential of the flying saucer. Should feedback be positive enough, each country represented in WoWp will receive their own branch of alien ships. So jump into the unfamiliar pilot’s seat and prove to the World of Warplanes that there’s a place for UFOs somewhere in that vast and violent sky.
Expanding the suite of digital entertainment services on PS3, coming soon to PS4
Sydney, 1st April, 2014 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) is pleased to welcome Foxtel Play to its entertainment service portfolio. Today marks the launch of Foxtel Play for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) owners, with the service coming soon to the PlayStation®4 (PS4™) system, Australia’s number one next generation home console1.
Just in time for the 7 April Game of Thrones Season 4* premiere on showcase, the addition of Foxtel Play to the PS3 entertainment service offering means that the 2 million Australians that own a PS32 can use their console to subscribe to Foxtel Play’s great line up of programming. Owners can download the Foxtel Play app using a PlayStation®Network (PSN) account.
“Whether it’s music, TV, movies or games, PlayStation fans love all forms of digital entertainment and we remain committed to delivering the most immersive digital entertainment experiences on our platforms through PlayStation Network,” said Michael Ephraim, Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia. “Foxtel Play is a fantastic addition to our suite of entertainment services, one that all the family can enjoy.”
Rohan Lund, Foxtel’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We’re thrilled to continue our drive to expand availability of Foxtel Play for Australian subscribers. With the addition of PS3, that expansion just got a massive boost for the 2 million Australians already enjoying great digital experiences on their PlayStation 3 consoles. Today that experience gets even better.”
Foxtel Play on PS3 also comes as Foxtel begins its drive to increase the number of Complete Seasons available, on-demand, to subscribers. Foxtel has upped its offering to a record 13 Complete Seasons from 11 programs, which means access to an even bigger library of Complete Seasons from popular shows including seasons two and three of fantasy series Game of Thrones and seasons one and two of comedy series Veep available on showcase; season one of critically acclaimed prison drama Wentworth available on SoHo; and season one of Coast Australia available on History.
ENDS
1 Cumulative next generation unit sales from November launch up to week ending 23rd March 2014; The NPD Group Australia
2 Total PS3 console sales to date including retail and business-to-business channels
Overview The Ninja Gaiden series is one that many gamers are familiar with and while Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja have had a few bumps in the road with the series in recent years, it is one highly regarded by fans. However what if the focus was taken off of Hayabusa and instead placed on a different type of ninja altogether. Well you would have a game called Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Coming from the minds of three different developers, is Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z worth picking up?
Story As mentioned, players do not follow the story of Ryu Hayabusa but a different character called Yaiba Kamikaze, a foul-mouthed powerful ninja that has no qualms about slaying anyone who crosses his path, even members of his own clan if he feels like it. One day he encounters Ryu Hayabusa and because Yaiba is wielding a powerful weapon, Ryu wants to take it from him.
Despite being skilled and confident, Yaiba ends up on the receiving end of Ryu’s sword, losing an arm and a decent chunk of his torso and head in the process. Luckily for this loud and angry ninja, this death is merely a temporary setback as a mysterious organization has decided to bring him back to life with cybernetic implants to replace his missing pieces. After being fully revived this organization has sent Yaiba out on a mission to put a stop to a zombie outbreak and luckily for Yaiba, the target of his vengeance, Ryu Hayabusa, happens to be in the area at the same time.
Anyone who has been paying attention to the various trailers released for the game up until now probably know the type of tone to expect when playing Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. While the story may sound a bit serious, it is presented in its entirety as a comedic over the top story filled with plenty of crude humor and randomness that games from many years ago once utilized. Some may find the humor in Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z to not be up their alley as it can be a bit childish at times. Those who choose to roll with the game’s blend of crude silly humor and violence will be in for an often humorous, albeit somewhat short, experience.
Gameplay
Now while Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z may share the same name sake as a game with some technical aspects to it, this game is far from it. This game is set up as an arena fighting game where players will travel on a linear path, one that occasionally has a side-street or an environmental object that can be interacted with that reveals a collectible, and fight enemies as the game choose to throw them at you in waves.
Yaiba has three basic weapons at his disposal, all of which fall into a certain attack category. He can attack using his sword, punch enemies with his cybernetic fist, or attack enemies with a flail weapon. These weapons break down to light attack, heavy attack, and crowd control and although enemies can simply be slain by dealing enough damage to them, it is possible to perform brutal and often humorous executions on nearly defeated enemies, which cause said enemies to drop health.
Along the way players will come across stronger special zombies such as a brawler, an electrically charged bride, or something else and not only do these special zombies add a bit of a challenge since they can take and deal out large amounts of damage, but if the player chooses to execute these strong zombies they can take their weapon from them. These weapons are all temporary but add a nice little strength boost while they are available, making them useful tools against other stronger foes.
As you slay your way through the various arenas in Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, players will occasionally level up and unlock a special skill from a skill tree, such as increasing durability of special weapons, unlocking new combos or something else. Unfortunately these various level up bonuses are rather mundane and players can generally just choose to do whatever they like there.
With the aforementioned special zombies, there are some various elements that come into play in the form of fire, electricity and bile. Each of these elements can be used on Yaiba and can also be countered, making some fights a bit more strategic. However outside of that elemental system, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z really feels like a game players can simply button mash their way through most of the time as enemies will fall before Yaiba’s onslaught one way or another and only occasionally will players have to actually plan their fights carefully.
Visuals Now it is pretty clear from the beginning of the game that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is going for the comic book presentation. Everything in the game is designed with a cel-shaded style appearance and outside of some of the stages you play in, everything is brightly colored. This is probably in the game’s favor in some ways as the aesthetic of the game allows for some of the more humorous moments in the title such as the zombie introductions.
There are some downsides to this design style though, as the game can look incredibly messy at times. When there are a number of enemies on the screen things tend to blur together into a whirlwind of blood and flying undead. It also doesn’t help that while the art style works most of the time, on some characters it looks out a bit out of place or simply poorly handled.
Audio I do have to commend the way that Yaiba is presented to the audience. I have a feeling that if he was not voiced correctly that the majority of the game’s humor would have turned out to be terrible rather than just corny and mostly humorous. Yaiba’s personality is presented well thanks to how he is portrayed by the voice actor, though there are moments where it sounds like he was yelling a bit too loud into the mic causing some minor distortion.
As for the game’s soundtrack, it is a fairly standard fair with a mix of memorable tracks that work well for some of the game’s key battles but it is largely forgettable and blends into the background. This is partially due to the fact that despite sounding great the first few times, many of the tracks, despite being different, sound incredibly similar to one another.
Overall Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z feels like it doesn’t really excel anywhere, but anywhere that it does fall short is made up for with the humor and the way everything in the game is presented. I have a feeling that the comedy found in this game is going to be very subjective for some, but those who enjoy its style will be able to enjoy the basic hack and slash game that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z ended up being.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
GAMEVIL launches social casino game Party Slots on Google Play
LOS ANGELES, CA- March 31, 2014- Leading mobile game publisher and developer GAMEVIL today announced the launch of Party Slots, GAMEVIL’s second social casino of the year.
Party Slots is a casino game that turns the slot machine experience into a social experience. Featuring a social mechanic that has encourages playing together, players in a party will contribute to a single jackpot at a chance for greater rewards.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm for the social game market right now,” stated Kyu Lee, President of GAMEVIL USA. “So we’re delivering on content that players are asking for. It’s a strategic area of growth, and Party Slots offers a level of engagement that can’t be beat.”
GAMEVIL®, with over 350 million game downloads and experience publishing hundreds of games on multiple platforms, is one of the most active and innovative mobile game companies in the world. Established in 2000 and with offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, GAMEVIL is an experienced global mobile game publisher working with more than 70 top studios around the world.
With deep industry and regional knowledge, GAMEVIL has been able to craft numerous award winners through a diverse portfolio of games. Backed by unparalleled expertise in mobile, GAMEVIL continues to lead the sector with a commitment in establishing mobile gaming as a way of life.
GAMEVIL is currently listed on the KOSDAQ Market (Ticker: 063080, Bloomberg: 063080:KS, Reuters: 063080.KQ)
Overview With Megatron back into the swing of his evil ways, it would seem that the universe is no longer grand enough a target. Crossing beyond the border of a black hole, both Autobot and Decepticon find themselves carrying their ongoing struggle into locations unknown. It certainly is an exciting life the Cybertronians lead. Violent, but exciting.
The story so far…
Story Alright, with Unicron reactivated and Megatron claiming dominion over the other side of the Universe (though he does like to claim things), it’s time to jump right back into the action…with a recap episode. That’s right, it’s time to remove all subtly from Kicker’s slow building character development by stating outright just how much he has changed. Try to hold on to the edge of your seat as Kicker’s family steals some valuable screentime to explain the events that we loved from Collection One and that they did not themselves witness. I guess the Autobots just explained everything to Kicker’s mum for some reason. How else would she know?
With both sides now on the other side of the black hole, the Cybertronian War continues on a much grander scale. If you’ve ever though that Cybertron and Earth were not enough to contain such a grand battle, then Energon is the answer to your prayers. That’s right, the other side brings with it numerous new planets for the Transformers to fight over. Created by Alpha-Q, these Energon rich planets serve as the final hope for his race. Naturally, this puts him/it/them on edge whenever the Transformers decide to rain lasers down on each other whilst on said planets. Alpha-Q’s feelings are made known to Kicker via their mental link, serving to keep the alien present within the story despite dwelling within the sun of this new universe. Though I have to say, for the ruler of multiple new planets, Alpha-Q could’ve done a better job naming them. Rock Planet, Jungle Planet, Iron Planet…not very inventive. At least put a little creativity into your work.
Consider yourself grounded
Naturally, Megatron is against using Energon for such a “frivolous” purpose and continually sends his armies to pilfer the energy source so that he may continue on his merry way to rule existence. Taking a page from the villain’s handbook, Megatron is much more willing to corrupt his opponents, rather than outright destroying them. This becomes fairly integral to the plot at points, when certain Autobots loyalty is called into question…something which is almost immediately resolved and forgotten about. I’m not just talking about the situation, but the character themself just kinda fades into the background after being the focus of roughly three whole episodes. It really doesn’t make any sense.
As the series continues to strive for grander and grander moments, it throws in a plethora of new characters. Unfortunately, these characters are rarely ever given a true introduction and instead just kind of appear. Clearly a side effect of the old “to sell toys” modus operandi, we’re presented with a number of flat characters who just serve to confuse everything. Especially considering that the other characters act as if we should know who the newbies are. They will often even call characters by the names they adopt, despite the fact they were not even present for their transformation. Seriously, everyone just starts throwing the name Galvatron around like they’ve known it for years. It’s confusing. That being said, thing get even more insane due to the fact that the dub will occasionally confuse the multitude of names. So good luck wrapping your head around that one. This free for all of names is taken to the extreme when, in one episode, the Transformers enter some kind of virtual video game. Within the tournament laid out in the game, Transformers will often appear alongside themselves…their previous selves. Just a reminder that even the characters you think you know are often completely remade for no real reason.
Less dimensions=More emotions
Visuals The series is kind of weird in that it will rapidly shift between fluid animation and images that are honestly rather lazy. There’s no real pattern to how or when it will shift, creating a series that is visually mismatched overall. At one point I’m pretty sure there was a key frame that was just a zoomed in version of a previous one, creating noticeable pixelation and throwing off any sense of flow the visuals were trying to create.
The CGI on the other hand is at least consistent with its portrayal throughout the series. That being said, due to the time of its creation, the standard to which it adheres to is best described as: average. The limitations created by the CGI serve to severly reduce the manoeuvrability of the Transformers, greatly hindering the impact of what should be some pretty stellar fight scenes. This isn’t helped by the plethora of detail lines that are present on each Transformer. When more than one is present onscreen, it can quickly devolve into a confusing visual of CGI bodies. If that wasn’t bad enough, you’ll often bear witness to some rather ridiculous moments. In an attempt to justify why the Transformers even need alternate modes in the depths of space, they will occasionally revert to vehicle form. Naturally, this results in cars majestically soaring through the absolute void. Though clearly this is repurposed footage, on account of their wheels still spinning despite there being literally no reason for them to do so. It’s honestly kind of funny.
For some scenes however, the Transformers are rendered in traditional 2D animation. Though only ever briefly, it is a great visual upgrade from their usual appearance. It also allows the Transformers to express the emotions implied by their voice, something the 3D fails to do. It’s kind of a shame that CGI is the default.
In space, no one can hear you Starscream
Audio Just as with Collection One, the English dub of Energon is surprisingly good. Whilst the voices themselves are varied and express the appropriate amounts of emotion, they are let down by the dialogue itself. Being targeted towards a younger audience, nearly every single character speaks with annoying amounts of detail, explaining exactly what is happening and what will happen as a result. Though this does not happen all the time, it’s a shame to see such a good cast forced to treat the audience like fools and dampen their performances. Especially Snowcat…man that yodelling gets on my nerves.
The musical score once again serves to amplify each moment that it plays behind. Want some added drama? Some trumpets will be there to fill in the silence. Want that sombre moment to really hit home? Boom, violins. The soundtrack has enough range to cover a variety of situations, doing a great job in supporting the visuals and dialogue.
Extras To round off the bios that began in Collection One, this release includes some handy details that explain the Decepticons in a little more detail. There’s even some shots of their toyline incarnations, just to see how they translate into the real world. As usual, expect to find a selection of trailers showcasing other shows that you might be interested in. So the bios are definitely your go to Transformers bonus this time around.
The planets we fight for…
Overall Collection Two serves as an interesting final half to the Energon series. Increasing the stakes laid out in the earlier episodes, the backdrop of multiple planets serve as a unique way to enhance the story. That being said, the overall progress of the story remains relatively the same. Find Energon. Fight for Energon. One side wins. Winning side takes Energon. A simple formula, but hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That being said, it’d would’ve been nice to see at least some form of substantial evolution. Realistically, this collection could’ve had a much lower episode count. The entire plot is rehashed and drawn out to an almost painful degree, removing any sense of build up or drama. All in all, this series primary purpose was definitely to move merchandise. Although there are a few characters who receive some development, the series throws so many new names into the mix that it simply becomes chaotic. Heck, some characters just up and decide to change their name whenever they get a new paint job. Others revive in forms completely different to those they started as. If anything, it’s Kicker who stands out as the most interesting Autobot. At the very least, the conclusion of the Energon saga provides a somewhat interesting story that serves as a kicking off point for the next series to come in and complete the Unicron Trilogy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The newest Indie GalaEvery Monday Bundle is now available. Curated by Capsule Computers, the bundle contains six indie games for one single price. For $2.89, buyers can pick up the following titles:
Cardinal Quest– Slay the Evil Minotaur in this arcade styled retro dungeon crawler.
Iesabel– Players will kill monsters, explore dungeons, and pillage loot with up to seven friends in this action RPG. Co-op games can accept players using both the desktop and mobile versions of the game.
Sparkle 2 Evo – Gamers will guide a small organism from the lowest rungs of the food chain up until they become a magnificent aquatic by locating food in the deepest abyss.
Dark Shadows Army of Evil– A knight has returned to his castle to discover it overrun by monsters. Now, our hero knight must slay the beasts, rescue his girlfriend, and save the day.
Aerena – Clash of the Champions– A strategic turn based combat game in an Aetherpunk setting. Players will need to assemble a party of champions and guide them to victory. The title comes with two keys, one for the buyer and one to give away as a gift.
LYNE – Deceptively simple. Infinitely complex. LYNE is a minimalist puzzle game that will knot your brain as it calms your soul. Connect the shapes. Fill the board. Lose yourself in the interflowing paths of LYNE
As a special bonus, the Every Monday Bundle #2 can be purchased for $1.89 for the first 24 hours. Afterwards, the price goes back to normal. Buy your copy of the Every Monday Bundle #2 at IndieGala.
Overview
The follow-up to XSEED’s 2012 monster-hunting-loot-fest, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace marks the first time the franchise has hit western shores on the PlayStation 3. Will its console adaptation and set of new features be enough to warrant the purchase or has this ace shot itself in the foot?
Story
You’re a knight, you join a guild, and it’s your duty to kill monsters and carry out the king’s will. While there is a slight overarching theme with the game, it really serves as nothing more than a framework. Ragnarok Odyssey Ace doesn’t go deep into any form of narrative, eschewing story in favor of getting you into the action faster. Truth be told, for this style game, choosing quick access to action over any sort of narrative is the best choice they could have made.
Gameplay
To call Ragnarok Odyssey Ace a sequel wouldn’t really be apt. Ace really feels more like an expansion that courteously includes the original game with it. That isn’t a bad thing. Far from it, in fact. Ace takes what the original Ragnarok Odyssey did well and gives players more content and options.
For those who’ve never played the original Ragnarok Odyssey, or those coming fresh to the franchise on the PlayStation 3, you’ll find a solid action role-playing game to enjoy. As mentioned above, Ace gets you into the action quickly, cutting your downtime to a minimum.
In your downtime, you’ll be hanging out at your local guild headquarters. This is the central hub for most of your non-mission activity. Here you can browse and take on quests, pick up a couple of AI-controlled hirelings, manage your inventory, change your gear, buy potions, and get cards you equip to boost your stats. Beyond that, you can also leave the guild hall to visit your personal apartment, buy and upgrade weaponry with the salty blacksmith, buy or upgrade an outfit at the tailor, and get goofy cosmetic items, like goggles or a living puff-ball hat, from one of the other shops in town.
The mission structure of Ragnarok Odyssey Ace remains straightforward. Missions typically consist of killing a set number of enemies, snagging a certain number of items (typically off fallen enemies), or taking out a particular boss. It’s a good thing, then, that Ace‘s combat system feels so good.
Arguably the single most important aspect of a monster-hunting action RPG, the combat mechanics in Ace feel fantastic. Where other, more notable games in the genre feel clunky and archaic, Ace‘s combat feels fast-paced and responsive, giving players an excellent sense of power and maneuverability at the same time. Not only can you run up to a monster and slash or swing away, but you can do it without feeling like you’ve left yourself completely vulnerable to the chaos lurking behind you. The use of verticality in Ace, though, truly helps set it apart. You can get in and out of combat quickly, with access to the giants’ entire bodies. It’s a wonderfully empowering system.
Though Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is classified as a role-playing game, it feels out of place to freely handle it such a label. Contrary to traditional role-playing games (like Final Fantasy or even Mass Effect), you never grow in power and skill based on the fact that you’ve beaten the stuffing out of enough enemies. In Ace, you can never beat up enough enemies. Progression is based solely on the gear you have, how you upgrade it, and the cards you equip to augment your stats. Materials you earn on missions can be used to upgrade your weapons and outfits, making them more powerful or increasing skill-augmenting card slots. The loss of an experience-based system feels somewhat unusual, but it’s also refreshing to know your level will never stop you from beating a mission.
One of the most notable new additions to Ace comes as what are called “Ace Skills.” These are like super-powered moves that can be used and recharged throughout each mission. They delivered particularly potent damage and effects to the prey you hunt, making you feel ever more powerful.
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace sets you up with six different job classes, and you can swap gear between missions to change your class. Each of the six classes presents notable pros and cons, from ranged damage, to healing, to melee and magic attacks. It’s fun to play around with each, discovering what best suits your style.
With the game coming out on both the Vita, where it was bred, and the PlayStation 3, it’s good to see companies putting the Cross-Save functionality to good use. If you’re one of those folks who wants to enjoy your monster slaying with a controller in your hand but can’t put it down, the functionality between PlayStation 3 and Vita works as billed. It can still feel a little clunky at first, especially since you have to quit to the main menu to activate the saving to the server, but it will quickly become second nature.
On top of a quality base game that PlayStation 3 gamers are getting for the first time, Ace includes new content for those looking for more. As previously mentioned, the powerful new Ace moves stand out. The game also includes new gear, new bosses, the ability to hire AI companions for quests, and the new randomly-generated Tower of Yggdrasil dungeon, and all of the DLC from the original game. It’s a pretty loaded package that will provide hours of fun for you (and your friends too).
Visuals & Audio Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is a wonderful looking game. The art style is bright and whimsical, with some of the biggest baddies still maintaining a cartoonish feel. The colors are vibrant and the animation is fluid and responsive. The fidelity of the character models isn’t nearly as impressive as, say, The Last of Us, but the PlayStation 3’s port of a handheld game still manages to be eye-catching and pleasant. If you’re playing the game on the Vita, you’ll be treated to even more of what made the original look and feel so good.
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace has an excellent soundtrack. When renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu gets involved, you know your ears are in for a treat. The tracks remain upbeat and lively, setting you in the perfect mood for an exhilarating giant hunt.
Overall
Overall, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is a fun, quick-paced action RPG with vibrant visuals and a kickin’ soundtrack. Fans of action-RPGs in general will enjoy the fluid, satisfying combat and upgrading mechanics. Those looking for a more action-oriented Monster Hunter type experience on their console may find Ragnarok Odyssey Ace to be right up their alley, while fans of the original Vita game will likely get a kick out of the added content. Vita fans will still find one of the best experiences on the platform here, while PlayStation 3 owners coming fresh to the franchise have a fun, meaty title to sink their teeth into.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Dragon Ball (Z) has been around since the mid 80s and to this day I can’t honestly say it has dropped that greatly in popularity. The series/franchise has only ever gotten bigger and better, and despite its age it has continued to be loved by fans worldwide even to this day, what’s funny is that I can’t exactly see that changing anytime soon. While many things inspired the creation of “Dragon Ball” (most notably “Superman”), “Dragon Ball” has also inspired many other Manga and Anime series’ and without the work of Akira Toriyama (the creator of “Dragon Ball”) a great deal of these newer titles wouldn’t be what they are. Over the years “Dragon Ball” has been released and re-released a countless number of times with the latest being the “Dragon Ball: Full Colour – Saiyan Arc Volume 1”, the review you’re reading right now. Some people may look at this as just another unnecessary re-release but the making available of a fully-coloured, compendium-style “Dragon Ball” manga may just be exactly what this generation needs; a chance to revisit the classics, remade, repackaged and re-released.
Story
“Dragon Ball: Full Colour – Saiyan Arc Volume 1” follows the story of Goku five years after the events of the original “Dragon Ball”. The story of volume 1 works as both a character reunion for the series and as a kick-off into a brand-new arc; the “Saiyan Arc” wherein which a strange and powerful Saiyan who introduces himself as Goku’s brother comes to Earth to recruit the young hero into helping the last of his race wipe out another planet’s population in order to sell it to another alien race. Goku being…well…Goku, he respectfully declines his brother’s offer to take part in the genocide of a planet. Noticing Gohan (Goku’s Son), Raditz (Goku’s brother and the antagonist of this volume) makes Goku an offer: Join them or Gohan dies. Goku must now partner up with his old nemesis Piccolo to hunt down and kill Raditz before he can lay a finger on Gohan. Raditz is strong but the pure-blood Saiyan speaks of a powerful evil much greater than he, one that may truly mean the end of Earth.
People tend to abridge the story of “Dragon Ball” these days and in doing so they miss a great deal of the little things within the story that make it great. While the series is essentially just Akira Toriyama’s take on “Superman” and the over-arching storylines are fairly basic, it is all still done extremely well. The Saiyan’s as planet merchants is actually a cool little storyline that people tend to forget. Three men who go from planet to planet destroying civilizations and then selling the previously populated world off to another alien races is enough of a story to create a whole other series but people tend to look past that. I really enjoyed seeing Piccolo and Goku team up to defeat a common enemy and their interactions were actually pretty great, though Piccolo did have an odd speech pattern at times…his dialogue sometimes read odd, almost Yoda-like; “What say you?! Know you not the one to whom you show such insolence?!” was one of his opening pieces of dialogue but what made it even more odd is that they didn’t stick with it the whole way through so either it was a small mistake in translation or he just gets weird around long-haired, scantily-clad, manly, men.
I’m going against myself here because I’m about to say something I didn’t entirely like about the release and it may just kill me to do so because I absolutely love “Dragon Ball” but…well…it seemed rushed. The story I mean, it seemed like the manga was just rushing to a point where it could end with a scene that would get readers excited for the next volume, which it did but there were plenty of chances for Mr. Toriyama to add in a little extra content. Let me lay it down for you: The second half of the manga revolves around the “Z Fighters” (Goku’s team of fighting friends) as they train in anticipation for the upcoming battles. The Saiyans are set to arrive in one year so a year-long training session is in order BUT six months goes by in a matter of panels and it feels like we, the audience, are missing out on a great deal of content. Now, we’re probably not, I can’t imagine they would have taken anything out of the original which leads me to believe this is exactly how the original was released and it is simply rushed. Though, my only real complaint is that I would have liked to have seen more so I don’t think that’s too bad. Everything else, story-wise, is absolutely perfect IF you ignore the fact that, even in the very first chapter, death is already brushed off as nothing too serious which, unfortunately, you have to because as we all know; death in “Dragon Ball” means nothing.
Visuals
It is one-hundred percent clear that Akira Toriyama’s artistic style is ageless. “Dragon Ball” still looks brilliant, in fact this release of the manga actually runs rings around a lot of the more contemporary Shonen Jump titles which is definitely saying something. There’s no doubt that “Dragon Ball” has always and will always look good but I have to give a great degree of credit to those who actually coloured and touched-up the original manga to make it what it is in this release because it looks absolutely brilliant. Even if you’re not a fan of “Dragon Ball”, even if you’re entirely over the series as a whole, if you love good-looking, full-coloured manga than this is the one to pick up next because…just, wow.
My main thought while reading through my review copy of the release was that it actually seemed like I was watching the anime series but with sharper visuals and vivid colours. I really enjoyed how the re-release kept the original Japanese sound effects to eliminate the problem of page-cluttering that re-drawing them would cause, it even says so at the very back of the manga in the “Sound Effect Glossary” section where they’ve actually provided the English translations to every Japanese sound effect. It’s visually crisp and clean. The colours are bright and beautiful. The whole book looks simply amazing and having the manga in full-colour is well worth another re-release and another purchase.
Overall
For the most part the series holds up pretty well in this day and age which actually took me by surprise, usually we romanticize certain things in our minds over a large period of time but, despite a few issues here and there, “Dragon Ball: Full Colour – Saiyan Arc Volume 1” is an absolutely fantastic manga that once again brings to life an all-time classic. For fans of “Dragon Ball” the manga is absolutely perfect, it once again brings to life an old classic, one that has stuck around for many years and one that will stick around for many more to come. It definitely covers its own butt and makes up for the small things it lacks, I feel as though you just have to come at it in a positive way; instead of thinking “Ugh…just another “Dragon Ball” manga. We don’t need it!” think about it like you’re visiting an old friend who’s now more vibrant and pretty, maybe you’ll enjoy them more now! I know I did.
