March 18, 2020
(Mostly) new pixel art: Dragon Ball Fusions. My favourite DB game!
https://www.deviantart.com/miloscat/art/Dragon-Ball-Fusions-834207097

(Mostly) new pixel art: Dragon Ball Fusions. My favourite DB game!

https://www.deviantart.com/miloscat/art/Dragon-Ball-Fusions-834207097

June 26, 2017
[Review] Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Wii)

image

Tenkaichi 3 has a reputation for having the largest roster of playable characters of any Dragon Ball game. Er, not counting the card-based smartphone one. It’s not intending to be a world-class fighting or action game but it does succeed at being a “Dragon Ball simulator”, making you feel like you’re playing the show. The strength of the game is in its breadth of content, not its depth.

Keep reading

March 18, 2017
Dragon Ball Xeno, low-res pixel style!
Continuing my Dragon Ball series (check the tag), here’s a bunch of stuff from the Xeno era, which is mostly told through video games (and associated manga and animated trailers). It’s a bit complicated, but...

Dragon Ball Xeno, low-res pixel style!

Continuing my Dragon Ball series (check the tag), here’s a bunch of stuff from the Xeno era, which is mostly told through video games (and associated manga and animated trailers). It’s a bit complicated, but it’s basically all set after the end of GT, with a lot of time travel back to other eras of the series. The story of the Time Breakers starts in Dragon Ball Online which extensively fleshes out the Dragon World around Age 1000. The Xenoverse games take a small part of that story and expand on it, then the arcade card game Heroes and its spin-off mangas later picked up on a lot of it and continued the story when it started having real plots. The latter is still ongoing, so this picture will be out of date soon enough! I also threw some Fusions stuff on there; although it’s not tied into the Time Breaker/Dark Demon Realm story it is set in the future and there is time travel.

The Time Breakers: The demonic android Mira, his creator/wife Towa, their child Fu, Towa’s brother Dabura (Xeno version), their father Mechikabura. Demons Saidevilman and Kyodevilman, founder of the Red Pants army (successor to Red Ribbon) General Bon, majin sisters Haru Haru and Shun Shun, Korin’s evil counterpart Chocolay, the evil dragon created by Dark Namekians Mr. Poko Poko, leader of the Dark Namekians Naraku, the Masked Saiyan and Black-Masked Saiyan (brainwashed Bardock and Vegeta, who help the good guys after they’re freed from mind control), possibly the leader of the Frieza forces remnant Ragul/Lagul, the Pilaf ripoff Paella, the souped-up clone/transformation of Cell Cell-X, leader of a band of pirates Captain Bacterian, the true leader of Red Pants Android 9 who is a giant reconstructed General Red, Demon God Demigra, and his ancient allies Putine and Gravy.

The Time Patrol and friends: The Supreme Kai of Time Chronoa, Xeno Trunks, Capsule Corp robot Hope!, Ace (the canonical-ish protagonist of Xenoverse 1, standing in here for player-created avatars of Online and XV), magical time bird Tokitoki, Xeno Goku, SSJ4 Gohan (he has a Xeno outfit too that looks just like Goten, but he gets SSJ4 in a post-GT Heroes scenario), Xeno Goten, Xeno Piccolo (as he appears in Age 1000), Mr. Buu’s female half/wife Miss Buu aka Majin Booby. The five members of the “Dragon Ball Heroes” team from the Victory Mission manga stand in for the player avatars of Heroes, who help the Time Patrol later on: the male Saiyan Hero Beat, the female Saiyan Hero Note, the Frieza’s race Hero Froze, the Namekian Berserker Kagyu, and the Majin Hero Kabra (accompanied in VM by the Neko Majin Abra/V).

Fusions characters: Tekka (the player character, here in his default male Earthling appearance), an Ultra Fusion (as initiated by a male Earthling), helpful robotic device Ziku, Ultra Pinich (a five-way fusion with Cell, Frieza, Pinich, and randos Wanta and Paprika), and the rival character Pinich.

March 17, 2017
[Review] Dragon Ball Fusions (3DS)

image

Dragon Ball Fusions is full of fanservice, but it’s not just that. It’s also a fun, fresh, and addictive game but going further than the main story gets real grindy, real quick. But along the way you’ll find depth and make connections with old favourite characters and new randos alike.

Keep reading

February 28, 2017
Dragon Ball GT, low-res pixel style!
GT’s a bit maligned, it’s “non-canon”, it’s ridiculous at times, but I’ve got a lot of fondness for it, and I like how it advanced the world and the characters. Plus Super Saiyan 4 is cool as heck you guys. So...

Dragon Ball GT, low-res pixel style!

GT’s a bit maligned, it’s “non-canon”, it’s ridiculous at times, but I’ve got a lot of fondness for it, and I like how it advanced the world and the characters. Plus Super Saiyan 4 is cool as heck you guys. So here’s the goodies, the baddies, the dragons, and some characters from the 100-years later times of the final episode and TV special movie thing.

Goku, Pan, Trunks, Giru, Gohan, Goten, Majuub, Piccolo, 18, Goku (SSJ4), Vegeta (SSJ4), Gogeta (SSJ4), Luud, Rilldo, Dr. Myuu, Super 17, Baby, Super Baby Vegeta 2, Golden Great Ape Baby Vegeta, Ultimate Shenron, Black Smoke Shenron, Haze Shenron, Rage Shenron, Oceanus Shenron, Naturon Shenron, Nuova Shenron, Eis Shenron, Syn/Omega Shenron, Pan (adult), Puck, Goku Jr., Vegeta Jr., Lord Yao

February 12, 2017
Dragon Ball Z spin-offs, low-res pixel style!
As a companion to my pixel art set of DBZ sagas, here’s all the so-called “non-canon” stuff relating to the Z portion of the franchise. Movies, OVAs, TV specials, video games, and Toriyama’s Neko Majin...

Dragon Ball Z spin-offs, low-res pixel style!

As a companion to my pixel art set of DBZ sagas, here’s all the so-called “non-canon” stuff relating to the Z portion of the franchise. Movies, OVAs, TV specials, video games, and Toriyama’s Neko Majin manga. Anything from Battle of Gods onward is under the Super umbrella and will be in a future pixel art. As before, characters with four-pixel wide heads (Wheelo and Hirudegarn) are not necessarily to scale. There is some overlap between spin-off manga, OVAs, anime filler, and video games so bear with me.

TV specials: Bardock, Future Gohan, Young Future Trunks

Movie/OVA good guys: Hire Dragon/Icarus (various movies and filler) Pikkon/Paikuhan and Gogeta (Super Saiyan) (Movie 12), Tapion (Movie 13), Tarble (JSAT special OVA/manga)

Movie/OVA bad guys: Garlic Jr. (Movie 1), Dr. Wheelo (Movie 2), Tullece (Movie 3), Slug (Movie 4), Cooler (5th form) (Movie 5), Meta-Cooler/Metal Cooler (Movie 6), Super Android 13 (Movie 7), Broly (Movie 8 & 10), Bio-Broly (Movie 11), Bojack (Movie 9), Janemba (Movie 12), Hirudegarn (Movie 13), Aka/Abokado (JSAT special OVA/manga), Chilled (Episode of Bardock manga/OVA)

Video game bad guys: Dr. Raichi (Ghost Warrior) and Hatchiyack (Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans game/OVA), Majin Ozotto (the arcade game DBZ V.R.V.S.)

Neko Majin: Neko Majin Mix, Neko Majin Mike, Neko Majin Z, Z’s friend, Onio, Kuriza, Usa Majin

February 1, 2017

Dragon Ball Z, low-res pixel style!

Here’s my pixel art series for the “Z” portion of the franchise, or chapter 195-519 of the manga. The colouring is mainly based on the anime, and includes the anime-exclusive Gregory, but new characters from discrete filler arcs are also in the movies, so they will be featured in an upcoming post based on Z-era movies and spinoffs. DBZ was such a constant for a number of years early on, so it’s been a blast getting back into it, and very fun to draw out all these characters. “Giant” characters who are wider are not necessarily to scale.

Saiyan Saga: Goku, Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan/Tien, Chiaotzu, Yajirobe, Enma-daiō/King Yemma, Kaiō-sama/King Kai, Bubbles, Gregory, Saibaiman, Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, Ōzaru/Great Ape Vegeta

Namek/Frieza Saga: Bulma, Krillin, Gohan, Vegeta, Dende, Moori, Nail, Eldest/Guru, Porunga, Dodoria, Frieza (first form), Zarbon, Recoome, Guldo, Ginyu, Jeice, Burter, Goku (Super Saiyan), Frieza (fourth form)

Android/Cell Saga: Future Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo, Goku (Super Saiyan), Gohan (Super Saiyan), Android #19, Dr. Gero/Android #20, Android #17, Android #18, Android #16, Imperfect Cell, second form Cell, Perfect Cell, Cell Jr.

Majin Buu Saga: Great Saiyaman, Videl, Mr. Satan/Hercule, Trunks, Goten, Kaiōshin/Shin/Supreme Kai, Kibito, Babidi, Dabura, Gohan, Old Kaiōshin/Old Kai, Kibitoshin/Kibito Kai, Goku (Super Saiyan 3), Vegeta (Majin/Super Saiyan 2), Gotenks, Vegetto, Majin Buu/Innocent Buu/Good Buu/Mr. Buu, Evil Buu, Super Buu, Kid Buu/Pure Buu, Uub

November 26, 2016
Dragon Ball, low-res pixel style!
Here’s the first of several Dragon Ball-related pixel arts I’m planning. This covers the “Dragon Ball” section of the franchise, or up to chapter 194 of the manga, plus the DB movies. The characters are grouped by...

Dragon Ball, low-res pixel style!

Here’s the first of several Dragon Ball-related pixel arts I’m planning. This covers the “Dragon Ball” section of the franchise, or up to chapter 194 of the manga, plus the DB movies. The characters are grouped by arc but I tried to do less duplicates so mostly just new characters in the arc plus Goku if his design has changed, and skipping various henchmen, one-offs, and alternate forms or costumes. Dragon Ball is cool! How can I not have got into it, being in the age group I’m in.

Son Goku/Pilaf arc: Son Goku, Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, Puar, Master Roshi/Kame Sen’nin/Turtle Hermit, Turtle, Ox King/Gyū Maō, Chi Chi, Pilaf, Mai, Shu, Shenlong/Shenron

21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc: Goku (training), Krillin, Master Roshi/Kame Sen’nin, Lunch/Launch

Red Ribbon Army arc: Goku (Turtle school gi), Android 8, Arale, Upa, Bora, Karin, Murasaki, General Blue, Commander Red, Staff Officer Black, Tao Pai-pai/Mercenary Tao, Fortuneteller Baba, Grandpa Gohan

22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arc: Tenshinhan/Tien, Chiaotzu, Master Shen/Tsuru Sen’nin/Crane Hermit

Piccolo arc: King Piccolo/Piccolo Daimaō, Yajirobe, Kami, Mr. Popo, Piccolo/Ma Junior, Goku (adult), Chi Chi (adult)

Movies: King Gurumes (DB movie 1), Lucifer (DB movie 2), Minister Shen/Tsuru Sen’nin (DB movie 3), Goku, Bulma, Android 8, Black (DB movie 4)

EDIT: Tumblr shrank it a little; the full, crisp, beautiful version is here.

September 30, 2016
[Review] Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai: Another Road (PSP)

image

Like many kids in my generation, I grew up with the English dub of Dragon Ball Z and GT on morning television before school. Fighting games are a natural fit for the series; able to have a wide selection of characters from the series’ cast, while trying to replicate the action that it’s famous for. Unfortunately fighting games don’t always agree with me too well.

This game was ultimately frustrating for me. Part of it was that I couldn’t git gud enough to beat the final mission, losing a half hour on each failed attempt. But part of improving at the game is not just practicing with different characters, but grinding for booster cards, getting lucky with or exploiting the opponent AI, and slogging through the map portions all while drowning in a sea of loading screens. Not to mention the incredibly sloppy proofreading on the script, but that’s just a nitpick.

I don’t want to be unfair to the game, considering my blind spot for “traditional” fighters. By all accounts this is a good example of the genre. I did have fun when I felt evenly matched with the AI. And when the plot went in unexpected directions—such as seeking out the dead Future Gohan in the Other World, snapping him out of his hallucinations of constant android battling with the help of dead Goku and Bardock, and him then somewhat mirroring present Gohan’s Buu arc—I was delighted. Having Cooler, Broly, and Janemba show up in the story is silly and fun. And the game looks great too.

My problem with the missions is how much of an endurance challenge they are. You fly around an overworld map, protecting cities from bad guys. A neat idea in principle, but every map essentially plays out the same and an unlucky matchup late in the mission can really set you back, all the while each clash has multiple lengthy loading screens transitioning to and from the battle mode and rewards screens. I struggled to understand these missions early on, came to really enjoy myself in the middle as the plot went in different directions and I got to grips with it, but by the end had too much frustration and resentment from the growing difficulty curve and my inability to keep up. And that’s even after finding a cheap strategy with Mr. Buu.

Oh I guess I didn’t explain that this game is a scenario outside the bounds of the series; it explores how Future Trunks would have dealt with Buu in his timeline. As such it’s a nice idea with the potential for fanservice, even before they start bringing in the movie villains and revisiting New Namek and the Other World. I really liked how it expanded in that way on what we’ve seen already, although the progress of the plot gets bogged down a little at times to account for more fights. I would recommend it for patient fans or if you have some skill at the other Budokai games, otherwise just watch that one scene from Super where they deal with the “Future Trunks Buu arc” scenario in literally 40 seconds!

Liked posts on Tumblr: More liked posts »