Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (ドラゴンボール レイジングブラスト2, Doragon Bōru Reijingu Burasuto Tsū) is a video game based on the manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball and is a follow-up to the 2009 video game Dragon Ball: Raging Blast. It was developed by Spike and published by Namco Bandai under the Bandai label for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles in the beginning of November 2010.

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2
Official PEGI Cover Art
Developer(s)Spike
Publisher(s)Namco Bandai Games[a]
Director(s)Hiroyuki Kaneko
Producer(s)Ryo Mito
Designer(s)Satoshi Tsurumi
Nobuyoshi Kanzaki
Programmer(s)Shiro Aoki
Shigeru Saito
Composer(s)Kenji Yamamoto[b]
SeriesDragon Ball
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02)
  • EU: November 5, 2010 (2010-11-05)[1]
  • JP: November 11, 2010 (2010-11-11)
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, local & online multiplayer

The game is a 3-D fighter that allows players to play as characters within the Dragon Ball universe, either against the game's AI or another player in one of the various modes of play both on and offline. The game comes with a new remake of the 1993 OVA Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans,[2] now retitled Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans.

While becoming the second-best-selling game in Japan for November of its release year, the game would meet with criticism over its gameplay, controls, repetitive AI, and lack of proper story mode.

Gameplay

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A screenshot of the gameplay, showing a fight between Hatchiyack and Super Saiyan Goku on a deserted planet (with Frieza's spaceship visible in the background). The border around the each character's profile portrait are the health (green) and ki (yellow) meters.

Like its predecessor, Raging Blast 2 uses 3-D gaming mechanics with the camera alternating from over the shoulder to overhead angles at various moments. The player takes on the role of one of the available characters taking on another character from the franchise using various basic, melée, or signature ki fighting techniques.[3] The combat features a technique called Raging Soul, where players are restricted from ki attacks, but physical attacks become stronger.[4]

Replacing the standard story mode from previous Dragon Ball fighting games is the Galaxy Mode. Here each character is represented by a planet in the game's galaxy. Within these planets are several mission paths. Each mission has various advantages or handicaps that will affect the overall fight. Completing some of these missions will unlock powerups and or other mission paths.[4] Other modes of play are the Battle Zone, where player take on fighters from different zones,[5] on and offline battle modes where players can take on friends or other random players from around the world, and the World Tournament, which players can take part in either Tenkaichi Budokai or Cell games-style fighting competition.[6]

Development

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The game was first announced in the May 3 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. The announcement revealed that the game would include up to 90 playable characters in total and improved visuals. Images within the announcement featured several screenshots and production that featured polished character models of Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza fighting on Earth and Namek, respectively. It was also revealed that the game would be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles later that year.[7][8] On May 11, Namco Bandai America announced that Raging Blast 2 along with Tenkaichi Tag Team would be released throughout North America sometime in the fall.[9] The June 14 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump revealed that Dabura and the movie villains Turles and Janemba would be playable characters.[10] In the July issue of V Jump it was revealed that Future Gohan, Pikkon, and Nail would be playable characters. There also featured a screenshot of Future Gohan in Super Saiyan form fighting #17. Giving the possibility that the storyline from The History of Trunks and Trunks: The Story might be in the game's story mode in some form.[11]

On July 22, more gameplay screenshots were made public. Weekly Shōnen Jump also revealed that the Super Saiyan 3 forms of Vegeta and Broly would be returning.[12] The following issue of Shōnen Jump also confirmed their return.[13] The August 9 issue of Shōnen Jump revealed that the game would include six characters that have never been featured within a Dragon Ball game, and that the game would include a remake to the 1993 OVA Saiyan Zetsumetsu Keikaku (サイヤ人絶滅計画, Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku, Plan to Eliminate the Saiyans) which would be retitled as Super Saiyan Zetsumetsu Keikaku (超サイヤ人絶滅計画, Sūpā Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku, Plan to Eliminate the Super Saiyans). A feature that was originally a visual strategy guide for the Famicom game by the same name and was in turn, made into two video games for the Playdia. Included were design sheets for both Goku and primary villain Dr. Raichi stating that the remake would use current up to date animation methods and would feature about thirty minutes' worth of new footage. It also revealed the Japanese release date for November 11.[14] Shortly after, Namco Bandai's Japanese branch issued a press release confirming the feature's inclusion into the game.[15][16] The following day Namco Bandai's North American branch announced that the feature would be included in that region's release of the game as Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans.[17]

At the same time the European branch announced the inclusion of the featurette in their release of the game.[18] The following issue of Shōnen Jump, a few days later, revealed that the villain Hatchiyack would be a playable character within the game.[19] In September it was reported that Europe would also get a collector's edition of the game that would include a pop-up cover sleeve, a laser animation cel of Goku from Plan to Eliminate the Super Saiyans, and a set of scratch off card with codes to unlock bonus costumes that would, in turn, add new abilities to specific characters.[20] In the following September 20 issue of Shōnen Jump it was revealed that the Japanese release of the game would come packaged with a color booklet filled with the character design sheets from the Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans feature. It was also revealed that the game would feature another CG opening introduction with another new theme song by J-pop vocalist Hironobu Kageyama titled "Battle of Omega".[21] On October 6, Namco Bandai released an announcement that the game was near completion for both consoles.[22] The following week, a demo of the game was made available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, and was made available on PlayStation Network two weeks after.[23][24][25] The November issue of V Jump revealed that Tarble, the character from the feature Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, would make video game debut as a playable character within the game. Marking the character's first time being marketed outside Japan.[26] Shortly after Namco Bandai would also announce that the game would be released throughout North America on November 2,[27] with the company announcing that the game was in stores after the initial release date.[28]

Characters

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Returning Characters

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Name Playable Transformations Available at Start
Android #16 Yes
Android #17 No
Android #18 No
Android #19 Yes
Android #20 Yes
Bardock No
Broly
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Legendary Super Saiyan
No
Broly
  • Super Saiyan 3
No
Burter Yes
Captain Ginyu Yes
Cell
  • Imperfect Form
  • Semi-perfect Form
  • Perfect Form
  • Super Perfect Form
Yes
Chiaotzu Yes
Dodoria Yes
Frieza
  • First form
  • Second form
  • Third form
  • Final form
  • 100% final form
Yes
Gogeta
  • Super Saiyan
No
Gohan
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Saiyan 2
Yes
Goku
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Saiyan 2
  • Super Saiyan 3
Yes
Goten
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
No
Gotenks
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Saiyan 3
Yes
Guldo Yes
Jeice Yes
Kid Buu No
Kid Gohan Yes
Kid Trunks
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
Yes
Krillin Yes
Innocent Buu Yes
Majin Vegeta
  • Super Saiyan 2
No
Nappa Yes
Piccolo Yes
Raditz Yes
Recoome Yes
Super Buu
  • Base
  • Gotenks absorbed
  • Gohan absorbed
Yes
Teen Gohan
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Saiyan 2
Yes
Tien Yes
Trunks (Sword)
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
No
Trunks
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Trunks
No
Vegeta
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
  • Super Vegeta
  • Super Saiyan 2
Yes
Vegeta
  • Super Saiyan 3
No
Vegeta (Scouter) Yes
Vegito
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
No
Videl No
Yamcha Yes
Zarbon
  • Base
  • Monster
Yes

New characters

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Name Playable Transformations Available at Start
Android #13
  • Base
  • Super Android 13
Yes
Android #14 Yes
Android #15 Yes
Bojack
  • Base
  • Transformed
Yes
Cell Jr. Yes
Cooler
  • Base
  • Final Form
No
Cui Yes
Dabura Yes
Dore Yes
Future Gohan
  • Base
  • Super Saiyan
No
Hatchiyack No
Janemba
  • Transformed
No
Mecha-Frieza Yes
Meta-Cooler Yes
Nail Yes
Neiz Yes
Pikkon Yes
Saibaman Yes
Salza Yes
Tarble Yes
Turles Yes
Ultimate Gohan No
Zangya Yes

Reception

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Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 was released in North America on Nov 2, 2010, in Japan on Nov 11, 2010, in Europe on Nov 5, 2010, and in Australia on Nov 4, 2010.[40] The PS3 version would go on to be the best-selling game for November in Japan, beating out Super Mario Collection Special Pack and Pokémon Black and White.[41]

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 received mixed reviews with critics complimenting the game as an improvement over its predecessor. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions earned their own aggregated scores of 60/100[42] and 57/100[43] on Metacritic, with 60.85%[44] and 58.59%[45] on GameRankings. Anthony Gallegos of IGN said players will find the mechanics "complex, although when you play as varying characters, the mechanics are more or less the same". He praised the graphics of the game as it "looks just like the anime but the background and environments need improvements."[46] Henry Gilbert of Xbox Magazine felt that "players only interested in single player would still a lot to work with, Raging Blast 2 does not feel like a unique game."[47] Brian Rowe of GameZone felt that "the versus modes were the game's real selling points, and that the Power Battle was it highlight, as players could be overpowered with certain characters in battle. In the end his ultimate opinion on the licence was that it was a good game but without a story mode to go with it, his final verdict was an average score."[48] Carolyn Petit of GameSpot stated that "the game was merely an expansion of the Raging Blast, although she also pointed out that the Raging Soul system made building ki worthwhile."[49] Nathan Grayson of GamesRadar+ felt that "the game was moving the license a large step in the right direction but criticized the game for not having a proper story mode, a clunky camera, and repetitive gameplay."[50]

References

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  1. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 BBFC Certificate". November 2, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  2. ^ Glasser, Aj. "DBZ: Raging Blast 2 to feature rare Dragon Ball OVA episode". Network World. Retrieved 2018-03-04.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Battle Screen". Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Instructions. Bandai Namco. November 2, 2010. p. 5.
  4. ^ a b Petit, Carolyn (November 5, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Review, Raging Blast 2's good looks and fan service can't conceal the shallow combat at its heart.". GameSpot. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  5. ^ Islam, Zak (November 4, 2010). "PS3 Review – Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2". PlayStation LifeStyle. Retrieved February 9, 2011. Then there's the 'Battle Zone' mode which has players take on other fighters who are within a specific zone.
  6. ^ "Main Menu". Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Instructions. Bandai Namco. November 2, 2010. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 PS3&XBOX360 同時発売が決定!! 帰って来た Real Battle!! RB2!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 193 & 194. May 3, 2010.
  8. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (May 10, 2010). "Dragon Ball Raging Blast Sequel in Development, Followup features more characters and improved visuals.". IGN. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  9. ^ "Namco Bandai Games Announces Two Adrenaline Pumping Dragon Ball Z Titles, Duo of hyperkinetic Dragon Ball games blasts onto multiple consoles this Fall". IGN. May 10, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  10. ^ "『RB2』に 邪悪戦士 爆来!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 164 & 165. June 14, 2010.
  11. ^ "Custom & Soul!!". V Jump: 50 & 51. July 2010.
  12. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Xbox 360 Images". San Francisco, California: IGN. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  13. ^ "凶悪なゐ超サイヤ人3 降臨!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 164 & 165. June 26, 2010.
  14. ^ "『RB2』で目撃せよ!! 超サイヤ人絶滅計画!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 25. August 9, 2010.
  15. ^ "『ドラゴンボール』新規描き起こしアニメーション 制作決定!". ValuePress!. August 9, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  16. ^ "Dragon Ball: RB2 Game to Add New 1/2-Hour Anime". Anime News Network. August 9, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  17. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 to Include Exclusive Dragon Ball Anime Episode, Game disc to feature brand new never before seen 30-minute Dragon Ball anime feature.". San Francisco, California: IGN. August 10, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  18. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 to include exclusive Dragon Ball anime episode". Namco Bandai, UK. August 10, 2010. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  19. ^ "まさかの男が『RB2』へ!! サイヤ人の天敵ハッチヒャック急襲!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 25. August 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Rainier (September 15, 2010). "'Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2' (ALL) Gets A Collector's Edition". Worth Playing. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  21. ^ "宇宙に響け!! 激闘のシヤウト!!". Weekly Shonen Jump: 12. September 20, 2010.
  22. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Has Gone Gold, New Dragon Ball game is almost here.". IGN. October 6, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  23. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Xbox 360 Demo Available on Xbox Live Marketplace Today, Get an early taste of the newest Dragon Ball game.". IGN. October 14, 2010. Archived from the original on October 16, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  24. ^ Chen, Grace (October 26, 2010). "PlayStation Store Update". PlayStation Store. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  25. ^ Miller, Greg (27 October 2010). "This Week on PSN (10.26.10)". IGN. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  26. ^ "最後のサイヤ人戦士襲来!!". V Jump: 111. November 2010.
  27. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 PS3 Demo Available on PSN, Get some more Goku in your life.". IGN. October 27, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  28. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Powers into Stores Today, Are you down with DBZ?". IGN. November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  29. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  30. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  32. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  33. ^ "Fami通評測《龍珠:超宇宙》劣作". HKGameNEWS.com. January 28, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  34. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 review". GamesRadar. February 14, 2020.
  35. ^ Laddin, Josh (November 19, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2, Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast 2 Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  36. ^ Petit, Carolyn (November 5, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  37. ^ Gallegos, Anthony (November 2, 2010). "Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  38. ^ Bella, Jesús (November 5, 2010). "Análisis de Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 para PS3". 3DJuegos. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  39. ^ Escandell, Daniel (November 11, 2009). "Análisis de Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)". Vandal. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  40. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2". GameSpot. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  41. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (November 18, 2010). "Japanese Wii Sales Surge Following Mario Anniversary Wii, System driven by Mario and Wiimote Plus. PSP's Tactics Ogre tops the charts". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  42. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  43. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  44. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  45. ^ "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  46. ^ Gallegos, Anthony (November 2, 2010). "Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 Review, Is this a fighting game for everyone, or just for the die-hard fans?". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  47. ^ Gilbert, Henry (November 3, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 review". Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  48. ^ Rowe, Brian (November 16, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 review". GameZone. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  49. ^ Petit, Carolyn (November 5, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Review, Raging Blast 2's good looks and fan service can really enjoy the combat at its heart". GameSpot. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  50. ^ Grayson, Nathan (November 2, 2010). "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 review, Absolutely what we'd call a blast". GamesRadar. Retrieved September 4, 2011.

Notes

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  1. ^ Released under the Bandai brand name.
  2. ^ Yamamoto's score was replaced with the original Dragon Ball Z score by Shunsuke Kikuchi in later copies of the game after it was discovered that many of his songs were plagiarized.
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