Last time I wrote an import game review I received some crap for not speaking Japanese and still writing a review, but I don't really care so FU! To the point of the review, I'm reviewing the Japanese Dragon Ball DS which will be out in the US sometime in December as Dragon Ball Origins. I approached the game with guarded optimism --- in elementary and middle school I was hurt time and time again by bad Dragon Ball Z games.



Story
The entirety of the game is covered in the story mode, no extra modes in sight, but I this isn't a bad thing. The game opens with a cut scene faithful to the original anime. (and possible manga, my only exposure has been to the anime) I was immediately impressed by the how faithful the character models were to Akira Toriyama's designs, not only this, but the character's were very expressive and lively. I can't read Japanese, but from the sheer amount of text I'd assume that most of the dialogue is faithful show. The story line covers the entire first season (first 26 episodes) of the Dragon Ball anime. There are eight levels broken up into a number of stages. to advance to the next level the player must play through the first four stages. Each stage varies in length --- some the size of dungeon in Zelda, others as short as a boss fight. An additional stage is unlocked after completing the first four, which may unlock another stage once completed. Once the player completes the game a number of other stages are unlocked in each level. The player can also use money found in the various stages to purchase health items, power-ups, and animation tests. There is no multi-player, but the player can share a demo of the game with a friend. I'd say that the main 24 stages of the game take 8-10 hours to play through.


I don't remember cougar hunting in the anime.

Gameplay
The game borrows heavily from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in terms of gameplay. The game can be controlled solely using the touch screen. However, the player can use the D-pad to move and the trigger buttons to switch fighting styles and pull up the menu. On the subject of fighting styles Goku can fight using either his Power Pole or close quarters combat. Each style has six different moves that the player will unlock throughout the course of the game; these can be used both in combat and in solving puzzles. Yes, I said puzzles, while none of them are of Zelda caliber, they are a cute attempt. In a number of levels the Goku is accompanied by Bulma who does very little to aid the player in combat other than be someone to babysit. Most levels end in a boss fight which can be little more than an exercise in guarding and dodging, however some bosses play very similar to Zelda boss fights. These boss fights are one of the shining points of the game: the player will have to use their new abilities to exploit the boss's weakness. Occasionally the normal stages are preceded by a racing stage which requires the player to fly Goku on his Nimbus through obstacles. The touch screen responds well to the player's input, unlike some other games.


Let me show you MY Power Pole

Graphics and Sound
One of the things that initially drew me to this came was its graphics. All of the characters are well modeled and worlds look pretty good. The developers really managed to catch the style of the series, albiet its not too complex, and the game benefits from it greatly. The music was also pretty true to the series, with the full opening theme also present. As far as presentation goes this game really hit it and any Dragon Ball fan will be pleased. One down side is there is very little voice acting, but this is only a minor complaint.


If this had a giant robot I'd say it'd have everything an anime could hope to have.

Worth Importing?
If you're a fan the plot is easy to follow, thanks to the expressive characters, though if you don't have any knowledge of Japanese don't expect to understand what's being said. Any time that the player learns a new ability the game is kind enough to demonstrate how to activate the ability and the context which its useful in, there were only a handful of times that I was stuck and even then it wasn't for more than a couple of minutes. The game's menu's are very easy to follow, mostly because the important buttons are all illustrated. Despite being quite accessible for those of us who don't speak Japanese I have trouble recommending an import with the game's release stateside in only a couple of months. The only way I could recommend this as an import is if you MUST have your uncensored Dragon Ball. I can't speak for dialogue, but I do know the game includes some of the naughty comedy of the original, complete with Bulma flashing Roshi and Krillin handing the old perv smutty magazines. While I don't think these parts will get cut, I'm pretty sure a few scenes showing Goku's itty-bits will.


Besides full frontal Goku, this is as bad as it gets

The Good
The graphics and story are both very true to the anime.
Have I said I like the expressive characters?
There's a decent amount to do once the main game is over.
The game emulates LoZ:PH quite well

The Bad
Lack of voice acting is a bit of a bummer.
Having to look at little imp Krillin


You stupid, smug, little imp, I can't stand looking at you! Where the eff is your neck?

Bottom Line
If you're a fan of Dragon Ball than there's no reason not to get this game. I have played some real crappy DB games and I'm glad to see one that's actually decent. If you're neutral on DB and liked Phantom Hourglass I'd also have say the game is worth checking out when it comes stateside in December.