Either the story mode is going to be incredibly long and absolutely epic, or they have recorded thousands of personalized lines before and after each battle for every matchup.
Akira Toriyama is no longer with us, but that doesn’t mean that ‘Dragon Ball’ is going to disappear as well. With Toyotaro promising to fly solo in the future of ‘Dragon Ball Super’, the premiere of ‘Dragon Ball Daima’ and the video games of the saga, one thing is clear: Goku and company still have a long time before they stop being popular. And the proof is in ‘Dragon Ball: Sparking zero’, the next great hope of the franchise.
Although it may not be mentioned in the title, ‘Sparking Zero’ is the return, after 15 years, to the ‘Budokai Tenkaichi’ saga, the legendary fighting game that will feature a whopping 164 characters, including both the most classic heroes and villains and some more unexpected ones like Dyspo, Kefla, and a good handful of fighters from ‘Dragon Ball Super’. In short, for the general population, choosing to fight with Son Goku is always the way to go.
And boy, do they know it at Bandai: Sean Schemmel, the “longtime” American voice actor for the character, has stated that he has recorded between 60 and 80 hours of dialogue, which is logical considering that we will be able to choose Goku in different stages of his life: in the Saiyan Saga, in Super Saiyan God, or in all periods of his transformations.
It is also worth mentioning that Schemmel also voices the different fusions between Goku and Vegeta, a couple of supporting characters and even the villainous character Goku Black, from Dragon Ball Super, who have not been announced but will probably appear throughout the game. And here is where two possibilities come in: either the story mode is going to be very long and absolutely epic or they have recorded thousands of customized phrases before and after the fights for each confrontation.
In any case, although there is still no confirmed date, it is a good kamehame to encourage our desire for more ‘Dragon Ball’.
Despite Akira Toriyama’s death, that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to have new works of his to enjoy, like this new anime adaptation.
The death of Akira Toriyama has been a tremendous blow for several different generations. Even more so when it has been unexpected. The father of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump was very beloved for his mythical works that, although sometimes we forget, go far beyond Dragon Ball. In addition to creating the art for legendary RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest, he also made other, shorter mangas that demonstrate his genius. Sand Land being a good example of this.
In the last year there has been a resurgence of this particular work by Toriyama. Published from May 22nd to August 28th, 2000, contained in a single volume, it demonstrates Toriyama’s obsession and interest in original vehicles and post-apocalyptic settings. Something that has experienced a particular explosion in recent years.
Perhaps it’s because of the success of Mad Max: Fury Road, perhaps because the manga is just that good, today a new series based on this manga is premiering: Sand Land: The Series. Available on Disney+, it consists of seven episodes that tell the entirety of the manga from beginning to end. With a twist. A second season has been announced that will feature events that have never appeared in manga format and that, in principle, would be Toriyama’s last story written in his lifetime. This makes this series even more important and dramatic.
Sand Land, in terms of the plot, takes place in a world where there is barely any water left after years of endless wars and terrible natural disasters. In these circumstances, Beelzebub, son of Lucifer and prince of demons, ventures into the vast deserts to find a new water source, tired of his father monopolizing all the water sources. This will make him have to cooperate with demons, humans, and confront dinosaurs and all kinds of creatures riding on what Toriyama liked to draw the most: all kinds of vehicles.
Like a mix of Mad Max and Dragon Ball, it’s a dystopian story, full of charm and humor in the style of Toriyama. A real treat for all those in love with Dragon Ball, especially those who prefer the stories of young Goku over the more tumultuous power level stories of Dragon Ball Z.
The interesting thing about this series is that it is not made from scratch. It is an adaptation of the homonymous film made in collaboration by Sunrise, Kamikaze Douga and Anima studios, which was exclusively released in Japan on August 18th. For the series, they have added cut material from the film, developing the plots and characters much more, in order to address the entirety of the manga without leaving anything out. Making the series an even more satisfying experience.
However, that’s not all the Sand Land we’ll have in the near future. The ILCA studio, the people behind the remarkable One Piece Odyssey, will release a Sand Land video game on April 26for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.
If you’re curious, the game already has a demo available on all platforms. This has allowed us to verify what it will contain. A vast open world, full of possibilities, where the customization of our vehicles will be very important, and where we will have to learn to handle ourselves well in each of the three available. A motorcycle, very fast but not so capable in combat; a tank, robust and with great firepower but limited mobility; and a chubby mech, specialized in close combat and short distances but suffers in long-range battles.
Although the demo is somewhat limited, designed more to show us the mechanics than the game world, it promises to be a fun experience that perfectly recreates Akira Toriyama’s aesthetic. Something that, although we are already used to seeing in the video game, does not make it any less spectacular. Or less endearing, now that he is no longer with us.
That’s why, if like us you miss Toriyama, Sand Land is the perfect opportunity to connect with him in a way you may not have done before. Whether it’s by reading the manga, watching the newly released animated series, playing the upcoming video game, or all of the above, there has never been a more ideal time to immerse yourself in Toriyama’s fascinating mind. Something that, we know well, we need now more than ever.
The new game based on Akira Toriyama now has a release date, and it will also be accompanied by an anime series released around the same time.
Akira Toriyama is much more than Dragon Ball. Although it is true that his most famous work is so famous that it is impossible to dissociate it from him, that does not mean that he is an author of a single success. Both in Japan and abroad, he is a recognized and highly valued author. Especially for his sense of humor, the uniqueness of his character and vehicle designs, but also for his eye for adventure stories. Where he has specialized.
Sand Land is a post-apocalyptic story where we embody Beelzebub, the Demon Prince, who, due to various circumstances, will have to join forces with humans to survive in the desert. Among his allies will be Thief and Sheriff Rao, with whom he will cross the desert in a tank, with a purely Toriyama design, in search of the Legendary Spring that will end the terrible drought that has taken over the world. All while they seek to survive and are besieged by the forces of the Royal Army, who seek to prevent their search.
The manga was originally published between May 9 and August 8, 2000 in Weekly Shounen Jump, consisting of a single volume. It has become, apart from Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, Toriyama’s most popular manga to this day.
Sand Land, the video game, will be released on April 26th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. Additionally, during that same period, an anime adaptation in the form of a series will premiere on Hulu, on a date yet to be determined.
“I liked the Cell tournament a lot, afterward they went crazy”
It seems that we had already had enough of David Bisbal in 2023 after his viral “How are the machines, first of all,” but, on the brink of a new edition of ‘Operación Triunfo,’ the singer seems not to tire of giving us epic moments every time a microphone is put in front of him. Taking advantage of promoting his documentary, he has granted interviews to everyone. Including Twitch.
During the Latin Grammys, Illojuan, the famous streamer, interrupted him midway through his round of interviews to ask a globally resonant question, one of those that defines people. “Your favorite Dragon Ball saga, what is it?” And his answer makes perfect sense. After a while of contemplating, Bisbal ended up saying what we all think.
“I really liked the Cell Games tournament, after that, they’ve gone crazy,” referring to ‘Dragon Ball Super‘ (though surprisingly, not to the Boo saga in ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ which is a whole different story). “Now with all the different worlds, time travel, and everything, it’s all become too much for me, honestly.”
In fact, he even has an explanation to justify why that’s his favorite saga: “I really liked even the Cell Games because they gave protagonism to Gohan.” If you’ve also pictured David Bisbal eating cereal on a Saturday morning at 44, you’re on my team. And he is too, while we’re at it. Now, please, let’s take him to a special program of the saga to ask him about his opinion on ‘Dragon Ball Daima‘, the second part of ‘Super’, and what’s yet to come. The Latin Grammys were great and all, but here we are, diligently searching for the Dragon Ball.
Bulma stealing with Nami, Krillin chatting with Chopper, Sanji and the Turtle Goblin fantasizing about girls, Trunks, Usopp, Vegeta and Nico Robin forming a band, Piccolo and Zoro getting lost and, of course, Luffy and Son Goku.
Years ago, there might have been small fights among fans wondering what a meeting between Goku from ‘Dragon Ball’ and Luffy from ‘One Piece‘ would be like. Luckily, they’ve crossed paths so many times over the years that they’re practically buddies. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make much sense: they’re both shonen fighters in the end, right? Well, if we believe there’s a dragon that grants wishes when you gather seven balls, we can believe that the Straw Hats can meet the Saiyans.
The first crossover between both series was in the form of a video game: in 2005, ‘Jump Super Stars’ was released in Japan, a fighting game for Nintendo DS that featured characters from Shonen Jump magazine, including Goku, Luffy, Naruto, Arale, and the protagonists of ‘Slam Dunk’. It was a good start, but not exactly what we were looking for.
Just one year later, on December 25, 2006, Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda published ‘Cross Epoch’, a one-shot manga that, after crowning Mr. Satan as king, brought together characters from both universes to interact for a while: Bulma teaming up with Nami, Krillin chatting with Chopper, Sanji and Turtle Hermit fantasizing about girls, Trunks, Usopp, Vegeta, and Nico Robin forming a band, Piccolo and Zoro getting lost, and, of course, Luffy and Son Goku.
And here is where we discover something crucial about Luffy: when he falls off a cliff, the protagonist of ‘Dragon Ball‘ helps him by sending his Flying Nimbus, on which, as we remember, only people with a pure heart can ride. The leader of ‘One Piece’ seems to have it because he holds on without any problem, and he takes the opportunity to launch a double attack against a criminal gang formed by Buggy and Pilaf: a Kamehameha mixed with a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka. As you can imagine, things don’t end well for the villains.
The episode is just a silly occurrence in another alternate timeline, but in 2013, they officially came together again, this time in the anime and including ‘Toriko’ as well: ‘Super Collaboration Special!’ consisted of one episode of ‘One Piece’ and another of, of course, ‘Toriko,’ during a race that culminates in a fight against a character named Akami, who is defeated by the combined strength of the three heroes. What were you expecting from a promotional crossover, after all?
Akira Toriyama sees one of his most acclaimed manga adapted with Unreal Engine 5 with Sand Land, announced at the Summer Game Fest.
One of the great surprises of the Summer Game Fest is the announcement that we will be getting a new game in Unreal Engine 5 inspired by a work of Akira Toriyama. And that work is not Dragon Ball, but Sand Land. With an extremely faithful look to the manga, which appears to be a 1:1 reproduction of the famous mangaka’s artwork, it seems to be an open world where we will embody the titular protagonist, Rao, as he travels through the desert in a world where water is scarce and demons and humans must coexist and fight to survive.
Announced for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox Series X and Series S, Sand Land still does not have a release date. In any case, all fans of Akira Toriyama, even those who only know Dragon Ball, are in luck because Sand Land captures the spirit of Son Goku’s childhood adventures. And if this game can reproduce that spirit as faithfully as it reproduces its artwork, we are talking about a potential masterpiece.
