Bandai Namco’s latest is a love letter to Dragon Ball’s past, present, and future — with gleeful fanfic in between Bandai Namco Bandai Namco just released what might not only be the greatest video game in history but also the ultimate anime arena fighter with . While the argument over what constitutes an exceptional game is debatable, what’s undeniable is the enduring popularity of the franchise in the . With , producer Bandai Namco and developer Spike Chunsoft are poised to let their proverbial crown jewels hang as the undisputed king of the anime industry.
The enduring popularity of ’s everlasting finger prints in the goes well beyond the Midas touch of its late creator, . In musical terms, is to pop culture what the three magic chords are to rock n’ roll. Its cultural influence has permeated , , and , just to name a few.
These achievements barely scratch the surface on Toriyama’s significant influence on the “big three” of anime series: , , and . ‘s influence in anime and manga is only paralleled by its four-decade-long supremacy in the gaming world, gracing a multitude of consoles from the Super NES to the Steam Deck. The franchise’s standout being the mega-popular 3D arena fighter series, , with the last release, , in 2007.
Its spiritual successor, , seeks to bridge this 16-year gap by reclaiming its crown as the pinnacle of anime games and ushering in a paradigm shift in the genre by elevating it to dizzying new heights with its ambitious philosoph.