Dragon Ball: Origins



Dragon Ball Origins or Dragon Ball DS as it's know in Japan are series of Nintendo DS exclusives games based off Akira Toriyama's famous manga/anime of the same name. The game's retell the adventures of Son Goku and his friends in their younger days in their quest to find the seven Dragonballs. The gameplay consists of action-adventure elements while incorporating some light platforming and puzzle elements. So far two games have been released Origins which covers the early parts of the series up until the 21st budokai arc, and Origins 2 which covers the Red Ribbon Army and Fortuneteller Baba arcs. While the third game has yet to be officially announced it will presumably cover the the remaining three arcs of the series.


 * Adaptation Distillation / Adaptation Expansion: Both games play with both tropes bizarrely enough.
 * Action Girl: Colonel Violet, Mai,Arale, & Bulma.
 * Back Tracking: You'll be doing a lot of this in the first game.
 * Badass in Distress: This happens to Goku & Master Roshi after the former unintentionally leads General Blue to Roshi's house who promptly paralyzes them, takes their Dragon Balls and leaves a bomb to dispose of them all. They're ironically enough saved by Lunch's last minute return.
 * Boss Rush: The first game allows you to fight every fighter Goku fought in didn't fight in the Budokai Tournament.
 * "The Battle Tower" in the second game let's you fight against every major boss in the game.
 * Bonus Boss: Master Roshi,Korin,Arale, & Goku become bosses you can fight in the second game as certain characters,
 * Bowdlerise: Suprisingly averted at least where certain scenes are concerned i.e. Krillen pulling down Bulma's top during Yamcha's fight with Sasuke, leading to the iconic scene that follows.
 * Played straight with some of the original music liked Makafushigi Adventure! or Romantic Ageru Yo well too bad they're not in the European or American versions.
 * Brutal Bonus Level: An extra chapter in the game, has player's roaming through a separate dimension in one of Korin jars. A level which also turns into Platform Hell.
 * Can't Get Away with Nuthin': One of the extra chapter revolves around Bulma attempting to catch Oolong after the latter spied on her in her room.
 * Cute Bruiser: Arale
 * Cut Lex Luthor a Check: You kind of wonder why Mai & Shu never put their knowledge or skills with machinery to any other use. Other than trying to Kill Goku and steal the Dragon Balls for Pilaf.
 * Subverted with Tao Pai Pai who uses his martial arts skills to supplement his career as an Assassin.
 * Disproportionate Retribution: One of the extra chapter revolves around Yamcha being forced to fight Bulma after the latter goes batshit insane over a minor issue.Following this Bulma punishes Yamcha for "justly defending himself" by making him jump into a lake at gunpoint.
 * Dude in Distress: One of the extra chapters in Origins 2 has Arale trying to rescue Senbe and Turbo-Kun from Pilaf's Sky fortress.
 * Faux Action Girl: Subverted with Bulma which you might not realize if you've never read the manga (beyond the cover art) or watched the anime beforehand though it does turn into Wallbanger fuel in one case.
 * Flash Step: Goku's "After Image" technique.
 * For the Evulz: Commander Red's reason for wanting the Dragon Balls which led to his Karmic Death.
 * Fragile Speedster / Glass Cannon: Arale at least when you play as her.
 * Gosh Darn It to Heck: Despite both games having a T rating the team localizing still opted to have characters use "Darn" instead of "Damn" which becomes ironic when you see Goku call someone a Bastard in one chapter in the 2nd game.
 * Humiliation Conga: Pilaf,General Blue,and to a much lesser extent Colonel Silver suffer this fate.
 * Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Pilaf (Obviously) see also Jerkass Woobie.
 * Jack of All Stats: Origins 2 allowed players to play as 5 other characters besides Goku. And needless to say Goku is the most balanced out of the six playable characters.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch / Karmic Death: Commander Red.
 * Lightning Bruiser: Krillen.
 * Marathon Boss: Korin is a slight version of this do to that fact that players can't beat him as easily and traditionally as the other bosses.
 * Mighty Glacier: Hatchan/Eighter
 * Mook Maker: While not too common the second game has a few these lying about in some levels.
 * No Export for You: The Japanese version of the game came with a port of "Shelong no Nazo". Guess what happened when the game got brought to America & Europe.
 * Nonstandard Game Over: Happens when you fail the Press X to Die sections in the second game.
 * Plot Hole: Someone at Game Republic forgot or isn't aware of the fact that Tao Pai Pai didn't die during his apparent Karmic Death scene in the Red Ribbon Army Saga. Which will look hilariousinhindsight if and when Tao Pai Pai returns in Orgins 3.
 * Press X to Not Die: The second game has a few sequences that requires players to press and hold certain parts of the touchscreen during some cutscenes.
 * Punch Clock Villain: Tao Pai Pai.
 * Sequel Hook: Blantanly obvious given the source material.
 * Scenery Porn: The second game has this a certain points within a level.
 * The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: In Origins 1 players can fight through the Tekaichi Budokai Arc as Goku. And as is the case in the actual Tournament you can win by knocking your opponents out of the ring rather than depleting their health. Won't work on Jackie Chun/Master Roshi who needless to say crosses into "That One Boss" territory.
 * The Unexpected: The first game doesn't let use the buttons to play the game instead almost everything is handled via touchscreen movement,attacking,& dodging. This apparently also adds a Fake Difficulty to the game needless to say Game Republic fixed this for the sequel.
 * The Unfought: Subverted with Colonel Violet in the second game. Who in the original story was one of the many ranking Red Ribbon Army officers Goku did not fight. However you have to fight her at the end of one of the main chapters.
 * Turns Red: Some of the bosses in the first and second game will start abusing certain attacks or using new ones as you lower their health.
 * The various "4-Legged Robot" type enemys in the second game do this literally.
 * Unexpected Gameplay Change: The Flying Nimbus levels in Origins 1.
 * Climbing Korin's Tower in Origins 2.
 * You Have Failed Me...: Commander Red forces General Blue to fight Tao Pai Pai for being unable to bring back Goku's Dragon Balls.