Dragon Ball Origins isnt always the freshest or most polished playing adventure game on DS, but its certainly one of the most original, humor-filled attempts weve seen. If you already know the Dragon Ball saga, what it really comes down to is whether or not you want to see it all again, playing and watching the origin of Goku and his buddies on their quest to find the seven Dragon Balls. There are a few really nice gameplay decisions made, such as the quick-run ability similar to Okami where Goku will run faster when continuing for a long period of time, and the 3D looks great for DS, with some seriously slick animations that show off a lot of attention to detail. The music is well done, theres a nice blend of storytelling and voiceover, and the game is easy to jump in and out of at a moments notice. If a bit more polish was put into the actual adventure elements, the combat (which is still very strong), and teammate AI it would be an even better anime-to-DS offering. As it stands here, theres some great fan service, a pretty fun but repetitive adventure, and a lot of hilarious moments that will push you to keep going. A must-own for Dragon Ball fans.
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8.5 Presentation
Perhaps the highest point of the entire package. It feels like a retelling of Dragon Ball, pure and simple. Its funny, well produced, and stylistic. The in-game interface could be better though.
8.5 Graphics
Great looking 3D for DS, but we could see them pushing it a bit more in a sequel, especially on the effects level. Impressive to say the least though.
8.0 Sound
Classic music is blended with VO during key moments. Well done, but audio certainly takes a backseat to the visuals and presentation.
8.0 Gameplay
Very simple, but still pretty fun even in its repetitive areas. It wont give Phantom Hourglass a run for its money, but its well made.
8.0 Lasting Appeal
Essentially a straight-shot, linear offering, Origins is good for a dozen or so hours, and then youre ready to shelf it for life. The figure collection is a nice touch.
8.2 OVERALL
Impressive
(out of 10 / not an average)