Since Dragon Ball Z came to North America there have been so many Dragon Ball Z games. We get at least one a year and each new hardware cycle the games get closer to the look of the anime. In retrospect the only in Japan NES games don’t even feel close. Eye candy is one reason why Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit has caught so much attention, but we went straight to Atari to find out about how Burst Limit plays. Donny Clay, Producer at Atari, fields questions about Dimps’ new take on the Dragon Ball Z series.
We've seen so many Dragon Ball based fighting games over the years. How is Burst Limit's fighting system different from the Budokai Tenkaichi series?
Well, the Tenkaichi series is definitely different than Burst Limit. Burst Limit is much more of a return to a pure fighting game whereas Tenkaichi combined elements of fighting and flight together. Burst Limit’s fighting system is much deeper in that there are many more counters, combos and timing-based “attack-through” maneuvers.
What is the timeline for Burst Limit? Does it go beyond the Cell Saga or include any of movie plots?
The timeline on this one is from the beginning of the Saiyan Saga to the end of the Cell Saga. There might possibly be some movies characters in the game though…
Can you share any of the "what if" storylines with us?
I’d actually like to save those until the release of the game. Those are some of the only new storylines fans get to see since the show/manga is no longer being produced.
How many playable characters are in Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit?
21 is the number for now.
Who is your favorite to play as? Can you give us some tips on how to use him?
Hmm… I like Cell just because his attitude cracks me up. Luckily this game is very balanced, so character selection isn’t as important as good ol’ fashioned talent. My recommendation is to get very good at teleportation counters or sidestepping attacks. Both tactics are very effective in limiting the amount of damage you take.
Are there any new characters in Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit that are not featured in any other DBZ game to date?
Not this time around. However, all the characters are revamped and look awesome, so I don’t think anyone will mind seeing a few familiar faces.
Will the US version of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit contain Japanese voice acting too?
Yes, you can switch the VO to English or Japanese with subtitles.
What about the original score seen in the Japanese anime? It sounds like it might from some of the trailers…
Yes, we are using all the original content created in Japan for the soundtracks.
Online play looks like it's going to be exciting, but how is Atari tackling lag issues between a battle between a gamer sitting in Asia and a gamer playing the US version?
We have done extensive testing between the US and Japan and they have gone very well. In fact, online testing was probably our biggest focus in QA for the last few months of the development cycle.
What kind of online modes and community features will be part of Burst Limit have?
As of now, we have a 1v1 mode with rankings and leaderboards implemented. We wanted to make sure we got the multi-regional 1v1 play solid and tight before trying to get too fancy.
Besides achievements are there any differences between the Xbox 360 release and the PlayStation 3 version? Maybe Sixaxis control?
There is no difference between the PS3 or 360 version, they are both awesome!
Speaking of achievements, can you share any of them with us?
Well they are all over the place- you can get them from completing the tutorial or story modes as well as some online achievements. They are everywhere in the game.
When will Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit "burst" into North American stores? Will it launch on the same day as Japan?
June 10th. I believe we are getting the game a little sooner than Japan. We get a head start on the butt-kicking, so practice fast!
[Update: Namco Bandai will release Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit on June 5th in Japan, which is five days earlier than June 10th.]
What about gamers who only own a Wii? Is Atari working on a Wii version of Burst Limit or maybe Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4?
At this time we do not have a Wii version planned. We are definitely still looking at projects for the Wii though- Stay tuned!
Images courtesy of Atari.
