Dragon Ball Origins 2

Review

Common Sense Media says

Game's storyline is more mature than the TV show's fans.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while Dragon Ball Origins 2 is based on a cartoon series that appeals to kids as young as 8 or 9, there are some very mature themes at play here. The game got a "T" (teen) rating for a reason. The playable action is, though violent, not much worse than what you'd find in a game with an "E10+" rating. It's the storyline and animated cut scenes and dialogue that raise the appropriate age limit here. Spurting blood and sexually suggestive scenes that have no impact on the gameplay can be found in the story sequences.

  • Positive messages0
    The game is filled with violence -- just like the TV show it is based on -- and also contains suggestive sexual material that seems inappropriate for a game based on a cartoon.
  • Positive role models0
    The protagonists are clearly on the side of good and their motivations benevolent, but they fight and engage in violent behavior.
  • Ease of play3
    Every action can be performed in two ways -- either with buttons or the by using the stylus on the DS's touchscreen. In almost every case, the buttons work better. Having the choice, however, should mean that everybody can find the control scheme that works best for him or her.
  • Violence3
    This is a third-person action/fighting game in which the young hero, Goku, battles men, animals, and monsters with either bare fists and feet or a large staff. Some enemies will shoot beams or guns at him. And when Goku powers up, he can release a blast of energy at villains. When bad guys are defeated, they fall and fade away. While there is no blood shown during any of these fights -- which are reasonably tame by video game standards -- there is gushing, spurting blood in some of the storytelling cut scenes, including a man whose head spurts blood after it is bitten.
  • Sex3
    A female character, who wears a tube top and shorts throughout, makes multiple references to "perverts" and "doing something perverted." She also drops her top in front of an older male character, though she is only shown from behind while doing so. Another male character reads a magazine with a nude woman on the cover; the image is too small to show detail, but is obviously meant to be a nude woman.
  • Language2
    The words "hell," "damn," and "bastard" are used in the dialogue. There are also several comments about "perverts."
  • Consumerism3
    This game is part of a lengthy series of games (and other merchandise) based around the Dragon Ball Z animated TV series.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's it about?

DRAGON BALL ORIGINS 2 is a sequel to last year's prequel, Dragon Ball Origins -- and yet another chapter in the long-running Dragon Ball saga. It continues to tell the story of the early years of Goku, the young monkey-tailed warrior who hunts the world for coveted, legendary power orbs called Dragon Balls. In the first prequel, he learned of the Dragon Balls and began his search. He continues his hunt here, battling evil folks along the way in order to prevent the bad guys from finding the orbs first and using their power for no good.

Is it any good?

 

Dragon Ball Origins 2 is one of the better Dragon Ball video games to date. There's a lot of frantic martial arts action, a nice exploration element with hidden treasure chests to search for, exciting boss battles, and a good tutorial method that allows you to learn nuanced controls as you advance through the story. It's the Dragon Ball game that many fans of the popular cartoon series have probably been waiting for -- which is ironic as this game is too violent and suggestive for the show's main fan base. The overly mature content, though, is housed entirely within the storytelling cut scenes; so what you've actually got here is an E10+ action game buried in a T-rated story.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about violence in games. The worst violence happens during scenes that the player can't control. Since the actual gameplay is not as bad as the story scenes, does that make the game better for younger kids?

  • Families can also discuss how they feel about the portrayal of Bulma, the main female character in the game. Is her depiction stereotypical of the way girls are often portrayed in video games or anime?

This review was written by Christopher Healy

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This review was written by Christopher Healy
Platforms:Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Action/Adventure
Developer:Namco Bandai
Release date:June 22, 2010
Price:$29.99
ESRB rating:T for Blood, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
This review was written by Christopher Healy

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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