Dragon Ball: Origins (or Dragon Ball DS as it's known in Japan) are a series of Nintendo DS games based off Akira Toriyama's famous manga/anime of the same name. The games retell the adventures of Son Goku and his friends in their younger days in their quest to find the seven Dragon Balls. The gameplay consists of Action-Adventure elements while incorporating some light platforming and puzzle elements. Origins covers the early parts of the series up until the 21st Tenka'ichi Budōkai arc, while Origins 2 covers the Red Ribbon Army and Fortuneteller Baba arcs.
Tropes appearing in the games:
- Adaptational Badass: Although Bulma would sometimes carry a gun in the manga and anime, it was always to shoot the other guys with when they annoyed her and never used against a serious threat, and she would always need the help of Goku or one of the other fighters to bail her out of trouble. Here she has no problem assisting Goku or fighting on her own by blowing away whatever enemies come her way, with firepower ranging from handguns all the way to a bazooka.
- Adaptation Distillation / Adaptation Expansion: Both games play with both tropes bizarrely enough.
- 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 didn't fight in the Tenka'ichi Budōkai.
- "The Battle Tower" in the second game lets you fight against every major boss in the game.
- Bowdlerise: Surprisingly averted at least where certain scenes are concerned, e.g. Krillin 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.
- Played straight with some of the original music. Liked Makafushigi Adventure!
- Brutal Bonus Level: An extra chapter in the game, has players roaming through a separate dimension in one of Korin's 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.
- 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.
- Disc-One Final Boss: Pilaf's Humongous Mecha in Origins 1. You would think that he is the Final Boss of the game given that he has two phases and the boss music makes it sound like it's the finale. But after you defeat him, the game still progresses into the Tournament Arc of the manga, where the true Final Boss is Jackie Chun, aka Master Roshi.
- 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.
- Distressed Dude: One of the extra chapters in Origins 2 has Arale trying to rescue Senbe and Turbo-kun from Pilaf's Sky fortress.
- Embedded Precursor: The Japanese version of Origins 2 has the first Dragon Ball Famicom game, Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo. It was removed from all other regions even though it got a straight French translation and an English release as Dragon Power that
stripped it of the Dragon Ball license. - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Jack of All Stats: Origins 2 allowed players to play as five other characters besides Goku. And needless to say Goku is the most balanced out of the six playable characters.
- Yamcha also fits this to a lesser degree in comparison to the other characters excluding Goku.
- Lightning Bruiser: Krillin is an interesting variation as he's actually weaker then Goku but due to his speed, his combos do more damage. He also has low reach as his downside.
- 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 fits this well, though he has some moves to get him closer to the enemy.
- Mook Maker: While not too common the second game has a few these lying about in some levels in the form of things like doors and igloos.
- Non-Standard Game Over: Happens when you fail the Press X to Die sections in the second game.
- Optional Boss: Master Roshi, Korin, Arale, & Goku become bosses you can fight in the second game as certain characters.
- 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.
- Sequel Hook: Blatantly obvious given the source material. Though given Games-Republic current status, the likelihood of it coming it now is pretty low.
- Scenery Porn: The second game has this a certain points within a level.
- Schizophrenic Difficulty: The first game has the bad habit of raising the difficulty by a notch after a
Breather Level. - The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: In Origins 1, players can fight through the Tenka'ichi Budōkai 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 Unfought: Subverted with Colonel Violet in the second game. In the original story, she was one of the many ranking Red Ribbon Army officers Goku did not fight, but here 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 enemies in the second game do this literally.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: The Flying Nimbus levels in Origins 1, and 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.
