Dragon Ball is back in the best way possible. If you did not realize, Goku is dominating headlines nowadays thanks to his new anime and video game. While Dragon Ball Daima takes on television, fans are turning to their consoles for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. The game features tons of goodies for fans, and if you listen closely, you may catch a rather rare anime reference.
The whole thing comes courtesy of Krillin, our favorite pint-sized martial artist. If you check out the main menu of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, you will find a number of sections including one for character customization. When you go there, you can hear Krillin cycle through a number of dialogue lines, and one of them points out Launch of all people.
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“Hey, has anybody seen Launch around here,” Krillin asks the group. Of course, nobody answers him, and Krillin moves on. It seems fans are not the only ones who have lost tabs of the heroine. Launch was once a key figure in Dragon Ball, but her streak did not last.
WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO LAUNCH?
If you are not familiar with Launch, no sweat. The character appeared primarily in the original Dragon Ball anime, so fans who entered the series during Dragon Ball Z don’t know her full story. Back in the day, Launch became friends with Goku and Krillin after the two saved her from police, but they did not realize the blue-haired woman was a threat. Launch houses split personalities, and when she sneezes, those identities swap.
When Launch has her blue hair, the heroine is nothing short of sweet, but that changes when her hair turns blonde. The character turns into a gun-toting gangster when she is blonde, and Launch becomes a major antagonist during these spells. During the 22nd and 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, Blonde Launch comes in handy, and she develops a raging crush on Tie Shinhan after seeing him fight.
For much of Dragon Ball, Launch plays a role in some way, and she even shows up in the Vegeta saga once Dragon Ball Z gets started. However, that marks her final big appearance. In the manga, Launch is only seen once more during an extra scene from the Frieza saga, and that is it. The anime tried to keep Launch relevant by putting her in flashbacks, but those are just add ins. After the Vegeta saga, Launch disappears from the series, and fans have turned her abrupt exit into a running joke.
Clearly, the team at Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft were in on the joke. Krillin is the only one who cares to bring up Launch, and the throwaway line is forgotten as soon as it is said.
DRAGON BALL: SPARKING ZERO IS BREAKING VIDEO GAME RECORDS
Clearly, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero features some deep cuts for fans, and that is why it is breaking records. In the first 24 hours after its release, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero sold three million copies which makes it the fast-selling game in the anime’s history. And beyond sales, the game is making major headway on social media.
After all, Steam clocked record concurrents for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero after its launch. Its all-time peak stands at 122,554 which is nothing to laugh at. So as it stands, the Dragon Ball game is one of the fighting genre’s top dogs. This streak will surely continue has DLC is already planned for the title. Not long ago, Bandai Namco announced the first wave of DLC for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and it features characters from the new Dragon Ball Daima anime.
Have you checked out Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero yet? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
