“Dragon Balls were intended to be a thing of extraordinary magic and power, something to be revered not for the ease of their method, but for the dream of never having to use them.”
— Until We Meet Again
Y’all ever play DBZ Budokai for PS2 back in the day? It was like, the first proper fighting game I was ever good at. I would always pick Krillin, just because…I don’t really know why…maybe because there was some allure in being a small-but-mighty bald fellow in a world filled with ripped humans and creatures of all varieties. Kinda like Kirby.
And remember the whole kamehameha shit? Krillin may have had trouble with that at first, but by the time Budokai dropped he had it down. In the game, it was a basic move, sending balls of energy with your hands, but oh so satisfying. It was the hallmark move of being in a fight. That feeling of power that a quick burst of energy hitting its target yields, the feeling of combat, yearning for victory. The culmination of which (in the context of the show) was, of course, the dragon balls; the seven orange spheres that, when wielded simultaneously, summon a a wish-granting dragon. How neat!
Can’t forget the sounds in the game, either. I mean, there are so many classic video game soundtracks that are masterpieces alone, but throw in the in-game sound effects, and you’ve got a real feast for your ears. Take, for instance, this new DBZ-influenced track from Walter Ego — which we are lucky enough to be premiering below. Not only has it got a foreground synth riff that reminds me of a kamehameha burst…but, like…legit growls too! Not to mention some wicked shit thrown into the background to create the actual effect of a video game/cartoon soundtrack! It’s a track that pokes a bit of fun at itself without sacrificing power, kinda like the DBZ soundtrack proper (albeit a bit more grime-y).
Obviously, video games are FOREVER, but the Seven Star Ball EP doesn’t come out in all its glowing-dragon’s-balls-of-glory until August 4 (via Bad Taste). But don’t worry, you can pre-order it here after you check out “Raw” down below. Just press RIGHT, LEFT, DOWN, UP, A, B, START…and enjoy!!
Seven Star Ball EP tracklisting:
01. Raw
02. Sensu Beans
03. Goku’s Legend