Tributes continue to pour in for the great Akira Toriyama, and Dragon Ball fans had a brilliant idea by making a very special request which is very pleasing.
This week, the Dragon Ball fan community, along with fans of Sand Land and Dr. Slump, were plunged into mourning following the unexpected death of legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama. To pay tribute to this renowned artist, admirers have adopted different approaches. Ranging from vigils in games to other forms of celebrating one’s heritage. Including specific requests to certain developers. New proof of the love of readers and fans for the legend.
Another tribute in Dragon Ball
One tribute that caught attention came from Reddit user Cosmic-Chen, who proposed that Robotoriyama (Toriyama’s robotic double also known as Toripo in Blue Dragon) become a playable character in the upcoming game from the franchise, Sparking Zero. This idea quickly gained popularity on the Budokai Tenkaichi subreddit, where many fans expressed their support, although some considered that adding this character to the already crowded roster might seem unlikely.
The community offers different ways to materialize this tribute. Some suggest that Robotoriyama is extremely powerful, capable of eliminating opponents in a single hit, while others think it would be more appropriate to make him available only in menus, instead of having him fight. A particularly popular idea would be to assign him the role of commentator, taking over from Chi-Chi in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
Unconditional love
Beyond Robotoriyama, other fans believe that including characters from Dr. Slump, like Arale, or Beezlebub from Sand Land, would also be a nice homage to Toriyama’s work. It’s important to note that the concept of integrating Toriyama’s avatar into a game is not new. He has already made appearances in Blue Dragon under the name Toripo. And as a playable character in Dragon Ball Heroes.
Fans’ proposal to see Robotoriyama in Sparking Zero reflects their desire to celebrate the memory and impact of Akira Toriyama on the world of manga and video games. Despite the mourning, the community wants to find a respectful and memorable way to pay tribute to one of the greatest creative figures of time. And that is very commendable.