Dragon Ball Tour Goes Super Saiyan at SDCC Launch

Dragon Ball Super knows how to make a good impression, and it spared no expense for San Diego Comic-Con this year. Last week, the city welcomed the annual event, and Toei Animation stunned with its impressive debut of Dragon Ball's 2018 tour.

Nestled outside of SDCC, the franchise took over the Marriott Marina Terrace beginning on July 19th, the preview day for the big convention. Long before the event opened, fans could be seen lined up to enter the event, and the sprawling stage looked like any Dragon Ball lover's dream.

The tour housed several areas, and ComicBook.com got the chance to scope them all at. At the entrance, fans were greeted with an open view of the event's main floor which was designs to look like a tournament stage. Life-sized statues of Vegeta and Goku bracketed the entrance, and their Super Saiyan Blue forms were perfect for any selfie fanatics.

Aside from a goodie giveaway booth, the stage's walls were lined with the history of Dragon Ball. A timeline of the franchise was posted on one wall while another was lined with exclusive S.H. Figuarts collectibles. The dioramas recreated a slew of famous scenes, and Broly's brand-new design was featured in a towering figure at the end.

Collectors may have fawned over the collectibles, but gamers were given a treat of their own. Attendees were able to play Dragon Ball FighterZ at Bandai Namco's section, and the title was joined by Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle. Fans could play these games to win free swag, but one of the tour's big draws was its inclusion of Super Dragon Ball Heroes.

Yes, the popular arcade game was featured at the event, and it was all in English. The special turnout gave U.S. fans their first chance to play the card-based game in North America, and many left wanting to play more. Our own Megan Peters tested the game three times, and the Evil Saiyan Cumber came off as frightening as you would expect.

The special Dragon Ball Tour led into a packed weekend for Dragon Ball Super, but the event is far from over. There are six more stops left on the tour when the next taking place at Otakon in Washington D.C. Other cites like Toronto, New York City, and Dallas will follow. So, whether you're a new or old Saiyan fan, this traveling event is one you will want to check out.

Are you hoping to check out this tour when it hits a city near you? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Dragon Ball Super is currently airing its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on Funimation, VRV, and Crunchyroll. Dragon Ball Super: Broly will hit Japanese theaters in December, and is expected to arrive in the U.S. around mid-January 2019.