Arc System Works is on a roll with their 3D-anime fighting games, with games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear Strive cementing the studio as one of the best in the genre. The developers’ consistent quality may be attributed to how similar the engines are between all of their titles, which has allowed one modder to insert Goku from Dragon Ball FighterZ into DNF Duel.
Related: Every character in DNF Duel, ranked
That’s right, Goku is everywhere now. Twitter user @WistfulHopes is a well-known modder who works on many of Arc System Works’ fighting games, previously modding in Goku, Sin Kiske, and even Ragna the Bloodedge (completely custom made!) into Guilty Gear Strive. Now, she’s attempting to add Goku into DNF Duel and make him work within the game’s mechanics.
The results look as good as they can be, with Goku not exactly fitting into the DNF Duel universe. His movement is a lot faster and wilder than most of the DNF Duel cast, so this is more of a fun gimmick rather than something meaningful to the game, but WistfulHopes is still attempting to finalize the mod. Currently, she’s attempting to get Goku’s moves to use MP, fix his intro cutscene, add sounds, and create animations for his throw and super.
However, what this mod really revealed is how similar the foundation is between all of Arc System Works’ games. The game has unused defensive mechanics like pushblock from Dragon Ball FighterZ within the game’s code that’s actually functional. Additionally, there is “a shocking amount of [Guilty Gear Xrd] leftovers in the script, such as burst, dust, and blitz shield.”
As they say, don’t fix what isn’t broken. Arc System Works has clearly tapped into a formula, and while their recent games seem to share the same engine, each of the studio’s new releases lies a fresh, unique, and deep-fighting game.
