Xbox is paying tribute to renowned Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who sadly passed away, by offering fans a complimentary, dynamic dashboard theme showcasing his artwork for the Xbox 360 exclusive RPG, Blue Dragon.
The iconic mangaka Akira Toriyama, famed for his work on Dr. Slump and the character designs for video games such as Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger, succumbed to an acute subdural hematoma on March 1.
In the aftermath of his death, the anime and manga communities, including creators of series such as Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece, have paid homage to Toriyama’s significant influence on popular culture. Microsoft too is celebrating his contributions with a no-cost dashboard theme centered on one of his underrated masterpieces, Blue Dragon.
Honoring a true legend.
We’ve added a new dynamic dashboard background featuring Xbox 360's Blue Dragon, with art and character designs by Akira Toriyama. pic.twitter.com/ZFj20fX2ed
— Xbox (@Xbox) March 29, 2024
“A salute to an absolute icon,” shared Xbox on its X/Twitter account. “We’re proud to present a new dynamic dashboard theme featuring Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, illustrated by the inimitable Akira Toriyama.”
This special dashboard background depicts the main character Shu on a mountaintop with his dragon sidekick, reminiscent of the imagery from Blue Dragon’s original Xbox 360 game cover. Xbox is also inviting gamers to dive into Blue Dragon over the weekend as a way to honor Toriyama’s memory.
Released in 2006, Blue Dragon is a Microsoft-exclusive RPG often seen as Xbox’s counter to the wildly popular Final Fantasy series, a tall order except for the involvement of Final Fantasy’s own Hironobu Sakaguchi and celebrated composer Nobuo Uematsu in its creation.
The RPG chronicles the journey of a party of adventurers who can summon mystical shadow dragons, as they set off on an epic, world-spanning quest. It gained popularity in Japan and eventually inspired an anime adaptation by the studio behind Naruto and Bleach, Pierrot.
