Xbox has released a dynamic dashboard background of Blue Dragon (2006) to honor Akira Toriyama’s recent passing.
The background features artwork in the vein of the game’s original cover, with protagonist Shu and his Blue Dragon shadow. Toriyama worked on the artwork for Blue Dragon in collaboration with Yoshihito Takahashi. It was the debut title of Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s indie studio Mistwalker, in co-development with Artoon.
Toriyama suffered a brain condition that resulted in his death at age 68. His legacy stands out as one of the most influential manga artists in the world, known for unforgettable franchises like Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, and Sand Land. He also worked on video games like Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest.
Blue Dragon was initially released in 2006 in Japan then worldwide in 2007 for the Xbox 360. It is available to play via Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One through backward compatibility. The series received two additional entries in the form of Blue Dragon Plus and Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow for the Nintendo DS.
In addition to Dragon Ball DAIMA, one of Toriyama’s final projects that he worked on before his passing was Sand Land, an RPG based on the manga of the same name. It is launching on April 26 for PC, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S.
