When we were kids, my friends and I used to play a game we called “Be Whoever You Want,” where we’d pretend to be our heroes from video games, TV shows, and movies. Goku, Vegeta, or other Dragon Ball characters were a popular choice — we’d imagine that we could fly great distances and launch powerful Kamehameha beams to “fight” each other. Many years later, thanks to Fortnite’s new Dragon Ball-themed event that kicked off on Tuesday, I’ve been able to live out those childhood dreams of feeling like an actual Super Saiyan.
In my first match after installing the new update, I beelined to Kame House, an iconic location from the franchise that has been added to the Fortnite map. Dressed as Goku, I floated down to the house and watched as another player talked to Bulma. But the player soon spotted me and began charging up a Kamehameha, which I was sure would mean my demise.
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In a valiant effort to protect myself, I ducked for cover inside Kame House and grabbed a weapon, but the other player’s beam started destroying the walls around me. I fled and picked up another Kamehameha item I found on the ground. Another player had defeated my attacker, so I was safe for the moment — but I saw a different opponent heading my way.
I decided that it was time to use my own Kamehameha for the very first time. As Goku, in his iconic yellow Super Saiyan hair, I charged up the energy blast over an agonizing few seconds as Goku slowly shouted, “Kaa… may… haa… may… ha!!!” On the final “ha,” I / Goku sent a huge blue energy blast forward and instantly eliminated the other player.
I couldn’t celebrate my victory for too long, as yet another player had started to attack me. I picked up a nearby Nimbus Cloud and hopped on it to fly away from danger, and to my surprise and delight, the Nimbus Cloud sounded exactly like it does in Dragon Ball.
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That all kicked off a thrilling match where I flew from spot to spot across the map and launched Kamehamehas at my foes with reckless abandon. I wasn’t the only one; all over the Fortnite island, I saw other players soaring through the sky on Nimbus Clouds and summoning Kamehameha beams to try and defeat their opponents. It was like everyone else was playing “Be Whoever You Want” alongside me — an illusion that was helped by the many, many crossover characters you can embody while playing Fortnite.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the victory royale, but I already can’t wait to jump back in. I’ll be doing everything I can to get into a Kamehameha battle with another Super Saiyan, just like I used to as a kid.
wazup.