Dragon Ball 5 Difference

Dragon Ball 5 Difference is a puzzle game developed by a third-party studio and released for the Nintendo DS handheld console in 2006. The game is based on the Dragon Ball franchise, featuring characters and visual elements from the anime and manga series created by Akira Toriyama. The title is a variation of the classic "spot the difference" genre, where players are presented with two nearly identical images and must identify discrepancies between them. The game contains a total of 100 levels, each presenting a pair of Dragon Ball-themed illustrations. These images depict scenes, characters, and transformations from the series, including Goku, Vegeta, and other Z Fighters. The game supports single-player and multiplayer modes, with the latter allowing two players to compete using a single game cartridge via the DS's wireless connectivity. The objective is to locate five differences in each image pair within a time limit. Incorrect selections deduct time, while correct selections advance the player to the next level. The game includes a hint system that highlights one difference per use, with a limited number of hints available per session. The visual style is cel-shaded, mimicking the anime's aesthetic, and the soundtrack consists of background music inspired by the series. The game was rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Gameplay is turn-based and observation-driven. The player views two side-by-side images on the DS's dual screens. The top screen displays the reference image, while the bottom screen shows the altered version. The player uses the stylus to tap on the bottom screen where a difference is perceived. A correct tap marks the difference with a circle and increments the score. An incorrect tap causes a brief penalty animation and reduces the remaining time by five seconds. Each level contains exactly five differences. The player must locate all five before the timer expires to progress. The timer is displayed as a bar at the top of the screen. The game offers three difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, and Hard. Easy mode provides a longer timer and fewer false differences. Hard mode reduces the timer and introduces more subtle alterations, such as color shifts, object removals, or size changes. The hint function is activated by tapping a question mark icon on the touch screen. Each hint reveals one difference by briefly flashing the altered area. The player receives three hints per level in Easy mode, two in Normal, and one in Hard. Multiplayer mode operates on a single cartridge. Two players each use a DS system. One system hosts the game, and the other connects wirelessly. Both players view the same image pair on their respective screens. The first player to correctly identify all five differences wins the round. Controls are limited to stylus taps on the touch screen. The D-pad and buttons are not used for primary gameplay. The game can be paused by pressing the Start button.