It has never been a better time to be a Dragon Ball fan than right now.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero was released on Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and Steam on October 11th, and it has taken the world by storm. This arena fighter lets you pit iconic fighters from across the Dragon Ball franchise against each other in the ultimate showcase of strength.
I am no stranger to both Dragon Ball games and the arena fighting genre, but Sparking Zero blows nearly every other arena fighter I’ve played out of the water. Sparking Zero is the latest installment in the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise of Dragon Ball games, with the last one having been released 15 years ago.
My word, it has been too long since I’ve played a fighting game this fun.
Sparking Zero allows you to choose between nearly 200 different characters from across the franchise, each with their own special movies and unique voicelines. You can create teams of up to five combatants and face off in team battles, as well.
Not every character is evenly matched, however. Unlike FighterZ or Xenoverse 2 and their equal health bars, Sparking Zero isn’t balanced.
For example, Kid Trunks has far less health and attack value than Super Saiyan Vegito or Beerus, the God of Destruction. This was an intentional choice by the developers to create a feeling of accuracy with the source material rather than a competitive setting.
The fighting system is simple on the surface, but it has miles of depth for players to master. You can start with simple combos and evolve to using afterimage strikes, chain combos, counters, dodges, and super attacks.
Sparking Zero doesn’t hold your hand with the gameplay, either. You are given a simple tutorial at the game’s beginning, but unless you go into the training mode (and you should!), you’re thrown into the deep end when you start Episode Battles, which is the game’s “story mode.”
Story mode is a loose term to use for Sparking Zero, though. Where old Tenkaichi titles would rehash Dragon Ball’s story to an exhausting length, Sparking Zero gives you the bare minimum. It expects the audience to have already watched or read both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.
I can’t blame Bandai Namco Games and Spike Chunsoft for going in this direction, either. The Episode Battles allow you to take control of eight different fighters and go through their stories.
Episode Battles have a twist on the formula. In some fights, certain conditions will allow you to find a Sparking Episode, a what-if story about what would happen if a certain fighter triumphed where they didn’t in the original story or made a different choice.
These Sparking episodes are incredibly hard to unlock, but rewards and a unique story wait at the end of each path. Sparking Zero demands mastery from you but rewards accordingly.
You can also create your own Custom Episodes. You can pick a large number of scenarios and create unique what-if scenarios complete with dialogue options and special win conditions. You can even play other players’ custom stories, giving Sparking Zero more replayability value.
The biggest weakness of the original Episodes is the inconsistency between cutscenes. Some are fully animated and voiced, while others are just a series of still shots. I would’ve preferred a consistent style because what we have is inconsistent and jarring.
There is one more major complaint to be had about this game.
Unlike the massive character roster, there are only 12 maps to choose from. Only one is from Dragon Ball Super, and the rest have been prominently featured in previous games. I hope Bandai Namco adds more because it can feel a little dull.
The cutscene quality and map count aside, Sparking Zero is gorgeous. The characters and environments look like they were pulled straight from the anime and given new life. Every special attack is unique and stunningly animated with breathtaking energy. The stages are all destructible, and each impact and blast leaves lasting damage in the ground.
If you are a fighting game fan at all, pick Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero up. It’s a ton of fun and addictive to master. You don’t need to know much about Dragon Ball to play, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn a little.
Sparking Zero also has at least three DLC packs on the horizon, which are slated for early next year. With the immediate success of this game, I can see it getting more support and DLC far beyond that.
Pick this game up and experience the ultimate Dragon Ball experience. Break the heavens and shatter the limit.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is out now on Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
