Key Highlights
- A disappointing revival: Despite being part of the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero fails to deliver the legendary gameplay fans hoped for.
- Playable characters overload: An impressive roster of 182 playable fighters, but many characters are repetitive forms rather than original additions.
- Gameplay lacking polish: While combat features rush attacks and beam clashes, uneven AI and sluggish controls undermine the gaming experience.
- Visuals don’t meet expectations: Promised breathtaking visuals fall flat due to stiff animations and technical performance issues.
- Bandai Namco Entertainment stumbles: A missed opportunity for this Dragon Ball franchise revival that leaves fans wanting more.
- Limited upgrades: Marginal improvements over prior installments show little evolution in the Dragon Ball video game series.
Introduction
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is made by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The goal was to bring back good memories for fans of the Budokai Tenkaichi series. However, it does not live up to what the old games had. The video game series is loved because it has epic battles and deep stories, but this new game does not give the same feeling. It promised fans something bigger, but there is not much that feels new or better here. Most people end up feeling let down. The game does not match up to what players expect from the Bandai name or the history of the series.
Evolution of the Dragon Ball: Sparking! Series
The Budokai Tenkaichi series from Spike Chunsoft changed the way people experience the world of dragon ball. These games brought fast-paced battles with lots of action and areas that could be destroyed. Every entry, new or old, became well-known for having a huge roster of characters and authentic combat moves that match what you see in the anime.
But now, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero seems to just stick with old ideas and does not add anything new. Spike Chunsoft does not try to push the dragon ball games forward. Instead, it feels like they use past wins to sell this one, which does not help the dragon ball name.
How Sparking! Zero Builds on Budokai Tenkaichi Legacy
Building on the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero wants to make the same fun features even better. The game still has 1v1 arena combat, fast transformations, and big beam clashes. These have always been a big part of any Dragon Ball game. But, this time, the fights just do not feel as special because the computer-controlled characters are not balanced. There are some fresh ideas, like being able to dash in the air and hit back with beams. Even so, these new things can’t really hide the anger people feel because the game does not act the same way every time.
Most fights seem rushed and messy. There is not much time for real planning. If you loved how smooth older games in the Dragon Ball franchise felt, you might think these controls are slow to use. This takes away from the joy of those big, epic battles you expect. Instead of showing real growth, Sparking! Zero sticks with old ways that make you think it should not be called the latest Dragon Ball game.
The game says it is made to honor the ones that came before. But instead of making things better, it often misses the mark. So what are the real changes from the older games?
Key Differences and Upgrades from Previous Installments
On paper, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero brings some new things to the table, like character packs and an ultimate upgrade pack. But when you play it, these upgrades do not set it apart much from older games like Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Here is what you need to know:
|
Feature |
Improvement |
|---|---|
|
Trail of Destruction |
Environments can break apart, but the look still does not feel real. |
|
Roster Variety |
There is an incredible number of playable characters, but many are just repeat forms and not fresh ideas. |
|
Combat Adjustments |
You’ll now see mid-air dashes and energy being knocked away, but fighting feels messy because the game’s AI is not steady. |
The so-called new stuff, like the hero of justice pack and extra modes, do not really add much. They look nice at first but show up as shallow add-ons, not deep changes. Even with all the talk about the destructive power of the strongest fighters, this title only brings small changes to gameplay. There are many playable characters, but not enough new ways to play to make it feel like this dragon ball entry takes a real step forward in realism or fun with the roster.
Gameplay Mechanics and Combat System
At the heart of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the gameplay. But there are many things that do not work well. You can see cool rush attacks and the well-known authentic combat moves. Still, the battles do not feel fun because the game does not help the player enough. This makes fights more hard to enjoy and can get frustrating fast.
Sparking! Zero tries to keep the Dragon Ball fighting spirit. You can make wild battles with energy beams and big devastating attacks. But the controls and feeling of the game do not work as well as they should. Because of this, the fun does not last, and most of the combat feels back to being dull. The excitement is there for a little while, but the game loses what made the old ones so good.
Controls, Combos, and Fighting Styles
Sliding from good to very frustrating, the controls in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero can be slow and do not respond well. The best part of the game, the cool signature abilities like Kamehameha and Kaioken, often do not hit the target. That comes from the game’s weak aiming system. You may want controls that feel easy and natural, but instead you will fight with stiff combos that do not give you much joy.
Combat is mostly about using rush attacks over and over. But the AI makes each fight hard work. Some fighters can guess your move and act with perfect timing. Some do random things with no flow at all. These fights are less about your skill and more about just overpowering your opponent. So, your fighting spirit and any smart plan you have are left out.
It is tough to get excited about making your own character in Sparking! Zero when the combat does not feel right. There are different fighting styles in the game, but they get lost under bad controls and a lack of smooth action. Most of the time, you will end up fighting the game itself, not just the other fighters.
Character Roster and Customization Options
The roster gives you an incredible number of playable characters. There are 182 fighters you can pick in this dragon ball game. But, you will notice that many are just extra versions of Goku or Vegeta. This makes things look the same after a while. The dragon ball character customization is there and it does work. Still, it feels flat, especially when you think about what a dragon ball game could do with cool character transformations.
- The hero of justice pack brings in some fighters. These are connected to mini DLC updates such as dragon ball super add-ons.
- Players can pick and change move sets, costumes, and small skills, but the ways to change things don’t go very deep.
- There has not been any big change in customization since Budokai Tenkaichi 3.
- Custom battles made by the dragon ball community do add a bit of fun to the game, but it is not enough.
Interactive things like custom tournaments are fun for a while, but the new feeling goes away fast. Since there are not a lot of upgrades or new things to discover, even people who love dragon ball or want all the playable characters might not keep coming back. The lack of bold new ideas in character looks or cool transformations makes the options seem weak.
Visuals, Audio, and Technical Performance
Many people thought Sparking! Zero would have breathtaking visuals and look like an anime, but it does not do well in these areas. The graphics do not look the same everywhere. The animation details are poor, so the fights do not have much flair that you want to see.
There are also some technical problems in the game. When the battles get intense, the framerate goes down a lot. The characters move in a stiff way, so it does not look like realism at all. The audio is not good and does not have the energy you expect from a dragon ball franchise game. These things make the presentation look old instead of new and polished.
Graphics Quality and Animation Detail
Even though the game has powerful engines, the graphics quality does not meet what people want. The animation detail, whether you look at transformations or beam clashes, looks stiff and fake. This hurts the fun in the gameplay. The game tries to get that anime-like realism, but Sparking! Zero turns big Dragon Ball battles into something that feels more like a machine fight than a true fight.
The promised destruction in the settings does not stand out either. In beam clashes, the ground does break, but the effects do not show much skill. Also, odd problems pop up, like camera mistakes during big moments, and this pulls people out of the game even more. All these problems make Sparking! Zero just average in how the game looks, while other Dragon Ball games have been much better in this part.
Voice Acting, Soundtrack, and Localization
Voice acting is a big part of Dragon Ball, but in this game, it falls flat. The actors do not sound excited, and the characters come across as unconnected, even during big parts of the game. The anime-inspired soundtrack has a lot of energy, but after some time, it starts to feel the same. Instead of making the fights more tense, the music just repeats.
The dialogue also suffers because of how it is changed for new audiences. The translation does not really show what Dragon Ball Super is about. There are also small problems with voices not matching, and the sounds do not feel pulled together. This takes away all the feelings that should be there. Sparking! Zero needed to have amazing sounds to really lift the gameplay. Instead, it misses the mark, and the loud, lively sound is missing, which could have made the action even better.
Conclusion
In the end, while “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero” does add some new things to the series, it does not meet what many people hoped for. The game uses the same gameplay as before, with little that is really new. This makes the game feel the same as others, and it can get boring after some time. The roster of fighters is big, but it does not let you really change or use the characters in smart ways. The graphics do look good at times, but most of the time they seem old when you compare the game to new ones. For fans who love dragon ball and for those new to it, this game may just show what the series could have been instead of really making the most of it. If you want a game that gives you something new in the dragon ball world, you might have to look somewhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero suitable for newcomers to the series?
Sparking! Zero may not be the best game for people new to dragon ball. In the fighting parts, there is not much help, and the story mode can be hard to follow if you do not know about the story or world of dragon ball. The game has a big roster of playable characters, but there is not much for new players who like bandai namco entertainment. This can make the game hard for first-time players to get into.
What platforms is the game available on in the United States?
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero can be played on PlayStation consoles, Xbox Series X/Series S, and PC. The game works best if you use AMD Radeon RX graphics cards. People who love the Dragon Ball franchise can get this game on many systems. But you may see some small problems with how it runs on each one.
Does Sparking! Zero include online multiplayer modes?
Yes, Sparking! Zero has online multiplayer. This lets you battle with people around the world on platforms such as the Xbox Series X. These online modes help you play again and again. But, the gameplay can make things tough. You might not have as much fun if you often face players who are very good. Fans of Spike Chunsoft can still enjoy this, even with these problems.
Are there any microtransactions or DLCs in the game?
Yes, the game does have DLC packs like the season pass, hero of justice pack, and different ultimate editions. The microtransactions let people get costumes and character packs. But these do not add much real value to the game. Many fans of the dragon ball franchise do not like this, and some say it’s just a gimmick.
How does Sparking! Zero compare to other recent Dragon Ball games?
When you look at new games like Dragon Ball FighterZ or Dragon Ball Daima, Sparking! Zero does not have the same feel. The old mechanics and not enough updates in the gameplay hold it back. The game may bring back old memories for some people, but it does not set any new standards in the Dragon Ball franchise. So, its release feels a bit flat and does not stand out much.