Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is more than worth the nearly 17-year wait since Budokai Tenakichi 3. The sheer number of characters is incredible, but the intense gameplay and multiple additional modes truly cement Sparking! Zero as one of the best Dragon Ball games there is.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Price: $70
Platforms: PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review.
I previewed Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero back at PAX just over a month ago, and my short time with the game had me assuming I couldn’t get any more hyped for the title than I already was. It turns out I was wrong because as soon as I started playing the full game for review, I was once again blown away by just how exciting of a game it is.
The first thing I noticed was how large the roster is. Though I’d have liked a little more pre-Z representation, this minor issue pales in comparison to the many fighters from across Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, and most of the Dragon Ball Z movies. Unlikely but unique picks like Babidi and Anilaza help round it out, though the diversity of play styles between all the different characters and forms is impressive on its own.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s gameplay is exactly as you remember from the Budokai Tenkaichi series, though it’s been updated for the modern day rather nicely. You can choose a more streamlined control scheme or the original PS2-style controls, with both methods feeling equal overall. I used classic since it’s burned into my head, and I found myself locking right back into everything and playing like I was 12 again.
“This is the ultimate Dragon Ball game, and it’s clear the team behind it wanted to honor the series as much as possible throughout.“
The massive-scale and explosive fights of Dragon Ball are represented perfectly in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, as the massive stages and ever more huge energy beams wonderfully emulate the action of the series. The ability to play huge characters like Hirudegarn and some Great Apes gives you the ability to take part in massive kaiju fights or intense uphill battles with regular characters, adding further variety to the game.
The story mode goes through all the well-trodden beats of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, though the most interesting part about it comes from the “Sparking Episodes” – essentially “What If” storylines that show alternate possibilities in each character’s story. I won’t spoil any, but I was especially impressed with how creative some of these stories were, as they answered questions I wasn’t even aware I had about Dragon Ball’s story.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has no shortage of content
Beyond the story, you can take part in several differently-structured tournaments in the World Tournament mode, online and offline multiplayer or fights against the CPU, and bonus battles in Custom Battle mode. There’s a ton to do no matter what sort of way you want to play, and I especially loved that you can make your own custom battles/stories to post online. The story aspect is a bit limited for understandable censorship purposes, but it’s a great idea for a mode overall.
The particle effects and colors are especially noteworthy in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, though the visual style in general is absolutely incredible. Every time a Dragon Ball game comes out, I assume they can’t get any closer to Akira Toriyama’s iconic style, but as is the case here, my expectations are always surpassed. The menus have a ton of charm that harkens back to the PS2 games, which is a delightful touch. There are tons of little details like this, including loads of special banter and references to memorable panels and scenes strewn throughout each character’s moveset. This is the ultimate Dragon Ball game, and it’s clear the team behind it wanted to honor the series as much as possible throughout. They even brought back Chi-Chi (as well as Bulma and Videl) commentating on all of the characters in the Galley — what more could one ask for?
The Final Word
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an incredible comeback for the Budokai Tenkaichi series. The roster is packed, the gameplay is satisfying, and the breadth of content is impressive, to say the least. This is the Dragon Ball game so many have been waiting for, and I can’t wait to see what content we get throughout the game’s assuredly long life.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
