The world has been treated to a lot of Dragon Ball games over the years, as rarely does a few years go by without a new one coming out. Even when the franchise wasn’t releasing new anime, there were still new Dragon Ball games.
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It’s fair to say that not all of them have been winners, but there have been several classics, particularly in the Budokai Tenkachi series, which holds a special place in DB fans’ hearts. So, when Bandai Namco announced a new entry in that series, titled Sparking Zero, fans were naturally excited. Well, now the game is out, and the question is whether it is worth your time and money. Find out here.
Review
Here at TheGamer, George Foster reviewed Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, giving it a 4.5 out of 5. So, he gave it a very positive review, praising aspects such as the impressive visuals and the varied roster. He also gave a lot of props to the combat, comparing it favorably to earlier entries in the series, even if George isn’t always happy with the game’s camera.
The combination of light attacks, heavy finishers, vanishing, counters, and special attacks is fast-paced and crunchy as it was in the original trilogy, but with even more depth thanks to the introduction of a mid-air dash and the ability to deflect beam attacks.
George is also a fan of the story mode, mainly because of the inclusion of the what-if scenarios. He says they “offer massive deviations and huge surprises,” and then he goes on to call them “the highlight of the game.” Yet, he did point out that they can be frustrating to unlock at times. Overall, George calls Sparking Zero “one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.
Time Expenditure
Because Sparking Zero is a fighting game, you can play it for as long as you want, as you can continuously have fights against the AI or battle people online.
Yet, the Episode Battle mode, which is the story mode of the game, takes around 10 to 14 hours to beat. That is the case if you just stick to completing the main path. There are what-if scenarios to witness, too, though. If you do them as well, you’re looking at a 19 to 20-hour playthrough. Add to that the time it takes to beat all the Bonus Battles in the Custom Battle mode and every tournament in the World Tournament mode, and you’re looking at a 24-hour commitment.
That said, there is a lot more you need to do to 100 percent the game, including unlocking every character, reaching maximum proficiency with every character, completing all Zen-Oh’s orders, and more. It’s hard to calculate the exact amount of time it takes to do everything, but it will be a long time.
Cost
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There are three editions of the game available at varying prices. Here is a breakdown of the different editions and how much they cost:
|
Version |
Price on PS5 |
Price on Xbox Series X|S |
Price on PC (Steam) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Standard Edition This just includes the base game. |
$69.99 |
$69.99 |
$69.99 |
|
Deluxe Edition This includes the base game and the season pass for the DLC. |
$99.99 |
$99.99 |
$99.99 |
|
Ultimate Edition This includes the base game, the season pass for the DLC, Goku (Super) Costume with Power Pole, new emote voice set, two new player card backgrounds, one customization item that increases a character’s fighting ability, and the ability to summon Super Shenron without collecting the Super Dragon Balls. |
$109.99 |
$109.99 |
$109.99 |
These prices are based on the original retail price, but the prices may be different at certain retailers.
What Players Are Saying
Great For Dragon Ball Fans – Ben Jessey
Sparking Zero is more of a great Dragon Ball game than a great fighting game. That isn’t to say that the brawling is bad, as it actually has a decent amount of depth and feels very satisfying. However, it’s intentionally unbalanced, so the strongest fighters in the series, such as Vegito and Beerus, are much more powerful than the likes of Videl and Yamcha. General fighting game fans might not appreciate this imbalance, but it makes it a more accurate representation of the source material.
Add to this the outstanding visuals and large-scale arena brawling, and it does really feel like you’re playing an episode of the anime. As someone who is a casual fan of fighting games but a huge fan of Dragon Ball, I really appreciate this.
Nostalgia Spirit Bomb - Alfredo Robelo
There is no shortage of good Dragon Ball games, but even in a sea of great options, Sparking Zero manages to make its mark. As a fan of the old Budokai Tenkaichi 3, this feels like the sequel I didn’t know I needed.
The best part, beyond how incredibly good all the characters are made, is the Custom Battle Mode. Even though it has its limitations, playing around making your own stories with Goku and the gang is just pure joy, as is seeing what the community comes up with.
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Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero – Complete World Tournament Guide
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