The Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi series hasn’t seen the light of day since the PlayStation 2 was in its heyday, back in 2007 when the third entry launched. A lot has changed in the time that has passed, in both the real world and the Dragon Ball universe, but now it’s finally ready to be resurrected using modern gaming technology and harnessing the power of next-gen consoles.
Can the fourth instalment, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, take the franchise to a whole new level and deliver a delightfully destructive fighter?
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a 3D arena fighter, meaning you have the freedom to battle across vast settings that span great distances. And not just in a horizontal sense, for there is also plenty of verticality to provide even more scope to fight within. The iconic locations are filled with breakable environmental structures too. After all, you’re not working with average combatants here – these are super powerful Z-Fighters bringing special skills and ultimate destruction everywhere they go.
There’s a quick tutorial to run through the absolute basics, however it barely scratches the surface on the depth to the gameplay mechanics. That’s why developers Spike Chunsoft have included a Super Training mode, where Battle Training breaks everything down into byte-sized lessons to tackle at your leisure. These lessons cover everything from evasive manoeuvres and Ki blasts, to rush combo chains and advanced techniques. I’d give it an ‘A’ for effort, but a ‘D’ for execution, because the menus are so clunky and it’s rather boring. Whether anything sticks with you via such a method will vary by person.
Throwing a few kicks or punches, sending simple Ki blasts, activating skills, and performing awesome looking Super Attacks, should be straightforward enough to pull off. However, accurately blasting the opponent with Ki-based super moves, chaining attacks together through rapid dashing, countering or blocking incoming attacks effectively, and making the most of Sparking Mode takes a little while to get to grips with. The Sparking Mode is especially cool as it enhances your combos and, most importantly, opens up a character’s Ultimate Blasts.
Other interesting features of the gameplay, of those that are newly added, include the Skill Count and the Revenge Counter. The Skill Count increases with every move you instigate and this is crucial for activating transformations, fusions, and the aforementioned Sparking Mode. It’s additionally handy for the Revenge Counters, which see you bring an opponent’s flurry to an abrupt end.
On the whole, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is definitely a case of easy-ish to pick up, but hard to master. Putting it all together – if you can – on the battlefield creates a rather frantic, yet brilliant, spectacle to partake in. The pace is absolutely in keeping with the nature of Dragon Ball fights in the anime and the on-screen effects really convey the destructive action. Every battle feels different and requires a strategic approach, which is something that’s instantly apparent in the story-focused Episode Battle mode.
In Episode Battle mode, you’ll delve into some of the greatest and most memorable arcs of the Dragon Ball anime. There are eight different Sagas, each focusing on a particular character including Frieza, Gohan, Jiren, and Vegeta. Obviously there’s a Goku Saga too, and while you must begin here, you’re not restricted from jumping into the others which unlock fairly swiftly. There are also opportunities to make decisions and do things that trigger alternative paths, like ‘What If?’ scenarios, to witness confrontations that could have been. It’s a nice touch for those who have seen it all a hundred times before in other Dragon Ball games.
Nevertheless, even as someone who has rewatched Dragon Ball Z on repeat for years as a kid, it’s a total nostalgia-fuelled experience. The narratives are told in between battles using a mixture of stills and wonderful animated scenes featuring top drawer voiceovers. The potential downside is how rushed the storytelling is and the gaps within it probably won’t do justice to the epic arcs for newcomers to the franchise. The battles themselves might result in a mass exodus of players from Sparking! Zero, if indeed they dare to give them a go at all.
The Sagas are pretty brutal in regards to difficulty, with almost universal agreement already from the Sparking! Zero community that one of the early encounters, where Goku faces Great Ape Vegeta, is stupidly hellish. I have no shame in admitting that even before meeting the behemoth I took beatings from Raditz. Forget Goku, I thought I had control of Mr Satan instead. It was so one-sided and although lowering the difficulty is an option, that doesn’t make an awful lot of difference.
You see, in Episode Battle, the AI is smart and relentless, but there’s always a specific approach to figure out. There’s not really a cookie cutter formula for success, except knowing the mechanics and then reacting to your opponent. It’s incredibly rewarding to overcome each and every battle, whilst you’ll also feel as though you’ve actually gone to war just like the characters did.
Outside of the episodes, you can also attempt to overcome a selection of pre-made scenarios in Bonus Battles. While these aren’t necessarily as exciting as the Sagas, the win conditions and character variety ensures a decent level of enjoyment. There’s an option to create similar battles yourself, and have a bash at those crafted by the imagination of other players. Unfortunately, you’ll either be underwhelmed by the simple editing route, or be overwhelmed by the more in-depth setup.
If you just want a casual fight, then you’re better off trying the regular Battle and World Tournament offerings found in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. It’s actually the best place to start, whether you want a one on one, team battle, or fancy recreating a tournament like Cell Games. Aside from being able to beat up your buddies locally, the more forgiving AI eases you in and proves to be enough of a test while you get comfortable with the mechanics. Another benefit is the fact you can have a go with a multitude of different characters, which increases proficiency, helps complete a myriad of challenges, and earns plenty of in-game currency, Zeni.
What’s pretty cool is that you can use the likes of Goku here in order to master his techniques and garner currency to purchase ability capsules. These abilities can then be equipped, boosting blast attack power, prolonging Sparking Mode, increasing health, and such. Thus, you’re better prepared to attempt the episodes again because the ability items carryover.
The Battle and World Tournament modes are also available as online prospects if you are confident enough to take on Z-Fighters across the world. For the most part, it’s relatively quick to find a match and upon doing so, the connectivity holds up well to ensure the high octane action isn’t hindered. There are few slouches online however, with competent opponents waiting in Player and Ranked options. I’ll happily keep training against the bots, but the opportunity is definitely there to test your skills.
And then there’s the roster, comprised of over 180 playable characters. Now, much like the bloated rosters of the WWE 2K games, with multiple John Cenas turning up, Sparking! Zero has a fair few variations of Goku, Gohan and Vegeta. It’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because they have different loadouts and skins for each. Furthermore, the roster is stacked with everyone from Golden Frieza and the Ginyu Force, to Kale and Spopovich. Essentially, if you want to play as anyone from Dragon Ball Z, GT, or Super, they’re most likely present.
Having so many playable characters to choose from certainly keeps the action fresh for a long, long time. Simply giving each one a run out and going through their arsenal of moves will occupy you for a while, plus it’s great to watch the animated manoeuvres. Working your way through the roster in such a manner is strangely satisfying, especially when you can perform the likes of the Spirit Bomb, the Special Beam Cannon and the Omega Blaster.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is undeniably a great 3D fighter that’s geared up to pander to fans in the best way. The impressive visuals, the nostalgia-fuelled Episodes, the humongous roster of characters, and the exciting action are praiseworthy. The only major sticking point is the steep learning curve and the potentially off-putting difficulty spikes that hit you from the outset. There’s also a worry that those unfamiliar with the classic encounters won’t gain much from the streamlined story arcs.
If you love Dragon Ball and fancy a challenge, then Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero should definitely be on your wish list.
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO Ignites a New Era of Explosive Battles – https://www.thexboxhub.com/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-ignites-a-new-era-of-explosive-battles/
Buy Sparking! ZERO from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dragon-ball-sparking-zero/9N7XMJJHNFC3/0010
