As a lifelong Dragon Ball fan and a seasoned gamer, I must say that Sparking! ZERO has truly outdone itself in terms of capturing the essence of the series. With a roster as diverse as a Namekian’s garden and gameplay as smooth as Frieza’s golden form, it’s clear that this game is a testament to the power fantasy we all crave.
Regarding the beloved anime/manga series, Dragon Ball, there’s an inimitable charm about it that transcends simple popularity metrics. Over time, Dragon Ball has accumulated various titles, expanding its reach as its fanbase soared. I’ve faced the rough combat and movement in Legacy of Goku, endured complex combos in Dragon Ball FighterZ, revisited Goku’s journey in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, and more. Yet, for a long time, one series stood out as seemingly unparalleled – Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi. Despite being over 17 years since the launch of Budokai Tenkaichi 3, it remains one of the top-tier Dragon Ball games in the annals of gaming history.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO offers an impressive gaming experience. The thrill of flattening landscapes with Ki Blasts, the power of releasing devastating beam attacks capable of destroying planets, and the excitement of transformations are just a few aspects that make this game visually stunning and animations captivating.
As a dedicated Dragon Ball fan, I’ve dived headfirst into Spike Chunsoft’s latest offering, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. This game seamlessly carries on the legacy of its predecessors, enhancing almost every aspect while sprinkling in fresh twists and innovative mechanics. There are a few areas where it could use some polish, particularly in the Story Mode’s Episode Battle, but overall, it’s a worthy addition to the series that every Dragon Ball enthusiast should experience.
If you’ve been an avid fan of Dragon Ball, whether through watching the anime, reading the manga, or playing games like Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, a large part of Episode Battle may seem reminiscent. This game primarily focuses on depicting some of the most iconic fights from the series’ timeline. Unlike flying over a battlefield in 3D, you’ll traverse a more conventional map, with each battle clearly marked for convenience. However, the first thing that might catch your eye is the presentation.
The video game titled “Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO” is truly captivating. From obliterating landscapes with Ki Blasts to releasing planet-destroying beam attacks and transformations, there’s plenty that makes the visuals and animation worth admiring. The subtle expressions on Goku’s face before he releases a Spirit Bomb, contrasted with your opponent’s when their very being is erased? Simply perfect!
Episode Battle relies too heavily on static images during dialogue scenes, with minimal animation. Instead of slideshows, it could use these to illustrate time progression or transition between battles more effectively. If it included a voiceover or narrative that wasn’t just sporadic character lines, I might find it less monotonous.
The Episode Battle seems to miss out on significant fights such as Vegeta versus Cabba or Goku versus Hit from the Tournament of Destroyers arc in Dragon Ball Super. It appears that the development team chose not to include these battles to preserve earlier ones, but it’s also possible they didn’t consider them as crucial for the overall experience compared to the Tournament of Power. Regardless of the rationale, it seems somewhat peculiar and leaves one feeling slightly unsatisfied, especially since this is Dragon Ball Super’s first appearance in the franchise. On a positive note, the episode does have a brisk pace.
I enjoy Episode Battle for its concise exploration of the Dragon Ball timeline, though it could have benefited from additional elements to make it even more engaging.
Indeed, another attractive aspect is the multiple storyline divergences, referred to as Sparking Episodes, that can materialize under specific combat conditions. For instance, if you manage to defeat Raditz before Piccolo unleashes his Special Beam Cannon or engage him single-handedly as Goku, these events may trigger non-canonical outcomes. In the first scenario, Goku would stay on Earth, in good health, ready to train Gohan and prepare for Vegeta and Nappa’s arrival.
I don’t mind not figuring out the unlock conditions for each Sparking Episode right away, but so far, I haven’t found any additional storylines that deviate from the original. These episodes are enjoyable as alternate scenarios that fit well within the main narrative. Overall, I appreciate Episode Battle as a concise exploration of the Dragon Ball timeline, although it could have been improved in several areas. There are some challenging sections – Great Ape Vegeta is particularly tough, but I was able to beat him on my second attempt due to some questionable AI. Be cautious of these difficulty spikes.
Another option available is the Custom Battle mode, allowing you to design your own battles and even share them with other gamers worldwide. The user interface might require some learning, but once mastered, it’s a versatile set of tools at your disposal, offering extensive customization options including varying camera angles, zoom-ins, special in-battle triggers, and distinct battle conditions. I didn’t delve deep into creating my own content, but the existing player-generated material is abundant. It would be great if the developers could introduce a feature to distinguish top-quality creations, such as a “Trending” section showcasing the most popular or highly-rated user-created content, based on community votes.
As a gamer, I’ve come across some extra challenges outside the main game that are truly exciting! These Bonus Battles showcase the capabilities of the Edit Mode, offering intriguing situations like Trunks squaring off against Piccolo (essentially testing his master’s master) or Cell joining forces with Goku to take on Majin Buu, Dabura, Babidi, and Spopovich. The downside is that the tool kit relies heavily on key phrases and sentence fragments, which sometimes leads to some awkward grammar and peculiar sentences in constructing these scenarios.
To further expand on this, you’ll find a wide array of characters here, covering almost everyone from the series. From iconic figures like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Trunks, Gohan, to less conventional ones such as Cell, Frieza, Buu, Beerus, Toppo, Jiren, Kefla, and all the transformations in between.
It’s great that the gameplay is exceptional across various modes, including Episode Battles, Bonus Battles, and Tournaments (including the fresh rules of the Tournament of Power). Many features from Budokai Tenkaichi persist, such as building up Ki for powerful attacks, shooting projectiles, rushing towards opponents with Dragon Dash, and performing combos at close range.
Gather sufficient energy known as Ki, and you’ll be able to execute powerful Special Moves, among other things. The gameplay is satisfyingly smooth, maintaining consistency across all aspects. Contrary to popular belief, watching the characters engage in a dance of blows, disappearing, countering attacks, and ultimately releasing beam attacks might seem repetitive. However, that’s far from the truth.
Delving into the Sparking! ZERO game might seem straightforward at first, but it hides a wealth of strategic depth. The latest skill addition, Skill Count, offers a variety of tactical choices, such as the Revenge Counter, which allows you to interrupt melee attacks and maintain control. Yet, it’s not just for offensive maneuvers; it can also be used to transform, fuse characters, and once you’ve accumulated enough Ki and Sparking energy, trigger Sparking! Mode. This mode enables an endless series of Rush Attacks and Ultimate Blasts. The neutral game, as you weigh whether to rush your opponent, retreat and charge your Ki while predicting their beam attack, circle around them, or anticipate their combo flurry to counter and gain the upper hand, is intriguing.
Adding on to this is the diverse roster. Pretty much any character you can think of from the series, from Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Trunks, Gohan, Cell, Frieza, to Buu to Beerus, Toppo, Jiren, Kefla, and all the transformations in between. Outside of unique special attacks and Ultimate Blasts, their approaches to the same combos are different, which alters your game plan. Also, and I can’t emphasize this enough, they all look fantastic, especially in battle when executing the big moves and recreating iconic scenes from the show. The voice work and music are also on point throughout, adding to the nostalgia while keeping you immersed in the action.
“Even if the light it brings doesn’t glow for all eternity, Sparking! ZERO ignites the imagination with the best illustration of the Dragon Ball power fantasy yet.”
The online gameplay was smooth without any technical issues, and Destruction Point Battle’s rules create exciting and enjoyable fights. There’s a comprehensive Battle Training mode to help players grasp the fundamentals and sophisticated strategies. However, I wished for additional customization in the basic training, such as visualizing hitboxes. You can adjust the CPU’s difficulty level and observe variations in their behavior, like concentrating on Ki accumulation or launching aggressive melee attacks, but it could benefit from more advanced settings.
As a die-hard Dragon Ball fan, I must admit that Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO delivers an exhilarating mix of extraordinary highs and some areas for improvement, particularly in its Story Mode. However, the game shines in many other aspects. The combat system, refined with innovative mechanics and a stellar roster, is simply unparalleled. Add to that the jaw-dropping visual fidelity, and you’ve got a game that, while it may not illuminate forever, certainly ignites my imagination with the most captivating representation of the Dragon Ball power fantasy yet.
This game was reviewed on PC.
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2024-10-14 16:11