In March 2023, surprisingly Dragon Ball fans around the world, it was announced that Budokai Tenkaichi franchise whose title eventually turned out to be Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero. At that time there was no due Budokai Tenkaichi game is almost 20 years old, so this news was incredibly exciting, especially for the countless fans who grew up with the franchise.
Spike Chunsoft Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero will finally be released on Friday, October 11th, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Between the new additions to the franchise and how much they improve on some classic elements. Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero it’s the pinnacle of anime arena fighting in almost every way.albeit with some performance and presentation shortcomings here and there. However, even this does not completely detract from the wonderful experience, and any Dragon Ball A fan will find a lot to enjoy in this game from the moment he starts playing.
Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero takes Budokai Tenkaichi’s gameplay to the top
Some of the best gameplay of any Dragon Ball game
Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero uses virtually the same gameplay as the original Budokai Tenkaichi games and it’s better than ever. Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero made the battle much faster and more dynamic than any other Budokai Tenkaichi gamewhere the characters are always moving at incredibly high speeds and causing massive destruction at every turn. In addition, their bodies get dirty and damaged faster. Animation style Dragon Ball Super: Broly animator Naohiro Shintani is believed to be an influence on the game’s visual style, and overall it translates beautifully to 3D.
Fight in Sparkling! Zero plays much the same as in Budokai Tenkaichibut there are some notable additions and changes in quality of life. The Blast Stock meter, now called the “Skill Meter”, replenishes much faster than in previous games, making it easy to use skills, transformations and perfect moves multiple times per match, but new defensive moves are added such as the “Revenge Meter” and ” Perception”. Add even more depth to combat than before. Tenkaichi The fighting style has never been as refined as in Dragon Ball: Spark! Zeroand that’s all the better.
As with previous games, there is a definite learning curve to combat. While the basic combat elements are easy enough to master, learning more advanced maneuvers is the key difference between having an easy time and having a hard time from the start, even if you’re just playing against the computer. Fortunately, learning more advanced combat Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero It’s largely a matter of patience and time.and acquiring at least a modicum of skill is quite easy, regardless of whether you are a casual player or intend to make a much more serious investment.
Another problem that players may encounter alone is the AI. Although the AI ​​is generally consistent, there will be many times when Dragon Ball: Spark! ZeroAI will do things that make no sensewhether you’re exiting transformation to return to it, going out of bounds in tournament mode, or just doing nothing as you land one hit after another. This doesn’t happen too often, and a future patch is sure to fix the issue, but it can still make single-player campaigns more annoying than they need to be.
Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero is almost perfect with its huge cast
One of the largest rosters in a fighting game
What Budokai Tenkaichi games are best known for their gameplay, the huge roster of characters that each game boasts of, and Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero takes this to its logical extreme. Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero boasts a roster of 182 characters, spanning both canonical material and original non-canonical films.and luckily, the vast majority of them are available at launch. Any missing characters can be unlocked by playing various game modes or purchasing them from the store, and considering how easy it is to obtain in-game currency, it’s very easy to fill out the roster.
What makes the characters even more interesting is how much attention the game puts into their gameplay. Every technique a character can use. Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero filled with easter eggs to classic moments from both canon and fillerand this is always the case, whether it’s just a character using a skill, or when it’s used against a specific opponent. There are dozens of references like these throughout the game, and their appearance at random times is a big part of what makes the game so fun.
In terms of composition, we would be remiss not to mention notable exceptions. Not only is the base lineup missing popular characters like Super 17, Pikkon, and King Piccolo.but even with a wide variety of transformations for some characters, for some reason forms like Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue Evolution are only present as skill boosts rather than actual transformations. With several waves of DLC in development, some familiar faces were of course left behind at launch, but even so, Dragon Ball: Spark! Zerothe lineup is still somewhat short, even despite its enormous size..
Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero’s story mode brings more life to games than ever before
Sparkling! Zero Story Mode Explained
As in previous games, Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero has an extensive story mode that covers all canon from the perspective of eight different characters, but unfortunately it’s not without its problems. To begin with, most cutscenes and transitions are presented with still images and text, devoid of narrative; there are few videos there Dragon Ball: Spark! Zeroa story mode that has any animation to speak ofand there are even fewer that make the scene continuous rather than just a few short shots in quick succession, and even if the visuals are great, it can still get pretty tedious.
However, the story mode is still a lot of fun. While there isn’t as much combat as in previous games, since each main story mode is mostly based on canonical combat, they are not only always fun to play. Dragon Ballstorylines, but several times Dragon Ball: Spark! ZeroThe story mode has a full cinematic experience and always looks as great as possible. thanks to the graphics and colors of the game. This is another testament to the game’s stunning visuals, and this is perhaps the best place to experience them.
Of course, the story mode is really good at “what if” stories that branch into alternate history options. Many of Dragon Ball: Spark! ZeroWhat-if stories tell compelling stories that take characters in exciting new directions.Some notable examples are Goku’s rescue by Piccolo as soon as Cell showed up, and the two different looks at how Goku survived his fight with Raditz. The most fun the player can have is backtracking to find all the branches, and no matter what character they use, they are sure to find something interesting.
Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero invites players to get creative with custom battles
Why Custom Battle Mode is So Great
One of the most anticipated additions to Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero It was its own battle mode, and for the most part it lives up to its hype. On the other hand, the system must take into account any random scenario that a person can create. dialogue in Dragon Ball: Spark! ZeroThe custom combat mode tends to be stilted and completely pointless.and sometimes not even corresponding to the context of history. This could be an issue with the English translation, but given that the translation is good throughout, it seems unlikely.
However, the custom battle mode is still fun to play. Not only does it give you a ton of fun pre-set battles right from the start, but the nearly limitless amount of scenarios and dialogue available to the player gives the player incredible scope for creativity that they can spend hours on without ever scratching the surface. from what is possible. Dragon Ball: Spark! ZeroCustom Battle Mode is the game’s most expansive and creative mode.and for those who are willing to put in the time, it will undoubtedly be the most enjoyable.
Final Thoughts on Dragon Ball: Sparkle! Zero and review rating
9/10: Spark! Zero superiority thanks to the combination of old and new style
There are some issues with the gameplay and overall presentation, but between how much it improves on the work of its predecessors and each stellar new addition to the gameplay, Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero is an excellent addition to Budokai Tenkaichi a franchise that is more than worth the long wait for its release. Whether someone grew up playing older games or is new to this style, Dragon Ball: Spark! Zero it will be a lot of fun to play and will definitely go down as one of the best Dragon Ball games of all times.