Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is amazing, destructive, and I can't stop thinking about it - Hands-on Preview

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is everything I want from a sequel to one of the games I spent the most time with as a kid and arguably the most beloved Dragon Ball game to so many in the fandom. 

Thanks to Bandai Namco, I was able to go hands-on with a near-complete version of Sparking! ZERO last week to experience just how the developers are changing things up while still preserving the spirit of that Budokai Tenkaichi namesake. And, while I only played a chunk of what the game has to offer, I can happily say that anyone who loved BT3 has every right to hype themselves up for Sparking! ZERO. 

During my media session, I was able to play roughly three hours of Sparking! ZERO’s core modes—including Versus, Custom, Tournament, and Episode Battles. Most of my time was spent in the Custom and Tournament modes, but I will run you through my thoughts on the general game and changes first before we dive into those specifics.

Jumping right back in the ring

Before heading off to the Sparking! ZERO media event, I dusted off my PlayStation 2 and copy of BT3 to shake off the rust and get a feel for what this new title is looking to live up to. And, while it does show its age, BT3 still holds up as the ultimate Dragon Ball experience when it comes to throwing classic characters into a ring of your choosing and living out those battles. 

Sparking! ZERO feels like it takes the core of BT3, polishes it, and then adds a bit of flair to make it something new. It felt familiar, like riding an old bike that you used for years but maybe your dad put a new chain and wheels on to make things smoother than you remember, which is by design. 

The Sparking! ZERO developers have stated multiple times that their goal was to make everything in the game a more immersive experience where the players “feel like they're really inhabiting the character.” 

According to producer Jun Furutani, who I spoke to at the event, this was mostly done through key changes and improvements that enhanced the original Budokai Tenkaichi battle system rather than completely reworking the wheel. As such, the team largely focused on the graphics, movement speed, and the presentation of battles as areas that needed the most work to improve that Dragon Ball feel.

You can really feel that added speed in every moment of gameplay, and you can probably tell just from the trailers and gameplay that has been shown over the last several months, but the game is gorgeous and those graphical improvements aren’t just for show either.

Sparking! ZERO brings back its predecessor’s destructible environments and adds in things like dynamic environments that change when you use moves or power up to max power. I was blown away by how charging up was enough to destroy mountains, and how the smokescreen kicked up by that interaction can then be used to fire off a move or dash away while obscured. 

If you played a previous BT game, then Sparking! ZERO will feel like coming home with some extra goodies while new fans get to experience a beloved battle system that is busting with new content. 

Familiar depth and content

Versus mode and many of the other offerings in Sparking! ZERO will also feel familiar, but Custom Battles is actually something entirely new. 

Think of a more limited version of Mario Maker where you can customize a few character animations, text, and scenarios to set up your ultimate Dragon Ball fantasy with an actually playable challenge. 

I spent a decent chunk of my time at the preview playing different developer-designed Custom Battles that ranged from cute additions to classic story arcs all the way to impossible challenges that will have you pushing your characters to their limits. 

For example, in one battle I was tasked with proving Burter is actually the fastest in the universe against the likes of Hit (spoilers, that did not go well,) while, in another challenge, I had to face off against a Jiren at full power using a team of my choosing. All of the Custom Battles I played were interesting, and I can’t wait to see what happens when the community gets their hands on it. 

However, the limited options for customization and scenario building—specifically when it comes to pre-selected lines and the developers restricting changes to a list of key nouns—might hinder parts of this mode. 

The rest of my time was split between running through a few tournaments and then trying out a slice of the Episode Battles. 

Quickly on Tournaments, there are returning favorites like the Cell Games and Yamacha Games, along with newcomers like the Tournament of Power that each have their own restrictions. With the Tournament of Power, no character can fly and ringouts are active in a floating arena, which adds another layer to an already challenging set of rules where you bring up to five characters for an extended brawl!

Episode Battle is the new story mode Sparking! ZERO, and it functions as a way to tell new and familiar stories while also implementing What If scenarios directly into the action. 

I got to play 30 minutes of Goku and Frieza’s episodes, both of which have What If scenarios and challenges baked into the gameplay that add some replayability and intrigue to what could have easily been just another retelling of the Dragon Ball story with the addition of Super to the mix. 

For example, before heading out to fight Raditz, I was able to ignore Piccolo’s offer to team up. Instead, I opted to go alone before Krillin joined the fight as a second character. And, while the ending of that specific scenario was still Piccolo hitting both Saiyans with a Special Beam Cannon, it clearly set the stage for some larger diversions in the future. 

What I got to play has me excited to try out all of the different stories and see just how wild the developers get when it comes to playing Goku Black and Jiren in their episodes. I think this is a unique chance to add more depth to a standard story through the use of popular What If scenarios and characters outside of the usual Z Fighter lineup. 

Sensing the power level

After getting this preview time, looking through my footage, and thinking back on my history with the series, I am now more excited for Sparking! ZERO than I was when it was first revealed. 

The dev team has shown that they care about giving older fans an experience worthy of the Budokai Tenkaichi name while also improving in ways that modernize that battle system. Once you get your hands on the game, go look at the developer-made Custom Battle scenarios and try telling me the team working on this didn’t have a blast. There is so much care put into things like character animations, unique interactions, and the modes available that you can’t help but smile while playing. 

I do have some worries about the game, however, including its lack of crossplay. Even with something like Custom Battle, cutting off a playerbase that will be largely split between PlayStation and PC is going to limit the content shared and matchmaking to an extent. This is something I hope is rectified in a future update—though I am not optimistic based on Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball FighterZ.

I also don’t like the exclusion of so many characters from the original Dragon Ball. Of the 13 DB characters in BT3, only Kid Goku and his Great Ape transformation made the cut for Sparking! ZERO—and Arale is absent too. This is a bummer for anyone who loves the original series, but maybe this will be a future DLC drop just like Super Hero and DAIMA are set to be.

Overall, I can't wait for Sparking! ZERO to drop on Oct. 11, and I know I will be spending plenty of time battling it out with friends across this massive roster.

Thanks for reading! This is the first big preview I have published on BoosterBlogs, and I hope to do more in the future, especially for some smaller games.

I embedded it above, but in addition to this article, I also published an almost 40-minute video on the Timesphere YouTube channel breaking down more of my time with Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO while answering questions from a fellow Budokai Tenkaichi sicko. Go give that a watch if you want even more content about the game!

If that, or any of my other work interests you, please consider subscribing to the blog and checking out my other links! It really helps me out, and there is plenty more coming soon.