The one you’ve been waiting for
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a thrilling addition to the Dragon Ball gaming universe, capturing the essence of the beloved series with remarkable fidelity. For me, Sparking! Zero’s strongest points is its dedication to fan service. From the extensive roster of over 180 characters to its recreation of battles and stories we have seen countless times before, Sparking! Zero is a true lover letter to fans of Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece in almost every way.
The graphical fidelity in Sparking! Zero can be described as nothing other than spectacular. The game boasts vibrant colors along with high-def graphics that bring Toriyama’s iconic designs to life. Each of the 184 characters are extremely detailed and the effects for all of their special moves are dazzling and really work to make the player feel as though they are in control of an episode of the anime. As players trade explosive blasts, they will find that the environments are equally impressive and boast destructible environments.
MSRP: $69.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $69.99
One of my favorite maps is the World Tournament fighting stage, when players unleash a massive attack the scene changes to the announcer high-tailing it to safety while telling the audience they should run too. What follows is a quick scene of the stands emptying before the attack can be unleashed. While the game has a large number of stages to choose from for battles against the AI and even online against other players but if players plan to play locally with a friend be warned that you can only use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber level. While not a deal breaker by any means, it is a bit disappointing as I can’t play online with some of my cousins and we had to settle our bouts in the barren time chamber level.
Sparking! Zero has lots of mechanics like this that help the player really feel immersed in the world. When fighters with history meet, they will always banter before each fight, which was always awesome for me as my main is Vegeta, so I am forever trying to beat Goku but I can’t because he is incased in ‘plot armor’; but I digress. Combat in Sparking! Zero is extremely fast, I mean you will lose sight of your opponent at times; which makes sense with these fighters. But with the lack of a proper lock-on mechanic, really makes the game feel frustrating at times.
Especially when players use an attack that has their characters rushing toward the opponent and has to make contact to perform the move. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that 9 times out of 10 these moves WILL MISS. And this happens with characters ultimate attacks, the characters just bounce off each other with no damage and I can tell you I have lost more fights because of this glitch.
Not only is there the odd hit detection but there are times when it feels like the controls just aren’t registering inputs. Which can be incredibly frustrating as the majority of defensive options have to be timed correctly to be effective and I was maybe 50/50 on success with button inputs. Now I don’t want to put this all on the game, because I am no longer the young man I was and I know my reflexes aren’t as good as they were in years past. So maybe, just maybe I was missing the timing on all of those inputs, it is possible after all. One of the other things I love about Sparking! Zero is how completely unbalanced it feels, but this is a good thing. You shouldn’t expect to take on SS Blue Goku with Yamacha and expect it to be an easy fight. If the character is displayed as ‘OP’ or Overpowered in the manga and anime then I guarantee you they are presented as such in the game.
Even with all these issues, most of which I am sure can be patched out of the game. I still absolutely LOVE Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero. Sparking! Zero is a visually stunning and action-packed game that captures the spirit of the Dragon Ball series. While its episode mode may not be its strongest feature, the game’s dedication to fan service and its impressive roster makes it a must-play for any Dragon Ball fan. The combination of breathtaking visuals, engaging gameplay, and nostalgic elements ensures that Sparking! Zero will be a favorite among fans for years to come.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
