March 20 is two days after “Saiyan Day” — a fan holiday that exists purely because of a specific math pun that only makes sense if you understand Japanese. It’s the kind of gag origin for a holiday that would make original Saiyan Akira Toriyama proud. To celebrate, Bandai Namco delivered a Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero gameplay showcase for the highly anticipated upcoming arena fighter.
Sparking! Zero is a sequel to what Western players know as the Budokai Tenkaichi games, a series that any Dragon Ball fan will look back on with the bittersweet sting of nostalgia glistening in their eyes. The third and technically final entry (don’t look up any weird moments in 2011) in the series, Budokai Tenkaichi 3, is a fan favorite and can be pretty expensive to own physically today.
The Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero gameplay showcase starts with nostalgia
Sparking! Zero was announced in March of last year, but details about the game have been scarce. Up until this showcase, it was never even explicit that this was in fact a sequel and not some sort of spiritual follow-up. However, players should not write this off. The Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero gameplay showcase did show off plenty of new features that could seriously elevate the series.
The showcase starts off with yet another look at the Goku vs. Vegeta trailer we’ve seen before. The graphics are just as stunning to look at as before, but they thankfully don’t spend too much time rehashing old information. We stay with Goku and Vegeta for a bit longer though, as their iconic match-up in the rocky plains is the backdrop for a display of the game’s key combat mechanics.
The fighting gameplay is astoundingly similar to previous games in the franchise, with the added benefit of looking as glossy and new-gen as possible. You’ll instantly recognize that classic Budokai Tenkaichi style of fighting; the air combat, the fast-paced dodging and exchanging of blows, everything that made the original games so perfect at capturing that Dragon Ball Z-era style of battle.
New forms have joined the fight
But we’re not in the DBZ-era anymore, a fact the two proud Saiyan warriors remind us of with a couple of mid-battle transformations. The option to choose your transformation before or during the battle was always one of the smaller details that largely separated the original games from other Dragon Ball fighters at the time. Seeing Goku and Vegeta go Blue mid-fight here confirms their return, but that’s far from the only returning feature.
We see another fan favorite mechanic make a comeback when Goku performs his “Ultimate Blast” — a new name for ultimates that highlights the next-level (next-gen) cutscenes that trigger when you activate them. Vegeta counters with an ultimate blast of his own, and suddenly I’m a kid again, watching that iconic moment from the anime with a big bowl of “Vegit-O’s” right in front of me.
Ki clashing is THE staple feature of Budokai Tenkaichi, and while there was never any doubt that Sparking! Zero would feature them, it’s still nice to see it in all its graphical glory. If anyone’s still got blisters on their palms, players will be delighted to know that clashes are won by mashing the triangle/Y button instead of spinning the joystick. A much needed update.
New mechanics and quality improvements
In addition to showing off some returning aspects, the developers also highlight some new features to adjust the flow of combat. You’ll have to watch the showcase if you want the full scope on these new features, but I’ve listed off some key details about each one below:
Short/Dragon Dash: The dash feature has been updated to include a short dash as well as a longer one to close the gap between fighters. The long dash will obviously keep your opponent from smacking you with Ki attacks from afar, but the short dash can also be helpful in stepping toward or away from your opponent at a closer range and opening up different opportunities to strike. You can potentially dodge with a short dash, attack with a Ki blast, and follow up with a dragon dash — allowing for fluid movement that doesn’t halt the flow of combos.
Revenge Counter: A counterattack that lets players attack even when they’re currently taking damage. This can be helpful for getting those players with unlimited hands to back off you for a moment.
Super Perception: Counter various attacks in “anticipation” of them, including Ki blasts and (I’m assuming) Ultimate Blasts. This is as cool as it sounds, shown off in the showcase by Goku swiping Vegeta’s Ki blast to the side in pure anime fashion.
Vanishing Assaults: A teleport that lets you vanish and reappear right in front of your opponent mid-combo. Not exactly a new feature, as previous games had teleporting, but this version is directly tied to your Ki — allowing for more player control in when and how you utilize it to shake things up.
Your fave is probably joining the fight
After a look at the new features, the showcase follows up with a new trailer showing off even more playable characters. Another staple of this franchise is the possibility of literally any character from Dragon Ball (canon or otherwise) making it on the roster. It looks like that’s not changing either, thankfully. The trailer gave us a quick glimpse at characters like Toppo, Hit, Super Trunks and even freaking Kakunsa!
This should assure fans that characters from every pocket of this franchise will be showing up. Though, I didn’t see any original Dragon Ball characters, leaving me just a bit concerned in that regard. We did however, get a potential glimpse at team attacks also making a return to the series. Meaning team battles is likely coming back too, if Jeice and Burter’s duo special is any indication.
Franchise staples like stage destruction and location changes are not here, but I don’t think Sparking! Zero will avoid this feature. Along with the high possibility of other familiar features making a return.
That’s all Bandai Namco was willing to show in the Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero gameplay showcase. Be sure to stay tuned to InBetweenDrafts for more news surrounding Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero in the near future!
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero will be released on PS5, Xbox, and PC.
Featured images ©Bird Studio/Shueisha, Toei Animation ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
A desert seed that let the wind carry him to the chilly east coast. Currently in his “starving artist” era.
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