The iconic Budokai Tenkaichi series has been revived almost two decades later with the release of the bestseller Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO.
The DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi series has been a dear part of my childhood and was the catalyst for forming strong friendships and brotherhoods in my life. Ever since the release of Tenkaichi 3 in 2007 on PlayStation 2, we have not seen a Dragon Ball game from this series for nearly two decades. That is until the release of Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, also known as Tenkaichi 4 by the fan base. Since the passing of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball fan base has been more united than ever, and this game has only solidified that notion.
Interesting Story Mode
The story mode for Sparking! ZERO is quite an improvement from its most recent predecessor. Indeed, Tenkaichi 3 lacked an in-depth story mode that covered all the iconic battles of the series.
Interestingly, the story mode for Sparking! ZERO features a unique road map of various paths you can take while playing as a variety of key characters from the series.
Depending on the manner in which you win (or lose) your fights, you may unlock unique story paths that lead to different outcomes from the classic Dragon Ball story.
Great Graphics & Gameplay
Before I talk more about the story mode, I must reflect on the immaculate graphics and gameplay of Sparking! ZERO, as to me, this is the real selling point of the game.
The Tenkaichi series has always been a beloved game by the fan base primarily for its raw in-depth gameplay mechanics that have players pounding the life out of each other.
Sparking! ZERO has stayed true to this gameplay, keeping just about all the mechanics of its predecessors while adding even more unique skills and techniques.
The best part is it does all of this with exceptional graphics! Despite my outdated laptop not giving me the best quality that the game is capable of, it’s still an insane improvement from Tenkaichi 3.
From the details of the grass to each strand of Goku’s shiny Super Saiyan 3 hair, it truly is a visually pleasing masterpiece.
Unique “What-if” Scenarios
Now back to the story mode. “What-if” scenarios are nothing new to the world of Dragon Ball gaming. They are simply made-up stories by the producers where story trajectories and outcomes differ from the canon series.
However, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO takes what-ifs to a whole new level by providing even more unique situations into the mix.
The creativity of these scenarios is quite impressive and, in many ways, taps into the fantasies that many of us fans have had of “what could have been.”
One of my personal favorites is Vegeta turning Super Saiyan on Namek and defeating Frieza himself. Followed by an all-out Super Saiyan duel against Goku to cap off the Frieza saga.
Something about Super Saiyan Vegeta in his Saiyan armor fit just hits different…
Cinematic Super Moves!
The fact that Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO features characters from all Dragon Ball universes including Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super is really cool.
Being able to play as every variation of Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks is a nice touch and stays true to the style of the previous Tenkaichi games.
When you dish out super moves in Sparking! ZERO, you can really feel the nostalgia and hype through the detailed cinematic effects and dialogues of the characters.
One of my favorite quotes is Trunks’ “May my strength be a shield…for all of us mortals!” as he fires the Galick Gun!
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