Dragon Ball Sparking Zero: Tenkaichi Reignited!!!
Rich L.
The Dragon Ball series has been receiving nearly annual fighting game releases for about 20 years. One of the most impactful entries in this lineup was the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise (known as Sparking! in Japan). It was followed by the Raging Blast series for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which were enjoyable but didn’t quite reach the same level of approval. Then came Ultimate Tenkaichi for the same consoles, which became one of the most disliked Dragon Ball games. Now, after all these years, Spike Chunsoft has decided to give the franchise another chance, this time basing it primarily on the original Tenkaichi series. Strap in because I’m about to reveal this game’s power level!!
If I had any gripes about the visuals, it would be that some of the beam/energy attacks don’t have as many varieties to them as the old Tenkaichi games did. It’s as if Spike took the first Raging Blast’s graphics and cranked it up to look as close to Dragon Ball Fighterz as possible. Still, Sparking Zero is easily one of the best-looking Dragon Ball games. This is especially an achievement, due to Spike Chunsoft’s last big arena fighter (Jump Force), being lauded for poor visuals.
Music
The music isn’t quite as impressive as the visuals sadly. While not the worst of the Dragon Ball fighting game soundtracks, I feel it could’ve been so much better. Tenkaichi 2 had an amazing soundtrack that was atmospheric and impactful, and Tenkaichi 3’s while not as good, was still more memorable. If you want to fight to the soundtracks from the series, you'll need to pay a bit extra for the anime music packs, which certainly adds to the experience, but it makes me wonder—if they can license music from the actual anime, why not bring back the iconic tracks from their own past games?
The sound effects and voice overs are rock solid though. It’s great that they tried to re-create some of the old quotes from past Tenkaichi’s, like Vegeta (Scouter) saying “The saiyans are a true warrior race! DON’T UNDERESTIMATE US!” before doing Final Galick Cannon.
Mechanics/Characters
Spike really tried to capture the feel of the original Tenkaichi games. While I loved the Raging Blast games, they felt a lot slower and clunkier than the Tenkaichi games. Sparking Zero has more of that quick snappier feeling from the days of old. There are so many mechanics as well that makes the game deeper than the traditional anime arena fighter.
SideNote: I’ve never seen so many ways to counter an attack in a fighting game ever.
There are many movement options as well; the challenge lies in remembering them all due to the amount. While the characters play very similarly to each other, this has always been an aspect of the Tenkaichi games, and I can forgive it with the large roster.
If anything, some characters are more unique now. For instance, it always bothered me that Evil Buu has the exact same special and ultimate moves as Majin/Fat Buu. However, he now has a completely unique ultimate move, which was an awesome overkill move he performed on a murderous gun man! For Gohan, instead of having a Super Explosive wave for one of his supers, he now has a completely unique rush attack.
SideNote: Salute to Spike. They thoughtfully offer a control style reminiscent of the original Tenkaichi for longtime players, along with a more modern option for newcomers.
Gameplay
If I have any gripes about the gameplay, it’s that the camera can be a bit janky at times. I tend to have to always ascend to be able to see an opponent, and it can also get stuck behind environmental objects. There seems to be a greater reliance on ki (the “energy” or “stamina” meter) and the stock meter (the numbered meter) this time around. In previous Tenkaichi games, some actions, like quick dashing, didn’t require ki usage. While I understand the intent to create balance and encourage players to commit to their actions, it can feel somewhat restrictive.
SideNote: Another issue is that battles often devolve into vanishing standoffs—where characters repeatedly teleport behind each other to land a strong hit—which disrupts the pacing of the fights.
Roster
Easily the strongest feat of the game is the roster. This is especially impressive since most of us expected 164, and the common belief was that there would be no characters from Dragon Ball GT as well as characters from the non-canon movies (Cooler’s Revenge, Fusion Reborn, Tree of Might, etc.). Thankfully that wound up not being the case, as we got a healthy amount of GT characters, and most of the movie characters, some of whom haven’t been playable since Tenkaichi 3 such as Garlic Jr. and Dr. Wheelo. I’m upset that Super 17, Pikkon, Nova Shenron, and characters from the 2022 film (Dragon Ball Super: Superhero) didn’t make the cut, but for a base fighting game roster in 2024, this rarely ever happens. The Superhero characters will be in the first DLC expansion. It’s also great to finally see Dragon Ball Super have a solid presence in the base roster for once.
Features
This is where the game starts to show some cracks:
Story Mode (Episode Battle) Concerns:
Follows the story of eight different playable characters but has several issues:
Cutscenes are stop-motion rather than fully animated, detracting from immersion.
Limited number of playable characters in Episode Battle, despite the game featuring 182 characters overall.
Android 17, the MVP of the Tournament of Power, is playable in some chapter battles but does not have his own story.
Some characters’ key fights are missing:
Vegeta lacks battles from Dragon Ball Super, despite using his DBS model.
Gohan is missing fights as Kid Gohan and Future Gohan.
The game’s art style is based on DBS Broly, but the film isn’t included in Episode Battle.
Missed opportunity for “what-if” battles like Mastered Ultra Instinct Goku vs. Broly.
AI Difficulty:
Episode Battle’s AI is overly challenging, countering too effectively and limiting player actions.
While the game attempts to teach mechanics, the difficulty feels unbalanced and overly restrictive.
Easy mode reduces difficulty but comes with fewer rewards.
Highlights:
The “What-if” battles stand out, with creative scenarios like Zamasu taking over Gohan’s body to create Gohan Black.
Unique and imaginative “what-if” stories enhance replayability, offering fresh takes on the Dragon Ball saga.
Custom Battles:
Allows players to design battles with chosen stages, unvoiced dialogue, and characters.
Helps fill gaps in missed story battles but requires significant effort to extend replay value.
Customization Features:
Feels underwhelming compared to earlier games:
Characters like Frieza, Majin Buu, and Cell lack alternate attires or even alternate colors for mirror battles.
Gohan Black is only available as an opponent, not as a playable character or costume.
Accessories are limited, and aura customization—a feature in previous Tenkaichi games—is missing.
Multiplayer Options:
Local Multiplayer:
Supports split-screen but is limited to one stage (The Hyperbolic Time Chamber).
Offers options to remove the timer, change music, and engage in 5v5 battle.
Online Multiplayer
Lacks rollback net-code, a standard in most modern fighting games.
Matches can be hard to initiate, potentially due to Wi-Fi use deterring opponents.
Once started, matches run smoothly with minimal issues.
Is Sparking Zero the ultimate Dragon Ball game? Maybe/ Maybe not. With a bit more polish and additions, I think it can arrive there easily. It’s a fantastic arena fighter with much love and care, that’s just held back a bit with some undercooked ideas that may have been at the cost of the huge roster. If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, this is a must have. Plus the more we support this game, the bigger its power level can grow.
Final score: 4.5/5
