Few media properties have the instant tug of nostalgia at your heartstrings like Dragon Ball, and DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO weaponizes that feeling as easily as its characters power up into Sparking mode.
It’s been a long, long time since the last Budokai Tenkaichi game graced our screens and gave us the best taste of the action you could get outside of the overwhelmingly popular Dragonball manga and anime series. But at a hands-on preview of the game behind closed doors at Summer Game Fest, Sparking! ZERO delivered exactly what makes the series so great: the 3D movement, the furiously paced action, and the super Saiyan power-ups allowing you to live out your Dragon Ball fantasies to their greatest extent.
The title felt old-school in all the best ways throughout the hands-on demo and a hands-off demonstration of the game’s Episode Battles. There’s a split-screen option for taking on your friends on the couch with you and not on an internet connection miles away. There were story battles of some of the most iconic fights in Dragon Ball history, allowing players to assume the roles of some of their favorite heroes in their most dramatic moments.
And then, of course, there was the gameplay itself. It was all delightfully snappy playing on a controller, and even though I’m not fighting game expert, I was soon figuring out how to fly, dash, punch, and block my way to some easy early victories.
The arenas you fight in also give an interesting wrinkle to battles, as destructible set-pieces give you the true Dragon Ball experience. You’ve never felt as powerful as you do when sending a Kamehame Wave at your enemy and seeing them be plowed back through a giant pillar of stone or a whole skyscraper.
I can easily see this game being an instant crowd-pleaser. For more casual Dragon Ball and fighting game fans like myself, it was easy to pick up and play, and I was quickly able to enjoy living out my power fantasies unleashing special attacks as Piccolo and Trunks. But there was also a very obvious skill ceiling that I barely began to push, and I’ve no doubt the FGC community will find a way to turn Sparking! ZERO fights into the truly awe-inspiring displays of speed and chaos the source material deserves.
Whatever your skill level or appreciation for the property, everyone likes Dragon Ball at least a little bit. And I’ve got a feeling Sparking! ZERO will have a similar mass appeal when it releases in October.
