As a seasoned Dragon Ball Z enthusiast who grew up with the original anime series and its countless video game adaptations, I can confidently say that Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO has captured the essence of the franchise beautifully, but with some room for improvement.
Growing up with an immense love for Dragon Ball Z, I eagerly devoured every game showcasing my favorite Super Saiyans and their companions. This led me to explore a variety of unique titles, ranging from handheld brawlers on GBA to turn-based RPGs with questionable translations. However, it was Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 that consumed the most of my time. This oddly titled game was a fighting adventure featuring all the punching and energy attacks one could desire, and I played it relentlessly. Other Dragon Ball games have come and gone, but I’ll always remember the countless hours I spent battling my best friend as The Ginyu Force in Tenkaichi 2. Now, a new Dragon Ball game has emerged, continuing the legacy of my favorite, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is bound to excite fans of the anime.
When you launch Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, you’ll find yourself immersed in a tutorial that requires careful attention due to the intricate and unusual mechanics of this fighting game. Mastering its controls can be quite a task, as even moving involves several commands, such as using the control stick, shoulder buttons for flight adjustments, and techniques like boosting or teleporting if you have enough energy. Prepare yourself for extensive learning as it may take some time before you’re ready to showcase your skills in a real battle. So buckle up and get ready to dive deep into studying!
Fighting an adversary and playing a fighting game are two different experiences. In a combat scenario, you can employ various combinations of punches, kicks, and other powerful moves to gradually deplete your opponent’s health and potentially send them flying. However, be mindful that there are numerous methods to block, counterattack, and dodge, so your offensive strategies could easily be thwarted. Rapidly pressing buttons might work initially, especially against less challenging AI, but once you master a few special techniques, defeating enemies will become much more efficient.
In the spirit of Dragon Ball games, Sparking! ZERO boasts an abundance of extravagantly powerful special moves reminiscent of the series. To unleash these, you’ll need to hold down a shoulder and face button simultaneously when you have sufficient energy. After that, you’ll start building up a colossal Kamehameha or charging towards your opponent for a sort of cinematic combo. The super attacks demand maximum energy buildup and will typically deplete several health bars in one go, along with triggering about thirty seconds of dazzling flashes, catchphrases, and humorous dialogue.
In this game, every attack is incredibly thrilling to unleash, but you’ll need to gather power first by remaining stationary and vocalizing a potent, familiar aura that surrounds you. This can be quite challenging in an intense battle environment, as it requires you to pause and focus amidst the chaos. Since both players tend to want to use these attacks, there will be instances where you’re both waiting for your power to build up, staring at each other in tense standoffs. These moments always feel a bit awkward, don’t they?
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO offers multiple ways of play, including a comprehensive story mode tracing the series from its beginnings to the present day, as well as online combat. Beginning with the campaign is generally advisable, offering a delightful dose of nostalgia typical of Dragon Ball games. You’ll find various campaigns for characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and even villains like Frieza. What sets this mode apart is the presence of alternate storylines that can be unlocked by meeting certain conditions, leading to intriguing outcomes and providing an engaging challenge.
When you’re prepared to challenge other online players (naive soul), there are numerous game modes available for your pick. The usual quick matches and ranked matches are options, along with participating or even organizing diverse tournaments. You can add a variety of rules to tournaments such as banning flying abilities or only using characters from a specific anime series arc, and it’s always exciting to witness the underdog character triumph against the most powerful being in the universe. Playing these tournaments with AI opponents is also possible, which I spent countless hours enjoying like the dedicated Dragon Ball fan that I am.
In Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, there’s an abundance of activities that I didn’t cover, such as customizing your characters with different upgrades and outfits by spending money at the shop, or collecting the Dragon Balls to make a wish to Shenron for additional characters or cash. It can feel quite overwhelming initially, but before you realize it, you’ll be progressively unlocking more of the game’s 182 characters.
One standout feature of Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO that deserves highlighting is its stunning visuals. The game beautifully embodies the animated series’ vibrant style, making every grand, flashy attack even more awe-inspiring. Moreover, intricate details like characters getting their outfits torn during battles and changing appearances as you fight add a delightful touch that makes it all the more engaging. To top it off, the audio is equally impressive, offering the choice to play with either Japanese or English voice acting based on personal preference.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is an amazing fighting game, but it does come with some challenges. The most significant issue is the steep learning curve, which the game doesn’t seem to make easier for beginners. The initial tutorial is insufficient and only by venturing into the training mode and completing numerous lessons will you get close to being prepared to actually play the game. When I first started playing, I only did about half of these as I was eager to dive into the game, and there were fundamental skills like swapping teammates and transforming that I was unaware of. A more thorough and engaging tutorial could have made this game much more enjoyable, but instead, you’re left to teach yourself for hours.
One potential rephrase could be: A potential complaint about Sparking! ZERO is that some significant actions can take a while to finish, which might annoy players. If your adversary is skilled, they may execute these moves frequently enough that you’ll end up watching more cutscenes than participating in actual combat.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO offers an exceptional fighting experience unlike any other game out there, however, mastering it requires a substantial investment of time. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be treated to exhilarating battles, an immersive story mode, and numerous other engaging solo or multiplayer game modes. The journey might demand dedication, but remember, nothing worth having comes easily – especially if you aspire to become a Super Saiyan!
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2024-10-12 14:46