Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Shows Why One Feature Can’t Be Abandoned

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Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Shows Why One Feature Can't Be Abandoned

As someone who grew up with a controller in hand and a group of friends gathered around the TV for epic Dragon Ball Z battles, I can confidently say that the return of local splitscreen multiplayer in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a breath of fresh air. Despite the rise of online gaming and the initial rumors suggesting it would be an online-only experience, Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft listened to their fans and included this much-loved feature.

The hottest new Dragon Ball game currently available is called Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and it’s been making waves on sales charts everywhere. In just 24 hours, it managed to sell over three million copies, with a large portion of those being pre-orders for the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions as suggested by its Steam numbers during its early access period. This game has sent shockwaves through the global Dragon Ball community. Even though it’s been more than ten years since the last game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, called Sparking in Japan, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is well on its way to claiming the title of the best Dragon Ball game yet.

A significant portion of its impact is attributable to Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero offering a comprehensive collection tailored for Dragon Ball enthusiasts. Features like the frequent departures from Dragon Ball canon in Episode Battle and the fan-created scenarios in Custom Battle make Sparking Zero a must-have. Additional elements such as wishing on Dragon Ball‘s Eternal Dragons and a commentary feature in the Encyclopedia help maintain its unique appeal, and there’s even a well-designed online component. Given the level of detail, it’s remarkable to learn that Sparking Zero initially omitted a local splitscreen versus mode, but its inclusion in the final game underscores its significance.

Why Splitscreen Matters In Dragon Ball Games

Back in the mid 2000s, games based on Dragon Ball Z for the PS2 were often the center of gatherings among friends. At that time, Dragon Ball was hugely popular among young people worldwide, and many console games didn’t offer online play, so local multiplayer modes were common. The Budokai trilogy by Dimps and Super Dragon Ball Z by Arika were structured like traditional fighting games, with a side-view camera for both players to see the action. However, Spike’s Budokai Tenkaichi opted for free-roaming Dragon Ball Z battles in large, complex environments instead. As a result, it employed split screens for its multiplayer over-the-shoulder third-person perspective.

Sparking Zero’s Splitscreen Versus Ran Into Some Trouble

Due to its continuation of the traditional design and third-person battle perspective from previous games, it was speculated that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero might have shifted its entire multiplayer mode online. This speculation seems to be accurate, as the game’s launch hinted at this change. However, a limited local multiplayer mode was only announced after fans protested against the rumored move. Interestingly, despite being set within Dragon Ball Z’s Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Sparking Zero offers a splitscreen multiplayer feature, which could set a significant trend for future games.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Accidentally Proved Splitscreen Is Here To Stay

In its rough, initial form, “Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero“‘s local multiplayer remains superior to none. Within just a few days of the game’s release, PC modders made it possible for every stage to be played in splitscreen versus mode, and the inclusion of a splitscreen option in the Training mode hints at potential upgrades to “Sparking Zero“‘s modes in the future. However, even without these enhancements, the massive and long-lasting anime fanbase has demonstrated that local splitscreen is still a crucial feature, and games with multiplayer aspects should consider this when they are developed in the future.

Online Multiplayer May Be Vital Now, But Local Will Never Lose Its Audience

The relevance of splitscreen, and local multiplayer as a whole, has been doubted in recent years due to the prevalence of massive online multiplayer titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Roblox, and more. Concerns about COVID-19 spelling the feature’s death were even valid for a time. However, local multiplayer hasn’t gone anywhere, and may be on the rise, with Fortnite and Lego Fortnite recently updating to support splitscreen. With splitscreen’s absence still eliciting fan outcry and mods for games like the PC Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite, it seems like Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero won’t be alone in keeping this gaming tradition alive.

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2024-10-17 14:04