Dragon Ball Sparking Zero: New Gameplay + 164 Characters, It’s Going to Be Monstrous!

Last night at midnight French time, the 2024 Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour event took place in Los Angeles at the Convention Center. It was attended by DBZ fans through streaming channels covering the event. With the announcement of the first gameplay trailer for Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, anticipation was high across the entire Dragon Ball community. Initially, Bandai Namco decided to unify the title internationally for this new release on PS5 and Xbox Series, following their practice in Japan where the Budokai Tenkaichi series is known as “Sparking.” However, this decision led to some confusion due to the strong presence of the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise in Europe and the US. In the latest trailer, Bandai Namco addressed this by adding “Budokai Tenkachi Series” alongside the Western title “Sparking Zero,” clarifying its connection to the franchise. During the event, Masayuki Hirano, producer of all Dragon Ball games, and Ryo Mito, producer of all Budokai Tenkaichi titles, announced that Sparking Zero will serve as a sequel to Budokai Tenkaichi 3.

A REBOOT SEQUEL

In all cases, this gameplay trailer allows us to see that we will find the essence of this franchise, characterized by its incredible dynamism, ultra-stylish presentation, and that distinctive camera angle which many arena fighting games have emulated, such as in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm and Demon Slayer. It is evident that this viewpoint is optimal for combat games requiring grandeur to appreciate expansive environments while maintaining an appropriate distance between the fighters for intense action. Notably, what sets this gameplay trailer apart is its clear indication of actual gameplay footage, with Bandai Namco explicitly stating “actual gameplay footage,” unlike the usual disclaimer of “non-final gameplay, subject to change.” Here, the developers are making a definitive statement, aiming to build excitement and showcase their years of preparation. How can one not feel enthusiastic upon seeing Goku and Vegeta prominently featured in these images? The trailer is titled “Rivals Trailer” and it sets an ideal tone for the event’s kickoff. Highlighting the rivalry between two of the most iconic characters in the saga, Goku and Vegeta, from their initial encounter to their latest transformations, including Super Saiyan 3, Saiyan God, Saiyan Blue, Kaioken, and even Vegeta’s transformation into Ozaru.

Will real-time transformations be included? This is unlikely, except for specific circumstances such as Vegeta in his Ozaru form under certain conditions. Bandai Namco is adhering to the principle of pre-transformed characters, similar to the Budokai Tenkaichi series from the PS2 era. The end of the trailer confirms this with the character selection screen. Note that there are 164 slots for fighters at launch, as developers promised a comprehensive roster, and I believe we are on the right track. Recall that the last entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, released in 2007, had 161 characters. On this character selection screen, you can see multiple versions of Goku, Vegeta, Yamcha, Tenshihan, Krilin, Piccolo, Cell, C-17, C-18, Boo, Mr. Satan, Trunks, Broly, Freeza, Jiren, Bergamo, and others—all confirmed to be part of the game.

Visually, the game is very clean, featuring rich and detailed visual effects throughout, with particularly noteworthy destructible environments. This graphical quality can be attributed to the Unreal Engine, though I am unsure whether it uses version 4 or 5 of the engine—it renders beautifully nonetheless. While the character modeling could have been more refined in some aspects, the game’s fluid visuals are impressive and convey a high level of detail already bordering on madness. A significant question remains regarding the inclusion of local multiplayer with split-screen functionality, which many are eagerly awaiting an answer to, alongside the release date for the game. As it stands now, these details remain unclear, but Bandai Namco is expected to provide further updates in due course.

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Marcus Thompson

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