Created by the late great Akira Toriyama, the ‘Dragon Ball’ franchise has a long history in video games across various genres but was always best suited for the fighting genre. Before there was ‘Dragon Ball FighterZ’ which instantly became a top-selling and highly rated fighting game and a major part of esports events, there was the ‘Budokai Tenkaichi’ series.

It began in 2005 with ‘Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi’ with two sequels that followed in 2006 and 2007, plus a spin-off in 2010 titled ‘Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team’ for the PSP and was best known for having some of the largest rosters in fighting games. For 14 long years, the Budokai Tenkaichi series hasn’t had a sequel, until now. Bandai Namco with developer Spike Chunsoft have summoned Shenron to bring us ‘Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’, and is ready to rock all 12 universes on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Now using the Japanese name, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an original game not connected to the Budokai Tenkaichi games that came before it but takes the same gameplay style to a new level. Just like the previous games, players can relive some of the biggest story arcs in the Dragon Ball Z series and now the Dragon Ball Super series as well in Episode Battle.

Episode Battle begins with the fight against Raditz, but more will be unlocked not long after. Aside from Goku, you can also play from the perspective of Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan Frieza, Goku Black, and more. Fans can create some what-if scenarios such as if Goku survived the battle against Raditz, which would mean he doesn’t receive the special training from King Kai, plus various scenarios of if the villains defeated the heroes and what the outcomes would be.

Cutscenes can be enjoyed between each battle and losing a battle will show a short cutscene explaining what happens if the opponent is victorious. Episode Battle has hours upon hours of content with various branching paths and even though some lead back to the same path, it’s always interesting to see what could’ve been if history was rewritten.

Fans can even create their own stories in Custom Battle, where players can pick a hero and villain from a selection of characters to create never-before-seen battles with that cinematic anime flair. If you want to see someone other than Goku be the hero for a change, this is the mode for you. Aside from playing the battles, players can also edit the title screen, cutscenes, presentation, and more. Even though fans may not have complete control over what they can create and not every playable character is available in this mode, there is still so much fun to be had by creating dream matchups like never before. Anyone wanting to see Nappa take on Cell, the Androids vs the Ginyu Force, or Mr. Satan being the hero the world believes him to be, can make all that happen here. There are some pre-made Custom Battles already included to enjoy and you’ll also be able to share what you’ve made online and download what other players have created.

Balance is an important aspect when it comes to fighting games, but the Budokai Tenkaichi games sacrifice balance and are targeted more towards fun and the latest game follows in the same footsteps. Dragon Ball FighterZ is the ideal fighting game for the franchise, but Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero makes up for it with its large roster of more than 180 characters (even though some are just different forms of the same character) and its unique gameplay mechanics.

Being more of an arena fighter, players will feel like their favourite Dragon Ball characters by duking it out with their opponents, firing energy blasts and flying at high speeds all while destroying the environments around them. There are still issues with the camera, especially when you’re stuck in a tight spot or if there is plenty of debris in the way. It can be annoying not being able to see incoming attacks, but it’s only a minor issue and doesn’t ruin the game.

The gameplay is much like the previous games, but better and faster than ever. Precision and timing are critical to emerging victorious, having to anticipate and react to opponents’ attacks. Aside from the variety of offensive moves, there is also a variety of defensive moves from blocking, swatting away energy blasts, evading attacks, counters, countering counters, and more. The game uses every button on the controller and there is a deep learning curve to mastering combat mechanics which can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there are helpful tutorials to teach you everything you need to know. It may take some time, but it is well worth it to create some universe-shattering battles.

Amongst the 180 plus playable characters of featured combatants from Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, the various canon, and non-canon movies. Even mini Goku from the upcoming Dragon Ball DAIMA series is playable too for those who pre-ordered the game. Whether we’ll see more characters from the DAIMA series as future DLC remains to be seen, but there is already a huge roster of fighters to choose from. More than 20 characters have already been confirmed as DLC including Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 from the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film and many more are yet to be revealed.

The different power levels between the characters seem to be accurate to the manga/anime, so as mentioned above, there can be a big imbalance when it comes to certain matchups. Ultra Instinct Goku has a huge advantage over Goku in his base form, Jiren can easily defeat Nappa, Yamcha… well he tries his best, and Mr. Satan and Yajirobe don’t have much hope of taking on planet-destroying beings, but it sure is entertaining to see them try. Gigantic characters are also playable including Vegeta in his ape form, Lord Slug, Anilaza, and more, so players can have some David vs Goliath matches or full-on kaiju battles.

Up to five characters can be chosen per team in Vs. battles either against the CPU, a friend, or online. There are a wide variety of stages to battle in from the city, open fields, islands, Planet Namek, World Tournament, Cell Games Arena, and the Land of the Kais to name a few.

The bigger stages have so much detail and lots of things to destroy. Sending your opponent’s flying through buildings, mountains, and debris never gets old. Battles can take place on the ground, in the air, and even underwater. The buildings in the city stage aren’t empty either, as you’ll be able to see the interior before it all crumbles to the ground. There is no limit to where you can take the fight.

All stages are playable in every Vs. mode, except when playing with a friend offline. It uses a split screen to show the action from both players’ perspectives, but you can only select the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, which isn’t the most exciting place to fight in. Maybe it was to make it easier for both players to see the action, but there are at least two other stages that could’ve worked for that reason as well. Tournament rule sets can also be used in stages with a ring, where touching the outside will mean losing the match and the ability to fly can be switched off to recreate the Tournament of Power.

In my experience with online matches, they’ve held up quite well. It should be noted that I could only do online matches during some of the review period and sometimes it was a struggle to match up with someone. With the matches I could get, some felt smooth with minimal input delay, others had some lag and a few struggled. Of course, this also depends on the connection quality and how far the opponents are from you. For me, the game has proven it’s capable of smooth online play and I feel confident it can keep that up when it goes full release. Sadly, there is no crossplay, so players will only be matched with opponents on the same console.

Both the Japanese and English voice casts can be selected. It’s always great to hear the Japanese voices of Masako Nozawa, Ryō Horikawa, and Toshio Furukawa, and the English voices of Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, and Kyle Herbert, plus so many more reprising their roles from the anime. Their voices can be heard during matches, cutscenes, and throughout the menu screens.

The game utilises cel-shaded graphics with the Unreal Engine 5. The characters look and act just like they do in the anime. The environments are a little too realistic, but look excellent, filled with many familiar sights, and don’t look out of place like that Jump Force game we wish never happened. The overall style and presentation have that signature Dragon Ball style from the menus, the battles, the cutscenes, and more. The soundtrack features some familiar tunes from the show and has some original tracks, all adding to the excitement of the fights. It’s Dragon Ball everywhere you go!

The latest Dragon Ball game is jam-packed full of content and fans are in for a treat. On top of everything already mentioned, there are challenges and missions by Zen-Oh and Whis that will give in-game currency, extra outfits, unlock new characters, and more. Those can also be attained with enough Dragon Balls collected to summon Shenron, Porunga, or Super Shenron to grant your wish.

In the Gallery, fans can watch cutscenes and replays, listen to the soundtrack, check their data, and learn about every playable character in the Encyclopedia. Here is where Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Videl have some girl talk, sharing facts and opinions on any unlocked character, including all of their forms and they are a joy to listen to. Hopefully, they’ll do this for the DLC characters as well.

It’s been a long time coming for the next Budokai Tenkaichi game. Even with a name change to match the Japanese title, it has everything that fans of the series love and more. Akira Toriyama may be gone, but his legacy lives on and this game is a great tribute to the legend. Reliving or recreating memorable stories, planet-shattering battles, and tons of fan service, this is truly a game made for loyal Dragon Ball fans. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is on a limit break and the universe is theirs to take!

Written by: Sammy Hanson