Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

A true hymn to the work of Akira Toriyama, with spectacular graphics and explosive gameplay, but with surprising depth to encourage you to learn more. Modes such as Episode Battle and Custom Battle allow you to fulfill your greatest fantasies and feel like you're playing the anime.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the Budokai Tenkaichi 4 fans have been waiting to get for a long, long time, but it's also the perfect first entry to jump into if you've never played a game in this series. It's a great first impression, and even better reunion. You've been waiting for a Dragon Ball game like this.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero from developer Spike Chunsoft and publisher Bandai Namco is a wonderful fighting experience. It has all the bells and whistles, including a massive number of characters from the series and different ways you can customize and shape them. The imbalanced fighting might be tough for some players to overcome to enjoy the experience.

I’m having so much fun with Sparking Zero. It’s essentially everything I want in a Dragon Ball game. There’s more than enough content to keep you busy at launch, but it’s exciting to think about what Spike Chunsoft will add down the road. For coverage on Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s future content, stay tuned to COGconnected.

Since our first hands-on last June, we already knew that Dragon Ball Sparking Zero was going to pulverize everything in its path, but we were far from suspecting that Spike Chunsoft was going to refine its combat system to this point. Indeed, the Japanese studio has not only offered us the best video game adaptation of an anime, but it has also deepened the gameplay, much more technical than it seems when you see the explosiveness of the fights on the screen. There are dozens and dozens of manipulations to learn by heart to reach Ultra Instinct in our turn, and thus know how to read through what the layman will take for an incomprehensible visual mess, when it is not. Enjoyable to get to grips with, with a nice progression curve as well, the gameplay of Sparking Zero has never so well transcribed what we expect from a Dragon Ball game. It is exceptional. Visually, it is also well mastered and it has been several months now that the public has been able to see to what extent Jun Furutani's team masters its subject. Each fight, each attack, each burst of energy thrown makes the screen vibrate but also the heart of any Dragon Ball fan. It is so well-built, so well-staged that we systematically come out of it galvanized. But in addition to having respected the work of Akira Toriyama like never before, Spike Chunsoft also offers players a game of great generosity, full of game modes, things to unlock, stories to tell (even if the What If is ultimately less interesting than expected), bonuses to consult, in short, you get it, we too, we were seriously respected. No need to procrastinate any longer, Sparking Zero is by far the greatest Dragon Ball game ever created.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is possibly the greatest fighting game ever made. It greatly outperforms the previous one with its amazing graphics, multiple game modes, speedy gameplay, and unlockable characters—over 180 in total. It's one of those games that gets better the more you play. Unquestionably, Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoff have created the ultimate fighting game.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers everything fans of Akira Toriyama's saga have been longing for: a triumphant return to the Budokai Tenkaichi series. With its exceptional gameplay, breathtaking graphics, and an impressive roster of over 180 playable characters, Sparking! Zero stands out as one of the top titles of 2024.

Sparking Zero delivers an exceptional single-player experience with hours of fun, while the online mode adds an extra layer of excitement that will keep you hooked to your console. And if not, you can always relive the old days by playing split-screen versus with friends in one of the best Dragon Ball fighting games ever.

Dragon Ball: Sparking ZERO! continues exactly what Budokai Tenkaichi 3 established back then and has become a real highlight.

In the end, if you consider yourself a fan of the franchise and also of the world of fighting games, you should definitely get yourself a copy, whether physical or digital. It's a hit of nostalgia for those who enjoyed the releases of the past, and even more so for users who haven't put them down in all this time. Seriously, it's worth seeing the Z fighters fight once again.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO does and offers exactly what you expect from the game. A huge roster of playable characters, accessible gameplay, fine combat, stunning presentation and we could go on and on. As a fan of the franchise, you will be able to have fun with this again for a long time and if we have to be critical, the lack of certain tracks in the game is a bit of a shame and there could have been more “what if” scenarios in the game. But that's nitpicking, because as a total package this stands as a house!

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the Budokai Tenkaichi 4 we've dreamed of for over 10 years. With revamped controls, stunning graphics and a combat system that's both accessible and fun, it revitalizes the classic formula and brings it to modern times with new mechanics and game modes. Despite some minor issues, it’s a love letter to Akira Toriyama's work and the legacy of one of the most important animes in history.

Dragon Ball reaches new heights with this game. It's awesome on the outside, but it's the complex and profound gameplay mechanics that make it really awesome. A dream come true for any Dragon Ball fan.

It’s without a doubt the best Dragon Ball game I’ve ever played, and if I ever stop playing it over the next few months it won’t be because I’m not enjoying it, it’ll be because I’ve broken my PS5 controller trying to win too many clashes.

There are definite issues with gameplay and overall presentation, but between how much it refines the work of its predecessors and every stellar new addition to the gameplay, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an excellent addition to the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise that more than justifies the long wait for its release. Whether someone grew up with the older games or is jumping into the style for the first time, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be plenty of fun to play, and it’s bound to go down as one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, eagerly awaited, was like a Kamehameha straight from our hands, the fruit of our exaltation, many sleepless nights to unlock the entire roster and the cumulative pleasure of playing, playing and playing some more. The title isn't perfect, and suffers from a few optimization issues that may be the result of certain choices made by the development team, but it's still great. Since Dragon Ball Fighter Z, we've lacked a title that could renew the license with such freshness, and this is a stunning return for the Budokai Tenkaichi saga.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is undoubtedly the Ultimate Dragon Ball game! With its game modes dedicated to creation and its deep and nervous gameplay not to mention a monumental roster, it is the worthy successor to Budokai Tenkaichi. We could regret that the Story mode is more of a summary focusing only on the highlights, but this mode remains incredibly rich, offering different points of view through the main fighters of the Dragon Ball universe. And even if some bugs can frustrate during combat, the overall experience remains enjoyable! In short, the best Dragon Ball game is here!

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a triumphant return to form for the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, offering fans a nostalgic yet modernized experience that captures the essence of epic fantasy Dragon Ball battles.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is an absolutely addictive delight, firing on all cylinders, and is the dream Dragon Ball game for fans worldwide. While the story mode contains poorly implemented retreading, the high number of what-if scenarios more than makes up for this shortcoming.

Even after playing Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero with a massive grin on my face for more than 60 hours, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of everything that it has to offer. Its smart evolution of Budokai Tenkaichi’s combat, stacked and detailed roster, and near endless amount of modes and features make it one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time.

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO brings in a fantastic package containing graphics with great attention to detail, more than 180 characters and a deep gameplay system which makes it the best Dragon Ball experience to date.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero may be the first chapter of the Budokai Tenkaichi series not to be called Budokai Tenkaichi, or the first not to indicate the “Z” with which the second part of the series is famously indicated. Yet it is in all respects a chapter 4 updated to 2024, with lots of lights (and incredible particles) and some shadows that in the end you can easily ignore.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is, without a doubt, the ultimate game for any Dragon Ball fan. The combat system not only builds on the classic PS2 games but enhances them significantly, making each battle feel as close as possible to the epic confrontations seen in the original anime and manga. The game modes are impressive as well; the story mode, in particular, holds some delightful surprises, while the Custom Battle mode promises plenty of replay value—just to name a few highlights from the single-player content. Add to this an immense character roster and numerous little touches that fans will appreciate. Of course, there are some flaws, especially in terms of character balancing, but if you’re a devoted Dragon Ball fan, rest assured—this game was made with you in mind.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is in an easy running for the best Dragon Ball game ever made. The surprisingly in-depth gameplay is combined with a love for the franchise that seems to radiate from every aspect of the game. The combat might end up being a little frustrating for someone who just wants to bash together their favorite characters, but once you've learned how to play, it feels absolutely fantastic, and it's a genuine labor of love that fans will adore.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a worthy heir to the Budokai Tenkaichi genre, because it offers spectacular battles, based on a "manageable depth" and suitable for players of all abilities. Battle Episode has some shortcomings and simplifications, but it also offers alternative events that are sometimes surprising, which can encourage the enthusiast to discover every secret of the mode, which could also be enriched with additional content in the future. From the little we tried it, the online dimension proved to be free of particular uncertainties, and the same can be said for the dear old split screen battles. The opponents' AI does its job, without reaching excellence, but on the other hand the roster of fighters is immense and strong with a 360-degree characterization of the individual fighters that is truly remarkable. Despite its qualitative declines, Sparking Zero's audiovisual department constantly reminds us why we love the Saiyans and their opponents, and overall Spike Chunsoft's production is one of the most beautiful titles based on Toriyama-sensei's world, a triumph for any Dragon Ball gamer fan.

Picking right up where it left off with Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a return to form and a celebration of everything Dragon Ball. Reinvigorated with characters and transformations from Dragon Ball Super as well as your favourites from Dragon Ball Z, the game feels both brand new and classic as it brings fast-paced action and eye-popping graphics into the new generation. While some players may be frustrated or overwhelmed with the learning curve of the controls, the rewards lie in mastering your favourite characters, and crafting an experience that blends your imagination and classic Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a fantastic tribute to the saga and to Akira Toriyama.

Dragon Ball: Sparking was worth waiting all this time for! Zero, we have no doubts about it. The video game signed once again by Spike Chunsoft is perhaps not perfect on a visual level nor does it solve the well-known limitations of the arena fighter genre, but it optimizes and supports the system enough to ensure that the frenetic and spectacular fights between the many characters that make up the game's roster take place in a pleasant and satisfying way, in a triumph of fanservice that will not fail to excite the many Dragon Ball fans. The package is a real concentrate of content, also destined to grow thanks to the players (see the custom battles), and in this successful mix the excellent work done with the alternative stories of the Sparking Episodes stands out, capable of adding freshness and interest to a narrative path that we now know all too well.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero marks a great return to the Budokai Tenkaichi series with a fighting title that is both highly entertaining and visually impressive, allowing you to feel like you are in the shoes of the most powerful warriors in the universe.

It’s been a long wait since Budokai Tenkaichi 3, but this is the successor we have been waiting for. Sure, there’s still room for improvement, particularly in the multiplayer, but overall it’s a fantastic fighting game to relieve the battles from Toriyama’s unforgettable saga.

If you are a fan of Dragon Ball games, then Sparking Zero is a no-brainer. It looks great, plays well and contains plenty of characters to unlock and experiment with while only using the money you earn within the game to pay for character and customisation unlocks.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero delivers top-notch fan service. The fights look fantastic and are a lot of fun. The character selection is huge and includes lots of side characters from the movies. However, the fighting game lacks variety and long-term motivation.

Even though I enjoyed its online multiplayer much more than its story mode, there's no denying that DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO is a great fighting game. It's also one that the more you play it, the more you'll enjoy it because of its steep yet rewarding learning curve.

Dragon Ball: SPARKING! Zero is the video game that all Budokai Tenkaichi fans wished for. Visually its battles are stunning, and it plays at a pace that can be as frantic as a Dragon Ball battle from the anime. There's also a bunch of characters and game modes that will keep it alive for quite some time, especially the Custom Battle mode. Sadly, the Story Mode is quite lacking. It has some good ideas but they are executed pretty badly. There's clearly some unfulfilled potential there.

Sparking! Zero is not only a superb return to a phenomenal franchise, but it also looks spectacular. Sadly, it is neither easy nor satisfying to learn how it’s meant to be played, but for a casual player who has a couple of friends he wants to clash beams with, it’s one of the most beautiful games the franchise ever blessed us with.

Despite some annoying shortcomings and obvious deficiencies, the return of the Sparking! series can be considered a success. With great visual effects, plenty of unlockable content and alternative story paths, every Dragon Ball fan should be satisfied with this game.

It's true that Sparking Zero becomes repetitive once you get to know the different characters and their methods, but the advantage is that with so many characters and modes, it'll take a while to get to that point. I don't think it's ideal for long sessions, but it's one of those games that, within its genre and style, is guaranteed to be relevant for years to come.

Like the brand or not, it's hard to argue with the fact that DRAGON BALL: Sparking! Zero is nothing less than a love letter to anyone who likes or thinks they are a Dragon Ball fan, even if in some parts the execution may feel a little cheap and even frustrating.

During the early days of Dragon Ball Z, many characters refer to Gohan as a fighter with great hidden potential, that if he could channel it the right way, he would be even more powerful than Goku. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is like Gohan: a great game that offers a lot and does a lot of things right, but if it had more development time or a better perspective, it could easily rank as the best Dragon Ball title.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a wonderful and unique fighting game that fans will love, but it takes a lot of dedication to learn how to play.

As a modern successor and sequel to the classic PS2 era Budokai Tenkaichi trilogy, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a great time for Dragon Ball fans. You'll have to ease yourself into the controls, but once it clicks it's a lot of fun to explore the full roster and smash anime characters together.

Faithfully recreating some of the most famous moments in the series, Sparking Zero is the one Dragon Ball game that offers you tons of content to really enjoy all the aspects of the series. Battles are faster than ever, the roster is huge, and there are even ways you can reinvent or reimagine your own scenarios for your favorite characters to experience. It’s a fighter at its core, but it also offers fans the tools to make it the Dragon Ball game they have always dreamed of.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an impressively robust celebration of all things Dragon Ball. It's just about as bombastic as arena fighters get, and while the game could do a much better job of teaching players the ropes, there's a technical depth to combat that makes the learning curve feel incredibly rewarding. Boasting a colossal character roster and some of the best anime-based visuals in gaming, Sparking! Zero is an absolute blast.

While it has some issues with mode variety and how things are implemented, Sparking Zero is a deliriously good time that makes it almost impossible to not have a massive smile on your face while playing.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero shines as the return of Budokai Tenkaichi and didn't even need to invent so much, as it is strong enough in gameplay and cast.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero isn’t a competitive fighter or a story-driven adventure; it’s a toybox. It’s a place for you to play and experiment with the Dragon Ball universe, toying with its timeline, characters, settings, music, and more. It’s not the sort of thing that manages to charm me, it’s a bit “10 hours of jingling keys,” but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a big smile on my face when I finished off Perfect Cell with an Instant Transmission Kamehameha before Gohan even got a turn. Wish the lads from the playground could see that now.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO could be considered the best Dragon Ball game on the market with its earth shattering battles and vast roster of fighters. It's going to take some time for players to master the games mechanics but when they do they're in for a treat. With stunning visual effects and plenty of content to unlock and experience, Dragon Ball fans will not be disappointed despite some minor shortcomings.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero does a decent enough job in carrying on the legacy of the 3D arena fighter, with some fun if slightly tricky mechanics and a story mode that does just enough to be enjoyable in its own right. Ultimately it serves its purpose as an entertaining slice of the animated series, despite not feeling wholly unique to the franchise. I would have loved an even broader story mode, allowing a greater number of the available roster to be playable, but fans of the previous entries in the series will no doubt flock to this modern iteration solely to play online. Time will tell if there’s longevity here, but as a total package there should be more than enough to appease even the most die-hard of Dragon Ball fans.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a lot of fun, and as meaningful a send-up to the source material as one could hope for. I spent time in training mode, popping supers and comparing them to old anime episodes, and smiled to myself when it matched up perfectly. But in stepping away from what did happen in Dragon Ball to what could have happened, this game manages to make the original narrative all the sweeter. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a festival in Goku's honour, and a must buy for age-old lovers of Akira Toriyama's work.

With its huge roster of fighters, thrilling combat system and satisfying selection of modes, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a must-have for fans of the franchise. Newcomers are likely to enjoy it, too, though they might find themselves a little lost when tackling its story-driven Episode Battle mode.

More than 17 years after Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Sparking Zero takes the strengths of its predecessor to go even further. With the generosity of its casting, the quality of its effects and the impressive staging of its moves, the game excels in its fanservice. But above all, the title stands out for its gameplay as technical as its predecessors which offers both a real margin of progression and instant fun thanks to its accessibility options. Too bad the fights are a little spoiled by readability and camera issues. At the same time, we can blame the game for its minimum service for its interfaces, its cutscenes and its training mode which clash with the care given to the rest of the experience. Despite everything, Sparking Zero has everything to delight Dragon Ball fans, even those who want to play locally who will have to settle for a single arena for the moment, because it really is the Budokai Tenkaichi 4 that everyone was waiting for.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero brings you back to the glory days of the Budokai series in all its facets, but it's more complete than ever with the addition of the latest films and the Dragon Ball Super anime. From the high-quality presentation and extensive story mode to the awkward camera movements and even the controls, everything feels just like it used to. The end result is essential for any Dragon Ball fan, although they may be disappointed by the absence of the excellent manga chapters that have not yet been animated.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers a fun and visually stunning experience that captures the true essence of Dragon Ball. With over 180 characters, each with unique movesets, it offers variety but lacks the depth and balance of more competitive fighters. The Episode Battles keep things exciting, but the simplistic controls might feel repetitive for some. While it’s not as refined as Street Fighter or Tekken, fans and newcomers will find plenty to enjoy.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero revives the old Tenkaichi series and, in addition to a huge character package, offers straightforward brawler fun like in the anime.

After being unimpressed with Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash and Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, I was pleasantly surprised with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is your total package when it comes to Dragon Ball-fanservice. With tons of content and an editor to create your own episodes, "Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO" has you hooked to the screen for weeks. The gameplay may be closer to Tenkaichi than ever before, but also has some issues, that causes frustration – especially if you are not emotionally attached to the franchise.

At bottom, then, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a good game, but a title most aimed at fans of the games of yesteryear.Newer fans who don't like the fighting system of the Budokai Tenkaichi series

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO has a metric ton of content and some well crafted fanservice. Do not expect a compex gameplay and try to forget about a problematic camera, and you should spend dozens of hours playing a really fun and flashy game.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a feast for fans that delivers visually stunning fights, but is not without a few shortcomings.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero marks the return of the arena fighting series and, unfortunately, it remains in the shadow of its predecessors. The essence of Dragon Ball battles is present, but the problems with a weak and, in some fights, somewhat unbalanced story mode lose some of the magic. Its cluttered and unintuitive interface also leaves something to be desired, in addition to a forgettable soundtrack. A good arena fighting game that promises hours of fun with friends, but lacks the shine that made Budokai Tenkaichi the success that it is.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is so faithful to the original PlayStation 2 games that it serves as a reminder that they may not have been as good as they used to be. While this may not be a problem for some, those expecting a more interesting and diverse combat system may be disappointed. In practice, it's a bloated game that can easily become boring.

The newest Dragon Ball game may not be the strongest title of the series. Nevertheless, the amount of work put into it is evident, thanks to the huge character roster and the excellent addition of Sparking episodes. However, for players seeking a more story-driven Dragon Ball experience, Kakarot still stands as the high point of the series.

Those willing to spend two long and frustrating hours sculpting their muscle memory and honing their reflexes will experience a click. Suddenly, you “got" it. Like Neo in the Matrix against Agent Smith or Goku transforming into Super Saiyan for the first time. What follows is a tsunami of serotonin that makes my inner teenager foam at the mouth. In the skin of Goku catapulting vicious Frieza hundreds of feet away after a barrage of attacks. Then to treat him to a kamehameha on his icy face? I dreamed of it as a 14-year-old and this game is my dream in game form. A lot of love for Dragon ball has been put into it. Too bad the barrier to experience it is so high.

A vibrant, flashy and overdue return to one of Dragon Ball’s best game series. But it’s not quite fresh enough to keep me coming back for more.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a final flash from the past, sometimes to a fault, as demonstrated by its archaic menus and remedial training tools. Its Episode Battles have the kind of reaction-heavy difficulty that doesn’t really exist in most games these days, more than once crossing the line between challenging and frustrating. But the feeling of traveling back to a simpler time when games didn’t have to be balanced or competitive to be fun is a good one, especially when that action stays so true to that of the show it’s recreating. Reliving a story that was foundational to my youth, looking and sounding as great as I remember it, with the opportunity to alter it in sometimes dramatic new ways is clever, and the addition of tools to attempt to create our own stories could elevate the experiment even further if a community can figure out how to make the most of them.

In its approach to campaign integration, Sparking! Zero is much weaker. While it presents strong ideas in having branching story pathways, the narrative’s varying quality and beige storytelling is a letdown. The flash and style of individual battles may be enough to dazzle you, but those looking for anything deeper will need to dive further back into Dragon Ball‘s video game past to find it.

Ultimately, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero feels like a game made for the fans, above all. It oozes fan service, and the amount of content and characters proves that the developer wants to satisfy the needs of as many people as possible. It's because of this that the playability comes across as a bit of an imprecise slap in the face, as this otherwise competent action game sometimes struggles in practice.

Extremely extensive fanservice, but disappointing fights in the long run.

Caught in a struggle between being a definitive casual game while also being a hardcore competitive experience, Sparking! Zero makes the best of its numerous limitations. The core game is fun enough, it looks great, and it contains an impressive collection of Dragon Ball fan service. Sparking! Zero pushes limits in all of the ways a Dragon Ball game should. Unfortunately, various limitations push back just as much, resulting in a game that still has plenty of training to do in order to reach its full potential.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers thrilling fights, but its disjointed story mode doesn't hold up its end of the bargain.

There's fun to be had in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but ultimately this return to form does not spark as much joy as we'd hoped.

Intentionally prioritising flashy fanservice over competitive play, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero provides the most complete series toybox yet. But, with simple enemy AI and repetitive fighting mechanics, it lacks the depth of its more serious competition to the point of becoming rote.