By Joel Perez 
With the release of “Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO,” Dragon Ball fans around the world are
rejoicing as one of the most celebrated video game franchises returns to the gaming scene with
the highly anticipated Budokai Tenkaichi series. Sparking! ZERO is the fourth installment in
the Tenkaichi series and the first new release since 2007, when Budokai Tenkaichi 3
launched in Japan in October 2007, followed by a November release in the US, with Europe
receiving it just a few days earlier.
I was fortunate enough to purchase the Ultimate Edition of the game, which includes a season
pass granting access to future DLC content, along with other bonuses. However, the most
exciting feature of my purchase was the ability to play the game a few days early. I’ve been
beyond excited for this release ever since it was announced last December, and now that it’s
finally out, it feels absolutely insane—especially considering I grew up with this franchise, going
all the way back to the original Budokai series.
Each of these games features a story mode where you can fully immerse yourself in the Dragon
Ball world, progressing through various scenarios that retell iconic storylines from across the
Dragon Ball universe. One of the most memorable story modes for me is in Budokai 2, where
you progress through the main Dragon Ball story on a game board. Instead of just jumping into
fights, you navigate the sagas like a board game, offering a fresh take on storytelling.
At the time of writing this, I’ve only been able to play Sparking! ZERO for a couple of hours,
exploring the new and immersive menu system, which offers a unique and compelling way to
navigate the game. It already feels more complex than its predecessors—not only within the
Budokai series, but also compared to more recent Dragon Ball games like Xenoverse 1 & 2
and even DBZ Kakarot. The number of characters available in this game is greater than ever
before, and that’s not even counting the future DLC we’ve yet to hear about. This abundance of
characters was a key selling point in the game’s marketing strategy, but it’s not the only thing
that has brought fans together. The visuals are absolutely mesmerizing, easily among the best
we’ve seen in the franchise to date.
Sparking! ZERO is breaking records, with each of its three versions outselling Call of Duty:
Black Ops 6, and it currently holds the title of the highest-selling game on Steam for PC
gamers. A callback to Dragon Ball’s most successful video game series, the Budokai
Tenkaichi series, seems to have been the perfect move for fans around the world. It has
generated the most intrigue for a Dragon Ball game in a long time and has hopefully rekindled
the nostalgia we 90s kids have been craving since playing the earlier games.
Kevin Gonzalez