Platform(s): PS5 (version reviewed), Xbox Series, PC
Genre: 3D fighting, anime, shonen, fireballs, spikey hairs, transformations

Sometimes, you need to go back to basics to recapture the spark you once had. In this anime game adaptation’s case, it’s the PS2-era 3D arena fighter genre featuring flying, ki blasts, and super-powered laser attacks, as well as bunch of humans and aliens duking it out shonen-style.

The 3D arena battle scene has seen better days thanks to low-tier efforts like Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash and the past My Hero Academia games. Developer Spike Chunsoft has taken the reins of the Dragon Ball franchise and gave anime fans what they’ve been missing in the aughts: a fun and easy-to-control Dragon Ball fighting game that’s meant for casuals and intermediate players alike. All this and a ton of throwbacks and recreated story chapters (and diverging pathways) in a package called Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero.

Yeah! Break! Care! Break!

The opening of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero wastes no time in introducing the controls of the 3D fighter: you fly around as Goku as you learn how to kick, counter, block, throw ki attacks, charge up your ki meter, and Dragon Dash your way to your training partner Vegeta. You can also teleport behind opponents for sneak attacks, counter each other’s counter moves, and just fire blasts of energy and power moves to eventually leave the battle arena a charred wreck. I suggest getting the hang of the game’s controls and play through Super Training Mode to get into the swing of things: Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero’s controls are tailor-made for fans of 2000-era 3D fighting titles Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi and its ilk.

What I appreciate about this arena title is that it expects you to earn your wins and learn the system. The first few Episode Battles start off easy, but once you get to the Planet Namek arc with Frieza and onward, you’ll need to pay attention to telegraphs and know when to counterattack, lest you keep seeing the Retry screen over and over again. This isn’t a button-mashing kind of ordeal; there’s challenge to be had and you’ll feel all the more rewarded for pulling off Kamehamehas and Meteor attacks with skill and aplomb. You’ll need to know when to pepper opponents with mini-Ki blasts, when to Dragon Dash to cover distance fast, or Quick Dash to avoid super attacks at the last possible second, prepping you for a counterattack most punishing from your end. At the very least, your health and damage output is in your favour for the story modes and alternate battles. Even when the going gets tough, you can get Ability Items in the game’s shop to give you a slight advantage. You earn loads of money in the game whether you win or lose battles, so you’ll eventually accumulate a ton so that you can boost your character with performance-enhancing tools for the Episode Battles.

Part of why you’ll keep trying and learning the ins and outs is because of how pretty the game looks in motion. The cel-shading and 60 frames-per-second movement, not to mention the old-school music from the 80s anime blaring during combat, just makes all the episodes a treat to just watch and absorb with your eyes, let alone play and battle. The way Episode Battle mode also just cuts to the chase while respecting your time by not lore-dumping story bits to you also helps quicken the pace. Sure, you can skip the whole cutscenes straight to the skirmishes, but the cutscenes themselves don’t waste your time. And if you want a challenge, Bonus Battles are the way to go as the game slaps on restrictions on your character just to make fights interesting. And with a huge roster of characters, you’ll have tons of Saiyans and aliens to play with and call your favourite.

Fans who watched the series from the first Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Super will get a kick out of Custom Battles, as they can set parameters and cutscenes to pepper the fight with. This is essentially a tool for making your own Dragon Ball episode, using whoever you want and sorting out when events trigger, be it a transformation or a difficulty spike. Best of all, you can share your Custom Battle for everyone to see and share. Perhaps the only issue that you can find with this clearly-for-the-fans fighting title is that once all is said and done, the game’s mechanics can be considered shallow for competitive play. I’m sure someone will find some ground-breaking tech that can make this game viable for an EVO tournament, but most fights will end with whoever can out-counter their opponent’s counter, and who is quick with the dodges. Also, local multiplayer split-screen for the game is only relegated to one map, which is a crying shame considering the Budokai Tenkaichi series had no issues like this with its local multiplayer.

Solid State Scouter

While the game is not the most in-depth title from a competitive standpoint, Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is this generation’s best Dragon Ball-themed 3D fighter complete with thrills, spills, and fanservice up the wazoo. Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is worth the full price if you fancy going through the series’ epic battles with a fun-to-control 3D arena fighter, and also the kind who wants to make their own Goku/Beerus/Broly threeway setpiece battle.

Final Score: 80/100

Retail copy provided by Bandai Namco.