Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero carries the Budokai Tenkaichi spirit forward

EVO 2024 had fighting games as far as the eye could see. Some big publishers were on-hand to show off their latest titles and that included Bandai Namco. In addition to showing off Lidia from Tekken 8, the publisher was also present with the latest build for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Shacknews had a chance to try out what's being heralded as the spiritual successor to the classic Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series.

The first thing that stands out about Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is its massive roster. This is being touted as one of the biggest rosters to date for a Dragon Ball fighting game, featuring some debuting characters from the recent Dragon Ball Super series. There are dozens of playable characters, spanning from a multitude of Goku and Vegeta variants, to fusion characters, to newer faces like Jiren. There wasn't nearly enough time to try them all, but we did get a small taste of a few of them in the game's 3v3 format.

The game's controls should be second nature to those who grew up with the Budokai Tenkaichi series, especially when opting for the classic control scheme. It's full 3D combat with the idea being to dash toward your opponent and unleash your power. The anime aesthetic makes it look like the actual clashes one might see on a Dragon Ball Z episode. It's easy to get lost in that and blindly throw a bunch of punches, but there is strategy to these fights.

It can be hard to think defensively given the pace of these fights, but it is possible to dodge in all directions. This is helpful when there's a projectile heading straight at your face. If you're keeping your distance, you can charge up your Ki gauge to unleash more powerful attacks. For Goku, I was throwing out Kamehamehas, but these abilities can be even more powerful. At one point, I was able to fully charge my Ki gauge as Super Broly and completely destroy the surrounding environment, finishing my opponent with a flourish.

We only got a small taste of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but greatly enjoyed the familiar locations that should appeal to avid anime fans and the overall breakneck pace of the action. Those aching for the old Budokai Tenkaichi days can look forward to this title this fall. Look for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero to come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on Friday, October 11.

This preview is based on an early PlayStation 5 build played at the Bandai Namco booth at EVO 2024. The final version is subject to change.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?