An Immense Roster? What If Saga? Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Can’t Come Soon Enough

The importance of Dragon Ball in popularizing the anime medium worldwide cannot be understated. Akira Toriyama’s masterful Shounen redefined the genre and spread far and wide to universal acclaim and renown, the series’ popularity is second to none.

The name Goku is probably more recognizable than any other piece of entertainment around the world. It’s truly a tragedy that the legendary Toriyama-sensei is not among us anymore, but his legacy truly lives on. Dragon Ball has made a triumphant return with the new Daima animated series, and the explosive Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero video game.

Iconic Characters In Their Full Glory

Every time some information regarding Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero surfaces, I’m jumping with excitement and anticipation. You might have seen me discussing the game before in detail, and trust me, I’m not gonna stop until I get to enjoy it thoroughly.

me waiting for 4 months to pass
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The recent Summer Game Fest event had its hiccups, but the Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero trailer was nothing short of amazing. We already know that the game is going to feature a diverse and massive roster, but now we got to see some of it in action, alongside some additions.

Bandai Namco continues to reveal new characters for the game from time to time, the last ones being the fused warriors from Z and Super. From Gogeta and Vegito to Gotenks and Kefla, the adrenaline rush of fusing two characters in Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is about to return.

That’s not all, the trailer also revealed the presence of Goku’s mightiest form to date, the Mastered Ultra Instinct, in its full glory. With Dragon Ball Super scenarios and characters appearing, it was only a matter of time before this one appeared. The only thing missing now is Vegeta Ultra Ego and Beast Gohan (Please let these two in).

Who wants to play as Ultra Ego Vegeta for Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO? https://t.co/arOtR9Zq7j

— Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO News, Posts & Fan Hub (@DBSparkingZER0) December 28, 2023

Moreover, the trailer showed some of the versatile characters in action. As the gameplay details were limited to Goku and Vegeta mostly, we now see characters like Frieza, Cell, and Broly in action, as well as the giant characters like Great Ape Vegeta, and trust me, this game can’t get here soon enough.

Relive The Legendary Journey Once Again

Moving on from the gameplay mechanics and character roster, the trailer provided a little glimpse into the story mode of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. The game offers a thorough story mode, recapping iconic battles and chapters from the manga, characteristic of the Budokai Tenkaichi series.

Story mode looks like it will bang mega hard
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We see Goku getting shot by Piccolo’s Special Beam Canon as he takes Raditz with him, Z warriors getting annihilated and then rescued by Goku when up against Vegeta, Goku’s Super Saiyan Transformation against Frieza, his sacrifice against Cell and the subsequent clash of the evil android with Gohan, Majin Vegeta challenging Buu and then blowing himself up, as well as a little sneak peek into the Super storyline.

All in all, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero looks like it’ll be a comprehensive collection of the Z and Super series’ storyline, with legendary moments and Earth-shattering clashes captured in the greatest detail and the Budokai Tenkaichi-style combat.

There’s another peculiar thing to note here. It looks like Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will not follow Budokai Tekaichi 3’s episodic and chapter-based storytelling style. We see Goku talking to Piccolo before going after Raditz, and a dialogue choice pops up. I think the game is going the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot route of storytelling. Personally, I would’ve preferred the BT3 style more, but let’s see how this one turns out.

The Story Mode
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The Return Of The What If Stories

Back when Sparking Zero was first announced, I said that it had a high bar to overcome, considering how much of a masterpiece Budokai Tenkaichi 3 was. Every subsequent trailer convinced me a little more that it is indeed going to reach those heights. But now, this latest little addition has me extremely excited.

One of the things that made Budokai Tenkaichi 3 so beloved for me was a little story chapter called the What If Saga. This included battles and storylines that never really happened, but “What if the story was like this.” Goku pitted against Arale, Android 16 traveling to the past to eliminate kid Goku, the bizarre Devilman facing Metal Frieza and Cooler in place of Trunks, imaginative and thrilling stuff like this.

I miss the “hidden what-if” stories in Budokai 3
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And now, it looks like Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will also bring something similar. When the disclaimer of exploring new possibilities appeared, it piqued my interest. What followed was Goku turning Super Saiyan against Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga, and Trunks and Vegeta teaming up against Perfect Cell. For a moment I thought I was seeing things. But then I remembered what it meant, the return of the What If saga.

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As if Dragon Ball’s story and battles weren’t legendary enough, the possibility of a whole new set of avenues is something that takes the hype through the roof.

Mark Your Calendars

At last, we come to the final reveal of the day. After throwing a bomb of information and exciting content, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero also decided to reveal the date of when it’ll all go down. October 11th is the fateful day when we get to witness this masterpiece.

The pre-orders across all platforms are now open. If you’re as excited about the game as me, I’ll highly suggest considering the pre-order, as it comes with early access to some impressive characters like Gogeta and Broly. Also, I should let you know that if you’re willing to spend a little more for the deluxe edition, you’ll get a sweet 3-day early access to the game.

Sparking Zero Pre-Order bonus
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I can’t express how desperately I’ve waited for a Budokai Tenkaichi revival. The reveal trailer was beyond shocking and overwhelming, and now we’re inching ever closer to the release. As “too good to be true” as it may sound, it’s a reality, and I’ll be there day-one. See you at the finish line.