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- Dragon Ball Sparking Zero continues to thrive on its fan-service appeal. Spike Chunsoft captures the essence of the Budokai Tenkaichi series by keeping the core gameplay while updating visuals and features.
- The arena fighter genre perfectly suits Dragon Ball, setting a bar that other anime games often struggle to reach.
- With simple controls and a wide character roster Sparking Zero is accessible to newcomers while providing enough depth to engage long-time fans, proving why the Tenkaichi series remains timeless.
It’s a month from its release, and I still can’t have enough of Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. I’ve already mentioned that everything about this game is fan service, and developer Spike Chunsoft outdid themselves with this title.
However, the best part about this game, or rather the Budokai Tenkaichi series, is how it has managed to stay fresh and relevant, even almost two decades after its debut. Sure, Sparking Zero has several changes, but the base gameplay remains quite the same.
Why It Matters: With video game development advancing so fast and the industry rapidly shifting, many video game formulas prove themselves to be outdated. However, Tenkaichi games remain an exception in this regard despite being generations old.
Sparking Zero Proves That Arena Fighters Were Specifically Tailored For Dragon Ball
Many anime video games seem to be chasing the arena fighter genre for their video game adaptations, and it hasn’t quite worked well for them. I’ve also mentioned how much I want them to move past this genre as it doesn’t work for them; rather, it never has.
Dragon Ball games are an exception in this regard. It’s been years since the last Dragon Ball game was truly an arena fighter. Dragon Ball Z Kakarot was an RPG, Fighter Z was a fighting game, and Xenoverse games were arena fighters but as a subgenre.
The original Budokai Tenkaichi game set the bar high for arena fighters, something that other developers seem to be chasing to date. Dragon Ball games just fit the arena fighter genre best compared to other franchises.
The entire franchise is over-the-top, with insanely high power levels. Ki attacks, flying combat, battle scale, ultimate attacks, and everything else perfectly complement arena fighters. Other games just can’t live up to this scale and features.
Dragon Ball’s well-regarded and widely known IP makes it easier for non-anime fans to get into those games than other anime video games.
The Tenkaichi Games Are Easy For New Comers
To think about it, the base of Tenkaichi games is as simple as it gets. You have one button dedicated to ki blasts, one for melee combat and a power bar to charge up for bigger attacks.
Juggled along with movements, you can get insane combat variety from there. Yes, there are some combo attacks that you’ll need to master, but getting the hang of the game is quite easy. This is coming from a person who played Budokai Tenkiachi 3 when I was 8 years old.
Compared to other games like Naruto Ninja Storm, their combat feels bland and is movement-heavy, which can cancel out attacks as well. As someone who plays a lot of video games and is a Naruto fan, I found it took me some time to get into the Storm games and get used to the combat.
The Tenkaichi game battles are just fun, even when losing to someone else. Plus, each character has different abilities and depth that can’t or can work against the other character helps as well.
However, staying true to the power scaling slightly dilutes the game’s competitive aspect. That means that you will have an edge in playing as Goku from Dragon Ball Super against Raditz from early Dragon Ball Z.
Even so, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero brings many new features to the table: What If stories, a new character roster, a visually stunning art style, and custom battles. All of these aspects, coupled with the original Tenkaichi formula, help retain the magic and speciality that the earlier games encapsulated.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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