Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is exactly what you make of it. Growing up, my prized possession was a tub of action figures – a ragtag assortment of hard plastic G.I. Joes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and X-Men handed down from older cousins – I used to dump out on the floor at play time. Some of my "dudes," as my family sometimes called them, might have been more elaborate or better quality than others, but imagination trumped everything. Similarly, how much fun someone has with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will ultimately be determined by how creative they're determined to get with its gigantic collection of toys.
The fourth mainline installment of the previously dormant Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series, its surprise reveal came during last year’s Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour finals. But don't get this long-awaited sequel confused with the likes of Dragon Ball FighterZ and its high-level tournament brethren. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a decidedly unbalanced affair focused more on fanservice and spectacle, a mission statement made explicit with its massive playable cast of various Gokus, Gohans, and Vegetas, all of which are lovingly crafted with details large and small from the source material but would no doubt be a nightmare to develop for competitive viability.
