The latest gameplay trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero showcased brand-new characters and mechanics for the latest gaming entry from the late Akira Toriyama's universe.
The 13-minute gameplay presentation showed fans a look at the game's moment-to-moment. It was also a chance for Bandai Namco to preview what's new and what would remain the same in the latest installment of the franchise.
New Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Zero Presentation
(Photo : Banda Namco, Spike Chunsoft / Screenshot taken from official account)
Fans were treated to a battle between the two main characters of the game, Goku and Vegeta, where they are shown duking it out and later going Super Saiyan Blue (SSB) until one falls. The 3D fighter game keeps the familiar behind-the-back style of its predecessors but upgrades its graphics.
In particular, the flashy ki blasts and the characters' transformations look even more crisp than ever before. The latest trailer introduced four new mechanics coming with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.
The first is the Skill Count, which is a number that goes up as your character executes moves during the fight and is spent to trigger special abilities. The second is the Revenge Counter which lets players fight back with a big attack while they are absorbing damage, according to GameInformer.
The third is called Super Perception and is a party-type move that gives players the ability to deflect an attack at the last moment, which is like Goku flicking away Vegeta's Galick Gun but using up Skill Count points. The last is known as Vanishing Assaults which are teleport-based attacks that are designed to get near the enemy at mid-range to keep the pressure on.
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Currently, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has a relatively large roster of playable characters, many of whom are variations of the two main characters, Goku and Vegeta. These are Broly in his Super Saiyan Full Power mode, Burter, Dyspo, Hit, Jeice, Kakunsa, Kale in his Super Saiyan Berserk mode, Master Roshi in his Max Power mode, Nappa, Super Trunks, and Toppo.
The graphical gameplay of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, similar to other Budokai Tenkaichi games, is all by design. Producer Jun Furutani said that this comes as Spike Chunsoft is trying to create what they call a "genuine sequel and evolution" of the series.
New Characters and Mechanics
In the showcase video, Furutani also said that one of the team's goals was to preserve the essence of what made the Budokai Tenkaichi series popular among players. This was an enjoyable, dynamic 3D-action battle experience, said GameSpot.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero features a variety of close-range attacks and rush combos and familiar systems such as Dragon Dash, a counter system, and "Impact Action." The latter is used when players exchange energy blasts or punches and decide whose strike goes through.
The latest installment comes as the first game in the franchise, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2. The sequel, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, was released in October 2006 in Japan and in November 2006 in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The most recent game in the franchise is Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team which was released in August 2010 for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). This is the only game in the Budokai Tenkaichi Series that was released on a handheld console, according to AnimeNewsNetwork.
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