Summary
- Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero includes an Easter Egg referencing the infamous Dragon Ball Evolution movie.
- Fused Zamasu uses a line originally said by Lord Piccolo in Evolution.
- Voice actor James Marsters, who voiced Zamasu, also played Lord Piccolo in Dragon Ball Evolution.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero players have spotted a reference to one of the most unlikely installments in the series: the infamous live-action Dragon Ball Evolution movie. Like the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi games, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is chock full of Easter Eggs and nods to famous lines, memes, and events from across the Dragon Ball franchise. From non-canon movie villains being included as playable characters to humorous pre-fight dialogue, part of the fun of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is uncovering hidden references to various Dragon Ball media.
A piece of that media that fans would just as soon forget is Dragon Ball Evolution, the 2009 attempt at a live-action Dragon Ball adaptation. Loosely based on the King Piccolo Saga from the original Dragon Ball, Evolution was a failure at the box office and was panned by critics and fans alike for its several drastic departures from the source material, among other issues. Even Dragon Ball’s creator, the late Akira Toriyama, expressed disappointment in how the movie adapted his work, although it did lead him to resume work on the franchise until his passing earlier this year.
Rumor: Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Might Get Missing Fighters as DLC
Based on some recent findings, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero could potentially get some of the missing fighters from Budokai Tenkaichi 3 as DLC.
As such, not many were expecting Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero to reference Dragon Ball Evolution, yet some players have uncovered a nod to the notorious live-action movie. As pointed out by Twitter user Burd14, Half-Corrupted Fused Zamasu says “Human power has failed before, and it will again!” During one of his special moves. While this exclamation is certainly on brand for the arrogant godlike being, Burd14 notes that Lord Piccolo uses this same line during the climax of Dragon Ball Evolution.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Sees Zamazu’s Voice Actor Reference His Past Dragon Ball Role
The significance of this Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Easter Egg is that James Marsters, the English voice actor for Zamasu and all of his forms, infamously portrayed Lord Piccolo in Dragon Ball Evolution. Marsters has often expressed regret in how his Dragon Ball debut turned out, and has stated that he took the role of Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super and other media as a way to “redeem himself with the Dragon Ball Z community.”
Marsters’s performance as Zamasu has since been praised by Dragon Ball fans, and Twitter users have pointed out that Piccolo’s line from Dragon Ball Evolution also fits Zamasu given his disdain for humans and mortals in general. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has only been out for less than a week as of this writing, so there is a chance that players will find more Easter Eggs to the ill-remembered Dragon Ball Evolution movie among the game’s many nods to the wider Dragon Ball franchise.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- Released
- October 11, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Publisher(s)
- Namco Bandai
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. Become a super warrior and experience the earth-shaking, limit-breaking power of DRAGON BALL battles!
Unleash the strength of over 180 fighters from DRAGON BALL Z, DRAGON BALL Super, DRAGON BALL GT, and selected DRAGON BALL movies, all in the base game! Each character comes with their own signature abilities, transformations, and techniques.
Make the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever to appear in DRAGON BALL yours!
Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks.
Challenge other players online to test your skills, or sit down with friends offline to hone your skills exclusively in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber! Fight your way to become a champion across various tournament modes and victory conditions.
Conquer the action-packed battles from the beloved original story, or discover and unlock new encounters for your favorite Z-Fighters and more. Relive your favorite moments from the series through cutscenes you can experience from the perspectives of eight characters!
Recreate your favorite battles from throughout the DRAGON BALL story, or set up your dream story battle with your favorite characters! Share your creations with other fans and experience the battles brought to life by imaginations around the world.
- Engine
- proprietary engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dragon Ball
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
- How Long To Beat
- 11 hours
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 80 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
