Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has been widely acclaimed as a celebration of every chapter in Dragon Ball's extensive history, even including many non-canon characters from throughout the years. This is how the Budokai Tenkaichi series has always operated, but there have been many more additions to the world of Dragon Ball during the long wait for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero.
Of course, not all of these additions have been created equally, or even looked upon favorably whatsoever. Dragon Ball Super is the successor to Dragon Ball Z, and has had a generally positive reception in the fandom despite some of its more glaring flaws. By contrast, Dragonball Evolution was almost universally despised upon release, and maintains that reputation to this day. This leaves Sparking Zero with nothing less than the impossible task of treating both with an equal amount of dignity.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Easter Egg References the Franchise's Disastrous Live-Action Movie
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is full of Easter Eggs, and some players have discovered a nod to the infamous live-action Dragon Ball Evolution movie.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Gives a Playful Nod to the Most Infamous Entry in the Series
Dragonball Evolution Gave Live-Action Anime Movies a Bad Reputation
Dragonball Evolution was released in 2009, and is intended as a live-action adaptation of the earliest arcs of Dragon Ball, including its very own version of Demon King Piccolo. Both its plot and its cast mostly avoid elements from DBZ, for better or for worse. What was most certainly for the worse, however, was Evolution's approach to adaptation overall.
In simpler terms, Dragonball Evolution is often blamed for two significant trends in live-action anime adaptations. First and foremost is the attempt to "Americanize" these stories, which misses the mark on elements as important as Goku's identity, and even the tone of Dragon Ball itself. Evolution's negative reception also fostered the consensus that live-action anime adaptations will never live up to the source material, and this trend can be considered even more pervasive than the first.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's Fused Zamasu References Dragonball Evolution's Lord Piccolo
Dragonball Evolution was presumably never going to receive an entire slot on Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's roster. The game features more than 180 playable characters, and giving each of them the proper attention to detail is already a tall order. Developers somehow managed to accomplish this task for the most part, and have even gone the extra mile on much of the cast.
It couldn't have been easy to sneak in a reference to something as universally criticized as Dragonball Evolution, yet developers still managed to find a way. During one of his signature moves, Half-Corrupted Fused Zamasu proudly taunts his opponent by saying, "Human power has failed before, and it will again!" This line appears innocuous enough at a glance, since it is perfectly in-character for the elitist god. However, this line was actually first spoken by Piccolo during the climax of Dragonball Evolution.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's Evolution Reference Has a Deeper Meaning for Zamasu's Voice Actor
Fans would be forgiven for assuming that Dragonball Evolution wouldn't receive so much as a mention in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Even James Wong, the film's director, has explicitly apologized for its negative impact on the community. That anecdote has been a point of humor among fans for quite some time, but he's actually not the only person involved with the project to hold that sentiment.
James Marsters portrayed Lord Piccolo in Dragonball Evolution, and has similarly expressed his desire to redeem himself for the work. In order to do this, he went on to voice Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super, and even went so far as to do it for free. James Marsters reprises the role of Zamasu in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, which gives the Evolution reference a whole new meaning. Instead of simply mocking a low point in the series' history, it offers a new and playful sense of dignity to one of the series' most loyal performers.
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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
