"Sparking! ZERO" Official Announcement, Pre-, & Post-Release Discussion Thread

[Bardock God of Time]

IMO, the biggest thing with this game's story mode is that they gave characters a story mode who didn't need it. Freeza, Goku Black, & Jiren, didn't need story modes.

I think a villains story mode could've worked if it was one story that allowed you to play as different villains, rather than each villain getting their own separate mode. If they did it that way, we could've played with other villains as well, such as Raditz, Cell, and Hit, to name a few.

Especially Raditz, I'd like to see what it would've looked like if Raditz got into the Namek saga or Android Saga.

[The Dark Knight]

Especially Raditz, I'd like to see what it would've looked like if Raditz got into the Namek saga or Android Saga.

I really hope they go all in with the what ifs once they move on to the sequel, as the potential is honestly limitless considering the huge cast of characters they have to play with. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind if the entire story from start to finish was just different what if scenarios, as we've played through the "canon" story more times than I can count. Budokai 2 kind of toyed with the idea, but it generally remained in the sandbox of the original story; what I want is for them to go all out like they did with Gohan Black for example.

[Scsigs]

Especially Raditz, I'd like to see what it would've looked like if Raditz got into the Namek saga or Android Saga.

MasakoX probably has you covered there.

[The Dark Knight]

How much do you think this is going to cost ? the 2025 season pass, which was made up exclusively of 25 characters, cost $35 (or more if you're living outside the US). This expansion will include a minimum of 31 characters, 4 stages (1 with 2 variants), a minimum of 21 outfits and new attacks, new gameplay mechanics, and a new game mode. Are we looking at a $50-60 expansion, which is only $10 short of the price of a new AAA game ?

[Trouser]

Trunks (GT) and Vegeta (GT)!

Fine, I'll play this game again.

[Noah]

We really live in a pretty funny era where big companies feel comfortable releasing unfinished games and selling updates as DLC, like seriously, what would it have cost to just launch the game like this from the start? And from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to bring back all the characters that were already available in Tenkaichi 3, right? But from the trailer, unfortunately there’s no Pilaf Machine.

It seems like these games in general, aside from the less popular ones, have some kind of “aversion” to adding Gohan (GT) and Goten (GT). I know these are the less popular versions of the characters, but it would be nice to have them playable for a change. And don’t tell me they’re going to make SSJ4 Vegeta a separate character from Vegeta (GT)? That makes no sense at all. There’s no reason not to just make it a transformation for him.

I thought it was really cool that they brought Kageyama back for a theme song for the game, but honestly, that should’ve been there from the beginning too.

I’ve read from some people that this update made the game feel more “slow,” and that’s even a complaint from non-fans or casual DB players who couldn’t really handle the normal speed. Does anyone know how true that is?

And as for the mode that looks like the map system from Tenkaichi 2’s story mode, I was expecting more. Apparently it’s not actually related to the story, unfortunately.

Since they called this update something like “Neo” as a reference to the original Tenkaichi 2 name, I’m betting the next one will be “Meteor” as a nod to Tenkaichi 3 lol

[The Dark Knight]

What would it have cost to just launch the game like this from the start?

Another year and a half of development on top of the 5 years it had been in-development by the time it released in 2024.

From the trailer, unfortunately there’s no Pilaf Machine.

He is in the game's files, alongside a good number of the characters in this upcoming DLC, so chances are he'll make the cut. They've only revealed 27 of the 30+ characters, so there are at least 4 more to show.

It seems like these games have some kind of “aversion” to adding Gohan (GT) and Goten (GT).

Yeah, those two really need to make it in somehow, alongside the other 5 shadow dragons and Rildo.

Don’t tell me they’re going to make SSJ4 Vegeta a separate character from Vegeta (GT)?

The game's files have an animation of Vegeta transforming into Ssj4, so it's very likely that it'll be added to his base GT form. I personally would've just added his GT outfit to his Buu arc version and thrown Ssj4 there instead of creating a new character from scratch for him.

Since they called this update something like “Neo” as a reference to the original Tenkaichi 2 name, I’m betting the next one will be “Meteor” as a nod to Tenkaichi 3 lol

100%; this will definitely be next year's major update.

[Koitsukai]

I'm thinking there's a big chance Goten and Gohan (as a skin) from GT will be included. I'd like Rildo, as well, but I think that's a stretch.

I do hope the missing characters for the "+30" mark, aren't going to be ohzaru forms of some saiyans.

I still can't believe we're getting a proper pre-android saga SS Goku. To me, it felt impossible for that to be a thing... hopefully, young adult Goku will be included, too.

[Bardock God of Time]

Since they called this update something like “Neo” as a reference to the original Tenkaichi 2 name, I’m betting the next one will be “Meteor” as a nod to Tenkaichi 3 lol

My biggest hope for the Meteor DLC is them adding more content to the story mode.

Bardock Story Mode
Kid Goku Story Mode (Ends with fight against Majunior)
Cell Story Mode (With a What If he was revived for the Tournament of Power and him fighting Gammas/Cell Max)
Krillin Story Mode (Kid Krillin to Tournament of Power)
Future Trunks (History of Trunks & DBZ) Story Mode
Vegeta (Super) Story Mode
Goku (GT) Story Mode

For characters, they'd add the rest of the missing Tenkaichi 3 characters + some newcomers like Kid Krillin and World Tournament Chi-Chi. The rest of the Shadow Dragons? Some more Super characters from the Tournament of Power?

Rest of the Tenkaichi 3 stages? And Beerus' Planet stage.

I think that'd be a cool DLC expansion.

[The Dark Knight]

I'd like Rildo, as well, but I think that's a stretch.

Nothing is a stretch for a game that has Mighty Mask as a playable character.

Rildo is a semi-main villain in GT, which is far more than I can say for A LOT of characters in the game.

My biggest hope for the Meteor DLC is them adding more content to the story mode.

I think they're going to want to leave something to sell a sequel, and a fully fledged story mode will indeed justify a sequel, alongside content from Moro, Granola, etc... A Sparking Zero sequel has the potential to give us a bigger and better story mode than the one we got in Tenkaichi 2.

[MCDaveG]

Mission 100 was kinda fun, trying to outsmart unfair computer opponents and I still miss like 12 of them to finish it, which I do enjoy completing piece by piece from time to time, when I have occasional free time. But Survival is boring as fuck! I did like 50 fights, it took insane amount of time and I forced quit as I am not seriously doing 250 of them, as you just play on repeat. This artificial stretching of content in favor of not doing proper fun updates is killing me. I remember Survival in Meteor being kinda swiftier, but doing repetitive fighting with the same characters for like 2 hours, hell no.

But I am excited for the DLC, even if it will cost over 40 dollars probably (I hope not!).

The only thing that disappoints me is that the story mode won't get updated in any way.

Yeah, this. Like honestly, even what we've got from this is more than I expected, it irks me, that there is finally opportunity to do even story arcs for movies, including Broly. We just miss the candy hell stage from Movie 12.
But with how much screentime and promotion, even being early unlocks of sorts for Super Broly, I kinda missed going into it after TOP.
And it's also hard to continue with how they structured the story mode around characters and pretty much, only 4 of them are actually relevant - Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan. Being interconnected in storytelling, but at the same time, not at all.

To be honest, I wouldn't miss the old story mode, they could've just toss it away and do it by series and arcs like the old Sparking games did.

Now I bet, that the next expansion will be after a year, adapting Moro content (probably in the way they did Super Hero DLC) and if it will be called Meteor...

[The Dark Knight]

Survival is boring as fuck! I did like 50 fights, it took insane amount of time and I forced quit as I am not seriously doing 250 of them, as you just play on repeat.

I wish they would've allowed to us save our progress and switch characters after every 10 fights or so, as trying to do all 208 with one character in one sitting is just pure insanity.

[Cold Skin]

I wish they would've allowed to us save our progress and switch characters after every 10 fights or so, as trying to do all 208 with one character in one sitting is just pure insanity.

But you can do that, actually! Not switching characters, but "saving" your position to come back later. Every time you're about to reach a staple (10, 20, 30...), the game automatically displays a menu warning you that a boss with unusually strong AI is coming next, with their portrait and the option to suspend your progress and come back another time starting from this upcoming boss fight.

And indeed, when you come back to Survival mode later, the game shows you "you were about to face this character as a strong boss for position 20/30/40... Do you want to continue or start over from the beginning?"

So feel free to avoid doing it in one sitting, since the devs have anticipated that players will be willing to possibly stop and come back later every tenth victory!

[The Dark Knight]

But you can do that, actually! Not switching characters, but "saving" your position to come back later. Every time you're about to reach a staple (10, 20, 30...), the game automatically displays a menu warning you that a boss with unusually strong AI is coming next, with their portrait and the option to suspend your progress and come back another time starting from this upcoming boss fight.

Now this changes things significantly; I've been busy clearing the 100 missions, so I haven't really put the time in survival yet. What happens if I come back and lose at enemy 37 for example ? do I start from the beginning or from where I left off at mission 30 ?

[Koitsukai]

Maybe somebody can help me out with the story mode, it can get very tricky.

Some episode battles have extremely difficult win conditions, I'm stuck with Piccolo's. How are you supposed to defeat Freeza in his 3rd form in such a short time?
Any tips? Freeza is programmed to use his special attack after receiving certain amount of damage, attack that cannot be dodged.

There's another Piccolo battle that is also against the clock, vs every android + Cell, I believe, that one is also driving me crazy.

[The Dark Knight]

Maybe somebody can help me out with the story mode, it can get very tricky.

Some episode battles have extremely difficult win conditions, I'm stuck with Piccolo's. How are you supposed to defeat Freeza in his 3rd form in such a short time?
Any tips? Freeza is programmed to use his special attack after receiving certain amount of damage, attack that cannot be dodged.

There's another Piccolo battle that is also against the clock, vs every android + Cell, I believe, that one is also driving me crazy.

Honestly ? You just have to get lucky. There's a similar one against Zamasu later on where you have to finish in a very short amount of time with little to no damage. I really hope they remove these types of fights in the sequel.

[Makaioshin]

It is nice to see them include the catch up from the previous editions and include a few other new characters. Still hope they get around to fixing dialogue search for custom battle. Could have been a game defining mode. Also sad there is no sign of hell.

[sangofe]

We really live in a pretty funny era where big companies feel comfortable releasing unfinished games and selling updates as DLC, like seriously, what would it have cost to just launch the game like this from the start? And from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to bring back all the characters that were already available in Tenkaichi 3, right? But from the trailer, unfortunately there’s no Pilaf Machine.

It seems like these games in general, aside from the less popular ones, have some kind of “aversion” to adding Gohan (GT) and Goten (GT). I know these are the less popular versions of the characters, but it would be nice to have them playable for a change. And don’t tell me they’re going to make SSJ4 Vegeta a separate character from Vegeta (GT)? That makes no sense at all. There’s no reason not to just make it a transformation for him.

I thought it was really cool that they brought Kageyama back for a theme song for the game, but honestly, that should’ve been there from the beginning too.

I’ve read from some people that this update made the game feel more “slow,” and that’s even a complaint from non-fans or casual DB players who couldn’t really handle the normal speed. Does anyone know how true that is?

And as for the mode that looks like the map system from Tenkaichi 2’s story mode, I was expecting more. Apparently it’s not actually related to the story, unfortunately.

Since they called this update something like “Neo” as a reference to the original Tenkaichi 2 name, I’m betting the next one will be “Meteor” as a nod to Tenkaichi 3 lol

Anyone else on hte slow part?

[MCDaveG]

I wish they would've allowed to us save our progress and switch characters after every 10 fights or so, as trying to do all 208 with one character in one sitting is just pure insanity.

But you can do that, actually! Not switching characters, but "saving" your position to come back later. Every time you're about to reach a staple (10, 20, 30...), the game automatically displays a menu warning you that a boss with unusually strong AI is coming next, with their portrait and the option to suspend your progress and come back another time starting from this upcoming boss fight.

And indeed, when you come back to Survival mode later, the game shows you "you were about to face this character as a strong boss for position 20/30/40... Do you want to continue or start over from the beginning?"

So feel free to avoid doing it in one sitting, since the devs have anticipated that players will be willing to possibly stop and come back later every tenth victory!

Aha! I think that you just saved me some Survival Mode gameplay Cold Skin. I was like mashing buttons around 40 mins straight and was like god, please somebody kill my characters already I thought that if I will choose to suspend my progress, it's basically like quitting from the progress, so I let myself be killed on purpose

I seriously thought that the developers went insane for the sake of long gameplay

Anyway, when I mentioned Pilaf Machine before, it was more of a joke. Those nods like Blue in the plane, the GT squad etc. will make me happy enough, as even back then, the Pilaf Machine felt kinda funny and out of place in a sense. Would be awesome to have it in the modern graphics tho, no doubt!

[Koitsukai]

Stages that MUST be included.

Beerus' planet.
Hell.
King's Castle.
Original TB Arena.
At least one GT stage (the planet Baby wished for or a destroyed city without the green-ish skies, which should be fairly simple to achieve).

Those are the stages, considering the characters present, that cannot be missing. We'll have plenty of DB characters but no DB arc-related arena, and the same goes for GT.

- U6 tourney arena would be great but since it was a one-arc thing and it's just a fighting arena, I wouldn't get mad if we don't get it.
- Some other Demon Realm stage (but again, no Tamagamis yet, so... ).
- Other World tourney arena (with just two characters of that arc in the game, I doubt it'll ever be a thing).

And then, variants of existing stages that I still don't know why we aren't seeing, like destroyed Cell Games arena, Destroyed (even more) ToP arena, ToP arena before the tournament.