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

[Hellspawn28]

I was under the impression that the game wasn't releasing until 2025 at the earliest, Does the age rating really point to this not being the case?

Namco Bandai does release a new mainline game every two years since 2016. 2024 makes sense given it fits the timeline of new releases. Also, 2024 is the big year of the series with its 40th anniversary.

[miguelnuva1]

I was under the impression that the game wasn't releasing until 2025 at the earliest, Does the age rating really point to this not being the case?

Namco Bandai does release a new mainline game every two years since 2016. 2024 makes sense given it fits the timeline of new releases. Also, 2024 is the big year of the series with its 40th anniversary.

Xenoverse and fighterz are both getting current gen ports this year so they count as the 2024 games but I can definitely see this releasing in the fall or even holiday 2024.

[DarkPrince_92]

I saw the character select screen in the trailer and got hyped, then immediately realized half the slots are Saiyan transformations and got less hyped. XD

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.

I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

[sangofe]

I saw the character select screen in the trailer and got hyped, then immediately realized half the slots are Saiyan transformations and got less hyped. XD

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.

I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

It's probably not the character select screen.

[Nickolaidas]

I saw the character select screen in the trailer and got hyped, then immediately realized half the slots are Saiyan transformations and got less hyped. XD

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.

I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

It's probably not the character select screen.

What makes you think that?

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.
I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I am just one of the people who hate transformations being used as characters. I can concede to a kid Goku being next to adult Goku, but the whole 23rd Budokai Goku, then Saiyan Arc Goku, then Cell arc Goku, then Buu arc Goku, then Super Goku, then GT Goku, I just ... ugh. I hated in FighterZ when the roster began so nice and by the end of its life cycle 1/3 of the roster were Goku and Vegeta variations. It just dilutes the diversity of the roster in my eyes and lessens the oomf of the '150+ characters' claim.

[Rinsankajugin]

It does suck a bit that Goku, Vegeta and Gohan tend to take up a good chunk of the roster in most games, but that's mostly because their fighting styles change so much over the story. And at the very least, it does seem like Spike is trying to replace some of the veteran's generic supers from Tenkaichi 3 for stuff they actually did in the series, like giving SS3 Goku his Dragon Twin Fist as a super.

[sangofe]

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.

I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

It's probably not the character select screen.

What makes you think that?

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.
I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I am just one of the people who hate transformations being used as characters. I can concede to a kid Goku being next to adult Goku, but the whole 23rd Budokai Goku, then Saiyan Arc Goku, then Cell arc Goku, then Buu arc Goku, then Super Goku, then GT Goku, I just ... ugh. I hated in FighterZ when the roster began so nice and by the end of its life cycle 1/3 of the roster were Goku and Vegeta variations. It just dilutes the diversity of the roster in my eyes and lessens the oomf of the '150+ characters' claim.

I don't think because it's so zoomed out and chaotic.

[Jord]

It's probably not the character select screen.

What makes you think that?

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.
I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I am just one of the people who hate transformations being used as characters. I can concede to a kid Goku being next to adult Goku, but the whole 23rd Budokai Goku, then Saiyan Arc Goku, then Cell arc Goku, then Buu arc Goku, then Super Goku, then GT Goku, I just ... ugh. I hated in FighterZ when the roster began so nice and by the end of its life cycle 1/3 of the roster were Goku and Vegeta variations. It just dilutes the diversity of the roster in my eyes and lessens the oomf of the '150+ characters' claim.

I don't think because it's so zoomed out and chaotic.

I agree. It's cool looking for reveals/trailers, but a clusterfuck to navigate.

If it's not coming out this year, I'd like to see a port/re-release of the GBA game, DragonBall Advanced Adventure. Couple it with a few DB-games for the 40th anniversary of the original series.

[Jord]

It's probably not the character select screen.

What makes you think that?

Keep in mind we live in the DLC era of gaming... and spoiler alert, it's here to stay.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get a big roster at launch and a season pass for additional characters.
I still want to see if those knock back pursuit attacks are still in, or wall smashes from Raging Blast games.

Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I am just one of the people who hate transformations being used as characters. I can concede to a kid Goku being next to adult Goku, but the whole 23rd Budokai Goku, then Saiyan Arc Goku, then Cell arc Goku, then Buu arc Goku, then Super Goku, then GT Goku, I just ... ugh. I hated in FighterZ when the roster began so nice and by the end of its life cycle 1/3 of the roster were Goku and Vegeta variations. It just dilutes the diversity of the roster in my eyes and lessens the oomf of the '150+ characters' claim.

I don't think because it's so zoomed out and chaotic.

I agree. It's cool looking for reveals/trailers, but a clusterfuck to navigate.

If it's not coming out this year, I'd like to see a port/re-release of the GBA game, DragonBall Advanced Adventure. Couple it with a few DB-games for the 40th anniversary of the original series. Or just bundle it with a port of the Wii game, had a cool theme song.

[Bardock God of Time]

What makes you think that?



Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I am just one of the people who hate transformations being used as characters. I can concede to a kid Goku being next to adult Goku, but the whole 23rd Budokai Goku, then Saiyan Arc Goku, then Cell arc Goku, then Buu arc Goku, then Super Goku, then GT Goku, I just ... ugh. I hated in FighterZ when the roster began so nice and by the end of its life cycle 1/3 of the roster were Goku and Vegeta variations. It just dilutes the diversity of the roster in my eyes and lessens the oomf of the '150+ characters' claim.

I don't think because it's so zoomed out and chaotic.

I agree. It's cool looking for reveals/trailers, but a clusterfuck to navigate.

If it's not coming out this year, I'd like to see a port/re-release of the GBA game, DragonBall Advanced Adventure. Couple it with a few DB-games for the 40th anniversary of the original series. Or just bundle it with a port of the Wii game, had a cool theme song.

That will probably come out eventually for Nintendo Switch Online.

-----------------------------

I honestly have no idea what the roster is going to look like, this roster is going to be weird.

I'm hoping there's only one Vegito and not two Vegitos.

[Nickolaidas]

I don't think because it's so zoomed out and chaotic.

And now that I think about it, Sparking! games always had large character portraits in the character select screen. That final shot in the trailer is a full screen showing thumbnails.

So ... yeah. Now that I think about it, you are probably right. It was probably used for effect to show you the 'scope' of the roster.

[Rinsankajugin]

I honestly have no idea what the roster is going to look like, this roster is going to be weird.

I'm hoping there's only one Vegito and not two Vegitos.

Same! I've seen WAY too many people put two base Vegettos or two Super Gogetas on their wishlists. I feel like it'd be better if both (Late) and (Super) versions of Goku and Vegeta can be able to fuse into the same Vegetto and Gogeta. Plus with how powerful the fusions are, it wouldn't surprise me if they were able to achieve SSB early, just look at SS3 Gotenks.

[Cold Skin]

They still have time to refine the presentation, but right now the only thing I don't really like is the fact that the portraits next to the gauges are in 3D.

It would be more impressive and stylish with beautiful 2D art for the portraits.

[Nickolaidas]

They still have time to refine the presentation, but right now the only thing I don't really like is the fact that the portraits next to the gauges are in 3D.

REALLY!? They looked like drawings to me. Just goes to show how good the models are.

[Cold Skin]

^ In the gameplay itself, yeah, I love the models and graphics.
It's just for the static gauges portraits (and selection screen, which we still have to discover) that I would prefer something else than mere pictures of the existing 3D models, cause I can quite see the shading and stiffness of it, especially when Goku and Vegeta are in blue mode with those hair for example!

But hey, that's nitpicking. I never liked it much when they sort of convert the 3D models into pictures, cause you can still see it's not like actual 2D drawings (Budokai 1 was great for that, for example, it had actual drawings on the selection screen). That was a nitpick I had with the Tenkaichi series or even Fighterz too.
When you see the beautiful 2D drawings they can do in games like Dokkan Battle and Legends, it's hard to be impressed by captures of the unmoving 3D models.

I understand why it's much easier and more affordable for them to just have "enhanced photos of the 3D models", especially with big rosters, but I'd rather have them assign even just one specific artist in the dev team to create 2D portraits for all characters and forms.

Maybe they will in the end, we'll have to see what the selection screen looks like for example. However, again, it's just nitpicking, it doesn't take away from how great the game could be!

[Thanos]

It's just for the static gauges portraits (and selection screen, which we still have to discover)

Speaking on the menu itself, I hope it goes back to the colorful and creative UI that the previous games in the series had, unlike most everything since. The first Raging Blast especially, that was the most soulless and lame menu that I can remember. A far cry from the character set pieces and dialogue from the Sparking! games. Mini-game loading screens as well.

[IntangibleFancy]

One thing I hope they fix is the beam collision. Back in the old Tenkaichi games being hit by one engulfed you. Now it looks like Xenoverse where, when it hits, it looks like there is a gap between you and the beam while you shake.

[Bardock God of Time]

https://twitter.com/DbsHype/status/1779843235705454833

Kid Gohan and Master Roshi (Base) confirmed

[nato25]

Awesome news. Yamcha looking a bit strange in that screenshot, too thin?

Also to the poster above yes I also hope they fix the beam collision it looked really bad in the latest gameplay trailer as well.

I've always wanted a game to have beams 'carry' the opponent and then engulf them if they can't get out of it after too long. But the series itself is pretty inconsistent with how beams work so I understand this is just easier.

[Gt91]

OG characters confirmed? Yamcha, Piccolo and Muten seem to come from the first series.