[REVIEW] Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO – Nintendo Switch 2 Review

Note: The review version of the game was played on Nintendo Switch 2.

Or Dandan Kokorohikareteku. Believe it or not, a few weeks before the release of Dragon Ball Sparking! I still go to sing this song at a karaoke shop near my house. It wasn’t until a few moments before we heard the good news that the game was released for this tiny but brilliant hybrid console, and we didn’t have to wait long because we would be able to play it in November!

In the past year, Dragon Ball Sparking! Everything is perfect with a nostalgic vibe that has been created as an arena for manga fans to play. Packed with content and gameplay, to next-gen features that you can hardly imagine coming to play on Switch, this new version makes it ‘possible’, and today we don’t miss out on sharing a review to impress everyone again.

• Presentation, story, and gameplay
• Delight fans with character content and custom battles.
• ZERO on Switch 2 comes with a cool feature that lets us roleplay.
• Graphics and soundtrack
• conclusion

Presentation, story, and gameplay

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO in the Nintendo Switch 1/2 version is not a new or compromised version of the game, but everything is of the same standard as the previous version that was released in 2024, so what we will see is a simple main menu and various modes of play that are ready for us to surf along. Use gestures or basic postures such as flying around. Later, if you want to practice, there is also a separate menu.

The story of this game is divided into eight characters who focus on their life paths, and the choices are made sporadically, which allows us to see the differences in the characters’ perspectives on the path they choose to take. However, it doesn’t break the genre that much. Enough to play and enjoy seeing what-ifs because anyway. The plot may not be a big part when we want to exchange punches and slam each other straight. (Ah, it’s crazy to be crazy) and you will continue to fight enemies until the end. However, there are no spoilers about how each decision will affect you!

Although all the controls of the characters are the same, such as flying into the sky, kicking and punching. You can press the buttons, but they have their own style of play, which is not too difficult to learn. Even though there are nearly 200 characters to choose from, even though after playing for a while, we will be able to get into the hands and find the core to fight on our own. We will play in a loop with this gang, with commands to choose from both solo and five-person team systems. In other words, it is diverse enough that we can see his favorite to choose to be brought into the team. And it supports both online and offline. Online play will also show us a player card that looks like a business card (decorative).

The charm of the fighting game Dragon Ball Sparking! The development team also put in many scenes to choose from. The design is based on the story of the cartoon drawn from this Arc, and every scene has a lot of hidden details, which are not very interactive or responsive to us, but focus on the objects displayed within the scene. Buildings that can be destroyed. The Switch 2 version of ZERO that we played has been updated with a new Local Multiplayer mode, where you can choose a level other than the Chamber, which is an open scene. Wow~ It feels like playing on PS2.

Delight fans with character content and custom battles.

As mentioned, there are about 180 characters to choose from, which is the most ever in the series, and even more in the Deluxe or Ultimate format, there will be even more characters according to future content support. Some of these characters may not be involved in the main campaign or episode battles, but they’re all designed to be awkward in this world of battles, as if it’s really a game made for them!

The dialogue of each character is not just a simple pre-fight or post-fight speech, some people, if they have any relationship, will be friendly or hostile, they may also say something that is a special message. But they can also play jokes or splash emotions on each other. This is also the creation of the screenwriters that gave the word Dream Match the opportunity to really happen. You guys have a long time to go. In trial and error and matching clash.

Unlock characters through the Shop menu or complete various conditions. There are also skins.

ZERO has to be a custom battle that gives us the tools to design various battle scenarios in the game by choosing both the characters played in the scene, the battlefield in the background, and the cutscenes and the script. Although some of the commands such as the words chosen for the characters to say are a little few, I am sure that everyone’s creativity will shine through.

These custom battles can be uploaded to the server to be shared with friends and players around the world freely. So we always have new stories to play, but I would like to say that the database of this game is unfortunate that it is not shared between platforms, so Switch players cannot download the stories from other players, and it will take a while to have a satisfactory modified content. Because this version of the game has just been released.

What is indispensable is the focus on game details, such as the command to unlock skins based on collecting dragon orbs to summon dragons and choosing the item you want, or the character history menu that does not allow us to read the text in a blurred way. And if you observe carefully, during the fight itself. The size of the Switch version of the player is also found to have a system to display the wounds on the body.

ZERO on Switch 2 comes with a cool feature that lets us roleplay.

Let’s take a look at the highlight of the Nintendo Switch 1/2 version of the game, which is the motion control that will blow up the flashback. Who has ever dreamed of being a Saiyan warrior, you’ve come to the right place. This system is an exclusive function with the joy-con design of the device that allows us to separate the joy mobile phone and simulate various move sets such as the release of Kamehameha to the Genki ball.

That being said, it doesn’t do anything useful for the motion control style, but the fact that Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft chose to include it further reinforces the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Because of the nature of this machine, it has a party. Sharing. It’s a funny feeling to have a moment together, and the cool thing is that if we don’t want to do the genki ball move, we don’t want to do it. At least we can split the joysticks because the game supports Single Joy-con controls.

As for those who don’t have the same control through motion, it’s okay. The game has two different button layout styles: the classic one, which is a reference to the buttons of the previous Budokai Tenkaichi (Sparking!), and the modern one, which rearranges the button layout to make it easier to use and is a standard modern fighting game.

Graphics and soundtrack

When it comes to bringing games to both the first and second generations of the Nintendo Switch, Many people may think of the compilation so that the game is conveyed as smoothly as possible on a device that if compared in terms of specs, it may not be on par with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that are the current nextgen standard. Trees and grass on the ground can also be seen. It was not cut off as worried.

However, whether it is docked or portable playback through the screen. Notice that the resolution running doesn’t reach 1080p as expected. While the frame rate itself is locked at 30FPS, in the moment of bumping, I personally do not experience any lag. This point feels a little sad. It should be released to run to 40FPS smoothly with the nature of a fighting game that emphasizes speed. When we play games through smaller portable screens, we will be able to play games on smaller portable screens. The viewing distance and the body where we hold the game joystick sandwiched to the screen will help us see the fluidity better. Moving at 25FPS-30FPS is not a big problem.

The music is very exciting, and the real highlight is in the sound effects, the indigo and the punches, there is a feeling of full flutter, but what makes the experience even better is the large arrangement with an army of voice actors who voice more than 180 fighters. If the game’s service is Custom Battle, what completes it is the dynamic or emotion conveyed from one character to the opponent.

Verdict

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO on Nintendo Switch 2 delivers the full series experience in a portable package. With Custom Battle, Local Multiplayer, motion controls, and a massive roster, it’s a must-play for fans, despite the 30FPS cap. Switch 1 owners can upgrade to match Switch 2 performance with a free patch, and the game is also available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Origin: THIS IS GAME SEA THAILAND