Jun Furutani Hopes That DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO Will Live Up To Your Expectations

In the eyes of many, the Budokai Tenkaichi series, also known as Sparking! in Japan, represents the peak of Dragon Ball video games . In particular, 2007’s Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is perceived to be amongst the very best anime fighting games ever made. 17 years later, having now adopted the Japanese name in the West as well, the DRAGON BALL: Sparking! franchise is set to make a triumphant return in the form of DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – a brand-new title aiming to take things to new heights.

My colleague Justin Wood wrote a glowing preview of Sparking! ZERO after spending some time with it earlier this summer, a preview which he concluded by writing that the game will be an “excellent way” for veteran fans and newcomers alike to experience Dragon Ball. Having now had the chance to play a bit of the demo build available at gamescom 2024, I couldn’t agree more with Justin’s sentiments as, by all accounts, Sparking! ZERO seems like it will be an amazing experience for anyone even remotely interested.

Moreover, after getting some hands-on time with Sparking! ZERO , I also got the chance to sit down for an interview with the producer of the game, Jun Furutani. Through an interpreter, I asked him about how it feels like to revive the Sparking! franchise after so long, whether or not Chi-Chi’s snarky commentary will return, and more:

Hello, and thank you for having me today! First of all, how does it feel to return to the Budokai Tenkaichi / Sparking! series after about 17 years?

Jun Furutani : So, this is quite an old series but one that is beloved by many fans. I am very happy to be able to touch this franchise and be part of it, but, on the other hand, I want to meet all the expectations and make sure that Sparking! ZERO is as loved as those older games.

After playing Sparking! ZERO for a bit, my first observation is that the default control scheme is different from what fans of the series are used to. Can you explain why you decided to make this change?

Jun Furutani : The standard control scheme came from the desire to make it as accessible as possible for people who have never played the games before. But, there is also the classic control scheme, which is for people who have played the old games and want the same control feel as before.

The Budokai Tenkaichi / Sparking! series is famous for its comprehensive roster of Dragon Ball characters. Can you tell us how many characters are included in the full roster? Also, can you clarify whether the roster includes additions spanning everything from the original manga/anime up to Super and beyond?

Jun Furutani : Regarding the character roster, there are still announcements planned ahead of launch, meaning that we cannot comment at this time. Please wait for additional news.

No problem! On this topic, I have to ask—any news about Dragon Ball GT characters or content?

Jun Furutani : [laughs] Good try! But, sadly, we cannot comment at this time. Very sorry about this. This being said, I’d like to ask: who do you usually control when playing the series? Or, if you’re a newcomer, who did you play in the demo?

Wherever possible, I like to play as the Great Saiyaman (Gohan). But I also really like any version of Trunks.

Jun Furutani : In this case, you’ll appreciate that Gohan can transform into the Great Saiyaman in Sparking! Zero !

I saw the footage where you revealed this, and I loved the fact that he has a new animation for his transformation and that Videl joins him for his signature move. Since we’re already discussing alternate versions of characters, there’s been some debate online about the character select screen in Sparking! ZERO .

Specifically, people are talking about how each character transformation (e.g., Frieza Final Form, Gotenks Super Saiyan 3, etc.) takes up its own dedicated slot instead of being bundled together under the parent character, as in previous titles. What led you to approach the character select screen this way?

Jun Furutani : The main idea was to have all the characters available on one screen, so that they would be easier to select. Of course, though, there are a lot of characters, so this might be a little complicated, but, whereas it’s not in the demo, the final version will have a mechanism which will support players in finding the characters that they want to play with.

Thank you for your answer. Previous Dragon Ball games allowed players to customize characters to their liking, at least to some extent. Is this something that will be available in Sparking! ZERO as well?

Jun Furutani : Players will be able to change the costumes of characters and equip accessories. Basically, the mechanics that you’re familiar with from previous games will also be available in this new one.

Moving on, destructible environments are a big part of the series’ identity. To what extent can Sparking! ZERO ’s arenas be destroyed?

Jun Furutani : Sparking! ZERO is focused on delivering an immersive experience, and so we made changes to ensure that the environments are as dynamic as possible. For example, when Goku is charging his Ki, wherever applicable, you can see the grass blades around him shake and move. Unreal Engine 5 made it possible for us to have much more dynamic destruction, too, which is very, very satisfying and makes for a much better experience.

Beyond the traditional battle modes, what other modes can players expect when firing up Sparking! ZERO ?

Jun Furutani : There are two main single-player modes: Episode Battle and Custom Battle. Episode Battle is composed of a few specific scenarios which follow the anime arcs and in which you can play as eight different characters. This being said, players will be able to make choices that may change the storyline and lead to scenarios which differ from the canon. On the other hand, Custom Battle allows the player to create their own unique scenarios and even make cutscenes. Within this mode there is also a selection of preset battles that the player can enjoy. Plus, players can upload and download custom battles via the internet.

How much of Dragon Ball ’s story will be covered in the Episode Battle mode?

Jun Furutani : In Episode Battle, players can experience select parts of the whole Dragon Ball story. The exact scenarios vary by character, so each character will have a different set of episodes that can be experienced. Chronologically, the first arc available will be the Saiyan Saga, starting with the arrival of Raditz, whereas the last available arc will be the Tournament of Power from Dragon Ball Super .

That sounds excellent! But, how about the online modes, then? Will Sparking! ZERO have lobbies, like in FighterZ , or will it have a more direct matchmaking system?

Jun Furutani : Sparking! ZERO will have a matchmaking system which will allow players to connect to the internet in order to compete against friends or partake in either casual or ranked matches. On top of this, there will also be a Tournament Mode, which will also be available offline, which will allow players to set up tournaments and establish their own rules for said tournaments.

In Budokai Tenkaichi 3 / Sparking! METEOR , Chi-Chi made snarky comments about every single character in the game. Should players expect her to return in the same capacity in Sparking! ZERO ?

Jun Furutani : I’m very sorry but I can’t comment on features that aren’t announced yet.

Thank you anyways! That was my last question – is there anything else you’d like to add?

Jun Furutani : I’d like to reiterate that a lot of effort has been put into making sure that veteran players have a nice and nostalgic experience with Sparking! ZERO and that they are going to be satisfied with it. At the same time, there was also a lot of effort put into making sure that the game is accessible to newcomers.

Things like starting and continuing a combo with the press of a single button should make it easy for people to get into Sparking! ZERO even if they have never played a Dragon Ball game before. In a nutshell, I hope that if you like anything Dragon Ball , you will hopefully try this game and have a good experience.

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO is set to release on October 11, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S and Steam.