Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero contains a massive amount of content to explore, including a relatively robust story mode. Rather than a singular campaign, the game features eight different Episodes, each with its own protagonist. In terms of matching the massive scale of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
The beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series featured What If scenarios, which were highly acclaimed special missions in which players could witness their favorite sagas in a whole new light. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero found its answer to What Ifs thanks to Sparking Episodes, which branch out from the main sagas featured in Episode Battles. The game features fourteen Sparking Episodes in total, and although they each bring their own level of fan service, they certainly aren't created equally.
How to Unlock Every Sparking Episode in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO (What If Guide)
A spoiler free guide explaining how to unlock every Sparking Episode in Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, including the ones for Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks.
Tier List Ranking of Every 'What If' Sparking Episode in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Each Sparking Episode is a series of missions that allow players to explore unexpected scenarios that go well beyond the main canon. After that general rule of thumb, there are quite a few differences to unpack. Each saga varies in length due to the different roles of the various protagonists of Dragon Ball, with each character having a different number of Sparking Episodes as well.
For example, Goku and Future Trunks are tied for first place, with three different Sparking Episodes for players to explore. Vegeta and Frieza come in close behind with two Sparking Episodes each. Gohan, Piccolo, Goku Black, and Jiren each only feature one Sparking Episode. Sparking Episodes can be accessed by making branching choices, and then completing secondary objectives. This leads to some of the most difficult battles in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but the best Sparking Episodes make it more than worth the effort.
|
Tiers |
Sparking Episodes |
|---|---|
|
S |
The Strongest Warrior (Gohan), Pushing the Limit (Goku), Inherited Pride (Future Trunks) |
|
A |
Parental Bond (Vegeta), Frieza Force Joins the Fray (Frieza), Side by Side (Goku), Embarking Toward Tomorrow (Future Trunks) |
|
B |
Number One Spot (Vegeta), A Mentor's Guidance (Piccolo), Shining Hope (Future Trunks), The Changing Future (Goku) |
|
C |
Fall of the Saiyans (Frieza), Proof of Justice (Goku Black), True Strength (Jiren) |
S-Tier Sparking Episodes in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Sparking Episodes certainly put up some tough competition, as it's hard to call any given scenario downright bad. This has the consequence of making it extremely difficult to pick the best one, and it's completely reasonable to expect different fans to have different rankings. Even with that said, there are still a fair few that blow the others out of the water by making the most of the concept.
The Strongest Warrior is Gohan's only Sparking Episode, and it absolutely gets the maximum mileage out of his potential as a character. Players can finally experience the version of Dragon Ball where Gohan surpasses Goku as the main hero, and that's already a dream come true for many fans. The Strongest Warrior truly ramps up in its final chapters thanks to the introduction of Gohan Black, one of the game's exceedingly few What If exclusive characters.
Pushing the Limit creates an entirely different version of the early arcs in Dragon Ball Z, making it one of the most ambitious Sparking Episodes in the entire game. This happens thanks to Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan much earlier than expected, which creates a chain of events that drastically alters the events of the Frieza Saga. This Sparking Episode ends with a climactic battle against Vegeta, who has defeated Frieza single-handedly after unlocking the Super Saiyan transformation as well.
Inherited Pride is another Sparking Episode which truly proves the power of the concept. In simpler terms, it's a vehicle for stunning fan service. Inherited Pride answers years of fan demand to let Future Trunks join the Tournament of Power, and seeing Trunks fight alongside his father to win the day makes for one of the best battles that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has to offer.
A-Tier Sparking Episodes in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Parental Bond is Vegeta's first Sparking Episode, and another scenario that fans have likely already entertained in their minds. Instead of Goku supporting Gohan to win the Cell Games, Vegeta and Trunks take over as the father-son duo. Vegeta and Trunks have a much more complicated relationship, and this Sparking Episode explores that in full, while still providing an exciting final battle.
Frieza Force Joins the Fray is one of the more unique and diverse Sparking Episodes in the entire game. This scenario begins with Frieza defeating Goku and Vegeta, but it continues well after this point and creates an exciting twist for the Tournament of Power. Frieza is offered the ability to revive some of his old allies to join him, and every single option provides a different ending.
Side by Side branches from the same moment that players can access Pushing the Limit. Side by Side ultimately feels somewhat overshadowed by its counterpart because of this, but it's still great in its own right. True to its name, this Sparking Episode features an exciting climax in which Goku and Vegeta team up to defeat Frieza.
Embarking Toward Tomorrow is subject to a similar dynamic, complete with both the pros and cons. It's definitely a compelling narrative to follow, which splits off from the same point as Inherited Pride. As a result, the choice to help Gohan or Vegeta will largely come down to a matter of personal preference. Considering it leads to a similar conclusion, Gohan doesn't necessarily contribute enough to make this Sparking Episode feel more worthwhile than Inherited Pride.
B-Tier Sparking Episodes in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Number One Spot is the second Sparking Episode available within Vegeta's saga. Vegeta has a number of strong showings throughout several Episodes, both his own and others, and Number One Spot is no different. This What If explores the popular possibility of Vegeta resisting his temptation by Babidi. Erasing this inciting incident stops the rest of the Buu Saga dead in its tracks, but the ensuing battle between Vegeta and Goku provides a bittersweet moment between the two rivals.
A Mentor's Guidance doesn't necessarily play with any kind of outlandish scenario, but it does provide Piccolo fans with some solid fights to chew on. The Sparking Episode places Piccolo at the forefront of the Cell Saga, and this is certainly a strong choice given the events of the story. Most importantly, Piccolo's close bond with Gohan makes the conclusion of the saga that much more impactful.
Shining Hope is somewhat of a double-edged sword for Future Trunks. It is certainly satisfying to see him get to defeat Goku Black himself, although it's admittedly a less bombastic battle than existed in canon. Considering the Androids were an even more personal villain to Trunks, it's somewhat disappointing that this sort of Sparking Episode wasn't dedicated to giving him more agency in that story. Regardless, this scenario is still more than worth the effort thanks to the extra interactions shared by Trunks and Vegeta.
The Changing Future is the third and final Sparking Episode players can access while playing through Goku's saga. The scenario doesn't seem to experiment that much with exciting possibilities, as it's mostly contained to a short series of battles with the Androids after defeating Cell early. Unfortunately, this ends up providing a less climactic end to the Cell Saga. The cutesy ending does work somewhat in its favor, although it may not necessarily be what players expect from a What If.
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C-Tier Sparking Episodes in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Fall of the Saiyans showcases Frieza defeating Goku, and it unfortunately isn't much more imaginative than that. The most disappointing aspect of this Sparking Episode is that Frieza Force Joins the Fray pretty much accomplishes this same effect, and then provides much more to explore after the fact. Being overshadowed to such a degree simply makes Fall of the Saiyans feel that much less compelling.
Proof of Justice is Goku Black's sole Sparking Episode, and it sadly leaves a bit to be desired. Proof of Justice features some of the most difficult battles in the entire game, and the satisfaction of beating them is one benefit to the saga. However, this conclusion of Goku Black's arc is a relatively simple "bad ending", which makes this scenario hardly engaging as a What If.
Jiren is a certified powerhouse, but that alone doesn't make him into a compelling character. It's understandable that he would receive a Sparking Episode, considering his status as the main antagonist during the Tournament of Power. This Sparking Episode paves the way for a fun reference to the Dragon Ball Super manga, which does manage to make it feel worthwhile.
While it may be difficult to unlock and complete some of Sparking Episodes, each of them manages to prove their worth. In fact, it almost feels wrong to label any given Sparking Episode as "C-Tier". Many of them can be ranked due to the various differences in ambition and creativity, while the rest of a player's experience can be up purely to personal preference.
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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
