Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Hints at Non-Canon Content

04.03.2024 - 19:03 / gamerant.com / Spike Chunsoft / J Brodie Shirey

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero could include content from the non-canon Dragon Ball theatrical movies, at least according to a recent magazine scan. Fans have been waiting for the return of the classic Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series for nearly two decades, and their wish was finally granted with the announcement of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero at The Game Awards 2023 back in December. Just like the past Budokai Tenkaichi games, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will allow fans to recreate their favorite battles from across the series, complete with striking cel-shaded graphics and destructible environments.

A major question surrounding Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is what characters and attacks will be included, as Bandai Namco has roughly 40 years' worth of Dragon Ball content to mine for inspiration. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will reportedly have a base roster of 164 playable characters, with much of the game’s promotional material being centered around the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super anime. Goku and Vegeta have already demonstrated their enhanced Super Saiyan God forms, and there have been glimpses of other iconic heroes and villains like Piccolo, Frieza, and Broly.

Saikyo Jump magazine recently published a feature on Dragon Ball: Sparking Hero, with Twitter user The Blue Waifu sharing a translated scan on their account late last week. The images featured in this post largely consist of Goku and Vegeta showing off some of their many signature attacks, but an eagle-eyed Twitter user by the handle of ZiedTa quickly noted a reference to the former’s Super Dragon Twin Fists move from the 1995 film Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. In the movie, Goku used this powerful attack against the demonic Janemba while in his already-confirmed Super Saiyan 3 form.

If this translation is correct and the Super Dragon Twin Fists is indeed a part of Goku’s Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero moveset, it will mark the first time that Fusion Reborn has been referenced in a mainline Dragon Ball video game. The only other time that the Super Dragon Twin Fists attack has appeared in a game was in the 2015 mobile spin-off Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle, although the original, singular Dragon Fist variant was a recurring move in the classic Budokai Tenkaichi series.

The Super Dragon Fists’ possible inclusion in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero could also be a sign that other material from the non-canon Dragon Ball movies could be featured, given that the Budokai Tenkaichi games were known for fanservice and references to even the most obscure pieces of the ever-expanding Dragon Ball lore. Only time will tell if movie-exclusive characters like Cooler or the original version of Broly will appear in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but it looks like