Fall 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. The original Dragon Ball manga debuted November 20, 1984. Even after 40 years, the iconic franchise is still going strong. Several major new releases are on the horizon for Dragon Ball, with a new anime series and a new video game currently slated to debut on the very same day this fall.
Dragon Ball fans have a lot to look forward to in a short time, as the franchise is making the most of this milestone. October 11, 2024 will see the release of not one, but two entries in the franchise. Both the Dragon Ball DAIMA anime and the Dragon: Ball Sparking! ZERO video game are set to release on the same day. Crunchyroll has confirmed that Dragon Ball DAIMA will stream via Crunchyroll once the anime series debuts.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO brings the Budokai Tenkaichi series into the next generation
The first Dragon Ball game to be released exclusively for ninth-generation consoles — although Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was eventually released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, it was initially released on PS4 and Xbox One — Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is being promoted by publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment as the next iteration of the Budokai Tenkaichi series of Dragon Ball 3D fighting games.
Bandai Namco describes the game on its official website like this:
"DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO has an incredible number of playable characters, each with signature abilities, transformations and techniques. Unleash the fighting spirit within you and take the fight to arenas that crumble and react to your power as the battle rages on."Bandi Namo Entertainment
Although the Budokai Tenkaichi games are probably the best-known Dragon Ball video games, the franchise has a history of video game adaptations that goes back to 1986, in the early days of the original Dragon Ball. Recently, 2018's team-based fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ proved popular with fans and financially successful. The game allows players to not only recreate the iconic moments of the franchise, but also turn those same moments on their heads. Notably Yamcha has a unique victory sequence when he defeats Nappa, reversing the circumstances of his infamous death scene in the early episodes of Dragon Ball Z.
Sparking ZERO! is a clear celebration of the Dragon Ball franchise's long history. The game features 182 playable characters — which Bandai Namco notes is the largest number ever in a Budokai Tenkaichi game. These characters come from all across the franchise's history, from the original Dragon Ball series all the way up to Dragon Ball Super, as well as Dragon Ball GT — which is no longer considered part of the franchise's main timeline — and even characters exclusive to the franchise's standalone movies. The full character roster can be viewed here.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO releases October 11, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam. Preorders and wishlisting are now open. Also, a reminder that Dragon Ball DAIMA also debuts October 11 and will stream on Crunchyroll in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
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