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- Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a huge hit, marking Spike Chunsoft’s long-awaited comeback.
- This success has set a new bar for anime games, leading to high expectations for the future.
- Franchises like Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hunter x Hunter, and more deserve the same treatment.
Following much anticipation, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero has finally given fans of anime games something to celebrate.
Until recently, the genre suffered from half-hearted adaptations, rushed sequels, and bland, uninspired arena fighters, but Spike Chunsoft’s latest title changed everything.
This release has also set the stage for a new era of prosperity. In fact, I would go as far as to say that future adaptations no longer have any excuses for being mediocre.
Why it matters: Anime games are, more often than not, considered the bottom of the barrel of the gaming industry due to a history of mixed quality.
Spike Chunsoft’s Comeback
It’s no secret that Bandai Namco’s latest release has become the biggest launch in series history. The title has sold 3 million units in 24 hours, putting it on track to taking Naruto Storm 4’s throne as the best-selling anime game.
Figures rivaling AAA releases are no small feat, considering anime titles rarely reach such numbers. The reviews, serving as a testament to the sheer quality offered by Sparking Zero, are just as impressive.
Perhaps the most interesting part about this success is the fact that it comes from developer Spike Chunsoft. This studio has a long history, and recent years have not been too kind to the developer.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, the team’s last major anime adaptation, was lambasted for being a quick cash grab based on a famous IP. Just one year earlier, the studio had released Jump Force, another arena fighter that fell completely flat on its face.
These two failures meant that fans were quick to shun Spike Chunsoft when the team was confirmed to be leading Sparking Zero. Even before Jump Force, the studio’s arena fighter portfolio was anything but impressive.
The likes of J-Stars Victory VS+ and One Piece Burning Blood were far from exceptional, and Spike’s work on 2011’s Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi can only be described as a disaster.
Spike later became part of Spike Chunsoft, so Sparking Zero’s accomplishments serve as a much-needed redemption for everyone who failed to do the Tenkaichi series justice in 2011.
Dragon Ball’s latest triumph has proven that anime games don’t have to be mediocre, and it’s quite fitting that Spike Chunsoft is the team leading the charge. If the studio behind One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows can come up with a satisfying sequel to one of Dragon Ball’s most legendary gaming franchises, I fail to see how others can’t follow suit.
It’s clear that teams like Cyber Connect 2 and Byking do not lack the talent necessary for similar quality. Yet, recent releases like Naruto Storm Connections and Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash have been largely disappointing.
Other IPs Deserve The Same Love
There’s an air of excitement everywhere you look for Dragon Ball fans. The late Akira Toriyama’s legacy is being carried forward by his work on Daima, the Dragon Ball Super manga, and the four major games available for fans to play.
Between FighterZ, Xenoverse 2, Kakarot, and now Sparking Zero, fans have no shortage of choice. In my opinion, developers need to offer similar variety and quality for other franchises.
Why can’t Naruto go back to the fighting game-like combat of Clash of Ninja or receive Arc System Works’ 2D fighter treatment instead of repetitive Storm sequels? How did Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash end up missing the mark so badly when the series was at the peak of its popularity last year?
These questions are genuinely baffling in a post-Sparking Zero world. Even Hunter x Hunter Nen Impact seems to be lacking the production values one would expect for such an iconic series.
Similarly, My Hero Academia has received next to no attention after two serviceable arena fighters. As far as I can tell, these IPs are big enough to justify big investments, yet publishers and developers are willing to settle for less.
Hope For The Future
One big game that has my attention for now is Bleach Rebirth of Souls. Looking at all the recent footage, it’s clear that more thought has been put into this adaptation than the average arena fighter cash grab.
Rebirth of Souls seems to be adhering to its source material for gameplay tailored to Bleach’s battle system rather than another Naruto Storm clone with slight changes.
It’s great to see that Bleach’s much-anticipated gaming return is shaping up to be a big deal, and I hope this is just one of many exciting titles to come for anime fans.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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