Sparking Zero has Left Behind Certain Brutalities of the Franchise’s Past

Fighting games like those in the Dragon Ball universe cannot be compared to the brutality fans see in Mortal Kombat games. Bandai Namco will continue this tradition with the next game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, Sparking Zero. Scratches are common in there—maybe a little drop of blood, but no brutality that paints the floor red.

The new ESRB-issued rating might confirm this as the self-regulatory organization puts the teen label on the upcoming game. However, that doesn’t mean fans would stop expecting the intense fights like in the original anime. But they sure must not expect any holes in the chests of the fighters stepping into the arena.

That Shouldn’t Concern Dragon Ball Fans as Combat is What Counts

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero was supposed to include blood and violence until ESRB changed the ratings for the game recently. The latter will, of course, be there, but players may not see blood during the intense fights that they are going to see in the game.

The change was first noticed by a user on social media network X (formerly Twitter) who shared both, the past and present images, on his account. We can see the ‘Blood‘ being removed, ‘Suggestive Themes‘ becoming ‘Mild‘ with the addition of ‘Mild Language‘ and in ‘In-Game Purchases‘.

Sparking!ZERO Content Descriptors got changed #SparkingZERO #DBSZ #DragonBallSparkingZERO #BudokaiTenkaichi pic.twitter.com/TrqRygxYgV

— Sparking (@Sparkingultra) May 27, 2024

‘In-Game Purchases‘ solidifies the fact that the game will be a multiplayer experience and might follow the traditional seasonal approach as several popular games do. And with multiplayer, it solidifies the fact that split screens are gone after all with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Maybe devs will give it a separate room for nostalgia.

Users didn’t really have an issue with it, but some weren’t happy with the in-game purchases. User lecram92 expressed this in a comment.

Worst trade ever… blood for ingame purchases

— lecram92 (@gallardofan1) May 27, 2024

However, given the current state of video games, in-game purchases shouldn’t catch anyone off guard.

That Rating May Not be the Final One as the Game is Yet to be Released

To get a more detailed overview of the ratings, fans can visit ESRB’s official page. They can see the most-viewed games by the players too. According to its ‘Teen‘ label, the game is suitable for children aged 13 or more. While Dragon Ball Super got rid of blood, further development in Sparking Zero could do the opposite, but only if the community demands.

Nevertheless, a user on the social media platform Reddit has an interesting perspective on the ratings. It is quite possible that this won’t be the final rating for Sparking Zero.

Comment
byu/zack_Synder from discussion
intenkaichi4

While blood may not be present in the fights, don’t count bruises and torn clothes out of the equation, for they are staples of the Dragon Ball universe.

For those concerned about dismemberment, we still have one-arm Gohan in there. That said, players still have a lot to enjoy in the upcoming game.

What are your thoughts on the latest ESRB ratings for the game? We would like to know them in the comments section below.