Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfbu3CJS0uY

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Current goal: Complete the Buu Saga

It’s probably been close to 15 years since the last time I played Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 with my brother on Wii. We unlocked everything, played a ton, and did not mind at all wiggling the Wiimotes like idiots to trigger special moves. We’d play for hours at a time, crafting ridiculous matchups all the while, and he more than once wiped my whole team with just Arale. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that all this time later, there’s now essentially a Budokai Tenkaichi 4 that is not just a celebration of the anime its based on but, so far at least, a surprisingly robust and absolutely gorgeous arena fighter (at least when the camera isn’t swirling around underneath the map as things descend into pure chaos).

I’m having such a blast with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero at the moment that I don’t want to put it down, even though I know Metaphor: Refantazio and Dragon Age: The Veilguard are absolutely going to destroy my schedule this month. This weekend, at least, I’m stepping into the hyperbolic time chamber and figuring out how to master Sparking Zero without the help of motion controls. And right after that, I’m settling down to watch Dragon Ball Daima because I’m still obsessed with what is unquestionably my generation’s Star Wars. — Ethan Gach