I originally reviewed Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO in October 2024. We’re now almost two years and Bandai Namco is continuing to build on what was already an incredibly packed and richly dense Dragon Ball experience with the Neo Edition DLC. Coming back to the game after such a long time was an interesting experience because I had almost completely forgotten what it felt like to jump into the arena, and I quickly realised just how much there is to this game.
When I originally reviewed Sparking! ZERO, I gave it an 8.5 out of 10 and there were a few things that really stood out to me. The biggest thing was just how confident the game was in what it wanted to be. When I was first trying to become a fighter, the amount of depth was honestly quite overwhelming. There were so many options, characters and mechanics to learn, but underneath all of that was an incredibly enjoyable Dragon Ball fighting game. The voice acting was fantastic, the sound design was great and visually it looked absolutely beautiful.
My biggest issue at the time was that Sparking! ZERO could feel like a little too much. That’s probably more on me than the game itself, but there was a lot to learn and I found the difficulty a little challenging. Coming back to it after almost two years actually made me appreciate just how action packed the game is. The Neo Edition doesn’t really change that philosophy either. Instead, it feels like Bandai Namco has simply taken what was already here and added even more.
And if you’re a Dragon Ball GT fan, there is a lot to get excited about. The Neo Edition brings 33 new characters across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super, giving players even more reasons to jump back into the arena. GT in particular feels like a major focus here, and regardless of whether you’re someone who absolutely loves GT or someone who has never really been that interested in it, there’s enough here to make the new additions feel worthwhile.
There are also some new gameplay additions, including the Spark Boost mechanic, which allows you to consume a large amount of your skill gauge in exchange for an attack boost. It’s another layer to a game that already has plenty of mechanics to remember, but it fits naturally into the way Sparking! ZERO plays. That’s probably what impressed me most coming back to it. Nothing feels like it has been added simply for the sake of adding something. It feels like the developers are continuing to find ways to expand the existing experience.
In addition there is also a Chain Blast, which works as a new combo mechanic. You can launch an opponent before switching over to an ally and continuing the attack. There’s also the Devastating Blast, these additions naturally fit into the Dragon Ball formula. Watching characters switch in and continue an attack feels very much like something you would see in the anime, and that’s always been one of Sparking! ZERO’s biggest strengths. It makes the battles feel like you’re actually controlling a Dragon Ball fight rather than simply playing another fighting game.
The game itself is still just as addictive as I remember it being. The battles remain incredibly fun, taking place across those massive 3D arenas where you can move up, down, left and right while fighting your opponent. I would strongly recommend going through the tutorial again if you haven’t played in a while, because this isn’t really a game you can just pick up and immediately remember everything. You might have some muscle memory from playing it previously, but there are so many mechanics that it’s worth spending some time getting reacquainted with the controls.
There are also more episodes and extra battles to work through, along with new stages such as Kame House and the high reaches of outer space. Customisation has also been expanded, with more costumes, outfits, cosmetics and different looks for some of your favourite characters. These might seem like small additions on their own, but when you put everything together, it really starts to show just how much Bandai Namco is continuing to add to Sparking! ZERO.
Of course, I can understand why hardcore fans might have a completely different perspective. If you’ve been playing Sparking! ZERO consistently since launch, these additions might feel very different compared to someone like me, who hasn’t touched the game in such a long time. Coming back and being confronted with even more characters, mechanics, stages and content was initially a little daunting. But once I settled back into the rhythm of the game, I couldn’t really complain. If anything, it made me realise just how complete this experience feels.
The biggest question is whether the Neo Edition is worth picking up, especially if you already own the base game. The DLC is available separately for $52.95AUD, almost the price of a full game. Whether that price is worth it really depends on how much of a Dragon Ball fan you are and how much time you’re going to spend with the additional content. For someone who is heavily invested in Sparking! ZERO, there is a lot here to justify jumping back in.
There are also different options available if you’re yet to own the game, with the standard edition sitting at $69, the Complete edition that includes the base game and Neo Edition at $114.95, and the Legendary Edition at $179, which includes pretty much everything. If you’re starting from scratch, I think buying the game with the additional content makes far more sense than purchasing everything separately.
Ultimately, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO was already a massive Dragon Ball experience when I reviewed it back in 2024, and the Neo Edition somehow manages to make that experience feel even bigger. It’s still incredibly flashy, still incredibly deep and still manages to capture that feeling of watching our favourite Dragon Ball characters absolutely destroy each other in a massive arena.
If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, there is a ridiculous amount of content here, and the Neo Edition feels like a genuine continuation of what Sparking! ZERO was trying to achieve from the beginning. Whether you want more characters, more battles, more customisation or simply another excuse to jump back into those massive 3D arenas, there’s plenty here to keep you busy. For me, the biggest takeaway is that Sparking! ZERO hasn’t simply been left behind after launch. It continues to evolve, and it feels like an even more complete Dragon Ball experience than the one I originally reviewed.
