BrandWikiReturn

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, released in Japan as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking!), is a series of fighting games developed by Spike based on the Dragon Ball franchise by Akira Toriyama. The series was published by Namco Bandai Games in Japan and Europe, and by Atari in North America and Australia until 2008. Since the third game, Bandai Namco has handled Dragon Ball game publishing in all regions, effectively ending Atari's involvement.[1]

The original game was released in 2005 as a PlayStation 2 exclusive, while the second and third installments were released for PlayStation 2 and Wii in 2006 and 2007, respectively. A spin-off titled Tenkaichi Tag Team was released on PlayStation Portable in 2010. A new installment, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, was announced in March 2023 and released in October 2024 for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S[2] and now it has been released to play on the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025 November 11th

Origin of name

The Sparking! in the Japanese title references the last lyric found in the chorus of the first opening theme to the Dragon Ball Z anime series (1989–1996), "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" (though the opening theme to the first game in Japan is the series' second opening, "We Gotta Power"). The North American title is a rearranged version of Tenkaichi Budokai (天下一武道会), a reoccurring tournament featured in the manga and anime series. Despite the localized title, the series is not a continuation of the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai series. It has been speculated that Atari chose to market the games as part of the Budokai series in order to capitalize on its success.

While Sparking! features rearrangements of actual music from Dragon Ball Z, as well as Dragon Ball (1986–1989) and the title theme of Dragon Ball GT (1996–1997), as composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, the American release of the first game features recycled music from the Budokai series, composed in Japan by Kenji Yamamoto.

Gameplay

The games use a "behind-the-back" third-person camera perspective. Similar to the GameBoy Color -released Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors (2002), special forms are treated as their own character, with varying stats, movesets, and fighting styles.[3]

In battle, players can build up their Ki gauge to execute various techniques such as the Power Guard, which reduces the damage characters take by 1/4. The Ki gauge can also be used to use moves referred to as Blast 2 skills. Every character has a unique set of Blast 2 skills that allow the character to use special moves such as Ki blasts and physical attacks. Characters also have a self-recharging numeric gauge called Blast Stock that allows players to use techniques called Blast 1 skills. Blast 1 skills usually have a supportive effect such as allowing characters to regain health or immobilize the enemy. Players can also power up into a mode called Max Power Mode normally by building up their Ki beyond full at the cost of Blast Stock bars. Max Power Mode makes the character that initiated it faster, stronger, and able to use moves that are exclusive to the mode. One of these moves is the Ultimate Blast which is usually the most powerful move a character has, though use of any Blast 2 skill or the Ultimate Blast immediately ends Max Power Mode.[4]

Game modes

In the series' story mode (called "Z Battle Gate", "Dragon Adventure", "Dragon History", and "Episode Battle" in each console installment, respectively), the objective is to compete in battles based on moments from the original manga series, as well as anime-exclusive storylines (as seen in Dragon Ball GT and several of the Dragon Ball Z films). The Dragon Balls can be acquired through story mode by destroying the environment in battle; however, the player can only keep the Dragon Ball they find if the battle is won. Each installment features several "what-if" battles and scenarios; for example, the Tenkaichi 1 story mode features modes where the player takes control of a villain and uses the character to defeat the hero, while the Tenkaichi 2 story mode has modes where Raditz and Zarbon essentially team up with the Z Fighters for one reason or another. Tenkaichi 3 features a "What If Saga", while in ''Sparking! Zero'', the player can unlock alternate scenarios depending on decisions or battle conditions. Several levels of the Tenkaichi 2 story mode also feature cutscenes shown either before or after the fight of the level takes place. The Tenkaichi 3 story mode has cutscenes integrated into the battles themselves that are activated by hitting a certain button. These can be transformations, character changes, automatic attack use, or something as simple as a conversation. In ''Sparking! Zero, the "Episode Battle", which is the first to include the story of Dragon Ball Super'' (2015–2018), features the perspective of eight playable characters: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Frieza, Future Trunks, Goku Black, and Jiren.

The player can enter a World Tournament and try to win their way to the top. There are three levels of the basic tournament and a Cell Games mode. Since characters can fly, characters can leave the perimeter of the arena, but will be called for ringout if they touch the ground. There are no restrictions apart from the fact that the last match of the Cell Games mode is always against Perfect Cell. In Tenkaichi 1 winning the tournaments gave players a Z-Item prize while in Tenkaichi 2, players would receive money which in turn would be used on Z-Items. The World Tournament mode could be played with several entrants, but if there is more than one human player, no prize would be awarded. ''Sparking! Zero introduces the Tournament of Power from Dragon Ball Super'' where characters are not allowed to fly. Other features in the game includes more combo attacks or character specific combos, the Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks will be able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combo is the normal combos however by inputting another button into the attack will allow the player to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character, the player might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Mr. Satan. The Z Burst Dash is much faster and more evasive version of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain the player of energy. The player can fuse characters to make a better character but some characters can not be fused. The player also has the opportunity to upgrade characters.

Titles

Main series

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (2005)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking!) in Japan, was released for PlayStation 2 in Japan on October 6, 2005, North America on October 18, 2005, and Europe on October 21, 2005.

The game features 64 playable characters and 10 stages. Players can fight across the Earth Wasteland, the Earth Rock Area, Planet Namek, the Islands, the City Ruins, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the Cell Games Arena, the Mountain Road, the World Tournament Arena, and Kami's Lookout.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (2006)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Neo (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking! NEO) in Japan, is the second installment in the series and first to be released for Wii. It was released for PlayStation 2 in Japan on October 5, 2006, Europe on November 3, 2006, North America on November 7, 2006, and Australia on November 9, 2006. The Wii version was released in North America on November 19, 2006, in Japan on January 1, 2007, in Europe on March 30, 2007, and Australia on April 5, 2007.

Though originally confirmed as being a launch title in North America for the Wii,[5] some stores started selling the Wii version on November 15, 2006. An issue of V Jump listed January 2007 as the release date for the Japanese version of the Wii release. The game originally featured 100 characters in 136 forms and 16 stages, though the Japanese and PAL Wii versions came with five additional characters (Demon King Piccolo, Cyborg Tao, Appule, Frieza Soldier, and Pilaf Robot with its combined form).

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (2007)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking! METEOR) in Japan, is the third installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series.[6] The game was released for PlayStation 2 and Wii in Japan on October 4, 2007,[7] in North America on November 13, 2007,[8] and in Europe on November 9, 2007, for the PlayStation 2, while the Wii version was released in Japan on October 4, 2007, in North America on December 3, 2007, and in Europe and Australia on February 15, 2008.[9] Tenkaichi 3 features 98 characters in 161 forms, the largest roster in a fighting game at the time.[10]

Several new notable features include Battle Replay, which allows players to record fights and save them to an external memory card; night and day stages, which allows certain characters ability to transform; and Wii-exclusive online multiplayer capability,[6] the first game in the series to have such a feature. Players can fight against anyone from around the globe with a ranking system showing the player's current standing compared to anyone else who has played online. The PlayStation 2 version features the "Disc Fusion System", where inserting a Tenkaichi 1 or Tenkaichi 2 disc unlocks the "Ultimate Battle" or "Ultimate Battle Z" modes, featured in the respective games needed to unlock them.[6] The game also supports 480p for both the Wii and the PlayStation 2 versions.

Other features include more combo attacks or character specific combos, Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks are able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combos are normal combos used in the game, however by inputting another button into the attack will allow the player to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character the player might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Hercule. The Z Burst Dash is a much faster and more evasive version of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain the player of energy. Also to charge up all their energy, the player must have one blast one stock filled up to power up to the very limit.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (2024)

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (ドラゴンボール Sparking! ZERO) is the fourth installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, it is the sequel to the 2007 game Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and the first to be released under the Sparking! title outside of Japan. It was announced through a teaser trailer at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2023.[11] At the time of its announcement, the game's title had not been given; the name reveal would occur during a trailer shown at The Game Awards 2023.[12]

''Sparking! Zero'' was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows on October 11, 2024.[13] The game features both new and returning playable characters, forms, and stages, with the stages containing destructible elements, for a total of 182 playable characters. It includes characters, transformations, and elements from Dragon Ball Super and its film Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018), with future downloadable content (DLC) set to include characters from the film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) and the anime series Dragon Ball Daima (2024). The game is entirely influenced by Naohiro Shintani's animation style from Broly.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (2005)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking!) in Japan, was released for PlayStation 2 in Japan on October 6, 2005, North America on October 18, 2005, and Europe on October 21, 2005.

The game features 64 playable characters and 10 stages. Players can fight across the Earth Wasteland, the Earth Rock Area, Planet Namek, the Islands, the City Ruins, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the Cell Games Arena, the Mountain Road, the World Tournament Arena, and Kami's Lookout.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (2006)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Neo (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking! NEO) in Japan, is the second installment in the series and first to be released for Wii. It was released for PlayStation 2 in Japan on October 5, 2006, Europe on November 3, 2006, North America on November 7, 2006, and Australia on November 9, 2006. The Wii version was released in North America on November 19, 2006, in Japan on January 1, 2007, in Europe on March 30, 2007, and Australia on April 5, 2007.

Though originally confirmed as being a launch title in North America for the Wii,[5] some stores started selling the Wii version on November 15, 2006. An issue of V Jump listed January 2007 as the release date for the Japanese version of the Wii release. The game originally featured 100 characters in 136 forms and 16 stages, though the Japanese and PAL Wii versions came with five additional characters (Demon King Piccolo, Cyborg Tao, Appule, Frieza Soldier, and Pilaf Robot with its combined form).

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (2007)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, originally published as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor (ドラゴンボールZ Sparking! METEOR) in Japan, is the third installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series.[6] The game was released for PlayStation 2 and Wii in Japan on October 4, 2007,[7] in North America on November 13, 2007,[8] and in Europe on November 9, 2007, for the PlayStation 2, while the Wii version was released in Japan on October 4, 2007, in North America on December 3, 2007, and in Europe and Australia on February 15, 2008.[9] Tenkaichi 3 features 98 characters in 161 forms, the largest roster in a fighting game at the time.[10]

Several new notable features include Battle Replay, which allows players to record fights and save them to an external memory card; night and day stages, which allows certain characters ability to transform; and Wii-exclusive online multiplayer capability,[6] the first game in the series to have such a feature. Players can fight against anyone from around the globe with a ranking system showing the player's current standing compared to anyone else who has played online. The PlayStation 2 version features the "Disc Fusion System", where inserting a Tenkaichi 1 or Tenkaichi 2 disc unlocks the "Ultimate Battle" or "Ultimate Battle Z" modes, featured in the respective games needed to unlock them.[6] The game also supports 480p for both the Wii and the PlayStation 2 versions.

Other features include more combo attacks or character specific combos, Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks are able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combos are normal combos used in the game, however by inputting another button into the attack will allow the player to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character the player might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Hercule. The Z Burst Dash is a much faster and more evasive version of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain the player of energy. Also to charge up all their energy, the player must have one blast one stock filled up to power up to the very limit.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (2024)

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (ドラゴンボール Sparking! ZERO) is the fourth installment of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, it is the sequel to the 2007 game Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and the first to be released under the Sparking! title outside of Japan. It was announced through a teaser trailer at Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2023.[11] At the time of its announcement, the game's title had not been given; the name reveal would occur during a trailer shown at The Game Awards 2023.[12]

''Sparking! Zero'' was released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows on October 11, 2024.[13] The game features both new and returning playable characters, forms, and stages, with the stages containing destructible elements, for a total of 182 playable characters. It includes characters, transformations, and elements from Dragon Ball Super and its film Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018), with future downloadable content (DLC) set to include characters from the film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) and the anime series Dragon Ball Daima (2024). The game is entirely influenced by Naohiro Shintani's animation style from Broly.

Other games

Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (2010)

Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team, originally published as Dragon Ball: Tag VS (ドラゴンボール, Doragon Bōru Taggu Bāsasu) in Japan, was originally the last traditional game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series to retain its native gameplay, and the only installment to be released on a handheld console. The game was published by Bandai Namco and released in October 2010[14] for PlayStation Portable.

The game focuses on two on two fights. "Dragon Walker" is the main story mode, following the events of the manga and anime series. Other modes include "Battle 100", where the player fights many teams; and "Free Battle", where the player can fight any team of their choice. Other features include the ability to perform fusions, and upgrade characters using "D-POINTS", the game's main currency.[15]

Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team (2010)

Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team, originally published as Dragon Ball: Tag VS (ドラゴンボール, Doragon Bōru Taggu Bāsasu) in Japan, was originally the last traditional game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series to retain its native gameplay, and the only installment to be released on a handheld console. The game was published by Bandai Namco and released in October 2010[14] for PlayStation Portable.

The game focuses on two on two fights. "Dragon Walker" is the main story mode, following the events of the manga and anime series. Other modes include "Battle 100", where the player fights many teams; and "Free Battle", where the player can fight any team of their choice. Other features include the ability to perform fusions, and upgrade characters using "D-POINTS", the game's main currency.[15]

Characters

All four games includes characters in various versions, forms, and transformations. This table uses the majority of character names as featured in the most recent game in the series, ''Sparking! Zero''.[16]

Reception

Budokai Tenkaichi (Sparking!)

The Game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[17]

Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Sparking! Neo)

The Game received "average" reviews on both platforms according to Metacritic.[42][43] The PS2 version of the game received the 'Best Fighting Game of the Year' award from X-Play. Mark Bozon of IGN said of the controls, "The sheer speed and complexity of the controls may turn some people off, but the general combat will eventually come down to two buttons, making the game amazingly easy to learn, but nearly impossible to fully master."[39] Nintendo Power gave the Wii version a score of 10 for "Dragon Ball Z fans", and 5.5 for "everyone else", rounding out the overall score to 7.5 out of 10.[40]

Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Sparking! Meteor)

The Game received "average" reviews on both platforms according to Metacritic.[55][56] Japanese videogame magazine Famitsu gave the PS2 version a score of 32 out of 40, while the Wii version received 33 out of 40.[57] IGN awarded both versions of Tenkaichi 3 positively, with their only complaints being the comparatively underwhelming story mode (in comparison to Tenkaichi 2), gimmicky Disc Fusion, and the lagging Wi-Fi.[51]

Tenkaichi Tag Team (Dragon Ball: Tag VS)

It has a score of 63% on Metacritic.[58] GameSpot awarded it a score of 6.0 out of 10, saying "Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team is just another Dragon Ball Z fighting game, and makes little effort to distinguish itself from its predecessors."[59]

Sparking! Zero

''Sparking! Zero received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[60][62] and 86% of critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic.[63] PC Gamer called it "the best Dragon Ball'' game we've had since the PS2 and a generous love letter to Toriyama's classic series." On the other hand, GameSpot stated that "the frenetic fighting Dragon Ball fans expect is here, but it's marred by an overall shallow experience with more repetition than revolution."

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero sold over 3 million copies globally in its first 24 hours.[71] It reached #2 in the Japanese sales charts,[72] and #3 in the UK.[73]

The game set a record for the most concurrent players in a paid fighting game on PC, with a peak of 122,554 players.[74]

External links

References

  1. Brendan Sinclair. Namco Bandai collects Dragon Ball rights GameSpot, July 2, 2009, retrieved March 5, 2011^
  2. 「ドラゴンボール Sparking！」シリーズ 最新作情報が解禁！ 映像はコチラから↓ #ドラゴンボール #バトルアワー 2023-03-05, retrieved 2023-03-05^
  3. Sparking Zero Roster Character List PCGamesN, October 18, 2024, retrieved November 10, 2024^
  4. DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Breakdown the Basic Mechanics TestYourMight, August 25, 2016, retrieved November 10, 2024^
  5. Daemon Hatfield. Dragon Ball Z Ready for Wii November 3, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2016^
  6. Roper, Chris. E3 2007: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Hands-on IGN, July 12, 2007, retrieved October 7, 2007^
  7. Official Japanese Budokai Tenkaichi 3 trailer (Windows Media Player required).^
  8. Who's Making Games For Nintendo Systems? Everyone! Nintendo, October 11, 2007, retrieved December 15, 2009^
  9. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Wii) retrieved December 30, 2016^
  10. E3 2007 Trailer IGN, July 9, 2007, retrieved March 5, 2011^
  11. [DBGBH2023 Day2] DRAGON BALL Games Battle Hour 2023 6 March 2023, retrieved 2023-12-09^
  12. THE GAME AWARDS 2023: Official 4K Livestream (Monster Hunter, Blade, Baldur's Gate GOTY) 7 December 2023, retrieved 2023-12-09^
  13. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO^
  14. DBZ Tenkaichi Tag Team Releases GiantBomb, September 30, 2010, retrieved November 10, 2010^
  15. Olayanju Abdulsalam. Dragon Ball Budokai tenkaichi Olayanju Abdulsalam, 2021^
  16. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Characters Bandai Namco Entertainment, retrieved October 14, 2024^
  17. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi for PlayStation 2 Reviews Metacritic, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  18. Martin Coxall. Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Eurogamer, November 14, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  19. Strafe Maru. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Review for PS2 on GamePro.com GamePro, October 18, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  20. Ryan Davis. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Review GameSpot, October 24, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  21. Eduardo Vasconcellos. GameSpy: Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi GameSpy, November 21, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  22. Michael Knutson. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Review - PlayStation 2 GameZone, November 16, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  23. Jeremy Dunham. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi IGN, October 13, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  24. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, January 2006^
  25. Matt Keller. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Review PALGN, October 22, 2005, retrieved July 5, 2014^
  26. VideoGamer.com staff. Dragon Ball Z: BT Review VideoGamer.com, November 25, 2005, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  27. Jason D'Aprile. Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi [sic] Review X-Play, January 16, 2006, retrieved June 18, 2014^
  28. EGM staff. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii) Electronic Gaming Monthly, December 2006^
  29. Luke Albiges. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2) Eurogamer, January 26, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  30. Joe Juba. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii) Game Informer, February 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  31. Rice Burner. Review: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii) GamePro, December 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  32. Tom Parker. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Review (PS2) Game Revolution, November 29, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  33. Ryan Davis. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Review GameSpot, December 5, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  34. Eduardo Vasconcellos. GameSpy: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2) GameSpy, November 22, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  35. Patrick Joynt. GameSpy: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii) GameSpy, November 30, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  36. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Review (Wii) GameTrailers, November 28, 2006, retrieved August 27, 2016^
  37. Louis Bedigian. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 - PS2 - Review GameZone, November 12, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  38. Louis Bedigian. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 - WII - Review GameZone, December 3, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  39. Mark Bozon. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 IGN, November 21, 2006, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  40. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Nintendo Power, January 2007^
  41. Review: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 PSM, December 25, 2006^
  42. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 for PlayStation 2 Reviews Metacritic, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  43. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 for Wii Reviews Metacritic, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  44. James Lyon. PS2 Roundup (Page 2) Eurogamer, November 24, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  45. Ellie Gibson. Wii Roundup (Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3) Eurogamer, April 17, 2008, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  46. Jesse Constantino. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Review (PS2) Game Revolution, January 8, 2008, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  47. Phil Theobald. GameSpy: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 GameSpy, November 19, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  48. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Review (Wii) GameTrailers, February 8, 2008, retrieved August 27, 2016^
  49. Louis Bedigian. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - PS2 - Review GameZone, December 20, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  50. Michael Knutson. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - WII - Review GameZone, December 13, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  51. Mark Bozon. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Review IGN, December 11, 2007, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  52. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Review Official Nintendo Magazine, February 2008, retrieved November 12, 2014^
  53. Review: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 PlayStation: The Official Magazine, December 25, 2007^
  54. Wesley Yin-Poole. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Review for Wii VideoGamer.com, February 25, 2008, retrieved June 20, 2014^
  55. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for PlayStation 2 Reviews Metacritic, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  56. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for Wii Reviews Metacritic, retrieved June 19, 2014^
  57. The Magic Box: International Videogame News October 11, 2007, retrieved December 30, 2016^
  58. Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team Metacritic, retrieved December 30, 2016^
  59. Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team Review retrieved December 30, 2016^
  60. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PC Critic Reviews) Metacritic, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  61. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (Xbox Series X/S Critic Reviews) Metacritic, retrieved November 11, 2024^
  62. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews) Metacritic, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  63. Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero Reviews OpenCritic, 7 October 2024, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  64. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero review - arena fighters don't get much better than this Eurogamer, 11 October 2024^
  65. Ian Walker. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero review: "The pinnacle of fanservice" GamesRadar+, October 7, 2024, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  66. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Review - Final Flash in the Pan^
  67. Zach McKay. Review: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a Solid Arena Fighting Game Hardcore Gamer, October 7, 2024, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  68. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Review 12 October 2024^
  69. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero! | Recensione The Games Machine, 6 September 2024^
  70. Connor Makar. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero review: as meaningful a send-up to the source material as one could hope for VG247, October 7, 2024, retrieved October 7, 2024^
  71. 「ドラゴンボールZ Sparking!」シリーズ最新作『ドラゴンボール Sparking! ZERO』発売24時間で世界累計販売本数300万本を突破 15 October 2024^
  72. Dmitro Koval. Metaphor: ReFantazio topped the sales charts in Japan, followed by Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Gagadget.com, 2024-10-17, retrieved 2025-09-06^
  73. UK software sales chart for the week ending October 12, 2024 15 October 2024^
  74. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero surpasses every other fighting game for peak player record except for one 12 October 2024^