DBSZ's episode battles leave an important chapter in Goku's Saga

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero mostly succeed in their attempts to balance attention to the whole Dragon Balls enormous legacy. Yet there is one exception that manages to stick out like a sore thumb. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero shines the spotlight on many obscure and even non-canon segments of the series, but somehow manages to ignore the story that started it all.

Dragon Ball had humble beginnings compared to the worldwide phenomenon it is now. Although now hailed as the king of bombastic battle Shonen, the series began with a greater focus on martial arts and an even greater emphasis on light-hearted gags. Unfortunately for veteran fans of the series, Kicking Zero rarely ever giving so much as a nod to the earliest arcs of Dragon Ball when it matters most.

Family

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Almost Let Goku Go even further beyond

As well-represented as Goku's forms are in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, it can only simulate a specific set chained together for the first time.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero should bring more spotlight to its earliest story arcs

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero's Ambitious Episode Battles

Instead of focusing on a unique campaign, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero contains eight Episode Battles, with each of them featuring a different main character. This level of ambition definitely exceeded expectations, but it also created a degree of inconsistency. In simpler terms, some characters simply have lackluster stories compared to others.

This is doubly true for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zeros Sparking episode. While some pose genuinely inventive questions, others are relatively simplistic. Thankfully, Goku's Saga manages to avoid many of the common pitfalls found in other installments. The extent of Kicking Zero created a whole new problem for his greatest hero.

Some of Dragon Balls most enduring concepts and characters were introduced much earlier DBZ. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball itself doesn't get much spotlight in Kicking Zero. Dragon Ball: Sparking ZeroThe entire list technically only includes a single character from the early sagas, thanks to Teen Goku. Other characters reference the series, with Roshi's Jackie Chun outfit being a particular highlight, and yet it's not unfair to say that the foundation of the series deserves more than an alternate costume.

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero overlooks Goku's origins

More importantly, Goku's episodic battles completely overlook all the events before Dragon Ball Z. This is a shame for a number of reasons, chief among them being the unlikelihood that this mistake will be corrected. Although it is possible that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zeros DLC may add new Episode Battles, this part of Dragon Balls history does not seem to be in focus at the moment.

Of course, another important factor that makes this exclusion disappointing is the great potential behind adapting early Dragon Ball. This is the part of the series that many fans seem to be least familiar with, and the quality of other Episode Battles suggests Kicking Zero can be a great way for fans to experience some of these events for the first time. Most importantly, it would allow the fans to fight in Budokai Tenkaichi tournament from which the beloved game series takes its name.

Likewise, there is no shortage of iconic characters in the series that were introduced in the past Dragon Ball Z took over the world. Chief among them is undoubtedly the Demon King Piccolo, who might even see newfound relevance thanks to Dragon Ball Daimas adventure through the demon realm. He's not alone either, with the Red Ribbon Army also prominent antagonists, and Android 8 specifically having a story within Budokai Tenkaichi. At the end of the day, Teen Goku's inclusion in the game feels somewhat half-baked without many of his earliest rivals accompanying him.

Dragon Ball may seem strange at this point, compared to how strong characters have come in Super and beyond. As said, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zeros overpowered characters shouldn't at all be a reason to leave out the story that started it. It would probably be difficult to integrate now, but that doesn't make it any less worthwhile. Goku currently has one of the best episodes in the game, and it could be further improved if players were given the opportunity to experience the basis of his story, let alone Dragon Ball franchise as a whole.