Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Interview With Jun Furutani – Discussing the Series Return, Game Modes, Netcode

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the long-anticipated return of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, which, from the very first entry in the series, set itself apart from most games based on the series created by Akira Toriyama with its explosive gameplay that well represented the intense fights filled with energy blasts and all sorts of other explosive combat techniques.

During Gamescom 2024, we had the chance not only to try out the game but also to speak with the game's producer Jun Furutani, discussing the return of the series, the available game modes, the netcode, and the possibility of high framerate options. Enjoy!

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The interview was conducted via an interpreter and has been edited for clarity.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is releasing a long time after the previous entry in the series. Why did it take so long, considering how Dragon Ball's popularity continues to be immense?

When we released Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, I thought the game was almost complete. At the same time, I had a lot of plans for other games. However, with the advancement of new technology, new game engines, and current-generation consoles, we had become able to deliver new surprises over the previous entry in the series, so it felt the right time had come to bring back the series, and we went ahead and developed Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO.

Earlier today, I tried out the game, and it felt familiar and very accessible right from the start. However, I noticed the game had some additional accessibility options. Why were these added, considering the series has always been quite accessible?

The previous entries in the series featured very fast gameplay, which made it difficult for a lot of beginners to play them. When I played the series for the first time, I had some trouble controlling my character, and I lost to my friends. (laughs) Nowadays, with games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and other competitive games, it