Summary
Despite the latest installment being released all the way back in 2007, theBudokai Tenkaichiseries continues to hold a special place in the hearts ofDragon Ballfans. To this day, the series maintains a loyal player base and a dedicated modding community that releases custom updates for the games purely out of passion. TheBudokai Tenkaichigames have a multitude of timeless features that resonate with fans worldwide. However, one aspect that’s still underappreciated and often overlooked is the sheer number ofhidden features included by the developers.
The series boasts several features that are hidden cleverly, making them easy to miss. However, if properly utilized, they can have a genuine impact on the gameplay. And despite many players being unaware of them, they’re integral to the soul of theBudokai Tenkaichiseries, which is why they deserve to make a comeback inDragon Ball:Sparking Zero.
5Hidden Dragon Balls
The Dragon Balls And Sheron Deserve To Be Included
Considering how the entire franchise is named after them, the Dragon Balls have always, predictably, played a huge role in the story ofDragon Ball.Whether they’re used for reviving Goku, unlocking Piccolo’s potential, or making Frieze two inches taller, the Dragon Balls are constantly appearing in theDragon Ballworld, one way or another.
It’s no different in theBudokai Tenkaichiseries where players have a tiny chance of finding Dragon Balls hidden underneath the destructible structures on the map. At first glance, players may believe these Dragon Balls only serve as Easter Eggs, but that’s far from the truth. If all seven are collected, the player can actually use them to summonthe mighty Shenron himself. Unfortunately, Shenron can’t grant the player anything they desire; instead, he presents a list of options. This list can include anything from Zeni, to secret characters, to locked maps. This hidden feature would make a great addition toSparking Zero, as it incentivizes players to fully explore the maps and destroy the destructible structures in hopes of finding the precious Dragon Balls. And withSparking Zeroreportedly boasting the biggest roster ever, having to summon Shenron to unlock secret characters would be a great gimmick to include.
4Secret Story Battles
The Story Mode Should Cover More Than Just The Canon Battles
While most players know how incredibly expansiveBudokai Tenkaichi 3’sstory is, covering almost every battle from the Anime, not many are aware of the secret story battles that exist in the game. During story battles, the player eventually gets prompted to press their Analog Stick, which advances the story and also serves as a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. But what happens if the player is feeling rebellious and ignores the prompt? Well, typically, the battle simply goes the distance; but there are a few moments in the story where this leads to a secret non-canon battle.
For example, during the Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Baby Vegeta battle, if the Analog Stick prompt is ignored, Goku eventually switches out for Pan, who continues the battle for him. These secret battleswould greatly improveSparking Zero’sstory mode, as they encourage players to explore every possibility in the story while also giving them a chance to experience somecool “what-If” storylines.
3Hidden Fighting Mechanics
The Fighting Mechanics Should Delve Deeper Than Just The Basics
While not as complex as its modern counterparts likeXenoverseandKakarot, theBudokai Tenkaichiseries had a reasonably robust fighting system for its time, with each entry further improving the fighting mechanics. Rookie players might be led to believe there’s not all that much to do during battles, aside from the usual light, heavy, and special attacks, but veterans of the series know just how many hidden mechanics are lurking beneath the surface.
A great example of this is the Perfect Charged Attack mechanic. There’s nothing more satisfying than holding down the button combination for a Beam Attack like the Kamehameha, and charging its power to the max. However, most players don’t realize that charging these attacks to their apex is actually detrimental to their damage. Instead,Budokai Tenkaichi 3has a hidden mechanic where Charged Attacks deal the maximum damage if released at the perfect moment, signified by an audio cue.These types of hidden fighting mechanicsdeserve to return inSparking Zero, as not only do they raise the game’s skill ceiling, but also motivate players to learn new techniques and consistently strive to become better fighters, which is whatDragon Ballis all about, after all.
2Functional Scouters
Classic Gadgets Like the Scouter Should Impact The Gameplay
The Scouter is undoubtedly the most legendary gadget shown inDragon Ball. It’s the show’s hallmark piece of technology, becoming ubiquitous online due to the “It’s over 9000!” meme. The Scouter’s purpose is to locate enemies andcalculate their Power Level to determine how strong they truly are.Dragon Ballfans are well aware of how deceiving appearances can be, so the Scouter is a very handy gadget to have. Many characters sport Scouters in theBudokai Tenkaichiseries and most players assume they’re simply a part of their outfit, not impacting the gameplay in any capacity. However, that’s not the case at all.
Like many free-roam fighting games, theBudokai Tenkaichiseries has a “Targeting” mechanic where the character must lock on to their opponent to successfully aim at them. The Targeting mechanic is simple enough, as the opponent just needs to be near the character and within their line of sight, but it can be a pain to deal with if the opponent enjoys zooming around the map. This is where the Scouter proves its worth - if a character possesses a Scouter, they can instantly target the opponent, regardless of the distance or visibility. Functional gadgets like the Scouter would be a nice addition toSparking Zero, as they add depth to the gameplay and encourage players to diversify their character selection based on their opponents.
1Super Armor
This Genius Way Of Balancing Giant Characters Must Return
Prior to the release of theBudokai Tenkaichiseries, the giant characters fromDragon Ball,like the Great Apes, Janemba, and Hirudegarn were rarely shown any love in the games as their gigantic statures made them impractical to implement. However, onceBudokai Tenkaichiarrived, players finally got to experience these characters in all their humongous glory. But given their massive builds, having them be equally fast as other characters would lead to them becoming overpowered. As a result, their movement speed was reduced, making them slow and sluggish. But fortunately, not all hope was lost. This speed reduction was compensated for by a secret “Super Armor” mechanic that protects them from knockback until it’s broken.
But the developers didn’t stop there - this mechanic was given another layer of depth by making it easier for stronger characters to break the armor. For example, Base Goku takes 6 hits to break the armor, while Super Saiyan 3 Goku can shatter it instantly. The Super Armor effectively balanced the giant characters while also ingeniously enriching the game’s power scaling, giving canonically powerful characters a real upper hand over their weaker counterparts. With the introduction of additional gigantic characters inDragon Ball Super,this hidden mechanic must return inSparking Zeroto balance them. Otherwise, characters like Piccolo, with hispowerful new “Orange Piccolo” form, and Cell Max will risk becoming obsolete in the game’s meta.
