Like its long-winded title, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO brings with it a torrent of new content, consisting of 33 new playable characters, 4 new stages, new story content and a brand new single-player stat-building mode that brings some RPG mechanics to the anime fighter.
When DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO launched back in late 2024, I was left impressed with what already felt like a fairly content-rich experience, outside of two notable areas: missing stages and legacy Dragon Ball representation. With the release of the Super Limit-Breaking NEO DLC pack, the expansion addresses the missing OG Dragon Ball representation.
Some new additions include fan-favourite characters from DBZ movies, Dragon Ball GT and Super. Notable character additions include Super Android 17, GT Vegeta, Mercenary Tao, Demon King Piccolo and Spike the Devil Man. If you’re like me and sorely missed original Dragon Ball representation, NEO feels like an essential piece of DLC for longtime fans.
Like Budokai Tenkaichi 3, or Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! METEOR, as it is known in Japan, returning characters absent from the base roster in DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO feel true to the source material, including many of the legacy Dragon Ball characters having unique attacks tied to the top face button, often replacing the ki-blast with unique moves more indicative of its gag manga roots. To further sweeten the Mafuba pot, Super Limit-Breaking NEO features many fun easter eggs in the form of unique lines of dialogue between characters that longtime fans will appreciate.
In addition to the new characters, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO includes 3 new stages, consisting of the iconic tundra biome from the Super Broly movie, Kame House, Kami’s Lookout (Palace) and a Super-inspired Space level. Like the base game stages and season pass Daima-inspired levels, the new additions round out the representation from every era of Dragon Ball, making the game finally feel truly complete.
Although much closer to the staggering large roster of past entries, I do wish Super Limit-Breaking NEO brought back some of the guest characters of past DB games, such as Arale and OG Dragon Ball’s Pilaf mecha. New guest characters, including Beezelbub from Sand Land or even Toriyama’s robot mascot, would have been fun additions. With the recent announcement of the return of Dragon Ball Super, perhaps Sparking ZERO will see further content in the future.
Legacy characters including Cell, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, and Krillin have received story episodes, which include fun what-if scenarios that spice up the long-standing canon of the series. Although fun, I do wish they would include more outlandish elements to these stories, such as the “Black” arc with Gohan in the base game. Nevertheless, their inclusion is welcome and a fun bonus to look forward to for series veterans.
“DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO includes 3 new stages, consisting of the iconic tundra biome from the Super Broly movie, Kame House, Kami’s Lookout (Palace) and a Super-inspired Space level.”
Finally, Limit Breaker Journey joins the list of available game modes, bringing with it an RPG-style gauntlet for players to build out their favourite characters as they fight increasingly tough encounters that reward players with massive gains, allowing for some truly broken and over-the-top builds. Characters made under the Limit Breaker Journey mode can even be used online in casual matches, making it a fun incentive for core players to experiment with it.
To round out the deluge of new content, Super Limit-Breaking NEO updates the character wardrobes, with 20 new costumes, on top of iconic new special attacks that recreate scenes from series history, giving players all the tools they need to relive some of shounen anime’s greatest battles.
Realistically, some of the characters included in the update should have been available in the base roster, but thankfully, Spike Chunsoft has included enough additional content in the DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO update that, even its hefty asking price of $34.99 (USD) feels justified, as there is enough new stuff for players to dig into, transforming Sparking ZERO into a brand new form, altogether.
Ultimately, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Super Limit-Breaking NEO brings with it a wealth of new content, including characters and stages that feel crucial to the overall experience, filling the absences felt by the base game’s original roster and stage count.
