DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO's early access release has unleashed a formidable foe: Great Ape Vegeta. This colossal ape is proving to be an incredibly challenging boss, leaving players frustrated and spawning a wave of memes.
Great Ape Vegeta: A Boss Battle of Epic Proportions (and Difficulty)
Boss battles are designed to be tough, but Great Ape Vegeta transcends "difficult" and enters the realm of legendary frustration. His brutal attacks, seemingly uncounterable moves, and devastating Galick Gun leave players scrambling for survival. The encounter feels less like a fight and more like a desperate struggle for survival, often resulting in immediate restarts upon seeing the Galick Gun charge-up.
This challenge is amplified by his early appearance in Goku's Episode Battle, presenting a significant hurdle for newcomers to the Dragon Ball fighting game genre. The sheer barrage of super moves from the outset can be overwhelming.
Bandai Namco Embraces the Meme
Instead of a quick fix, Bandai Namco's UK Twitter (X) account cleverly responded to the player outcry with a meme, tweeting "This monke got hands" alongside a GIF of Great Ape Vegeta's devastating assault. This acknowledges the difficulty and engages with the community's humor.
While notoriously challenging, Great Ape Vegeta's difficulty echoes similar encounters in previous Dragon Ball fighting games, notably the original Budokai Tenkaichi, where he was a similarly formidable opponent.
Other Challenges in Sparking! ZERO
Great Ape Vegeta isn't the only source of frustration. Even on Normal difficulty, CPU opponents unleash powerful combos, a problem exacerbated on Super difficulty where the AI seems almost unfairly dominant. This often leads players to lower the difficulty to Easy.
Despite the Difficulty, Sparking! ZERO is a Hit
Despite the widespread struggles against Great Ape Vegeta, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO has stormed onto Steam. Within hours of early access, it reached a peak of 91,005 concurrent players, surpassing major fighting game titles like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat.
This success is likely due to the game's revival of the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi style, a long-awaited return for many fans. Game8's 92/100 review highlights the game's extensive roster, impressive visuals, and engaging scenarios, calling it "the best Dragon Ball game in ages." For a more detailed review, check out our linked article.
