The excitement levels are at an all-time high for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, which is set to bring back the nostalgic vibes of the Budokai Tenkaichi series with modern graphics and gameplay. There was something ethereal about the old PlayStation 2 days when games felt more like passion projects full of soul than the mass-produced titles of today.
Developers used to put so much personality into their products, even with limited technology, and every aspect of some games, like Budokai Tenkaichi 3, was dripping with life.
Just a quick comparison between the menu screens of old PlayStation 2 era titles and more recent games provides a clear difference.
Dragon Ball Games Back in the Day Used to Have Amazing Menus
A Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi fan took to the series’ subreddit and brought up a question that other players in the community would probably agree with, wondering why modern games, especially “after the ps2 era,” feel lifeless.
Why did games after the ps2 era stop having “life” in them?
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For comparison, the Reddit user shared screenshots of the main menu screens that various Dragon Ball games have had, ranging from the older Budokai Tenkaichi 3 to the modern Xenoverse and Raging Blast 2. One thing that stands out between the PS2 menus and the ones from recent times is that the former were “fun” to navigate because of how much effort was put into them.
The greatest aspect of the Budokai Tenkaichi 3 menu screens was that each one had a different character welcoming the player and having a conversation about a topic. For example, the main menu used to have Gohan and Videl driving a car with kid Trunks and Goten flying above them on the Nimbus, whereas if the player went into Versus mode, they encountered Vegeta and Nappa talking about each sub-mode.
Compared to that level of detail, looking at the Raging Blast 2 menu screen feels depressing due to an obvious lack of color or interactivity.
Sparking Zero Can Win the Hearts of the Community With Fun Menus
The upcoming spiritual Budokai Tenkaichi 4 has a lot riding on its shoulders, but it can actually do simple things to make the community happy, like the inclusion of the wonderful menus that remind players of the good old times.
Nostalgia is a powerful weapon, and Bandai Namco Entertainment should use it wisely and give the fans what they want to elevate their overall experience with the upcoming Sparking Zero.
If old video games like Budokai Tenkaichi 3 could include interactive menus for their player base to enjoy even if they had to wait for the actual battles to begin, there really is no excuse to not bring them back in newer titles.
According to you, which Dragon Ball video game had the best menus? Let us know in the comments!
