Earlier this year, Bandai Namco Entertainment made an exciting announcement about a new addition to the Budokai Tenkaichi series. This is a well-known 3D fighting game franchise featuring characters from Akira Toriyama’s world. While it’s anticipated to be titled Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 in the West, it appears that the Japanese title has recently been leaked.
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Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is called Sparking! Zero, reveals new trademark
Just a few days ago, Bandai Namco Entertainment officially trademarked the name “Sparking! Zero” in the United States, on September 26th.
As per the reveal, in Japan, the series is recognized as Dragon Ball Z: Sparking!, with its sequels named Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Neo (for Budokai Tenkaichi 2) and Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor (for Budokai Tenkaichi 3). Hence, it’s plausible that Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Zero (for Budokai Tenkaichi 4) could be the designated title for the Japanese market.
This trademark filing strongly implies hints at an imminent announcement. It’s improbable that the Western release would want to cause confusion. In fact, the initial English teaser suggests the beginning of a “new Budokai Tenkaichi” rather than a “Sparking!”.
Previous Information on Budokai Tenkaichi 4
Bandai Namco introduced a new chapter in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series in March. However, they haven’t disclosed the official title, platforms, or release date yet. Since the announcement, no further updates have been given. However, leaks have revealed that voice recording for Budokai Tenkaichi 4 might have already started this summer, hinting that the release date might be sooner than expected.
Also, the potential title of Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Zero had been hinted at before. In March, a leaker mentioned this name for the upcoming Bandai Namco game. It was referred to as a provisional name during the development phase. However, the registration of this trademark hints that the team might be considering it for the final release.
It’s worth noting that companies often register trademarks to safeguard names, even if they don’t end up using them, perhaps just to ensure that others can’t capitalize on a name’s popularity for their own products.
One of the exciting aspects of Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is its coverage of Dragon Ball Super, including the transformation of Goku into Super Saiyan Blue, so it’s likely that we will see new characters being introduced in Budokai Tenkaichi 4, expanding the Dragon Ball universe.
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