Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen meme after meme of people getting their butts handed to them by Great Ape Vegeta in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. And all of them have been hilarious, mainly because of our hubris as gamers.
The idea of “one more shot, I figured it out” before realizing that you, indeed, did not figure it out, will always be funny. But it’s also the thing that fuels some of the best memories when you actually do nail it.
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I’m a fan of difficulty in games. I enjoy the challenge, the need to adjust my strategy or play style entirely. It’s fun to me. But the conversation around difficulty has gotten to the point of looking down on gamers who don’t enjoy it, and that’s where people lose me.
‘dragon ball’: life imitates art
Anyone who has watched Dragon Ball Z knows there are some flat-out beatdowns being handed out to main characters. They go through Hell fighting their enemies. So, why shouldn’t a game based on those battles mirror it a bit?
Bandai-Namco hilariously doubled down on the difficulty of the game with a great tweet saying, “A Win is a win. Lower Difficulty and Retry.” And while, yes, they are trolling people who have complained about it, they’re right. That’s what the easier modes are for. If you want the challenge, then cool, lock in and get right. But for those who don’t? Lower the difficulty. You don’t have to impress anyone. Enjoy your gaming experience. Have fun with Sparking! Zero, see what the game has to offer.
And when the time comes that you’re ready to take that big swing at a higher difficulty? Bump that thing up. You’re only cheating yourself if you continue to beat your head against the wall. Games are supposed to be fun. An escape from life.
Challenge is fun (to me)
I’m not a sweaty gamer, but I’m a very competitive person. When I’m playing a game with a difficulty spike, I’ll bang my head against that wall until I get it. Because I get something from that. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero would seem to fit that.
It took me two hours to take down the Valkyrie Queen in both God of War reboot games. The Berserkers in Ragnarok gave me all kinds of hell, but I loved it. And I’ve always been like that. It’s why I gravitated towards Kobe Bryant as my favorite basketball player. So, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will absolutely get my time when I get around to it because that’s fun to me.
I need a challenge, something to figure out and overcome. Anything that makes me better, I’ll take on headfirst. But that’s not everyone. And that’s okay. So, yeah, the jokes are funny and all, but if you find yourself feeling a certain way about dropping that level, don’t. Games are meant to make us feel good, no matter how you get there.
