DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Guide to Combos

Combo Strategies Guide

By Abhumansoul.

Controls

Game offers two control options:

• Standard: The recommended controls for all players.
• Classic: This option lets players use controls that are like the ones in the older Budokai Tenkaichi games.

Click to enlarge…

For players using classic controls: Perception isn’t assigned to a single button. You need to press Triangle and Circle at the same time to use it (or B and Y on Xbox).

It’s a good idea to turn off all control assists in the options menu under Accessibility. This prevents the computer from adding inputs you didn’t intend, which can affect things like counter timing.

This guide uses the default control setup. Here are the controls for PC, Xbox, and PS in that order:

Moving Up and Down:

• Space – LB – L1
• Left Ctrl – LT – L2

Charging:

• Shift – RT – R2

Blocking / Vanishing:

• E – RB – R1

Revenge:

• R – RS – R3

Attack Buttons:

• Left Mouse – Square – X (for Rush combo)
• Right Mouse – Triangle – Y (for Extender/ki blast)
• Q – Circle – B (for Perception)
• F – Cross – A (for Dash/step)
• V – Square+Cross – X+A (for Vanishing assault)

Rush Combos

Smash / Rushes:

To do a smash attack, hold down the square button (PlayStation) or X button (Xbox) during a rush combo. Let go when your character turns blue to do a special vanish smash.

You can also charge the △ button (PlayStation) or Y button (Xbox) to make attacks stronger.

You can aim smashes up or down. This might stun your opponent if they’re guarding the wrong way, but be careful – you might get stunned instead!

Here are the button combinations for rush attacks:

PlayStation:

• □ > □ > □ > □ > □
• □ > □ > □ > □ > △
• □ > □ > □ > △
• □ > □ > △
• □ > △

Xbox:

• X > X > X > X > X
• X > X > X > X > Y
• X > X > X > Y
• X > X > Y
• X > Y

The last hit (with Triangle/Y) usually pushes the enemy back or stuns them, but this can be different for each character. Try them all to see what they do. If you keep pressing Square/X up to 10 times, you’ll do an extra easy combo. This includes vanishing, punching the enemy up, and then knocking them down.

Note on Vanish Follow-Ups:

When you knock back an opponent, pressing Triangle or Y will let you teleport and hit them again. You can do this up to two times. If you hold Up before pressing the button, you’ll knock the opponent into the air. If you hold Down, you’ll knock them towards the ground. This can be useful in different situations. For example, you can knock opponents into water to slow them down when they’re trying to charge up.

Rush > Sweep

• PlayStation: □… > ↓+△
• Xbox: X … > ↓+Y

You can also do a rush and then a sweep or knock up move.

Sweep > Knockup

• PlayStation: □… > ↓+△ > □
• Xbox: X… > ↓+Y > X

After a sweep, you can do a knock up move with Square or X.

Rush > Knockup

• PlayStation: □… > ↑+△
• Xbox: X… > ↑+Y

Dash Sweep > Knockup

• PlayStation: x + ↑ > □ > ↓+△ > □
• Xbox: A + ↑ > X > ↓+Y > X

A rush-in sweep can be comboed into a knockup with square.

Knockup > Pursuit

• PlayStation: □… > ↑+△ > X > □ or △
• Xbox: X… > ↑+Y > A > X or Y

You can use X or A to chase after a knock up move, as well as normal attack moves. This combination probably can’t be continued after the Square/X or Triangle/Y move.

Quick Z Dragon Dash (Costs 1 Energy Bar):

• PlayStation: X + ← or → > R2 > (Hold X Then Release, Tap Again)
• Xbox: A + ← or → > RT > Tap A

This move is important – a quick short step is useful for dodging at medium distance. Doing a short step, then quickly going into a dragon dash followed by a z rush is a good way to counter beam attacks. It can be tricky to do this move. If you wait too long after the short step, you won’t be able to do the rest of the move. You’ll need to stop and do a Z dash again before you can try the full move.

Z Burst Dash Combo

• PlayStation: Z Burst Dash > △ > □
• Xbox: Z Burst Dash > Y > X

Triangle will send the enemy up, and square will knock them down.

Dash-in Combo

• PlayStation: X+↑ > □…
• Xbox: A + ↑ > X…

When you’re at medium distance and your speed changes as you move away, you can do a short dash. Press X and up, then square to start a rush combo. This is a good way to begin an attack.

Advanced Rush Combos

To do longer rush combos, you need to know your character’s specific moves. You can find a list of rush combo finishers (also called extenders) in the Controls Explanation in the Pause menu during Training.

There aren’t many rush combo finishers. Here are the main types:

• Rolling Hammer: Turns the opponent around. Not all characters have this.
• Ki Blast Cannon: Similar to Rush Ki Waves. Stuns and can’t be blocked when charged.
• Rush Ki Waves: Another ki attack. Can be followed up when charged.
• Blaster Wave: Area attack similar to Ki Blast Wave skill. Pushes back when charged.
• Flying Kicks: 3-hit combo, blocked by high guard.
• Heavy Finish: Stuns opponent. Basic gut punch, but stuns longer when charged.

Any of these moves can restart your rush combo. However, you can only use each move once in a combo. If you use a move twice, it will end your combo by knocking the opponent back.

To make the longest combos, use each finisher only once.

Example with Jeece:

(Xbox)

• X > Y, Rolling Hammer (turns opponent)
• X > X > X > X > Y, Heavy Finish
• X > X > Y, Flying Kicks
• X > X > X > Y, Ki Blast Cannon

(PlayStation)

• □ > △
• □ > □ > □ > □ > △
• □ > □ > △
• □ > □ > □ > △

With good timing, these should link into one long combo. You could also use any of his other finishers, as they would all end the combo after being used once.

Vanish Combinations

These always start with square and X buttons. Pressing X again lets you chase the enemy. During this, square does a follow-up attack, while triangle knocks the enemy back where they came from. You can also do vanish, then triangle twice, which isn’t listed in the game.

Direction-Based Combos:

PlayStation:

• □+X > X > □
• □+X > X > △ (Knocks Backwards)
• □+X > △ > △
• □+X > ○ (Knocks to Ground)

Xbox:

• X+A > A > X
• X+A > A > Y (Knocks Backwards)
• X+A > Y > Y
• X+A > B (Knocks to Ground)

These can be hard to remember but are useful. The last one (square + X, then circle) does the same thing as a special dash followed by triangle and square.

Short-Range Vanish:

This is the main way to use vanish attacks. When close to the enemy, you’ll appear behind them and push them away.

Long-Range Vanish:

This is only for defense. You can avoid big energy blasts and other far-away attacks by using vanish at the right time.

Stopping a Rush Combo:

• PlayStation: □… ← or → + R1
• Xbox: X… ← or → + RB

While doing a rush (pressing square repeatedly), you can press left or right and R1 to vanish around the enemy. This is good for surprising them and mixing up your attacks.

Counters

Super Counter:

• PlayStation: ↑ + □
• Xbox: ↑ + X

Press ↑ + □ when you see a flash while being attacked. This stops the attack, pushes the enemy back a little, and gives you a chance to attack. It uses 1 special point and is hard to do, but pushes the enemy far if it works.

Revenge Counter:

Press R3 / RS while being attacked. This stops a combo and gives you a small chance to attack. It uses 2 special points. Be careful not to use all your special points! Sometimes just holding the dodge button might be enough.

Perfect Dodge:

Press R1 / RB at the right time to dodge an attack. You’ll appear behind the enemy and it doesn’t use any special points.

Counter Vanish:

Press R1 / RB right when the enemy vanishes. You’ll appear behind them, push them far, and it doesn’t use any special points.

Counter Throw:

• PlayStation: R1 + □
• Xbox: RB + X

Press R1 + □ to stop both your and the enemy’s throws.

Super Perception:

Hold Circle / B when in doubt! It uses 1 special point, but can counter even strong attacks. If the enemy uses a normal attack instead of a strong or special one, you won’t use any special points. If you don’t have any special points left, you can still counter normal attacks.

Positioning

How to get behind your opponent:

• During a normal attack combo, press R1/RB + Down to disappear and reappear behind them.
• Use Left or Right to move to their side, and Back to move away.
• After knocking the opponent back, you can use a normal Z Dash (R2 + x or RT + A) to follow up with more attacks.
• When following up, Triangle/Y will put you behind them, while Square/X will hit them forward again.
• For long distances, use Super Z Dash (X + R2/RT while Z Dashing) to quickly get behind your opponent.

To interrupt combos from behind, try using Super counter. It’s not always successful, but it can work. Keep pressing forward and R1/RB in time with your opponent’s attacks.

Sway

Sway is a useful defensive move. It helps you avoid throws and powerful attacks. Here’s how to use it:

• During any normal attack combo, press the dash button (X on PlayStation, A on Xbox).
• This gives you a moment where you can’t be hit and lets you recover quickly.
• It’s fast enough that you can often continue your combo afterward.
• You can do a double sway by pressing R1/RB right after dashing from medium to short range.

Sway is good for defense in many situations, but you can’t use it to cancel your own combo.