Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, released as Dragon Ball Z 3 (ドラゴンボールZ3, Doragon Bōru Zetto Surī) in Japan, is a video game based on the popular anime series Dragon Ball Z and was developed by Dimps and published by Atari for the PlayStation 2. It was released on November 16, 2004 in North America through standard release and a Limited Edition release, which included a DVD featuring behind the scenes looks on the game's development. Europe soon saw a release on December 3, 2004. In Fall 2005, Europe obtained a new edition which included character models not available in the North American release as well as a few items and the ability to switch the voices over to Japanese. Japan later saw a release from Bandai on February 10, 2005 and also included the extras that the North American release did not have. Soon after, the Greatest Hits version in North America contained the extra features, including the ability to play with the Japanese voices.
Budokai 3 is a fighting game with cel-shaded graphics to mirror the look and feel of the combat in the series.
Gameplay
Where Budokai 1 had characters up to the Android Saga and Budokai 2 had characters up to the Kid Buu Saga, Budokai 3 has characters from Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Z movies, such as Coola, Broli, Burdock, Super Saiyan 4 Goku, Gogeta, Kid Goku, Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta, Uub and Yi Xing Long.
New mechanics
- Ki - The Ki system is completely revamped from the past two Budokai games. Each character now has a base Ki level, Ki will increase/decrease slowly until it is at base Ki level. If Ki is higher than the base Ki, then a bonus in attack is acquired, and defense is decreased the further it goes below the base Ki. Transformations, now instead of draining Ki slowly, can increase base Ki, increase base attack power, and exaggerate said increases/decreases in stats when above/below base Ki. Additionally, auras have been redone, and now look very close to the auras seen on the anime.
- Transformation - In the previous two games, a transformation gradually drained ki, and being knocked down with less than the ki level needed to transform would revert the transformation. In Budokai 3, a transformation will instead increase the base ki level, and is only reverted if a character is hit with less than one ki gauge, or if they allow hyper mode to run out. Additionally, some transformations (like Cell, Broly and Freeza's) are irreversible.
- Beam Struggle - If two beam attacks collide, instead of canceling each other out, a beam struggle is activated. The two characters rotate control sticks in order to push the two beams to one character or the other.
- Fatigue - A new fatigue meter is added to the HUD, it increases during battle. It's most important during an ultimate attack, but if fatigue is maxed out, a character will become exhausted if knocked down with less than one Ki gauge full.
- Dodging - By pressing guard just before being attacked, the character will dodge the attack completely, at the cost of a little ki
- Teleport Counters - Before any attack connects, a character can teleport behind the attacking character and counter-attack at the cost of 3 ki bars.
- Items - Item capsules can be equipped and used in battle. Items can only be used once, and have various effects ranging from increasing health to granting temporary Ki blast immunity. If a character is interrupted while trying to use an item, the item is lost.
- Hyper Mode - By pressing (p+k+g+e), a character enters Hyper Mode. They turn red, and their Ki slowly decreases, as they lose the ability to block. In Hyper Mode, a character is immune to most weak melee attacks, if Hyper Mode is allowed to run out, the character is fatigued and loses any applicable transformations. Hyper Mode is necessary to start Dragon Rushes and Ultimate Attacks. Hyper Mode is rather wildly reviled by veteran players due to the constant drain, the fact that the user slows down, and how easy they become to avoid until they are out of Ki and left helpless by fatigue
- Dragon Rush - If a character knocks another character away while in Hyper Mode, that character can start a Dragon Rush. A Dragon Rush is a three part game of chance, where both characters choose one of the four buttons. If the defender can pick the same button as the attacker, the Dragon Rush is ended, however, after each part, the number of buttons is decreased. If all three parts connect, the attacking character launches a powerful finisher
- Ultimate Attacks - When in Hyper Mode, characters can launch powerful (and quite cinematic) ultimate attacks. Players use timing to stop a gauge just before it fills up. Depending on the results, the attack can have its power reduced, miss, or be sent back to the attacker. Fusion is also executed in the same way, but the mechanics for fusion are the same as they are in Budokai 2
- Fusion - While still performed the same way, and still providing infinite Ki, dance fusion now instantly ends when the timer runs down to zero (whereas in the previous game, dance fusion was only reverted when your character falls over after the timer runs out). Fusion is also executed in Hyper Mode, just like an ultimate attack.
- Super Saiyan 4 - Goku and Vegeta can now transform to the Super Saiyan 4 level, changing their Kamahemeha and Galick Gun attacks into 10X Kamehameha and Final Shine, respectively. These attacks are also 72% stronger than their basic versions.
- "Free Flight" - By holding up or down while doing a backward dash, characters can ascend and descend, where in the past, a player had to be hit into the sky. This is a helpful feature as larger characters have an easier time hitting smaller characters while others simply fight less effectively in the air.
Skills
As in Budokai and Budokai 2, each character is able to be customized by using a 7-slot skill tray. Players may choose up to 7 skills and give them to a fighter. Skills can take from one to seven slots (including ones such as 'Bulma's Armor' 'and items which include things such as Senzu Bean and Vaccine). Note: there are no physical capsules. The throws are in the control system and the attacks where your character blasts ki attacks rapidly at a downed opponent have been incorporated into Dragon Rush. Grabbing/Throwing techniques, unlike in Budokai 2, do not take up skill slots, allowing further customization of characters.
Story mode
Story mode in Budokai 3 consists of a world map called Dragon Universe. In this mode, you play as 11 characters, traveling around the Earth or Namek in Dragonball Z's four main sagas: Saiyan, Freeza, Cell, and Majin Buu, and collecting items such as money, capsules or Dragon Balls. After you complete the game, if you have collected all seven Dragon Balls, you are able to make a "wish" which lets you choose one from three special capsules, which include Breakthrough capsules (these allow a player to use all of a character's moves and abilities at once), "Memories of ... Capsules", and Equipment Capsules.
The various characters are each unlocked by completing a required task within Dragon Universe. Example: Dr. Gero is unlocked by defeating Dr. Gero with Yamcha in the Android Saga.
The stories in the Dragonball Z universe change after the first time they are played.
World tournament
The World Tournament allows players to compete against the computer or up to 8 players in a Martial Arts Tournament. If more than one human player is present no prize money is available, but with only one human player the following prizes can be won:
- Novice: 10,000 Zeni
- Adept: 30,000 Zeni
- Advance: 50,000 Zeni
- Cell Games: 50,000 Zeni
If a player reaches second place, they will win half the prize money. If a player enters the tournament with a Sparking Capsule and wins, the prize money will be multiplied. The more exclamation marks on Sparking, the more money is earned (for example, Sparking! gives the player a 10% increase while Sparking!!!!!!! gives the player a 400% increase).
Dueling
Dueling mode allows a player to fight the computer at a preset skill level, or two human players to fight each other using any custom skills. A player may also watch a fight between two computer fighters.
Edit skills
Made up of three sections, the Skill Shop, character editing, and instructions. A player may edit skills on either memory card.
Aside from Dragon Universe, the Skill Shop is the only place where the player obtains skill capsules.
Playable characters
Rumors
The biggest rumor pertaining to this game was that Bulma was playable, for the fact that she was seen in the 11th stage of the training mode, to explain how to use capsules during a duel. She could barely move, but it was a complete game model of her. Also in the DVD that comes with the special edition, her voice actor is seen recording fight sounds for Bulma.
Japanese version
The Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 had outfits that the other versions did not have. Trunks' 3rd outfit was Long Hair with Armor, Piccolo's was his father King Piccolo and Goku's third outfit was him with a Halo. Some games in this Japanese version had some glitches such as Bulma appearing as an outfit for Videl, when the game was complete. While the American version of the game only had two movie clips to unlock (the instrumental and vocal openings from Budokai 2), many fans thought there were extra movies to unlock, since the American strategy guide indicated that there were two additional "Baba's Crystal Ball" capsules to purchase. Alas, these files do not even exist on the game disc, and therefore cannot be purchased. The only other real "extras" in the Japanese version of the game would be the vocal opening theme, and the fact that character mouths actually move on menu screens (which was not in either the original European and American releases of the game).
Greatest Hits
European version (Collector's Edition)
The European "Collector's Edition" version of Budokai 3 was released in Fall 2005. Months before, the hype began to build that it would include not only the option to select the Japanese vocal track for the characters in the game, but that the Japanese version's extras would also be available for unlocking. The Platinum Version is identical to the Collector's Edition. The "Baba Crystal Ball Movies" are also available on this version after extensive game play. Several forums have been posted the process needed gain these capsules, which can be bought in the capsule store. However the content of the movies are simply the original Japanese introduction to Dragonball Z: Budokai 2. One clip is the intro with vocal accompaniment while the second clip is the instrumental version of the intro.
American version (Greatest Hits)
At first, the American “Greatest Hits” version of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 that was released in late 2005 did not contain promised extra features. It claimed to have the original Japanese voice acting cast in the instruction booklet and on the back of the box, but was deprived of such features. It also tended to corrupt saved data from the original version of Budokai 3. Essentially it was the original game disc repackaged again.
Atari has released a correct version of the game, but has made no effort to distinguish it from the incorrect version (aside from the shrink wrap method mentioned below). Atari is now offering to replace incorrect versions of the game with the correct one. [1]
It has been reported by some that the most recent shipment with the correct disc may be distinguished by the type of shrink wrap it is packaged in. Atari apparently re-opened the packages to replace the defective discs, and re-wrapped them. These copies are wrapped in the same manner as a retailer would shrink wrap, sealed around the edges and slightly loose as opposed to tight-fitting and folded at the corners.
The three extra costumes from the Japanese version can be unlocked in the American Greatest hits version by entering passwords, case-sensitive, into the Dragon Arena password entry screen.
The "correct" version is basically a direct port of the European Collector's Edition, only differing in aspects such as the non-vocal opening, "Hercule City" spelling in Dragon Universe, and memory card data image.
Voice cast
Reception
The game was given much higher reviews than its precursors Dragon Ball Z: Budokai and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2. This can be attested to the fact that many critics felt that the game did more to improve its gameplay rather than just its graphics and presentation. The game even got a 4 out of 5 from X-Play, which is unexpected since they normally give anime-based games poor ratings.
External links
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 at IGN
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 at Game Rankings
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 Shoryuken Wiki
- Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 Greatest Hits editorial at the Daizenshuu EX Forums
| Butōden series | |
|---|---|
| Idainaru Densetsu series | |
| Budokai series | |
| Budokai Tenkaichi series | |
| Origins series | |
| Raging Blast series | |
| Xenoverse series | |
| Other series | |
| Standalone games |
|
| Crossover games | |
