Dragon Ball Z 3/Budokai 3 Turns 10

[JEFFMAN219]

Oh man I remember getting this game for Christmas back in 04 when I was 12. I still think this was the best DBZ game ever made.

[Thanos]

Honestly, that Dragon Rush or whatever business kinda ruined the game for me (fuck you, Kid Buu and Videl). In finite World was more enjoyable mainly for that reason for me.

[Big Momma]

I feel like I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed Dragon Rush, haha. The AI could def spam it at times, but if you're playing against friends and use it sparingly, it's a nice little change of pace.

[90sDBZ]

The Dragon Rush really isn't all that hard to avoid. I would always just dash away from my opponent when they were in hyper mode and then combo their ass when they got fatigued. Plus the CPU has a habit of teleporting if you throw a Ki blast at them while they're in Hper Mode so it's easy to make them use up all their Ki.

[voltlunok]

I feel like I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed Dragon Rush, haha. The AI could def spam it at times, but if you're playing against friends and use it sparingly, it's a nice little change of pace.

I enjoyed dragon rush sometimes but damn! Almost every enemy in B3 after Nappa spammed DR so much, Kid Buu being the greatest offender. It got me so steamed I broke a controller! It's annoying when the second dragon rush was over they power up and go back to hyper mode again, then you have to go through rock, paper, scissors all over again! But I guess that stuff made beating the computer more satisfying. I did a victory lap when I first beat kid buu!

[DBZAOTA482]

I don't hate Dragon Rush. I just hate it when the AI tries to spam namely when against opponents with stats that are off the charts... but yeah, I usually don't get trapped in it.

[Thanos]

I mean, it can certainly be avoided/countered, but that doesn't negate the annoyance of its existence.

But still, I have super fond memories of Budokai 3. Many of which are tied heavily with the game's glorious soundtrack. Oh, the soundtrack...

[Eternal Super Saiyan]

Budokai 3 is still my favorite Dragon Ball Z game.

BT1 I think. Can't say I agree with that opinion.

Gameplay was a bit "clunky" to be compared to B3 and Infinite World. The 3D fighting system I admit is more creative but didn't do it for me.

I mean, it can certainly be avoided/countered, but that doesn't negate the annoyance of its existence.
But still, I have super fond memories of Budokai 3. Many of which are tied heavily with the game's glorious soundtrack. Oh, the soundtrack...

I never use Dragon Rush and can beat an entire Dragon Universe without it. The only time I use it is when I want to see Vegeta's Final Flash, but with Goku or Gohan you totally don't need it.

Yeah, I have all the .mp3 files from the Budokai series. Even the HD collection soundtrack is cool.
The Tenkaichi series tracks could be better, considering BT1 practically recycled the Budokai 1 soundtrack. BT2 was good though.

[Mac]

I remember buying it the day it was released, I didn't think it had been that long already.

[Neshawn]

love the game! have yet to really get infinite world going since I don't have a memory card for the ps2. I just wanted to comment on the dragon rush, yeah it really sucks. the more I played though the more I realized the computer has certain patterns assigned to different characters. some go clockwise, some are copy cats, some do cross button, etc... once you get an idea of the combinations each character uses its not so bad. it is disappointing it doesn't require as much skill and more luck sometimes though. there also are times when the cup is kicking your ass and they just pick the one you don't , doesn't happen too often, but often enough to mention.

[Akira]

I remember this game fondly. The first two games in the series were kinda so-so to me, and I never played either of them past a week or two after purchase. Budokai 3 had a great roster, great gameplay mechanics, and was extremely fun to play with a friend. I played the game extensively with my cousins, and the hated Dragon rush mode there became a game of keep away from the hyper mode character, and trying to trick people into getting nailed by it. I can still see my cousin and I hitting buttons during Dragon rush, and him saying to me "You didn't go triangle did you? Because if you did, you're going to regret it." It was lots of fun.

I also remember the greatest hits version debacle, where the re-release of the game was supposed to be the extras version with extra character skins and modes, but the initial batch sent to retailers was just reprints of the standard edition. If I remember correctly, I was the one who identified that copies that looked to have been re-shrink wrapped without the standard folded corners pattern as being the copies to contain the extras. (Possibly cases opened and re-packaged with the correct disk at the manufacturer) and helped the community here in obtaining the updated game.

It was definitely a high point in the franchise as far a Dragonball fighting games go. After that, the amazing Super Dragonball Z came out, and I loved that game too. While different, it was a fantastic fighting game first, and a good Dragonball game second. Those two games went with me to every family get together to play with my cousins.

I'm sorry to say that Infinite World and Burst limit didn't live up to Budokai 3 Extras version in my eyes, but were still decent games. Nowadays, everything is an extension of the Sparking/Budokai Tenkaichi series, which I can't be bothered with. I had a couple of those games on PS2 and couldn't stand them, as they were only good at simulating dragonball flight, and the "fighting" if you could even call it that, was either a generic melee combo or spamming ki attacks and combos from a distance.

I passed on Raging Blast 1 & 2, Ultimate Tenkaichi, and basically every Sparking clone that has come since. Didn't even buy them because I knew what they were about. I bought Battle of Z, based on a friend recommendation, and played it for a total of two days. It was just more of the same. I have a bad feeling this Xenoverse game is going to be the same way on the new consoles.

Maybe someday we'll get another game like Budokai 3 or Super DBZ, but it seems unlikely. Super DBZ would be an awesome downloadable game with online play added, but that is nothing more than a pipe dream this far after the fact. I still like the Dragonball franchise, but they haven't put out a great game since the PS2 days. Getting the HD collection on Xbox 360 and being able to replay Budokai 3 was about the best thing to happen, and even then there was no online play. So, as I'm now in my mid-30's, and online play is how I game with my cousins in our adult years, living so far apart, I doubt we'll ever be able to re-kindle that fun of our youth with a Dragonball game ever again.

Sad, yes, but that's what I remember when I think back on Budokai 3..

[DBZAOTA482]

Fun Fact: Budokai 3, Super DBZ, and Hyper Dimensions are the only DBZ games to be featured on the Shoryuken wiki. Quite a feat for licensed fighters.

Oh and trust me, Xenoverse is not gonna be like Sparking or it's clones cuz Dimps' behind it.