Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is the third installment in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, developed by Spike for PlayStation 2 and Wii. The game features 162 playable characters, placing it among the largest rosters in fighting game history at the time of its release. The behind-the-back camera perspective from the previous entries is retained, with all major technical systems refined and several new mechanics introduced. Sonic Sway is a new evasion technique that allows the player to dodge an opponent's weak melee strikes and immediately counter before the attacker recovers their stance, though it provides no protection against Rush or Smash attacks.

The Z Burst Dash replaces the standard Dragon Dash with a faster, more evasive movement that allows the player to maneuver behind the opponent at high speed for either a follow-up strike or an evasion. The technique drains energy quickly unless specific Z-items offset the cost. Z-Counter enables a block-and-counter response that teleports the character behind the attacker. Blast Combos chain a blast attack into the end of a standard melee sequence by inputting an additional button, dealing extra damage at the cost of energy. The Rush Ki Wave is a new combo finisher exclusive to select characters that sends the opponent flying with a one-handed charged beam.

The day and night stage system allows certain characters to transform into Great Ape forms by harnessing moonlight during nighttime battle conditions, introducing accuracy to scenes from the source material that depended on the lunar cycle. Battle Replay captures up to seven fights and saves them to an SD card for later review, offering multiple camera angles and the ability to remove the HUD for cleaner playback. The Wii version supports online multiplayer through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the first game in the series to offer that capability, while the PlayStation 2 version compensates with Disc Fusion, which unlocks extra modes by inserting Budokai Tenkaichi 1 or 2 discs during play.

Dragon History replaces the adventure-map structure of previous story modes with a redesigned format that integrates cutscenes into the fabric of active battles. Dialogue appears at the bottom of the screen while the fight continues, and what characters say shifts depending on the match's current state. One-hit KO kills are possible in story mode when the player delivers the same finishing blow used to defeat that opponent in the source material. The mode spans the Saiyan, Frieza, Android, Majin Buu, and GT sagas, multiple Dragon Ball film adaptations, the original Dragon Ball series, and a What If saga exploring alternative outcomes. The story mode is notably shorter than those in the previous two Budokai Tenkaichi games, omitting certain battles like Piccolo versus Cell and Gohan versus Super Buu.

Ultimate Battle mode includes several sub-modes: Sim Dragon, Mission 100, and Survival, plus Disc Fusion on PlayStation 2. Dragon World Tour encompasses the World Tournament, World Martial Arts Big Tournament, Cell Games, Otherworld Tournament, and the Yamcha Game, a randomized challenge mode where the final opponent is always Yamcha. Completing the Yamcha Game on Level 2 unlocks the Evening Desert stage, while Level 3 completion unlocks the playable character Fasha. DP Battle in Duel mode allows team building with a points cap of 10, 15, or 20 Destruction Points, limiting roster access based on each character's assigned cost.

A new Z Point system replaces Budokai Tenkaichi 2's leveling approach, with accumulated Z Points increasing the number of Z-Items a character can equip. The Z Point total thus directly governs how extensively any fighter can be customized for a given match. The Wii version accepts Classic Controller and GameCube controller inputs as alternatives to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, with critics noting that the Classic Controller configuration performs better for competitive play.

Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is widely considered the definitive entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi sub-series and one of the most celebrated Dragon Ball fighting games ever released. Its roster size, franchise coverage, and mechanical refinements set a benchmark that later Dragon Ball fighting games spent years attempting to match. The inclusion of characters from the original Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball GT, and the full film catalog gave it a comprehensiveness that distinguished it from contemporary titles and cemented its status among long-term fans of the franchise.

The Wii version's online capability was a significant milestone for the series, expanding competitive play to a global scale for the first time. A GameStop-exclusive release with a bonus DVD compiling fan-voted top ten fights from the television series marked the game's launch in North America. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 remained a reference point in discussions of Dragon Ball gaming for more than a decade after its release, and its roster philosophy directly influenced Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, which would eventually surpass its character count.