Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

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Introduction

Based on the original B3. Not Greatest Hits.

Game Mechanics

Notations

  • p - Punch
  • k - Kick
  • g - Guard
  • e - Energy
  • P - Chargeable Punch
  • K - Chargeable Kick
  • G - Chargeable Guard
  • E - Chargeable Energy
  • > - Forward
  • < - Backward
  • >> - Forward Dash
  • << - Backward Dash
  • + - Simultaneous
  • @ - Go underneath opponent
  • & - Reset
  • * - Stun
  • - - Cancel
  • ~ - Sidestep Cancel
  • ^ - Juggle (Launch)
  • ! - Guard Break
  • !! - Unblockable
  • () - Nullify (Either P, K or E will be in parenthesis)
  • AR - Air Recovery
  • GR - Ground Recovery
  • NR - No Recovery
  • NRR - No Recovery Rolling
  • NRS - No Recovery Sliding
  • [] - Charge Dragon Thunder
  • {} - Release Dragon Thunder

-note- A * placed next to recovery notations, for example *NRR or *NRS means that the string can become non-recoverable with a delay of the last hit.

-note- When writing combos, it is not necessary to write whether or not the attack is chargeable. In fact, don't try to, it's too much trouble. However, if an attack is meant to be charged, simply bold it or use the apostrophe symbol '.

Gauges

Health
There are no rounds in B3. Each character has one health gauge which starts green then turns yellow, to orange, to red. When the health gauge is depleted, you get K.O.'d. You have the option to add on to the health gauge similar to handicaps in other fighting games. By default, you have three bars and you can add as many as four for a total of seven bars, or you may subtract bars for as little as one bar.

Ki
This represents how much Ki you have. Ki is essential to perform many actions in B3. Every characters has a maximum total of 7 Ki bars. The longer bars represent a character's Baseline Ki. Ki is explained in greater detail in the Ki section.

Fatigue
Represented by the small "person" looking icon below your health gauge. It starts off empty but as the color turns from yellow to red, your fatigue is raised. The more fatigue you have, the harder it is to win Ultimate attack struggles. This also effects your time in Hyper Mode. The fatigue gauge is raised by excessive blocking and Dragon Rush attacks. More on fatigue here.

Movement

Walk
To walk, forward or backward, simply press and hold forward or back once on the directional pad.

Dash
Dashing is done by double tapping forward or back twice and holding the direction on the second input. Dashing can be canceled by tapping guard. If you only double tap, and do not hold the direction, you will perform a "hop". While dashing you may attack with p, k, p+k and e.

-note- You can also attack with k+g, but it is the same attack as p+k

Sidestep
Sidestepping is done by pressing up or down on the directional pad along with guard, simultaneously, while standing. Some attacks can track sidesteppers.

Advanced Movement

Fly
In order to fly, start by dashing backward and press up on the directional pad. If your opponent is in the air while you are on the ground, then dashing forward automatically makes you fly. If you are in the air already and wish to take the fight back to the ground, simply dash back-wards while pressing down on the directional pad.

Break-Fall
To break-fall, tap guard just as you hit the ground from any attack that allows ground recovery. Pressing up or down along with guard will cause you to recover to the left or right. You can also perform recovery after getting hit while laying down to avoid being combo'd off the ground. Left and right recovery can also be performed while laying down to avoid standing straight up.

Dash Buffer
To dash buffer, perform a forward or backward dash while charging any attack. You would then cancel your charged attack and immediately perform the dash without the start-up. For forward dash buffers, you must be a certain distance from your opponent in order to allow the dash to happen. These dashes can be canceled just like ordinary dashes and can be used to space yourself and obtain a favorable position. You may also perform dashing attacks from forward dash buffers. For K+G, >K+G and <K+G, you need to press k and g separately instead of pressing the k+g button to buffer dashes.

Attacking

Starters
Starters, referring to starting combos or just the first attack in a string, are punches, kicks, and sometimes deathmoves and simultaneous inputs. Punches consist of p, >p and <p while kicks are similarly k, >k and <k. p is usually a character's fastest attack and your average p is among the fastest starters in B3 but lack range for most characters. For most characters, >p is of below average speed but above average reach and therefore used to attack from mid range. <p is normally among the average speed starters in B3, with exceptions of course. These attacks are commonly used defensively or to start juggle combos. Kicks are generally stronger than punches and have longer reach. k is usually a character's average speed kick and often times have the shortest reach. >k is mostly knees or sliding sweeps, so the range from character to character differs greatly but are usually the fastest of all kicks. <k is, for most of the characters, a defensive kick that nullifies attacks and is among the slowest starters in B3. More on starters in Advanced Strategy, Starter Speed and Reach section.

Energy (Ki Blast Wave)
Simply pressing e (energy) will cause your character to fire a single Ki Blast Wave. This can be done anywhere between three and five times for multiple Ki Blast Waves. Each Ki Blast Wave consumes a small amount of Ki. e (energy) can also be combined with forward (>e) and backward (<e). These are your Death Moves. This is where your damage will come from. Death Moves vary from character to character, as well as damage, type and Ki consumption. Explained in greater detail in the Capsules section.

Throw
All throws in B3 are performed by pressing p+g (punch+guard). Much like other fighting games, throws cannot be blocked and attacking opponents cannot be thrown. Some throws launch for juggle opportunities while others have so much lag that they are actually unsafe to use.

Simultaneous
p+k, p+g, k+g, p+k+g and p+k+g+e are your simultaneous inputs for B3. p+k is usually a single attack that can both be charged and nullifies as well as knock the opponent down. >P+K is much like p+k, while <P+K launches for juggle for all character's. p+g is, as explained in the previous section, to throw. k+g attacks vary from single hits to multiple hits to combo starters. Much like p+k, k+g may be altered with directional inputs (>k+g and <k+g). Not all characters have these, however. p+k+g is to transform, which is explained in the Capsules section. p+k+g+e also has it's own section, Hyper Mode.

Dash Attack
While dashing forward, press either p, k, p+k, or e. These attacks differ from character to character. While all character have a guard break from dashing attack, the actual attack is different.

Pursue
To Pursue, simply press e (energy) after knocking the opponent back in order to follow them into the air and attack. This can be done up to three times to create what is known as a "teleport tornado" or "TT". However, attacking using this method consumes Ki AND gives your opponent Ki. Be advised that this is best used to K.O. an opponent.

Beam Struggle
Beam Struggles are activated when two "blast-type" Death Moves collide. Once Beam Struggle is activated, you would rotate the analog sticks and/or mash buttons to win the struggle. The loser receives an extra bit of damage. However, not all blast-type Death Moves can be used in a Beam Struggle AND a stronger blast-type Death Move will "eat" a weaker one, explained in the Capsules section.

Burst Zone
Burst Zone is activated when two nullifying attacks collide. Much like Beam Struggles, rotate the analog sticks and/or mash the buttons to win the struggle. The loser is sent flying away and vulnerable to Pursue attacks.

Advanced Attacking

Guard Break
Most dashing attacks in B3 have guard break properties. Once a guard break occurs, the opponent staggers backward. During this time, the opponent cannot do anything and is open to be attacked. Any punch or kick landed on an opponent after a guard break has it's damage reduced by roughly 4%. All guard breaks don't occur from dashing attacks though. Some attacks strings contain a single attack that guard break and some simultaneous attacks guard break as well. There is a unique guard break animation that only Teen Gohan and Omega Shenron have access to. Their guard break keeps the opponent stationary and in a stunned state. Also, some Deathmoves break guard.

Unblockable
Unblockables in B3 work just like most games. You can't block these attacks. However, the only unblockables are fully charged attacks, some Death Moves and Ultimate attacks.

Counter Attack
The actual attack that counter-hit get a 25% attack bonus. Nothing, other than the small boost in damage, is very good about counter attacks in B3. In fact, some attacks launch the opponent into a low juggle on counter attack, which is hard to follow up on. All knees (usually >k and <k) cause a low juggle with very few exceptions (Uub's <K and Omega Shenron's >K are all I can think of at the moment). Ki Blast Waves also launch for a low juggle on counter attack.

Charge Attack
Some attacks in B3 can be charged. This works especially well in mind games. In order to charge an attack, simply hold the button input. Keep in mind that they cannot be charged forever. These attacks, when fully charged, are 50% stronger than their non-charged counterpart. While charging an attack, you can be thrown but your opponent cannot block or dodge fully charged attacks which is very useful if your charge attack nullifies. This leaves your opponent in a difficult situation to deal with.

Cancel
To cancel an attack, all that is required is for that attack to be charging. While charging an attack, press guard and you will cancel the attack into your guard. You can press up or down along with guard to cancel into a sidestep. Cancels can be used for many things such as creating combo opportunities. Sometimes you need to cancel an attack to recover quick enough to follow up with another attack while you opponent is in a stunned or juggled state. Cancels can be used to attack safely as well. Canceling the lag from one attack by canceling the following attack in a string is very helpful in attacking safely.

Stun
Some attacks in B3 have can leave your opponent temporarily stunned and unable to perform any action. These are as essential to combos as much as cancels. While some attacks have stun properties, sometimes cancels are needed to take full advantage of your stunned opponent. For example, in a situation where the attack that stuns has enough recovery frames, that you can't land a hit on your opponent before they recover from the stun. If the next attack in your string can be canceled then be sure to cancel.

Juggle
To Juggle is key to comboing with certain characters. Some characters have trouble comboing into Death Moves, so they need to launch their opponent to make this possible in lengthy combos. Juggling also helps to extend combos for characters that do not have a good number of ground strings for combos. Juggles are explained more in the Combos section and the Infinites section.

Defending

Block
To block, simply press the guard button. In B3, all attacks cause block damage. The damage from blocked attacks are reduced by 50%. However, you cannot be K.O.'d while blocking, in other words, no chip K.O. Also note that B3 does not have absolute guard (similar to 3rd Strike) allowing you to use negative edge to dodge.

Teleport
Teleporting gets you out of sticky situations. EVERYTHING can be teleported BUT at the expense of 3 Ki bars, therefore you need at least 3 Ki bars in order to teleport. To teleport press forward and guard just before getting hit by any attack or throw. After you teleport, your character will perform an automatic attack to your opponents back which sends them flying. You may follow this up with the Pursue attack.

Deflect
Any Ki Blast Wave can be deflected to avoid block damage. Simply press guard at the moment the Ki Blast Wave comes close to you. It will be deflected away.

Deflect Back
Along with being able to deflect Ki Blast Waves, you can also deflect them back at your opponent. Performed the same way as Deflect, however, stricter timing is required to Deflect Back. Keep in mind that your opponent may choose to deflect it back again. This can be performed infinitely.

Advanced Defending

Dodge
To dodge, press guard at the moment an attack would have hit you. You can only dodge punches and kicks to avoid block damage and (and more importantly) counter your opponent. Dodging consumes Ki so use sparingly. You cannot dodge fully charged attacks. You may also use negative edge to dodge.

Dodge+Counter
A very effective way to defend aggressive opponents. Most attack strings have moments in which the time between attacks within those strings allow an opponent to dodge then counter attack. Knowledge of attack strings and the holes within them is essential to utilizing this technique.

Dodge+Sidestep
Sometimes there are opportunities to dodge then perform a sidestep. These situations occur when there is not enough of a window to use dodge+counter. Again, knowledge of attack strings is essential because some strings contain attacks that will track sidesteppers. Attack accordingly after the dodge+sidestep if the opportunity presents itself.

Dodge+Back Dash
Similar to dodge+sidestep, however, dodge+back dash sets you to counter your opponents attack string with a defensive attack that nullifies, allowing you to combo then or knock them down. Of course you do not have to counter as some characters do not even have this option. More so, your opponent may use a cancel to prevent retaliation.

Teleport Cancel
You can cancel teleports by holding guard. This prevents the automatic kick and places you in a guard state. This can be used to teleport and perform a combo to an opponents back. This can also be used to run away or defend after your teleport to avoid a counter teleport from the opponent who has more Ki than you. You should pretty much ALWAYS cancel your teleport.

Nullify
Some attack in B3 nullify one attack from your opponent. Mostly, these are used defensively to counter an opponents offense and start a combo of your own. Some attacks have a different amount of frames of nullification. For example, Super Buu's <k. It nullifies early which allows it to be used to interrupt attack strings. However, nullifying attacks can be used offensively as well to place opponents in difficult defensive situations. Also, two nullifying attacks that collide will activate Burst Zone, with few exceptions.

Ki

Charging Ki
To charge your Ki manually, press and hold guard then double tap and hold backward. Once your Ki is maxed out in this manner, your character lets off a burst of energy and is invulnerable to all attacks.

Obtaining Ki
Charging Ki is not the only way to obtain it. All attacks, aside from Ki Blast, blast-type Death Moves and Hyper Mode exclusive attacks (such as Dragon Rush), add Ki when landed on an opponent, whether blocked or hit. ALL blocked attacks, aside from Hyper Mode exclusive attacks, give the opponent Ki.

Baseline Ki
The Ki gauge has a total of seven bars. The longer bars are a character's Baseline Ki. When your Ki is below Baseline, it recharges automatically at a decent rate. When your Ki is above Baseline, it automatically reduces until reaching your Baseline. Baseline Ki also effects your character's attack and guard. While at Baseline, all character's attack and guard ratings are 100%. Each Ki bar above Baseline that you obtain adds 2% to your attack. When your Ki is maxed you receive an additional 2% (Hercule receives 4%). For example, a character with a Baseline of 3 has an attack of 100%. When that character reaches five Ki bars, attack is 104%, and when maxed, attack is 110%. A character with a Baseline of 6 has an attack of 100%, but when maxed, has an attack of 104%. On the flip side, when your Ki is below Baseline, you lose 2% of your guard for each bar below Baseline. For example, a character with a Baseline of 3 has a guard of 100%. When that character has 2 Ki bars, guard is 98%, and when fully depleted, guard is 94%. A character with a Baseline of 6 has a guard of 100%, but when fully depleted, has a guard of 88%.

Taunt
To taunt, hold guard and double tap down on the directional pad. Taunting lowers your opponents Ki by one bar. However, you are very vulnerable in this state so try to perform taunts while your opponent is down.

Ki Timer
Non-Potara fusions run on ki timers rather than a normal ki system. They have unlimited ki during this time. The fusions and corresponding times are as listed.

  • Gogeta: 30 Seconds
  • SSJ4 Gogeta: 15 Seconds
  • Gotenks:
  • SSJ Gotenks:
  • SSJ3 Gotenks:

Hyper Mode

Hyper Mode is used to have access to Dragon Rush and Ultimate Attacks. Activated by pressing p+k+g+e, Hyper Mode causes your character to glow red. While in Hyper Mode your Ki is constantly decreasing and continues to do so until your Ki is fully depleted. Once this happens, your character will become fatigued or enter a "dizzy" type state. During Hyper Mode, your character will ignore any "getting hit" animations and is able to basically withstand all basic punches and kicks. You can be hit by any attack that sends you flying into the air or knocks down. It is also possible to combo into Hyper Mode with the aid of transformations.

-note- Because of the fact that Hyper Mode drains Ki and all attacks in this mode are easily avoided by running away, it is considered wise to NEVER use it. A lot of players new to B3 rely on Dragon Rush and Ultimates for big damage but the risk of failure is very high. It's better to use combos.

Dragon Rush
To activate a Dragon Rush, simply attack your opponent with any attack that sends them flying into the air or knocks down, then press e (energy). It's done the same as Pursue attacks. Dragon Rush consist of 3 stages in which you are presented with choices to continue to the next stage. In each stage, you and your opponent must choose p, k, g or e. If you both chose the same button, Dragon Rush ends and a choice of different buttons allows it to continue to the next stage. In the first stage you must choose between any of the 4 buttons and if Dragon Rush continues, the attackers button choice is no longer available. The second stage will consist of 3 choices and the third and final stage consist of 2. If the entire Dragon Rush succeeds, then a Dragon Rush finisher takes place. I have labeled them as such:

  • Dragon Rush 1 - Kick to opponents stomach then a kick to the opponents back.
  • Dragon Rush 2 - Single Ki blast thrown at opponent.
  • Dragon Rush 3 - Rain of Ki blast down upon opponent.
  • Dragon Rush 4 - Series of one finger Ki blast.
  • Dragon Rush 5 - Two handed, one finger Ki blast, unique to Third Form Frieza.

There are a few special Dragon Rush enders explained in the Capsules section.

Ultimate Attacks
Ultimate attacks are done by pressing P+K+G+E while in Hyper Mode. You must have the Ultimate Attack equipped in your capsule tray. Ultimates can be charged and therefore canceled. The Ultimate Attack is unblockable but easily avoided. Ultimate Attacks are usually the most damaging attacks in B3 but the risk of failure is great. Often times you can perform a combo with much more success and just as much, if not more, damage than an Ultimate.

Fatigued
When your Ki is fully depleted in Hyper Mode you get fatigued. While in this state, you must rotate the analog sticks and/or mash buttons to lessen the time spent fatigued. However, Hyper Mode is not the only way you can be fatigued. If you are hit while your fatigue gauge is full, while your Ki is less than one bar, you enter the fatigued state and lose any non-permanent transformation.

Capsules

Each character has a capsule tray with 7 slots in which to fill to customize your character to your liking. There are also various types of capsules: Ability, Equipment and Item capsules. Ability and Equipment capsules are activated at the start of the battle with a few exceptions. The capsule system is not required to play B3, you may choose the "Normal" option for a character with pre-set ability capsules. However, the capsule system does add an extra amount of depth to B3. For details on capsule set-ups, refer to Capsule Set-ups in Basic Strategy.

Breakthrough
The Breakthrough capsule is a 7 slot capsule that gives a character all of their ability capsules. All Death Moves, Dragon Rush Enders and Ultimate Attacks are triple stacked in Breakthrough. This makes them 50% stronger. However, a good capsule set-up is much better than Breakthrough for all characters.

Ability

Ability capsules are the red capsules and are all of your character's techniques. These (not all) can be double stacked, or placed twice within your capsule tray, for a 25% damage bonus. These differ from character to character, so check your character's section for more information.

Transformations
Transformations affect characters differently depending on the transformation and the character. To transform, press p+k+g. For more information, check each character's section. Transformations are the fastest attacks in the game and they all have guard break properties. Also, while transforming, you are invulnerable to all attacks. Transformations can also be used to juggle opponents. Transformations add a number of things to a character. It can raise attack power, raise Baseline Ki, add reach to a character and can grant access to a Death Move. Each transformation required that you have a certain amount of before transforming as well. Transformations can only be single stacked in your capsule tray. Again, for more information check your character's section.

Death Moves
Death Moves are where your damage will basically come from. Death Moves are performed with either, >e or <e, but some are at the end of attack strings. They must, of course, be equipped in your capsule tray. All Death Moves can be double stacked for 25% more damage. Death Moves consume Ki but the actual amount differs, usually one or two Ki bars as there are level 1 and level 2 Death Moves. There are three types, blasts, beams, and physical. Blasts are much larger, and obviously more powerful, than typical energy attacks. Beams are practically identical to blasts, except they look more like rays and they initiate a Beam Struggle if both players perform one simultaneously. Physical Death Moves are punches and kicks basically. Most of these can be in the middle of combos for nice damage as they contain points in which you can cancel. Some Death Moves can only be accessed through transformation. What this means is you have to transform before you can use that Death Move. For more information on individual Death Moves, see a character section.

Dragon Rush Enders
As stated in the Hyper Mode section, Dragon Rush sub-section, there are a few special Dragon Rush Enders. These are held only by Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo for that extra bit of Dragon Rush damage. Check out each of these character's own section for more information. Keep in mind though, that the chances of successfully landing these in a match is very low and therefore a waist of capsule space. Anyway, All of these can be double stacked for more damage.

Ultimates
Not all character's have these either, but none of them need them anyway. Ultimates come in many forms. From being a cinematic attack, to a Fusion. The attacks can be double stacked just like Death Moves and Dragon Rush enders. Ultimates are performed by pressing P+K+G+E while in Hyper Mode. Fusions, however, take up ALL capsule space. There are two types of Fusion, Dance Fusion and Potara Fusion. Once landing the Dance Fusion Ultimate, you are presented with a number of button inputs in which you must successfully input within a specific time limit (2 seconds, I think). If successful, you enter Fusion but with a time limit. During this Fusion you have unlimited Ki but when the Fusion is over you have absolutely no Ki. Potara Fusion has a chance of failure as well, as you are presented with a choice of 4 buttons in which you and your opponent must choose one. Like Dragon Rush, if you choose the same button then Fusion fails. However, Potara Fusion is permanent. The only character's with Fusion are Goku, Goten, Vegeta, Kid Trunks and Supreme Kai. Two other unique Ultimates are Super Buu's Absorption and Captain Ginyu's Body Change. The Death Moves you automatically receive from Fusion differs for each character but, like Breakthrough, these Death Moves are triple stacked. For more information on Fusions, Absorption and Body Change, check out each corresponding character's own section.

Equipment

Equipment capsules are the green capsules and have various uses. From increasing your attack power to lowering your Ki consumption. These will more than likely be your most used capsules. For more information, please follow the link below.

Equipment Capsule List

Item

Item capsules are the yellow capsules and have various uses. These capsule are unlike most Ability and Equipment capsules, in that you have to activate them yourself. To activate an Item capsule press and hold guard, then double tap down on the directional pad, just like taunting. You can only use these once per battle and if you are hit before it is activated (during the animation) it won't work. These will probably be your least used capsules. For more information, please follow the link below.

Item Capsule List

Tier List

Two types of Tier list are in B3. A list that takes into account custom capsule set-ups with the unique character specific capsules a character may have, along with whether or not a character is dependent on transformations and therefore, a potential victim of Yakon. And a Breakthrough only Tier list that allows characters to use their transformations without the threat of Yakon, as well as all other equipment capsules being obsolete.

Custom Capsule Tier List

Top Tier:

Omega Shenron
Piccolo
Dabura
Cell

Upper Tier:

Vegeta
Teen Gohan
Android #18
Kid Buu
Krillin
Goku
Bardock
Majin Buu
Kid Goku
Super Buu

Middle Tier:

Supreme Kai
Frieza
Gohan
Trunks
Goten
Cooler
Yamcha
Tien
Kid Trunks
Android #16
Great Saiyaman
Broly

Lower Tier:

Captain Ginyu
Android #17
Dr. Gero
Raditz
Nappa
Recoome
Kid Gohan
Cell Jr.

Bottom Tier:

Uub
Videl
Saibamen
Hercule

Breakthrough Capsule Tier List

-note- This list is currently exactly like the above list since it's a new list that hasn't been discussed much. The only things that are certain at the moment are Trunks moving down and Great Saiyaman moving up.

Top Tier:

Omega Shenron
Piccolo
Dabura
Cell

Upper Tier:

Vegeta
Teen Gohan
Android #18
Kid Buu
Krillin
Goku
Bardock
Majin Buu
Kid Goku
Super Buu

Middle Tier:

Supreme Kai
Frieza
Gohan
Trunks
Goten
Cooler
Yamcha
Tien
Kid Trunks
Android #16
Great Saiyaman
Broly

Lower Tier:

Captain Ginyu
Android #17
Dr. Gero
Raditz
Nappa
Recoome
Kid Gohan
Cell Jr.

Bottom Tier:

Uub
Videl
Saibamen
Hercule

Strategy

Game Versions

The Characters

Fusions


Please check my Move List/FAQ on GameFAQs if a character page doesn't have a move list. GameFAQs doesn't allow direct linking, so copy the link and paste it in your web browser.--Escobuu 02:06, 4 June 2007 (UTC)