Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Wii
User Score
8.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 39
  3. Negative: 4 out of 39

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  1. helena23
    Nov 8, 2011
    8
    this is the best dbz game, much better than ps3 xbox360 games, although a bit accurate lacking, the motion controls work well and feels great making final flash and kamehameha, this game is a dream come true for dbz fans, dont pay attention to bad reviews, this is the best dbz game ever alongside super butoden 2 for snes, of course its not perfect this game deserves 8/10 always.
  2. Watermelon789
    Jul 10, 2011
    7
    It's good responsive and entertaining, kind of tired with the awkward and weird fighting formula. Giving the addition to use the GC controller to it feels even more weird , is a mess and uncool.
  3. Folstar
    Jun 24, 2011
    6
    [THE GOOD] There is so much to this game it is breathtaking. So many characters, stages, game modes, etc... it is a DB/Z nerdgasm. The tutorial mode alone will consume over an hour of your time, which brings me to- [THE BAD] The controls for this game are mind boogling. Motion commands are neat but inconsistent, timing based moves are inconsistent, character movement can be erratic, each control scheme comes with a textbook or confusing tutorial, and [THE UGLY] certain combos are amazingly overwhelmingly awesome and broken. The computer likes to use these, but only sometimes, making for even more inconsistency and frustration. If you figure out these combos your friends will refuse to play with you. [TL;DR] Very cool game that is difficult to learn (like, you could learn how to throw real Kamehameha waves in a similar amount of time).… Expand
  4. DannyM.
    May 12, 2008
    8
    The controls have a very steep learning curve, but once you get practiced with them (be prepared to spend hours doing just that) then combat becomes visceral and clever, more than a simple rock, paper, scissors mechanic. The difficulty ranges from incredibly easy to downright impossible, varying almost arbitrarily (defeating Vegeta is much harder than defeating Frieza, for example), making the story mode very infuriating. The scripting is a good inclusion. but is marred by the fact it prohibits the game in terms of storytelling and needs polishing. The core fighting experience is superb and very replayable, it's just a shame that many other parts of the game seem to be half-baked. Most of the negative user reviews on Metacritic are based on false experiences but there's still plenty against the game. Really, they've had enough chance to polish the experience. Rather than replacing how all the non-fighting stuff works, they should follow the example of the combat system and polish what is already there as opposed to scraping the old modes.… Expand
  5. JeromeG.
    Jan 22, 2008
    10
    Yes the game needs improvements a couple of things that I can just list off the top of my head....but the game is real fun and the best yet and I wish I could tell em everything that need to be improved I got a lot of good ideas.
  6. TomL.
    Jan 10, 2008
    10
    For a Dragon Ball fan such as myself, this newest installment in the Dragon Ball games is the best one yet. The controlls are extremely easier to learn than any of the other games but not only that, you actually get to do the motions of attacks such as Majin Buu's Chocolate Beam, Vegeta's Final Flash, and the oh so famous Kame-hame-ha attack! Could it get any better?! YES! If any of you have played BT2 then you know that in BT3 all the characters abilities and base skill levels: speed, attack, special... are all based out of the series. So no more of yamcha kicking Broly's @$$, unless you really dont know how to play. Transformations are even cooler than before and in this version you can't be an epuip item monger. Basically everyone has an even playing ground in single player, two player and even online. This is the best fighter game for the Wii hands down. And for those of you who gave it less than 9, you must not know how to play, otherwise you would love the game!… Expand
  7. IvanP.
    Dec 29, 2007
    9
    This game is amazing, and if you hear people say that you always have to fight the same way and same buttons its not true. you can change your fighting styles even try to change your comand styles in option mode.theres so many charecters and cool modes.Like sim dragon where you train for 10 days and fight someone in the 10th day. then you keep going until day 70.However it gets really hard so get really good if you ever want to try it. so i really recomend this game its the best fighting on the wii.… Expand
  8. MattP.
    Dec 29, 2007
    4
    I really liked the last installment of this game (I've only played it on the Wii), in fact, i play it quite a lot. After hearing so much about the improved controls in Tenkaichi 3, I went out and spent a little XMas money on this game after stalling until the end of finals. So far, I'm hugely disappointed, and eve that sounds like an understatement. I really liked the story mode in Tenkaichi 2 but heard that "History" had been altered a bit in the latest outing. "Altered" doesn't even begin to describe how horribly the story mode is implemented. The fights are heavily scripted... scripted fights in a fighting game-- am I the only one who feels that this is a crime against gamers? Odds are stacked against you, the first fights are nearly impossible (and I have an easy time with Tenkaichi 2) (Raditz, for example, can't be knocked back or phased by normal attacks so he can grab and throw you whenever he wants). Once Vegeta returned to full energy after turning into a monkey, I just put the controller down and turned off the Wii. This is *not fun.* It's like they tried to find ways to sap all of the fun out of the game by jacking with the control scheme (am I the only one who doesn't enjoy flying around the arena out of control and unable to stop? Yeah, that's fun). In brief, they've taken a tip from modern RPGs and have replaced gameplay with sitting and watching pointless dialog and scripted scenes. It's boring, it's frustrating, and, most importantly, it's not fun. I haven't enjoyed this game for a second.… Expand
  9. DonF.
    Dec 27, 2007
    1
    Game does not work on Wii controllers. You have to use the old gamecube controllers for it to work, thus I took it back since I don't have any old gamecube controllers. I thought is was just a problem with the game disc so I returned for a new one and it does some thing. My other Wii games all work fine with Wii controller, this one doesn't. I wouldn't recommend it unless you like to use old controllers.… Expand
  10. LiR.
    Dec 15, 2007
    10
    Don't listen to the other guy, obviously didn't play it much. First let's get this out of the way: the controls are changed from how they handled in DBZ:BT2 in a GOOD way. More motions are used for certain things but using your powers and doing combos feels more intuitive and it tons more visceral than before. Now you actually have to hod your hands back to charge a Kamehameha and push forward to release, and the other motions are much more varied. The annoying cursor is GONE, and the game handles a lot faster, slowdown is barely ever noticeable as opposed to the previous games, animations and attacks are flashier and overall just look better. More characters are unlocked from the start but tons more can be unlocked. Story mode is a lot more interesting this time around as conversations happen as you battle and you can either follow the scripted story scenes and switch between characters or just beat em dead if you can. This mode is nice, challenging and not a boring and long series of fights where sometimes you actually had to lose. Here you sometimes even get to be the bad guy. There's a ton of new modes and options as well as a new character customization system (all characters now are pretty good on their normal setting unlike before where you needed to level them up to be decent). Training actually lets you know how to perform moves with whichever control scheme you want and even the menus adapt so that you always know how to do your moves from the incredibly detailed skills menu. Online play is the only downside at the moment as it's a bit laggy but that's mostly my own problem as my Wii's been having problems connecting properly with online. DBZ fans MUST own this game, and evne non-fans will have a blast if they take a little bit of time to adjust to the controls. Play it!… Expand
  11. BryanM.
    Dec 5, 2007
    7
    This years Wii version is a downgrade. the controls feel less like your in the game and more like the old versions. the controls also are very sensetive. you have to do it the same way all the time so it gets a little anoying. they dont even have a story for some of the new charaters you just get them. and from what I see you dont even fight everone in the histroy mode. This will be a great game for firends but by yourself it gets old fast.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. GameDaily
    60
    While not original, Tenkaichi 3 is a must-buy for hardcore Dragon Ball fanatics.
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  2. IGN
    80
    When looking at the core gameplay, and ignoring the titles before it, BT3 is a fast, fun, and amazingly deep experience for fans of the award-winning anime.
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  3. GameSpy
    70
    If you've played any of the previous Tenkaichi titles, you know exactly what to expect here -- a relatively shallow button-masher that does a darn fine job of letting you relive the Dragon Ball experience.
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