Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 similar games & best alternatives

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Wii, PlayStation 2 • 2007

Should you play it?

Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is a 1vs1 fighting game based on the anime/manga Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. It includes the apocalyptic battles and the essence of the Dragon Ball series following the main story of the popular manga. As in the previous games of the series, you'll have to select your character (over 162 characters with their own movements and combos) and fight against a friend or the computer in many different game modes with many different stages and weather/time conditions.

What works

  • Massive character roster with unique moves
  • Fast-paced, deep combat system
  • Faithful anime presentation and sound
  • Multiple engaging game modes
  • Character customization and progression

Things to keep in mind

  • Online mode suffers from lag and connectivity issues
  • Motion controls can be awkward and tiring
  • Story mode is thinner and less refined
  • Some repetitive content and character similarities
  • Framerate locked at 30fps affecting smoothness

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

More social

Games that feels like Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 but with more teamwork and cooperation

More intimate

Games that feels like Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 but with more focus on close relationships

Less exploratory

Games that feels like Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 but with less exploration of areas and secrets

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Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. These titles are not in What to play next.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Fellowship, Domination. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Fantasy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership.

Last update: 02/09/2026