Two heavy-hitters from the Dragon Ball arena fighter legacy, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Raging Blast 2, stand as pillars of their respective console generations. Tenkaichi 3, released on PS2 and Wii, is often hailed as the peak of Dragon Ball rosters and freeform 3D combat. Raging Blast 2, the HD-era follow-up, aimed to evolve that same formula on the PS3/Xbox 360, pushing visuals and combat to new heights. Both games share a similar DNA—massive character lists, cinematic super attacks, and faithful recreations of anime-style battles—but which one stands tall as the superior Dragon Ball arena fighter?
Campaign
Budokai Tenkaichi 3 delivers an iconic, robust Dragon History mode that closely follows the original anime arcs—from the Saiyan Saga to GT and even movie battles. Each scenario is crafted with care, featuring cutscenes that capture the show’s emotional beats and spectacle. The branching mission paths, surprise fights, and alternate outcomes (like winning as villains) add great replayability. This mode isn't just fanservice—it’s a love letter to the series with over 160 unique fights, many featuring dynamic mid-battle dialogue and transformations. Add in character-specific training modes and challenges, and BT3 offers a campaign worth sinking hours into.
Raging Blast 2, on the other hand, ditches traditional story modes in favor of the Galaxy Mode, where each character has their own battle path made of preset missions with unique objectives. While it gives players a reason to try out everyone in the roster, it lacks narrative cohesion. There’s no central story arc or cutscene structure, which makes the experience feel disconnected despite the variety in mission types. The inclusion of the animated “Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans” OVA was a nice bonus, but doesn’t fully replace a fleshed-out campaign.
Winner: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Gameplay
Both games utilize full 3D arena combat, allowing for dynamic movement, aerial battles, beam struggles, and long-range skirmishes. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 features a refined combat system built on speed, reaction, and tactical use of Ki. It emphasizes timing with teleport counters, evasive moves, and precise combos. Every character (and there are over 160) has a distinct moveset, transformation tree, and ultimate attacks. Despite the PS2's hardware, the game runs smoothly, and the depth of its fighting mechanics—especially in versus mode—is impressive. It’s accessible to casual fans but allows for complex, competitive matches.
Raging Blast 2 builds upon that same foundation but with added mechanics and high-definition polish. The combo system was expanded, air juggling became more prominent, and new techniques like Raging Soul and Smash Attacks added depth. The hit impact feels weightier, and destructible environments enhance immersion. Characters have improved animations and camera angles for their attacks. However, the game can feel slightly floatier, and the learning curve is steeper, especially with timing windows for combo chains. While the controls are tighter, the pacing is a bit slower than BT3, and some fans found it less intuitive.
Ultimately, Raging Blast 2 improves on some mechanics, but Tenkaichi 3 strikes a better balance between speed, variety, and fun factor.
Winner: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
Production
Visually, Raging Blast 2 is the obvious evolution. Running on newer hardware, it boasts higher-resolution character models, smoother animations, and flashy effects that closely mimic the anime. Super attacks feature better camera angles, particle effects, and destructible battlefields that make fights feel more epic. The soundtrack delivers high-energy rock and synth that fits the tone, though the Western release lacked some of the Japanese score. The voice acting includes the full English and Japanese cast with strong performances.
Tenkaichi 3, while graphically dated compared to RB2, still holds up well due to its strong art direction and stylized cel-shading. Attacks are vibrant, characters are expressive, and arenas are full of life. It features more maps, including day/night cycles and weather effects that affect transformations. The soundtrack, while replaced in Western releases due to licensing, remains nostalgic and energetic. BT3 also features excellent audio cues and dynamic in-battle voice lines that react to what’s happening, which adds immersion even without high-end visuals.
RB2 takes the lead in raw visual and technical fidelity, but Tenkaichi 3 shines in charm, atmosphere, and sheer scale.
Winner: Raging Blast 2
Budokai Tenkaichi 3 remains the gold standard for Dragon Ball arena fighters thanks to its massive content, story mode, and smooth mechanics. Raging Blast 2 is technically superior in visuals and offers deeper mechanics—but lacks the soul and scope of its predecessor. For legacy and fun, Tenkaichi 3 takes the crown.
Overall Winner: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
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