Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Summary
I am a Warrior, pure of heart and awakened by fury!
Those are the words of Son Goku in the Freezia Saga, just after he became the legendary Super Saiyan. Those words were then engraved into many a fan’s heart, and in turn, they too wished to become a fighter like him. In Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 3, players got a chance to live out this fantasy in 1995. Developed by Tose Software Co., and published by Bandai (before it became Bandai Namco), this 2D fighting game lets players take control of various characters from the Buu saga of Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Premise
Unlike the previous game, there is no story mode. Instead, the closest thing to it is tournament mode. Where you get to control a character and take them through the character roster. Once you do, your character is crowned tournament champ, and the credits roll. It is not much of a plot, but it does use characters from the Buu saga, so, you can loosely follow along with what each character wants.
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Main Characters
- Goku. You know who this is. He’s the shonen character. The man who can break any limit, he’s Son Goku!
- Goten. Goku’s second son looks a lot like him!
- Trunks (both in his future and younger forms). The present Trunks is okay, but let’s be honest, it’s the Future Trunks everyone loves.
- Majin Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince, currently undergoing a midlife crisis.
- Gohan. No longer a child, Gohan has become the ultimate version of himself.
- Supreme Kai. A Kai (a god), who has descended to assist the mortals with the threat of Majin Buu.
- Majin Buu. A pink puffball of terror that desires nothing less than to destroy all of creation and then eat.
- Dabura. A demon from hell. Or, to be more accurate, the king of Hell itself.
- Android 18. Though she’s a cyborg (having been born human and given cybernetic enhancements), Andriod 18 is once again on the roster.
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Titles of Video Games in the Series
For sainty’s sake, we’ll only be listing the games in the Butoden series, not every single Dragon Ball game.
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden (1993)
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2 (1993)
- Dragon Ball Z: Buyū Retsuden (1994)
- Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 (1994)
- Dragon Ball Z: Shin Butōden (1995)
- Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 (1995)
- Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension (1996)
- Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout (1997)
- Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Butōden (2011)
- Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden (2015)
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Cheat Codes
Announcer teaches player about power up codes
In VS mode, have one player on seven wins and the other on two. Next, have the seven-win player win his eighth match. After the victory dialogue, the victor will step away, then the tournament announcer will appear to teach you about the secret power-up code. Repeat the 8-2 sequence (e.g. 16 versus 4 wins and so on) and the announcer will keep showing up (every 8 versus 2 wins) until all the power-up level codes are revealed. There are six in total, so be sure to write them down!
| Effect | Effect |
|---|---|
| At the intro screen, immediately after you hear a voice talking, press Up, X, Down, B, L, Y, R, A | Extra Character |
| Hold L+X or R+X button before turn ON / reset console until Title screen. If correct, the ball color behind number “3” will become Blue. | Half-Turbo Mode |
| Hold A+B+X+Y+L+R on controller two and power on the SNES system. Release the button after Goku’s Kamekameha. | Turbo mode |
Power Ups
Before a fight, while the characters talk to each other, enter these codes to power-up your character and strengthen your attacks. If done correctly, your character should charge up.
| Effect | Effect |
|---|---|
| Up, L, Down, Y | 1 |
| Left, R, L, Right | 2 |
| Down, X, Up, R | 3 |
| L, R, Up, Down, Y, X, Left, Right | 4 |
| Up, L, Up, R, Up, Y, Up, X | 5 |
| Left, R, Up, X, Right, Y, Down, L | 6 |
Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 3 Cheat Code FAQs
Who are the characters in Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden 3?: The playable cast is Goku, Goten, Trunks (both in his future and younger forms), Majin Vegeta, Gohan, Supreme Kai, Majin Buu, Dabura, and Android 18.
When does this game take place? In the Buu Saga, seven years after the events of the Cell Saga. Most of the main cast has grown up, and Son Goku is getting a day off from being dead.
How do you unlock Future Trunks? At the intro, (where Vegeta fades into Gokuu) press Up, X, Down, B, L, Y, R, A. You will hear a small “whacking” sound and in the character selection screen, adult Trunks will be right above Majiin Buu.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Bandai Namco.