Master Strife's Ultimate Budokai Training - Guide for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai

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                                      /____/ TRIFE'S BUDOKAI TRAININING




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=Chapters=
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1. Introduction
2. Moves
3. Characters
4. Master Strife's "Art of Combat"
5. Training
6. The World Martial Arts Tournament
7. Fighting Your Friends 
8. Dragon Balls
9. Master Strife's Special Capsule Combos
10. Conclusion




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=Introduction=
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Ok, lets be honest, you've probably gone through countless Budokai strategy guides, searching for some way to make yourself better at this game. Well, I am here. I will take you through ways to make yourself the best Budokai warrior EVER! So, are you ready?




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=Moves=
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Ok, I won't explain to you the basics, because I trust that you know them by now. Instead, I'll explain rushing attacks, super moves, etc.

Rushing Attacks: A rushing attack is when you don't give your opponent a chance to fight back with a string of combos. The best way to do this is to land about 4 punches on them, then a kick, and then land a Ki Blast on them before they hit the ground. When they get up, hit them with your basic special attack (Vegetas' Galik Gun, Trunks' Buster Cannon, Hercules' Dynamite Kick) and they'll go back down.

Ultimate Attack: Ultimate attacks are the attacks that do the most damage. Examples of these are Trunks' Burning Attack, Vegetas' Big-Bang-Attack, and Hercules' Present for You. They turn the arena into a crater (save The Hyperbolic Time Chamber and The World Martial Arts Tournament) and send your enemy to the other side of the arena. Use this when your opponent is down to about their last bar of health or if you want to make sure that your opponent won't knock you out of the ring.

Flying Attacks: Flying attacks are moves that you do when you're dashing at an enemy. Do them to knock your opponent away from you. Use this if you need to power up a little. Another type of flying attack is when you send your opponent flying without dashing. The basic ways to do this are 5-punch combos and a basic punch-kick combo.

Time Waster Attacks: These are attacks that take time off the clock. Basically, these are moves that cause you to do a lot in your cinema mode. Use them when you wanna run down the clock.

Knockdown Attacks: These are attacks that bring your opponent's face to the ground right in front of you. The best way to do this is a basic 5-kick combo. My personal favorite for this however is the punch+kick, or hitting the basic control: R1. Use this to do some damage by bringing your opponent down and shooting them with Ki Blasts while they're laying there. You can also do this to get a chance to power up.

Burst Attack: Burst attacks are a basic move, but some people don't have the right strategy when doing it. The best way to win a burst attack is to rotate both analog sticks to get more hits in. I always win with this strategy.




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=Characters=
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Ok, I will explain each characters strengths and weaknesses as well as their special attacks. When you see a *, that means that I have done a lot of research on this character (in other words, I REALLY know what I'm talking about). Well here you go:

*Android 16: Android 16 is definitely a powerhouse. He has the highest strength in the game as well as considerable amount of defense. His only drawback, he's slow. This guy has standard special moves, but no transformations. Personally, I think #16's Hellfire Flash is one of the coolest looking move in the game. Overall, #16 is good in a fight with your friends in The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but because he is so slow he doesn't make a good World Martial Artist.

*Android 17: Ok, I'm lying, I haven’t done a considerable amount of research on #17 because I have done a considerable amount of research on #18. I didn't research #17 but I say I do because #17 and #18 are carbon copies of each other. I will explain #17's abilities in #18's description.

*Android 18: Ok, the Android twins are both fast and average powered fighters. Their moves are based mostly on Ki and they have no transformations, so I recommend you put Gero's Perpetual Energy on them. As far as I know also (which is pretty far), the two robot twins have no Ultimate Attack, however I don't have Breakthrough for either of them. When I do however, I will make an updated version of my Budokai Training. Overall, use the twins in a World Martial Arts Tournament, just make sure you have Perpetual Energy.

Android 19: Android 19 plays nothing like his other android counterparts. #19 is slow and only has average power, but I believe he has above average defense. #19 has basic special attacks accept for his life-suck. In fact, If it weren't for life suck #19 wouldn't even be worth playing. Overall, don't bother upgrading this one, stick to the normal version.

Capt. Ginyu: The Captain is a good guy to use against your enemies, not your friends. Ginyu has basic special attacks, power, speed, and defense besides his Body Switch. The body switch move makes a lot of people mad. Your best strategy with Ginyu is to let the enemy beat you up until you reach your last bar of health, then pull the Switch. After you two have pulled the big Switch, finish uh...yourself off with whatever is at your uh...enemy's disposal. Overall, use Ginyu in both World Martial Arts Tournaments and Duels, just make sure you Duel the computer. However, if your friend uses Ginyu, use a custom character that you haven't customized. That way, your friend lets you beat him up, he pulls the switch only to find that you have no special attacks, and you finish...yourself with Ginyu's other attacks.

Dadoria: Don't even bother with this guy. He sucks so bad, I'm not even gonna do a write-up on him.

*Frieza: Frieza is uhh...different. While he has the basic special attacks like everyone else, he can still sorta psyche you out. I say this because when he dodges to the side, there is a "bling" noise and he disappears from his previous position to where he dodges to. Eventually, it annoys you enough that you lose focus. Besides that, the Frieza's Ship capsule that revives Frieza to full health and gives him better power than he had before can really do a number in a regular duel (not in the World Martial Arts Tournament, health matters very little there). Overall, Frieza is good in no matter what situation, but with Frieza's Ship you are unstoppable when fighting your friends.

Kid Gohan: Little Gohan is classified as a Saiyan, but fights more like a Human. His transformation is Unlock Potential, not Super Saiyan. However, his attacks are OK, but not great. I suggest investing more time into Teen Gohan rather than Kid Gohan. Overall, use this kid when you're fighting Capt. Ginyu, otherwise forget it.

*Teen Gohan: Teen Gohan is much better than his childhood side. Gohan has 2 transformations and a cool-looking Ultimate Attack, so he's basically a typical Saiyan. However, unless Gohan is your favorite character on the show, don't invest much into him. Overall, Gohan is good, but invest more into your favorite Saiyan.

*Goku: Goku is really good if you can gather enough Ki. Because he has 4 transformations, his power is the best at Super Saiyan. The bad part is, you can't use Spirit Bomb as a Super Saiyan, so your Ultimate Attack is only a little above average. Overall, invest time into Goku, it'll be worth it.

Gt. Saiyman: Ok, as lame as his attacks sound, he is the cheapest character in the game. His Justice Punch is unblockable unless you block the whole combo, and if the attack lands...you go down. Then when you get up, the attack is launched again. Besides that, Saiyman has average attacks and no Ultimate Attack as far as I know. Overall, use Saiyman in the World Martial Arts Tournament because he can keep your opponent down.

*Hercule: As weak as Hercule is on the cartoon, he is one of the best in the game. His Dynamite Kick is devastating against an opponent for your basic special attack. Also, Hercule's Ultimate Attack strongly relates to his specialty with bombs. In fact, his best moves relate to his weakness, then hurling the enemy on accident, then taking all the glory. Overall, use Hercule in all situations and if you get a chance for Breakthrough with him, TAKE IT!

Krillin: Krillin is OK, but I don't recommend spending TOO much on customizing him. His speed is good and has average power. His Ultimate Attack is cool looking, but doesn't turn the arena into a crater like everybody else’s. Overall, use Krillin in fights with your friends, he is too weak for the World Martial Arts Tournament.

*Piccolo: I highly recommend Piccolo for both Duels and World Martial Arts Tournaments. His Hellzone Grenade is just like everybody else’s Ultimate Attack, but his power is above average and nothing else suffers. Also, his Special Beam Cannon is good for his other cinema energy attack, which I have named their "Super Attack". But, the best thing is you can do Sync with Nail (Piccolo’s first transformation) as soon as the battle starts. Overall, use Piccolo in all situations, I highly recommend him.

Racoome: Raccome is sorta lame, but he is still pretty good. I don't recommend investing money into capsules for him, so just keep to his basic mode. Raccome is slow and powerful, and has average special attacks. Overall, this guy is a lot like #16, but I suggest using #16 opposed to Raccome.

Tien: Tien is a lot like Yamcha as far as special attacks and abilities go. His Tri-Beam is cool looking, but it has the same attack power as everybody else’s Ultimate Attacks. Overall, stick to Yamcha opposed to Tien, Yamcha has some better skills than Tien, which I will explain in Yamcha's description.

*Trunks: Trunks is one of my favorite characters to use in a fight. Like all my favorite characters, I personally suggest getting Breakthrough for him, but I strongly recommend it for Trunks because of his 3 Super Saiyan transformations. Overall, Trunks is just like all the other Saiyans, but Trunks has Super Trunks2 (Oh yeah, use Trunks in both World Martial Arts Tournaments and Duels).

*Vegeta: Vegeta is really good and his attacks look cool. From what I have noticed, Vegeta is the faster of the Super Saiyans, and he doesn't suffer for it in any other areas. His Big-Bang-Attack is easy enough to execute, and it does a lot of damage. Overall, look for Breakthrough for this Saiyan Prince, and use him like you would Trunks.

*Yamcha: Yamcha is really good in World Martial Arts Tournaments because his special attacks send the enemy flying. I highly recommend looking for Breakthrough for this human, but if you can't afford it, buy regular capsules. Overall, I highly recommend making an effort to make this guy stronger. You may not be able to beat your friends as easily as you could with The Super Saiyan Squad, but you can make serious cash in Tournaments. 

Zarbon: Zarbon is mainly based on physical attacks, so he isn't that powerful. However, I don't really know the full extent of Zarbon's abilities because I have focused on better players. Overall, invest in Zarbon if you want, but don't try to get Breakthrough for him, there are better fighters.




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=The Art of Combat=
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Ok, now its time to learn how to fight well. 

1. Always remember, never toy with your opponent. When you toy with them, they go at you hard and finish you off.

2. Never give your opponent a chance to fight back.

3. The most basic special attacks (Hercule's Dynamite Kick, Vegeta's Galik Gun) are the best. They don't require much energy, they’re easy to do, and do a considerable amount of damage when they're strung together and when you consider how easy they are to do. 

4. Always finish your opponent as quick as possible, don't ever linger.

5. Make sure you know your opponent, your arena, and yourself before fighting.

6. There is no rule against hitting your opponent while they are down, so do it.

7. There is no shame in losing to an opponent, but there is in quitting.

8. In the World Martial Arts Tournament, ringing out your opponent is just as good as KOing them. Always try for a ring out before a KO, they take less time.

9. Taunting your opponent when they're down is a good strategy, but make sure to do so when they're down. If you do it while they're powering up, they'll shoot you with a Ki Blast and continue powering up (you can't stop taunting soon enough before the blast is too close unless you have Gero's Ki Shield or Goku's Ki Reflection Suit...or whatever).

10. Learn how to predict your opponents move before they happen. That way, you can block it before the combo takes effect.

11. Always strive to make yourself a better fighter. The more you beat the Expert Mode on The World Martial Arts Tournament, the easier it will become.

12. Remember, your greatest opponent is yourself. Try to beat your own specialized characters with basic characters.

13. Always use your Ultimate Attack to give your opponent a disadvantage. If you're fighting on Kami's Tower and you’re about to be knocked off, pull your Ultimate Attack to eliminate the ring-out factor and take a good chunk of health off your opponent. Also, if you ring-out your opponent on a level besides the World Martial Arts Tournament, pull your Ultimate Attack, there’s no reason for an upper ring anymore ^_^.

14. Work on dodging your opponents’ combos and Ki Blasts opposed to blocking. Dodging doesn't take Ki to do and it’s just as effective as blocking if not more.

15. Always remember, your goal in Budokai is to make things go BOOM!




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=Training=
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Ok, I want you to go to the Training section and pick your best character. Pick your opponent to be Goku (unless you’re best character is Goku, in that case pick Piccolo). Choose your arena as The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Now, pick the AI options as Match on very easy. Practice your basic special attack (Hercule's Dynamite Kick, Vegeta's Galik Gun, Trunks's Buster Cannon) and powering up when your enemy is down. After this, practice transforming and your Ultimate Attack. Next, try knocking your opponent down and shooting them with Ki Blasts. After you have that down, practice blocking your opponents’ attacks. Then, move your difficulty levels up until you get to very hard. Now practice ring-outs on the World Martial Arts Tournament. Do the same 5-step difficulty process until you have mastered Very Hard. Now you are ready.




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=World Martial Arts Tournament=
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This is it. This is the place where it is all decided. This is where you make some serious dough. There are 3 levels of play, Novice, Advanced, and Expert. If you've never done this before, I recommend you beat Novice at least 3 times in a row with ease. If you can't do it easily, practice a little more. After you feel comfortable, move on to Advanced. You should get a REAL good feel of Advanced before moving onto Expert. When they say expert, they mean EXPERT. This is 3 times as hard as Advanced. Once you have mastered this, you truly deserve the title of Master. 




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=Fighting Your Friends=
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This is your true test. This is why you train hard, win Tournaments and upgrade your characters. Your friends are your ultimate enemy. They don't give into sneaky strategy unless they don't know what your doing, and they use special attacks at any given chance. The best way to beat a friend is the 5th rule of The Art of Combat. When you know your enemy, find the character to use. Another way is to use a well-rounded character like Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, or Trunks with Breakthrough on them (see Dragon Balls). Remember, if your friend taunts you when you’re powering up, hit him with a Ki Blast. So, what’s the goal of beating your friends, nothing in the game, but you get dignity in real life. The worse you beat your friend, the more he'll hate you, and the better he'll become, so think of it as doing him a favor.




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=Dragon Balls=
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Dragon Balls are the things dreams are made of (that and swimsuit models). To obtain them, go to Popo's Shop and check the recommended capsule. The best way to tell if it’s a dragon ball is if the recommended capsule color is silver/white. If its not, leave and come back until the capsule is the right color. If it is, the capsule will be 8000 zenny, so have plenty of cash. It'll be well worth the effort however. When you collect all 7 Dragon Balls, you can summon the Eternal Dragon. The Dragon will give you a choice of 3 characters to give the capsule called "Breakthrough" for. Breakthrough gives your character all their skills. However, if the character you want Breakthrough for isn't there, remove your memory card and select any character. However, the Dragon won't let you choose because there is no memory card present, so he will leave. When you go check your Dragon Balls again, they will still be there, so you can try again for your character. Repeat this until you get the character you want, then insert your memory card and select the character you want. 




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=Master Strife's Special Capsule Combos=
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STAY DOWN: With this capsule combo, do a 5-kick combo to bring them down. Then hit them with Ki Blasts until you lose your pattern, or until they die. If you miss your pattern, do it again until they're dead. Also, you can block unlimitedly with this.

TRUNKS
Viral Heart Disease
Vaccine
Gero's Perpetual Energy
Mixed Blood Power

BREAKTHROUGH: Use this with any good character. The best order for Breakthroughing characters is Goku, Trunks, Vegeta, Hercule, Piccolo, and then go from there.

YOU COULDN'T TAKE...YOURSELF?: With this capsule combo, you let your enemy beat you up until you're on your last bar of life, then you pull a Body Switch.

CAPTAIN GINYU
Body Switch
Gero's Perpetual Energy
Senzu Bean




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=Conclusion=
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Well, there you have it, you are on your way to becoming a master warrior. When you learn the full discipline of combat, I want you to go search for new challenges, striving to become the best warrior you can be. That is the true meaning of combat and mastery. Only when you can master yourself can you master other things. Also, if you want to contact me: e-mail me at [email protected] and make the subject "BUDOKAI". I also do plan on making an updated version of this with an improved Art of Combat, character write-ups with all of them further researched, and advanced training courses. Good hunting my students. Also be sure to check out my other strategy guides (as soon as I make them).




         
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                                      /____/ TRIFE