Budokai 3 HD Recompiled

DBZ Budokai 3 HD Collection

🎬 1.5.0 trailer: full video (ES/EN, with install tutorial) · Short

Windows | Linux

English · Español

A native PC port of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 HD Collection (Xbox 360) built on the ReXGlue SDK. The game's original PowerPC code is statically recompiled and linked into a standalone executable with its own launcher and mod system. It is a real port, not an emulator. Native Linux builds use Vulkan and SDL3.

Players	1–2 (versus)
Platform	Windows / Linux
Engine	Xbox 360 (ReXGlue SDK)
Genre	3D fighting
Version	v1.5.6

Copyright (c) 2026 NovaPowers. Released under the MIT License (see LICENSE).

⬇ Download the latest version · What's new (CHANGELOG) · How to install · Mods and new characters

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What's new in 1.5.6

Everything below was measured in test runs; "not seen" means nobody has watched or heard it in the game yet.

• Dragon Tactics (beta): 34 Budokai 3 fighters, 11 synergies, shop lock, streak gold, board inspection, saved options and an optional preparation timer; drag-and-drop with a placement preview is on; fighters get stuck less (units idle for 8 s: 12 to 4 in 20 tournaments). Buy/sell sound measured but not heard.
• Hero mode (beta): BETA banner on every creator/story screen and in the Kumite list; the native scouter is drawn with its own material (glass still black). Story text seen in French; Portuguese and Japanese generated lines stay English.
• Fusions (beta): Potara now shows in Edit Skills; Gotan and a fused Yamhan were seen fighting; a failed Yamhan no longer closes the game. The real button sequence (X, Y, A, Y, B) was not seen.
• Characters: Gogeta SS4's ultimate plays in full (it was cut off before); Majin Buu's absorption technique and label work after absorbing; Shin Budokai 1 models keep their skin; Infinite World imports use their own ultimates (rebuild with Play). The Ultra Instinct Goku beta shows its wheel and aura (voices not confirmed).
• Online (beta): on one PC, lockstep stayed in sync with 200 ms round trip, jitter, 20 % lost inputs and a slow-PC emulation; rollback (off by default) passed 25/25. Two real PCs and Windows-Linux are not tested.
• Infinite World / Budokai 2 (experimental): native ground grid and Spaceship scoreboard I-IV in Infinite World; Budokai 2 music plays from your disc. None is accepted as identical to the original; five Budokai 2 scene transitions stay off.
• Xenoverse 2 parts (experimental, YOUR copy): male Majin keeps his eyes and gets shorter legs; other races unchanged.
• Linux (beta, not tested on Linux): links and "Open folder" use xdg-open; the repair check looks for .so files; the start log lists your distribution and desktop.

Known: Select Characters at 16:9/21:9 has a box covering part of the title; the Dragon HUB at 4:3 has a bar covering part of the Tactics text. Not in this version: Crusher Ball, Piccolo Red Ribbon, Wii, Videl, Great Ape and Glacier.

What's new in 1.5.5.5

• Infinite World (Dragon Mission): the story flows from the map to the video, the minigame, the result and back; Raditz and Bubbles' ground minigames can be completed; flights, clouds, fog and battle music follow the original.
• Dragon World (Budokai 2): all nine board phases can be completed, and attacking a rival on the board starts the battle directly. Babidi's ship: enter, change floors, "Get skill!" window and battle trial with its VS card.
• Mr. Satan legend (beta): round 1 plays in full with subtitles and the legend moves through its rounds from start to finish.
• Hero mode (beta): 38 of the 52 gloves fit the poses and the fighting-style list shows all 23 styles.
• Free camera (beta) in the F1 menu. It starts off and is not saved.

What's new in 1.5.5

• Infinite World (experimental): all 96 missions playable in the USA and European versions. Budokai 2 (experimental): stable board and Babidi's ship.
• Hero mode (beta): sagas 1-3 playable; Budokai 3 parts and hairstyles (Xenoverse 2 parts are experimental and need your own copy).
• Online (beta): battles stay in sync in tests and reconnect automatically if mods differ.
• 480p internal resolution for modest PCs.

Known: online is untested in long matches between two homes, Linux is not fully tested, and some added characters show no aura yet.

What's new in 1.5.0

Release video: trailer, what's new and install tutorial (ES/EN) on NovaPowers' YouTube channel.

• Dragon HUB: rank plates (KYU 5 to MASTER), new backgrounds and hosts, fighters flying to the camera, a save icon, and BETA / EXPERIMENTAL labels on everything still under construction.
• Tag Team (beta): teleport relays, also between computer fighters (COM vs COM).
• Mods from the ISO: mods now work when you play straight from the .iso (prepared in a few seconds the first time).
• Your PS2 games with one button: "Pick ISO" for Budokai 1, Budokai 2 and Infinite World (launcher > Game, or press A inside the campaign). The game is recognised by its content and nothing is copied.
• Renewed launcher (hover help, Nova's Mods as cards, mods ON/OFF) and renewed F1 menu.
• New modes: Mission 100, Hero mode (beta, swap fighting style between fights with LB/RB), Mr. Satan legend (beta, Budokai 3 models).
• Infinite World and Budokai 2 campaigns + Babidi's Ship (EXPERIMENTAL): playable for testing; still work in progress.
• Single transformation capsule and EU version.
• Everything translated into Spanish, English, French, German and Italian (Nova's Mods descriptions too).
• Credits: 🇮🇹⚠ 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 ⚠🇮🇹 for the Infinite World decompilation.

What's new in 1.4.5.2

• Tag Team (beta): if you are knocked out of the ring and still have a partner, they come in and the fight goes on; the incoming fighter flies in and powers up with the game's own ki-charge pose (computer partners too).
• Online (beta): different mods no longer drop the connection: the panel shows what is missing and INSTALL WHAT IS MISSING downloads it from Nova's Mods. Router port opening (UPnP) and the public IP are back; playing from the same house shows the local IP.
• Kit: official ports (Goku GT, Vegeta GT, Pan, Baby, Janemba, sword Trunks, Future Gohan) rebuilt in one click with standard per-game presets; campaigns with new text that is allocated automatically (Frieza's story already uses it).

What's new in 1.4.5

• HD texture packs without stutter: HD textures are prepared in the background and swapped in gradually; the game no longer freezes when a menu or a fight loads, and turning the pack on or off (F1) is instant. It adapts to your PC's free RAM and remembers the textures you use so they are ready next time.
• SSGPrinceVegeta's HD pack on Nova's Mods: one click in the launcher downloads and installs it (2.9 GB). Fixed: 1.4.4.5 loaded no texture pack at all.
• The launcher looks after your mods: installing a zip can no longer break the mod you had; mods inside an extra folder and zips with several mods are placed automatically; names with accents, Cyrillic or Japanese work; after a crash it offers to turn off the newest mods; it warns when two mods change the same thing.
• Search boxes in profiles, Nova's Mods (also by author) and new characters; launcher fully translated to Italian, German and French.
• Controllers: with no Xbox controller connected the game switches to SDL on its own (DualSense, Switch...).

What's new in 1.4.3 EX

• Performance: fixed 30 FPS and stutter on powerful PCs, steadier frame pacing and a much lighter launcher.
• Works on any GPU: laptops use the dedicated GPU, fixed the crash on AMD RX 6000/7000/9000, faster Intel Arc and automatic switch to Vulkan if Direct3D 12 fails.
• Stable with heavy apps open (browser, recording, antivirus).
• More reliable HD texture packs and text translated into French, German and Italian.

What's new in 1.4.3

• Ultimates for everyone (WIP): Zarbon, Dodoria and Android 19 get their Budokai 1 ultimate adapted to Budokai 3; Android 19 gets its Budokai 1 moves. This is a first version: expect bugs.
• Edit Skills fixed: with new characters installed, the capsule tray was shifted and did not respond.
• Full Infinite World: imported characters bring their original moves, techniques and ultimate, and all of them enter hyper mode.
• USA and European copies of Budokai 1, Budokai 2, Infinite World and Shin Budokai for the importer.
• Easier launcher and Kit: confirmations before deleting or replacing, PLAY without freezing, plain-language errors, full English and an Ultimate card in the Kit.

What's new in 1.4.2 EX

• Easy PNG textures: capture textures while playing, edit the PNG and it applies automatically.
• Drag-and-drop mods: drop a .zip on the launcher to install it.
• Broken-mod warning: the launcher explains what is wrong with each mod and warns next to PLAY.
• Modding Kit with Python included: nothing to install.
• Native mods (today's Game tab) translated to the launcher language.
• Shin Budokai characters: voices, Burning Attack and ki blasts fixed.
• 1.4.2 brought NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR 3 (beta), adjustable HD shine and the Shin Budokai importer.

What's new in 1.4.0

• In-game quick menu: press F1 or Back + Start on the controller and change picture, sound or display settings without leaving the fight. Changes apply instantly and are saved automatically.
• More FPS with FSR: the game can render below your resolution and let FSR upscale it, for smoother play on modest PCs.
• New FPS counter (F3): game FPS and display FPS, with a frame-time graph.
• Redesigned launcher: new look, opens in under a second (it used to take ~30 s) and can be driven entirely with a controller.
• New characters in their own select-screen cells, replacing nobody: Janemba, Android 19, Zarbon, Dodoria, Guldo, Jeice and Burter (optional pack).
• Character importer from Budokai 1, Budokai 2, Infinite World and community models, all from the launcher.

Full list in the CHANGELOG.

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Screenshots

Screenshots coming soon.

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Legal notice

This project does not include the game. To play, you must provide the files from your own legal copy: the executable (default.xex) and the data_*.afs files of the region you use. This follows the usual convention of the static-recompilation community (e.g. mstan/DragonBallZBuusFuryRecomp): the code and launcher are distributed, the game content is not.

• baserom.md lists the exact identity of each file (sizes and SHA-256 checksums) and how to extract them from your ISO.
• The recompiled code (generated/) is produced locally from your .xex and is never uploaded to the repository.

Unofficial project, non-commercial, for research and preservation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandai Namco, Shueisha, Toei Animation or any rights holder of Dragon Ball.

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How to install (step by step)

What to download

From the Releases page:

File	What it is
DBZ-Budokai-3-HD-Collection-v1.5.6.zip	The game for Windows (required).
DBZ-Budokai-3-HD-Collection-v1.5.6-linux-amd64.tar.gz	The game for Linux (Vulkan, beta).
DBZ3HD-1.4.3-Personajes.zip	Optional: the 7 new characters (Google Drive, updated in 1.4.3; WIP).
DBZ3HD-1.5.6-Kit-Modding.zip	Optional: tools to create and import characters.

Windows

1. Extract DBZ-Budokai-3-HD-Collection-v1.5.6.zip into a folder, for example C:\Games\DBZ3\.
2. Add the data from your copy of the game, in one of two ways:
   • Easiest — the ISO: drop the game's .iso next to dbz3.exe. Nothing to extract. (Mods work from the ISO too; they are prepared in a few seconds the first time.)
   • The extracted folder (alternative): put the DBZ3\ folder exactly as it comes off the disc next to dbz3.exe, or default.xex + the us\ (or eu\) folder.
3. Open dbz3.exe. The launcher checks what you have and tells you what is missing, if anything. You can also point it at your data with the folder or ISO buttons. On the first start it follows your Windows language and a short First steps window explains what to do (reopen it any time from the button at the top).
4. Pick region, language, video and sound, then press PLAY (or START on the controller).

If something goes wrong, the launcher shows you where the log is (logs\). Attach it when you open an issue.

Linux

The package includes dbz3 and librexgpu-xenos.so, but not the game. Extract the tarball, place your legally obtained default.xex and us/ or eu/ next to dbz3, then run ./dbz3. See docs/LINUX.md for dependencies and local builds.

Valid file layouts

C:\Games\DBZ3\                 C:\Games\DBZ3\                 C:\Games\DBZ3\
├── dbz3.exe                   ├── dbz3.exe                   ├── dbz3.exe
├── default.xex                └── assets\                    └── DBZ3\            ← straight off the disc
└── us\ (and/or eu\)               ├── default.xex                ├── yae3_xenon.xex
                                   └── us\ (and/or eu\)           └── us\ (and/or eu\)

No need to rename the executable: the launcher finds it by size and checksum. If you drop the HD Collection menu instead of the Budokai 3 executable, it tells you and blocks PLAY. The full original ISO (with the menu at the root) works too: the launcher takes the Budokai 3 executable from inside.

Which game files you need (extracted folder)

Only the executable and your region's data, not the whole ISO:

• USA: into us\ → data_cmn.afs, data_eng.afs, data_fra.afs, data_ger.afs, data_ita.afs, data_spn.afs, data_usi.afs, data_yah.afs, adx_jpn.afs, adx_usa.afs, lang_jpn.afs, lang_usa.afs, opening.sfd, Ending00.sfd, Ending01.sfd.
• EU/PAL: the same files into eu\.

You can verify them against baserom.md. To extract them from your legal ISO, use a tool such as extract-xiso (reads the Xbox 360 FATX filesystem).

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Quick controls

Key / button	What it does
F1 or Back + Start	In-game quick menu (picture, sound & pad, display). Can be switched to L3 + R3 or keyboard only.
F3	FPS counter (game and display).
F4	All settings (the launcher, over the game).
LB / RB or Ctrl + Tab	Switch launcher tabs.
A / B	Select / go back in the launcher (B or Esc also closes its windows).
START	PLAY from the launcher.

The launcher's hint bar shows keys or buttons (Xbox, PlayStation or Switch) depending on what you used last.

Launcher tabs

Tab	What you do there
Video, Upscaling, Audio	Picture, upscaling (FSR, DLSS...), sound and the launcher/game language.
Input	Controller and keyboard. To change a key, press the keyboard button next to its box and then the key.
Mods	Your installed mods: tick to turn one on or off; drag a .zip onto the window to install it.
Nova's Mods	The project's mods (characters, stories, HD textures): one-click download and update.
Game	The new modes (HUB, Tag Team, Online, transformation selector; all beta), quick start, save backup and HD shine.
Model Swap, Textures	Give a character another one's model, or retouch its textures (need the modding kit).
New characters	Turn new characters on or off, edit them and import them from other games (importing needs the kit).
Advanced	Diagnostics only: nothing here is needed to play.

The First steps button at the top sums it all up in four steps.

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Mods and new characters

Mods also work in ISO mode (prepared the first time). New characters need the USA version.

Character pack (DBZ3HD-1.4.3-Personajes.zip)

Seven new characters in their own cells of the character-select wheel (they replace nobody): Janemba, Android 19, Zarbon (with his transformation), Dodoria, Guldo, Jeice and Burter. Zarbon and Dodoria bring the moves, combos and yells of their Budokai 1 version, and Zarbon, Dodoria and Android 19 their ultimate.

WIP: the ultimates and the movesets translated from Budokai 1 are a first version and may have bugs.

1. Close the game.
2. Download the ZIP from Google Drive and copy its mods folder next to dbz3.exe (if Windows asks, merge the folders: nothing of yours is deleted).
3. Open dbz3.exe, check the New characters tab and press PLAY.

To remove one, untick it under New characters → Installed. Your saves are never touched.

Modding kit (DBZ3HD-1.5.6-Kit-Modding.zip)

The tools behind the launcher's modding tabs: create and import characters (Budokai 1, Budokai 2, Infinite World and community models), custom capsules, voices and yells, textures and model swap.

1. Copy the whole ZIP content into the game folder (mod center hd and awo_tools must end up next to dbz3.exe). Python and its libraries come inside the kit: there is nothing else to install.
2. Open dbz3.exe → New characters → Import a character from another game: pick the game, search the character, check the name (you see live how it will look on the select screen) and press Import.
3. Or open the Mod Kit window (DBZ3_ModKit.bat): characters, stories, textures, model swaps and, in Stories, the ready-made HUB challenges and the tower of the week.

To import from other games, use your own copies in the ps2_games folder (read its LEEME.txt). Super Dragon Ball Heroes and Shin Budokai 1/2 are detected but still in development.

Other mods

Mods live in mods\<name>\ and replace AFS entries through an overlay, without touching the original AFS files:

mods/<mod>/us/data_cmn.afs/<entry>/geom.bin   # override of one AFS entry
mods/<mod>/manifest.txt                       # m