IGN
Fresh impressions and all-new footage from the sea-faring brawler.
by Juan Castro
August 7, 2006 - Just in case you didn't get enough pirate action the first time, here's a new reason to head out to the high seas. One Piece: Grand Adventure takes everything from the last One Piece game, titled One Piece: Grand Battle, only with new content and bonuses. Not just a little, mind you, but enough to warrant a second look from diehard fans looking for aquatic shenanigans.
For those don't know, One Piece chronicles the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate captain searching for the ultimate treasure known only as the "One Piece." And he's not alone in his search, either. Ever since a legendary pirate announced he had hidden the ultimate treasure, the aforementioned One Piece, scores of pirates set sail for the Grand Line Ocean to try to find it. Regarding directions, they only had vague instructions that someone would discover the treasure at that "one place."
The first game focused on the titular Grand Battle mode, which is still one of the bigger elements in Grand Adventure. And just like in the first game, it still splits into several sub-modes. You can play a basic Versus match where you select a pair of characters and support characters before jumping into a stage of your choice. This presents the most basic option. You can also go through the Arena mode, which takes you through a linear string of bouts until you have kicked the ass of every would-be pirate in the game.
You can do the same thing, only with live players, through Tournament mode. If you need a little brushing up before heading into the fight, the game lets you jump into Practice mode. It's a pretty handy feature, too, since you can master individual moves and strategies in a non-threatening environment. And by non-threatening, understand it's a simple matter of not having a rival character annoyingly biting your heels while you try to learn. Perhaps the most interesting mode in the whole Grand Battle Package is called Special Game. Here, you can pick from a bunch of mini-games or start a custom match where players define everything from item specifics to the speed of the fight.
As far as mini-game selection, you play Box Crusher where you smash through dozens of boxes under a time limit. You can also try the Spotbilled Duck Race, where you actually steer your character through a twisty dock full of holes. There's also a Boat Race, where you need to aid villagers in winning by attacking pirates who in turn are trying to attack them. Then there's Snake Battle, where you need to dodge the bite of a 200-foot snake and whack bombs into its mouth. All of these modes lend the game longevity, and from the demo, they seem pretty fun.
Adventure Mode is hands-down the biggest addition. After choosing a difficulty level, ranging from easy to "pirate panic," you set sail to recruit pirates and find as much booty as possible. You can't actually navigate your boat like in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, but you can select hotspots on a large overworld map and sail there automatically. These hotspots represent different encounters with the game's many characters. If you win, some of these characters ill actually join your crew. Plus, each fight you win earns you experience points which you can then use in the areas of health, power, stamina and the like. You also unlock special techniques the further you progress in the game.
Stay tuned for the full review.
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