One Piecewas conceived as a manga in 1997 and the anime began in 1999. Both adaptations are still going strong with seemingly no end in sight. There have been other media as well, like video games, most of which have never left Japan. It’s kind of like theDragon Questsituation.
Dragon Questwas always more popular in Japan andFinal Fantasywas the bigger hit in the West. For anime,One Piecedidn’t really catch on the same way thatNarutoorDragon Ball Zdid which meant less incentive for companies to market secondary products over here like games. Thankfully, its popularity has grown in the West, allowing more games to be localized. From easily accessible entries to rare games, here are some portable standouts forOne Piece.
6From TV Animation One Piece: Yume No Luffy Kaizokudan Tanjou
A Tactical Pirate Adventure
Based on the name alone, fans can figure out thatFrom TV Animation One Piece: Yume no Luffy Kaizokudan Tanjouwas not released outside of Japan. Thankfully, some dedicated fans have taken up the task of translating most of it into English. This Game Boy Color RPG adapts theOne Pieceseries from the beginning.
It’s a strategy RPG, so Luffy will begin fighting birds and bandits before moving on to more exciting adventures with Nami, Zoro, and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. Battles are randomized, placing heroes on a map. Animations are simple except for when special attacks are used. It’s not as flashy asaFire Emblemgamebut it is fun to see a tactical RPG in theOne Pieceuniverse.
5Jump! Ultimate Stars
An Anime Infused Super Smash Bros.
Jump! Ultimate Starsis the second platform fighting game on the DS,similar in design to theSuper Smash Bros.games. This was released in 2006 whereas the first game,Jump Super Stars, came out in 2005. Both games play the same, butJump! Ultimate Starshas more characters, and a refined battle system, and fans have patched a bunch of the menus into English.
The sprite work is great along with all of the animations. As the name might suggest, dozens of Shonen Jump franchises are in the game besidesOne Pieceincluding big ones likeBleachandNarutoalong with obscure ones likeBlack CatandBuso Renkin. The top screen is where the fighting commences while the bottom screen has manga-like panels that players can click on for assists. It’s a more intricate combat system than anySuper Smash Bros.game.
One Piece: World Seekeris like a combination ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandMarvel’s Spider-Man. The game takes place on a new island from outside the main timeline and it is an action RPG that puts players mainly in the role of Luffy. He can fight random crops of enemies, take on quests, and explore caves for treasure.
Luffy gets powers through leveling up and story beats, thus allowing for new exploration and combat opportunities. Thanks to his rubbery body, it makes sense that Luffy can leap or float around the map even without a glider or cartridge of webs.One Piece: World Seekeris not as robust asThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildorMarvel’s Spider-Man, but it will give fans a fun time. It’s a bit of a cheat to include the game here, but it isverified on the Steam Deckand it runs better than when it launched back in 2019.
3One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2
The Straw Hats Conquer A Dynasty
One Piece: Pirate Warriorswas only made for the PS3. The other three sequels have been made available on portable systems such as the PS Vita and Switch. The first game ends around theReturn to Sabaody ArcandOne Piece: Pirate Warriors 2picks up right after that. Fans of the anime should try and complete all four games, including DLC which was recently released forOne Piece: Pirate Warriors 4.
It’s almost up to date to where the anime is in the West. All of theseDynasty Warriorsspinoffsare great. They can be repetitive thanks to the brawler-like nature of them all, but the fan service is huge. No otherOne Piecegame has featured so many playable characters from heroes like Luffy to villains like Buggy. Fans of just the portable entries just need to start withOne Piece: Pirate Warriors 2, ignore the reviews, and have a good time with friends.
2Shonen Jump’s: One Piece
A Brawling Platformer
Shonen Jump’s: One Piecehas a lot going for it and the game might be better than some internally made Nintendo platformers. The pixel art, for one, holds up thanks to the wild animations of both the heroes and villains.Watching Luffy stretchand whack enemies is a real treat.
The game starts from the beginning of the series and doesn’t venture too far. It’s a short game, but the developer, Dimps, made good use of their time. Another great adaptation of theirs isDragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, also on the GBA.
One Piece Odysseyis the latest bigOne Piecegame Bandai Namco published on behalf of ILCA, the developer. It was released in 2023 for consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. This Switch version is the latest port, and even though it has some visual downgrades, it still plays great on the portable hybrid. The game followsa new filler arc, made just for the game, wherein Luffy and his crew find themselves on a new island filled with treasure.
The gameplay is turn-based, but there are some tactical elements too like movement and how far attacks can reach. It’s not the kind of game for beginners in the franchise because all party members are virtually unlocked right away. Getting to see their whacky dynamics play out will be a treat for the diehard fans only. The combat and exploration systems are serviceable too.
