Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America

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Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America

Key Takeaways

  • Early One Piece games were unique and exclusive to Japan, such as the first on Bandai’s WonderSwan.
  • A variety of game genres were explored, including strategy, RPGs, board games, and even baseball.
  • Some fan-favorite One Piece games, like Great Pirate Colosseum and Fighting Path, were never released outside of Asia.

As a longtime fanatic of both Nintendo and One Piece, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia and disappointment whenever I reminisce about the games that never made it to North American shores. Among these lost gems is the enchanting and electrifying One Piece: Great Pirate Colosseum, developed by the fighting game maestros at Arc System Works.

One Piece is a worldwide sensation, and its unquestionable fame has led to a variety of merchandise, such as numerous video games. In the past, North American gamers had limited access to quality One Piece titles, but that’s no longer the case.

The early popularity of the series in its native Japan spawned a number of exclusive video games that didn’t see release in regions like North America. Although this trend has generally been phased out by today’s gaming industry – thanks to the global success of One Piece – there are still numerous intriguing titles that can only be found in Japan and other Asian nations, with many fans unaware of their existence.

1 Become The Pirate King!

The First Official One Piece Game

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: WonderSwan
  • Released: July 19, 2000
  • Developer(s): Soft Machine
  • Genre(s): Strategy, RPG

The first video game based on “One Piece” wasn’t launched for PlayStation or Game Boy consoles; instead, it was unveiled for Bandai’s less-remembered WonderSwan handheld device. One Piece: Become the Pirate King! might have been created to cash in on the anime’s recent surge of popularity and offered a unique gaming experience.

Players have the chance to re-experience the East Blue Saga and the initial One Piece film in an unusual black-and-white journey that combined aspects of a strategy game and a role-playing game (RPG). In terms of gameplay, players were tasked with carefully constructing various routes for the Going Merry by connecting tiles, and even combat sequences followed this pattern. Because of its leisurely gameplay pace, it’s not surprising that “Become the Pirate King!” was never launched outside Japan.

2 Legend Of The Rainbow Island

A Conventional RPG With An Original Story

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: WonderSwan Color
  • Released: September 13, 2001
  • Developer(s): Tomcat System
  • Genre(s): RPG

Approximately a year and a bit after, Bandai unveiled “One Piece: Legend of the Rainbow Island” for their latest handheld console, the WonderSwan Color. The vividly colored graphics undeniably enhanced the series’ cheerful atmosphere and animated aesthetic.

Compared to its forerunner, “Legend of the Rainbow Island” stands out as a more traditional RPG, featuring a unique real-time combat system that made it easier for fans of the series to play. However, what truly sets this game apart is that it was among the earliest “One Piece” video games to offer an original storyline. It presented a tale that unfolded between the Loguetown and Arabasta arcs, and even introduced two new original characters, Dias and Atoli.

3 Great Hidden Treasure Of The Nanatsu Islands

Another Original Story Featuring Interesting New Characters

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: Game Boy Advance
  • Released: November 15, 2002
  • Developer(s): Cavia
  • Genre(s): RPG

As time went by, it became standard in One Piece video games to include stories not found in the original manga or anime. One captivating instance of this is One Piece: Great Hidden Treasure of the Nanatsu Islands. The main villains in this game are the Simon Pirates, with their captain, Simon, a potential Sea Warlord who possesses the power of a Logia Devil Fruit, enabling him to change his body into paper.

The Nanatsu Islands’ Secret Fortune is another engaging turn-based RPG with a twist – the battlefield is grid-based, adding an extra layer of complexity and enjoyment for players. Additionally, the Game Boy Advance’s capabilities enable developers to create visually stunning environments, characters, and animations.

4 Aim! The King Of Berry

A Handheld Board Game With A Focus On Earning Money

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: Game Boy Advance
  • Released: March 28th, 2003
  • Developer(s): BeanCurd Label
  • Genre(s): Board Game, RPG

Funny enough, “One Piece: Aim! The King of Berry” is an unconventional board game based on economics that was launched for the Game Boy Advance. This concept, surprisingly, is one of the strangest ideas for a “One Piece” game. Following the shipwreck of Going Merry upon an iceberg, Nami assigns the other Straw Hat Pirates with the objective of accumulating vast sums of money to cover repair costs.

In Aim! The King of Berry, the gameplay resembles a traditional board game with elements like dice rolls, movement on a map, different turns, and so forth. Occasionally, you’ll encounter boss fights or enemies that mimic RPG-style battles. While this isn’t a bad idea for a game, it loses some appeal when there’s no multiplayer option available, which can make the overall experience feel strange and somewhat monotonous.

5 Chopper’s Big Adventure

A Colorful Animal Adventure Starring Tony Tony Chopper

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: WonderSwan Color
  • Released: October 16th, 2003
  • Developer(s): Bandai
  • Genre(s): RPG

Even though games based on the “One Piece” series started appearing on popular consoles such as the Game Boy Advance, Bandai Namco didn’t abandon their WonderSwan Color. Instead, they chose to develop and release “One Piece: Chopper’s Big Adventure”, a unique title in the franchise as it focuses solely on the character of Chopper, making it the only game in the series with such a focus.

On an enigmatic island, the Straw Hat Pirates crew undergoes an unexpected transformation into various creatures. As players, you’ll guide the charming Tony Tony Chopper through diverse labyrinths, gather crucial artifacts, and engage in battles against numerous adversaries. This game offers a truly distinctive adventure, and it’s fascinating to imagine more One Piece games focusing on individual Straw Hat Pirates.

6 Going Baseball

The Straw Hat Pirates Delved Into The World Of Sports Games

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: Game Boy Advance
  • Released: March 11, 2004
  • Developer(s): Now Production
  • Genre(s): Sports

Many experienced fans are likely to recognize “Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King,” a comical animated short about baseball that debuted alongside the fifth film. While they may be aware of its initial release, many might not know it was also designed as a promotion for a distinctive baseball game featuring characters from the anime, simply named “One Piece: Playing Baseball.”

1. “The franchise in question is quite adaptable, yet it may surprise fans to discover it’s a sports video game. The baseball gameplay in ‘Going Baseball’, however, might not be noteworthy, but its unique selling points lie in its straightforward mechanics, quirky visual aesthetic, and teams comprised of various well-known characters such as the Straw Hat Team, Marine Team, Arabasta Team, etc.”

7 Dragon Ball Z x One Piece: Battle Experience

A Weird Crossover Made For A TV Plugin System

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: TV Plugin
  • Released: November 15, 2008
  • Developer(s): Bandai
  • Genre(s): Action

The anime series “Dragon Ball” has greatly influenced “One Piece,” and since both shows are significant cornerstones of the shonen battle genre, they have collaborated on multiple occasions. One such collaboration was a special event marking the 40th anniversary of Shonen Jump, named “Dragon Ball Z x One Piece: Shared Battle Experience.”

Bandai created this unique game for their line of TV Plug-in consoles, which isn’t surprising given that Japanese gamers are often open to experimental systems that diverge from mainstream home consoles. This led to an enjoyable action title featuring both motion and voice controls, with a lively blend of characters from both One Piece and Dragon Ball Z interacting. Unfortunately, the graphics fell short in quality.

8 Super Grand Battle! X

A Collaboration With Super Smash Bros Did Not Warrant An International Release

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform: Nintendo 3DS
  • Released: November 13, 2014
  • Developer(s): Ganbarion
  • Genre(s): Fighting

The game series known as “One Piece: Grand Battle!” was a hit with fighting games in North America, offering fun and engaging gameplay. Regrettably, its successor, the “Gigant Battle” series, remained exclusive to Japan, leaving many fans disappointed. The third and final installment, titled “ One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X“, was an enjoyable and imaginative experience that is sorely missed in other regions.

This 2.5D fighting game, resembling Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros series, was a hit among most Nintendo 3DS users, due to its striking similarity. So much so, that the game Super Grand Battle! X offered unlockable costumes for the Straw Hat Pirates, modeled after popular Nintendo characters. However, it’s peculiar that this game did not get a release in North America despite this unique partnership.

9 Great Pirate Colosseum

Arc System Works’ Take On A One Piece Fighter

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS
  • Released: September 21, 2016
  • Developer(s): Arc System Works
  • Genre: Fighting

As a passionate gamer, I’ve got to admit it – Arc System Works rules the roost when it comes to 2.5D fighting games. Their stellar work on Dragon Ball FighterZ proves they can flawlessly transform beloved anime series into competitive gaming arenas. But here’s a fun fact that might slip under the radar: they’ve already dabbled with the One Piece IP! That’s right, they created One Piece: Great Pirate Colosseum – an amazing fighting game that never left Japan’s shores.

The colossal Pirate Arena offers everything fighting game fans would anticipate from a title by Arc System Works: a vast selection of playable characters, intricately designed sprites and animations, a fast-paced yet technical battle system, among many other features. It also boasts cross-platform online gameplay with Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden, enabling players to orchestrate an unforeseen fusion with the Dragon Ball universe.

10 Fighting Path

A Pirate Warriors Game For The Chinese Mobile Market

Rare One Piece Games That Were Never Released In North America
  • Platform(s): Android, iOS
  • Released: July 28, 2020
  • Developer(s): China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group
  • Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG

Despite the global fame and brand recognition that One Piece has garnered in recent years, it’s quite surprising that some video games based on this popular franchise have only been released in Asian markets. The mobile game, particularly in China, is enormous, and Toei Animation swiftly capitalized on this by developing One Piece: Fighting Path.

This action-packed mobile game boasts an entertaining and captivating battle system reminiscent of the renowned “One Piece: Pirate Warriors” series. Its ambition is remarkable, offering stunning graphics, a vast open world, and robust role-playing game mechanics – all typically associated with console games. Unfortunately, “Fighting Path” was only released in China, leaving global gamers missing out on what could have been an enjoyable experience for them.

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2024-08-31 10:34