One Piece: Grand Adventure hands-on

The comic has driven Japan mental for almost a decade. The show has ping-ponged around the US cable networks as the comic is published in the nation's most popular anthology, Shonen Jump. But the bizarre saga of the Straw Hat Pirates... well, maybe it should be played to be believed.

For those who've somehow avoided the phenomenon, One Piece is a long-running series that takes place in a steampunk-style world of endless oceans. The Age of Piracy is at its peak, and One Piece follows the adventures of a young group of sea-faring scoundrels known as the Straw Hat Pirates. Lead by rubber-bodied Monkey D. Luffy and his creepy-ass 100 yard stare, the Straw Hats sail the seas seeking adventure and trying to discover the location of One Piece, the ultimate treasure of the legendary pirate Gold Roger.

To date, the manga has seen over 400 weekly installments, so there's absolutely no shortage of material to draw upon for Grand Adventure. This is amply demonstrated through Grand Adventure's huge cast of 24 playable fighters, as well as over 50 supporting characters. It's also evident in the Grand Adventure mode, which incorporates characters and situations from the manga into a long-lasting voyage of battles and mini-games. This is the new game's main attraction.