Grand Battle! 2

'One Piece: Grand Battle! 2' is a fighting game based on the One Piece manga and anime, released for the Sony PlayStation. The direct sequel to Grand Battle!, it retains almost all of the original's elements while adapting new material from the Alabasta Saga.

Developed by Ganbarion and published by Bandai, ''Grand Battle! 2'' was released in Japan on March 20, 2002. Like its predecessor, it met with great success, supporting its own line of action figures as well as a handheld spinoff covering much of the same material.

A direct sequel would be released the following year.

Gameplay
As in every grand battle game, the played character fights against another computer controlled character. Each character has different strategies and power to alter the tide of battle. If you win, you then fight against another character, until you reach a default boss, which completes the storyline. The gameplay is a 2.5D fighter similar to the Super Smash Bros. series.

Introduction
This game features the alternate lyrics to the main One Piece theme song "We are..."; this is the first Grand Battle game to feature this. The alternate lyrics would be later reused in Grand Battle! Rush!.

Animation
The opening cutscene begins with a decorated rectangle which is slowly covered by a spinning star; on the points of the star are Luffy, Nefertari Vivi, Smoker, Miss All Sunday and Crocodile. It then cuts to the approaching rebels in Alabasta, and to the Royal Palace. Shanks appears and speaks to the player, before fading.

Luffy poses on the figurehead of Going Merry, then the other Straw Hat Pirates appear briefly onscreen tying white bandages on their arms as the Grand Battle! 2 logo appears.

The scene changes to a rack of meat Brogy is about to eat being sliced up by Kuro, who then attacks Arlong. Jango tries to put Buggy asleep (which ends up with both pirates asleep), and  Don Krieg runns through a forest and attacks Smoker. Alvida attacks Miss Goldenweek, which ends with both girls drinking tea (while in the background Pandaman is seen being chased by Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine) as Dorry watches overhead. The scene cuts to a snowy battlefield, where Mr. 3 attacks Wapol, only to get eaten, while Tashigi and Miss All Sunday fight.

Zoro is seen clashing with Mr. 1, and Mr. 2 appears dancing on a stage before striking at Sanji. Nami leans against a wall just before it is destroyed by Miss Doublefinger. Chopper fights Miss Merry Christmas and Usopp lands a blow on Mr. 4. Vivi attends to Chaka, while Luffy perches on Pell's back as he flies towards Crocodile, and the two face off. Ace is seen with the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad running behind him as he throws a Hiken at the screen. The screen zooms in on Shanks holding his sword to the sky, and Mihawk holding his sword at Shanks.

The final shot is of one of Oda's colorwalks (recreated), with the crew is relaxing by a pool. Sanji finds a fish and Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp leap at it.


 * Total animation length: Approx: 1.50 long.

Character Endings
This is the first time the endings appear animated in the Grand Battle series.

Graphics
While it had many 3D elements in the game, it was essentially a 2D style fighting gametype game like its predecessor Grand Battle!. Characters in the background are typically 2D animations placed on the landscape. Many aspects of the special moves, such as effects and weapons (like Vivi's Peacock Slashers) are produced in 2D animation.

Because it was the last Grand Battle game released for the original Playstation, Grand Battle! 2's graphics are considered largely inferior, since they were being compared to the next generation of games.

Characters
Characters in order of rank according to the official Grand Battle 2 site. There are total 24 playable characters.


 * 1) Luffy
 * 2) Shanks - with Yasopp, Benn Beckman and Lucky Roo as support.
 * 3) Zoro
 * 4) Sanji
 * 5) Chopper
 * 6) Dracule Mihawk
 * 7) Smoker
 * 8) Nami
 * 9) Kuro - with Jango and Buchi-Sham as support
 * 10) Mr. 2 Bon Kurei - with Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas as support.
 * 11) Usopp
 * 12) Tashigi
 * 13) Arlong - With Hatchan, Kuroobi and Chew as support.
 * 14) Crocodile - With Miss Doublefinger and Mr. 1 as support.
 * 15) Wapol with Kuromarimo, Chess, and Chessmarimo as support.
 * 16) Vivi - with Chaka and Pell as support
 * 17) Don Krieg - with Gin as support
 * 18) Mr. 3 - with Miss Goldenweek, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine as support.
 * 19) Miss All Sunday - with Banchi as support.
 * 20) Carue - with members of the Super-Spot Billed Duck sqaud as support.
 * 21) Alvida
 * 22) Buggy - with Mohji and Cabaji as support.
 * 23) Pandaman - with Panda Sharks as support.
 * 24) Portgas D. Ace

Stages
The game is played in different arenas, based on the story. Each arena has a unique layout and unique traps for battles. Each arena also has special items that are hidden in Barrels (for healing items), Boxes (for weapons) and Treasures (for status raising).


 * Foosha Village. Luffy's hometown. An arena with some platforms for jumping. It is surrounded by water, with the Going Merry at the pier. Woop Slap and Makino can be seen in the background, and occasionally Makino will throw out some status raising items. This is Luffy and Shanks' stage.


 * Syrup Village. Usopp's hometown. There is a large slope that Usopp made in order to trap the Black Cat Pirates. The right side of this arena is sea. The Bezan Black can be seen far in the sea, and will occasionally bombard the arena. Members of the Black Cat Pirates can be seen in background, alongside Kaya and Usopp's Pirates. This is Usopp, Kuro, and Jango's stage.


 * Baratie. The wrecked floating restaurant alongside the wreckage of Krieg's ship. The ship sometimes moves in the waves and changes the angle of the floor. Zeff can be seen in the Baratie, while Pearl can be seen in Krieg's ship. Patty and Carne sometimes appear with their Sabagashira. This is Sanji, Krieg and Dracule Mihawk's stage.


 * Arlong Park. This is the destroyed Arlong Park, unlike in the first Grand Battle! game. There is a flat area with water in the middle. Kuroobi, Hachi, and Chew can be seen, as well as Genzo, Nojiko, Johnny and Yosaku. This is Arlong and Nami's stage.


 * Loguetown. Dragon and the Buggy Pirates can be seen in the background. Sometimes a lightning bolt strikes the arena. This is Buggy, Alvida, Smoker, and Tashigi's stage.


 * Inside Laboon. Crocus' house is seen, and occasionally he appears and shoots the fighters. This is Pandaman's stage.


 * Whiskey Peak. The base of Baroque Works. Some of the agents are seen here. This is Zoro and Carue's stage.


 * Little Garden. The giants fight in the background, and sometimes their weapons land in the arena. Mr. 5, Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek are in the background. This is Mr. 3 and Mr. 2's stage.


 * Drum Castle. Lapahns and Kureha are seen. Sometimes a snowball rolls over the arena. This is Chopper and Wapol's stage


 * On Hasami. This is an arena with many cities from Alabasta in the background. This is Ace, Vivi, and Miss All Sunday's stage.


 * Alubarna. This stage is n the poneglyph chamber. Cobra is seen lying on the ground. This is Crocodile's stage.


 * Marine HQ. A secret arena that can be used in training mode. A flat stage with no barrels, boxes, or treasures. This is the room that is seen in Coby and Helmeppo's cover story.

Trivia

 * Grand Battle 2 was a popular game, and at the PlayStation Awards 2002, the game picked up a Gold prize; alongside Grand Battle!, this made the series a double prize winner at the awards.
 * The game's opening cinematic begins with a recreation of Volume 20's cover (with Vivi replacing Kohza, Robin replacing Cobra, and Carue removed) and a riff on Chapter 179's closing narration; it ends with a recreation of Chapter 198's color spread.
 * In Bon Kurei's special attack Mane Mane Memory, he will randomly turn into Morgan, Zeff or Kureha.
 * Arlong will not receive damage by falling in the water in any stage. Devil Fruit users receive double damage, and Crocodile receives quadruple.
 * This is the only fighting game where Mr. 3 is a playable character.

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