One Piece: Pirate's Carnival
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Games America, Inc. Developer: BANDAI NAMCO Games America, Inc. Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4 (with Multitap) Genre: Party
Graphics & Sound: One Piece: Pirate's Carnival very much fits the visual style of the One Piece cartoon series. Characters like Luffy, Sanji and Chopper definitely look like their television counterparts, and the various scenes that the mini-games take place in go along with the show's general style very well. Whether you are racing against three other opponents or taking part in some rhythm game, you can't help but think about the show when looking at the visuals of Pirate's Carnival. As for the game's sound, there isn't really a whole lot to talk about here. The music has the same feel as the series, while the few voice clips used are definitely either lifted from the show itself or newly recorded by the same actors for this game.
Gameplay: One Piece: Pirate's Carnival is a fun party game themed to fit the hit anime series following a bunch of pirates and their various adventures on the high seas. Not only do the mini-games presented in Pirate's Carnival have a distinctly nautical overlay, but you will also be able to use characters like Luffy, Nami, Zolo and Usopp as your avatars on the game board. Pirate's Carnival has two gameplay modes: Vs. and Board Game. Board Game allows you and up to three opponents (with the use of a multi-tap, of course) to claim territory by beating your enemies in mini-games. With over 30 mini-games to unlock and several game board layouts to play through, this will be where you spend most of your time. If you just want to get with a buddy and play a couple of mini-games that you've already unlocked in the Board Game mode, then just jump into Vs. mode and have some quick fun. In general, the mini-games found in Pirate's Carnival are nothing new. If you've played Mario Party or any other mini-game title, then you have seen what this game has to offer. Granted, it wasn't done with the same pirate-filled theme, but the underlining games are very much old-hat.
Difficulty: Since One Piece: Pirate's Carnival is all about playing against other players (human or A.I.), difficulty is based purely on who you are playing against. If you have an opponent that is quick-fingered and sharp-minded, then you might be up for a challenge. The learning curve on this game is fairly shallow, and if you've played any other mini-game based party title, then that curve goes completely away.
Game Mechanics: One Piece: Pirate's Carnival's mini-games come in two flavors, Captain and Normal games. These differences cause only slight changes in the control scheme, but stay similar enough to make the overall package feel like one game instead of a bunch of random events thrown together. Captain games work a lot like the one-versus-three games in Mario Party, where one player (the captain) is trying to prevent the other three from completing the task, while the Normal games are every player for him/herself. Fans of the GameCube's Mario Party series who have been looking for something even close to comparable on the PS2 will definitely want to pick up this mini-game packed title.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
I.G.P.X. Immortal Grand Prix Racing Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties