After its exclusive release in China, One Piece: Dream Pointer quickly became a hit across the country. The game soared to the top of the App Store's free list, which made it a must-play title among Chinese mobile gamers. As a vertical 3D RPG game, One Piece: Dream Pointer offers unique card gameplay and turn-based battles based on One Piece lore. With the game being set in the vast mangrove forest of Sabaody Archipelago, players can complete story-mode quests that follow the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Based on the famous adventure anime series of the same name, One Piece: Dream Pointer was released by Senshin Games and Thunder Games after the authorization by Toei Animation's official IP. The Chinese version had a development cost of 300 million Yuan, with its in-depth plot adventures and detailed graphical locations inspired by the One Piece universe. While the game made a big splash in China, there is no news from developers about its global release. However, the game is an interesting take on the pirate saga, and it shouldn't remain a China-only release.
6 Best Handheld One Piece Games, Ranked
These fruit-loving pirates have appeared on portables far and wide. Here are some of the finest handheld titles from the gaming side of One Piece.
Dream Pointer's R&D Team Revives The Long Lost Comic Adaptation
The development team at Senshin Games has played a major role in adapting and producing many Japanese comic IP products, such as Naruto and One Piece. The team's extensive experience in comic-adaptation games is evident in One Piece: Dream Pointer, where they recreated more than 40,000 high-definition models and included 100 original paintings. The game also has original music from the anime counterpart and voiceover from the same anime voice actors, which adds a unique layer of authenticity to the game.
In addition, One Piece: Dream Pointer introduces a diverse array of enemies, playable characters, and locations that fans of the anime will instantly recognize and appreciate. The game enables players to encounter well-known adversaries such as PX-7, Dracule Mihawk, Morgan, and Kurobi. The story arcs inside the game follow the original plotlines of the One Piece universe and help players relive key moments from the series.
Dream Pointer Multiplayer Solves a Major Gameplay Challenge
One Piece: Dream Pointer also has an online co-op mode where players compete against each other. Generally, co-op gameplay is known to lag and face synchronization challenges due to latency problems that plague the real-time experience. But thanks to this game's turn-based nature, players can enjoy seamless co-op battles without worrying about high ping lags. The game also has 36 in-game playable characters to improve strategic collaboration when teaming up with friends.
Dream Pointer is Different From Previous One Piece Adaptations
There hasn’t been a recent global release of a vertical 3D RPG game for iOS or Android. While games like One Piece: The Voyage and One Piece Fighting Path were launched in 2021, they were also limited to China. Given the huge development cost and the game's tremendous success in China, there is growing speculation that One Piece: Dream Pointer could see a global release. Unlike previous adaptations, Dream Pointer offers a unique gameplay experience that sets it apart from its predecessors. One Piece Fighting Path was an open-world game with combat experience similar to an arena brawler. Dream Pointer changed that and returned to the original turn-based battles associated with One Piece games.
One Piece: Dream Pointer also comes without the card-combining mechanics seen in One Piece: Grand Cross. Instead, it improves the unique attributes of each character card and adds customization and depth to team composition. These distinctive elements have helped this One Piece game become a major hit in China but whether this will lead to a worldwide release remains to be seen.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 21
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.72
