-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ONE PIECE: GRAND BATTLE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Usopp Pirates' Challenge FAQ
Author: "Dragoner" and "Reezen"
Created: December 24, 2007
Version: 1.00
Copyright 2007, Philip Powers.
Table of Contents:
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
(To find what you're looking for, just use Ctrl+F (Find) and type in the Roman
numeral or name of the section you want.)
PART ONE: Intro
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
1-I. Updates/Version History
1-II. Introduction to One Piece: Grand Battle
1-III. Introduction to the Usopp Pirates' Challenge
PART TWO: Rules of the Game
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
2-I. Who Are the Usopp Pirates?
2-II. How Do I Play?
2-III. What Can I Win?
PART THREE: The Mini-games
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
3-I. Usopp Race
3-II. Battle Bowl
3-III. Custom Rules
3-IV. Box Crusher
3-V. Snow Shovel
3-VI. Wootz Smash
3-VII. Usopp Duel
PART FOUR: In Closing
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
4-I. Contact Information
4-II. Copyright Information (And Other Legal Junk)
---------------
PART ONE: INTRO
---------------
1-I. Updates
------------
0.90 - Dec. 24, 2007.  First draft of all four sections.
1.00 - Dec. 27, 2007.  Edited the Snow Shovel section to include Nami.
1-II. Introduction to One Piece: Grand Battle
---------------------------------------------
"One Piece: Grand Battle" is a 3-D fighting game developed by Ganbarion for the
Sony Playstation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube, based on the incredibly popular manga
and anime series by Eiichiro Oda, "One Piece".  Released as "One Piece Grand
Battle!  Rush" in Japan, it was modified for release in America. With voicework
by the voice actors of One Piece's English dub, and the removal of several hid-
den characters that the dubbed anime had not yet introduced, "One Piece: Grand
Battle" remains largely untouched regarding the actual gameplay.
In "Grand Battle", matches are fought between two characters at a time.  The
stage on which they fight usually contains unique traps and hazards to damage
or immobilize them, as well as various containers full of helpful items.  The
combatants each have a Stamina, or life, bar and a Food Charge gauge.
Food Charges are obtained, predictably, by picking up food items such as meat
or fruit.  Once the Food Charge Bar is full, it adds one Food Charge to the
character.  The maximum is two Charges (plus a full bar).  These Charges are
used to perform powerful special attacks with a variety of effects.
1-III. Introduction to the Usopp Pirates' Challenge
---------------------------------------------------
The Usopp Pirates' Challenge (or UP Challenge, as it will be referred to thro-
ughout this guide) is a side distraction from the basic fighting modes of Grand
Battle. It consists of two minigames, randomly selected from the six available,
and followed by a battle with Usopp under special conditions.
By completing this challenge multiple times, you can unlock a variety of extras
and prizes.
---------------------------
PART TWO: RULES OF THE GAME
---------------------------
2-I. Who Are the Usopp Pirates?
-------------------------------
As a teenager, Usopp (mischievous son of the great pirate Yasopp) liked to pass
the time on sleepy Syrup Island by playing adventurer.  He climbed hills, pre-
tending they were enormous mountains; hunted rabbits like ferocious beasts; ate
every scrap of food as if it were his last meal.  He became infamous throughout
the village for troublemaking - eventually, even the town children came to hold
this daring young upstart in awe.
Swelled with confidence, Usopp took on three boys to serve as the Usopp Pirate
Crew, with him as captain. Their names were Carrot, Pepper and Onion - and this
imaginary band of thieves managed to cause more mayhem than the brave and silly
Captain Usopp could ever have done alone!
2-II. How Do I Play?
--------------------
To play the UP Challenge, simply select the Mini-Games option on the main menu.
Choose either "Usopp Pirates' Challenge" or "What Is This Challenge?" to cont-
inue.  The latter option opens up the following explanation:
"I challenge you to a
series of three mini-games of
my choice. The best of three
games wins the challenge!"
"The rules are simple!
Every time you win, the winner
takes the loser's support
character. You can use them as
your support in the remaining
mini-games!"
That pretty much sums up the rules. You'll start by picking out a team of three
fighters, and have two minigames against random opponents (Usopp excluded). If
you win a minigame, you'll get to steal a support character from Usopp's side -
which also gives you a clue as to who else is on his team. For example, if you
can steal Cabaji's help, then you may face Buggy in the next round.
... But if you lose, you might just lose a support character of your own team!
The first to win two out of three games, the third being a fight against Usopp
himself, is the victor of the Challenge.
2-III. What Can I Win?
----------------------
At first, you can only play the available minigames by participating in the UP
Challenge.  Win enough times, though, and you can unlock each one for play out-
side the normal challenge mode.
Battle Bowl   -   Win  7 times
Usopp Race    -   Win 12 times
Box Crusher   -   Win 16 times
Wootz Smash   -   Win 26 times
Snow Shovel   -   Win 29 times
Custom Rules  -   Win 34 times
For winning the two-out-of-three games required, you'll earn some bonus OP art
to view in the Treasure section. You can also increase the number of "System
Voices" (announcers, essentially) in your repertoire by winning all three games
of a challenge in a row - a clean sweep. Each time you manage this, you'll earn
a random voice.
--------------------------
PART THREE: THE MINI-GAMES
--------------------------
3-I. Usopp Race
---------------
RULES:
There's a naval race afoot. In the background, two ships paddle desperately to
the goal: one manned by villagers, the other by Usopp and his crew. Fortunately
the Usopp Pirates are terrible sailors. Unfortunately, they cheat! Your job is
to fend off the five pirates firing handheld cannons at your ship. Take enough
hits and Usopp's boat will win.
The sailors are arranged in an "X" pattern. Two are large and three small.  The
big ones take three hits from any weapon to knock off-balance, the small ones
two, and the scrawny guy in the middle takes only a single strike. As time goes
on, a pirate will start to arm his cannon; a meter appears over his head. When
it runs out, he will fire. Disable him to earn points; the closer he is to
loosing a cannonball, the more points (up to 100) you earn.
STRATEGY:
Speed and range is important, so choose someone with fast feet (like Kuro),
long reach (like Bon Clay), or with a mix of both (like Buggy). It's smart to
summon a type 1 (running) support character, as they can defeat any sailor in a
single blow - and what's more, the points they earn are triple yours!  However,
they will often attack sailors whose time meters are almost full, so try to
summon them only when you need to.
You start with only one Food Charge, but bashing the sailors releases fruit.
It's okay if your ship absorbs a few shots - it will lengthen the game and let
you score more points.  Keep alert and you should have little trouble scoring
over 3500 points a game.  If anyone beats 5,000, let us know!
3-II. Battle Bowl
-----------------
RULES:
You and your opponent are placed on a wide field.  Each player has a colored,
donut-shaped goal on their side of the field.  Gaimon - the little man with a
big heart and a bigger gun - will fall from the sky.  The object of the game is
to smack, punt or throw Gaimon into the opposite goal as many times as possible
before time runs out.
This is a contact sport - most attacks are allowed, including Supers. In fact,
if you throw your opponent into their goal instead of Gaimon, you're awarded
three points instead of just one.
STRATEGY:
Running speed is the most important attribute for this challenge. Pick Kuro,
Zoro, Shanks, Sanji, or anyone else as swift.  In Battle Bowl, bullies always
win!  Muscle your opponent around to get to Gaimon before they do (or smack him
out of their grip) and toss him into the enemy goal.  The CPU player will often
jump towards you, so copy him or her and quickly use a midair attack.  Against
humans, though, this won't work so well.
If you're really in a jam, take a risk - try lining up your opponent and their
goal, and use a vertical combo to toss them in! You'll earn triple points.  Be
Work calmly and snatch Gaimon away the moment he falls (watch his shadow), and
you'll win with ease.
3-III. Custom Rules
-------------------
RULES:
These are normal battles, but with added conditions.  The basic four are "Item
Battle" (items such as Bombs deal enormous damage), "Jump Battle" (jumps are
incredibly high, making midair attacks hard to land), "Hi-Speed Battle" (run
speed is increased) and "Oil Battle" (both fighters are oiled-up and slicker
'n Don King), but you can also create your own by choosing from a wide variety
of options.
STRATEGY:
If you're not sure what you're getting into, the best approach is to choose a
well-rounded character such as Zoro, Chaser or Nami - or better yet, whoever
you play as most often.  You'll always be prepared if you know your fighter in-
side and out.
3-IV. Box Crusher
-----------------
RULES:
You're placed in a small room with boxes, crates and chests falling from the
ceiling. With one Food Charge, your job is to use any attacks to smash all 300
boxes to smithereens.
STRATEGY:
Results in this game vary widely depending on who you use. Really, you should
find an attack or combo that works well, and abuse it. The best all-around box-
breakers are Mihawk, Krieg and Zoro; they all have attacks with insane range
(Mihawk's XXX, Krieg's XXO, and Zoro's Onigiri) and their support characters
are no slouches themselves.
Focus on large stacks of crates and worry about the small piles later.  It's
important you keep moving!  If an incoming crate lands on your head, it'll stun
you for several seconds.
3-V. Snow Shovel
----------------
RULES:
Snow Shovel is a bit confusing at first, but basically you need to clear all
the snow from the platform. You can do this by tossing items, using fire moves,
picking large snowballs out of the hillock and hurling them over the side, or
just by walking on it.  You don't need to melt every last bit of snow, though -
a small enough amount can still be on the platform and not count against you.
STRATEGY:
For the most part, it doesn't really matter who you play as for this challenge.
More important is how you use your time.  Start by removing snowballs from the
pile and stomping around in the taller areas to shorten them.  If you get your
hands on a Torch or Bomb, toss it into the middle to evaporate a lot of snow.
At about 0:45 and again at 0:20, an icy boulder will tumble onto the platform.
Toss it over the edge quickly, or it'll turn into another frozen patch for you
to clear up.
The "cheating" method, however, is to use Don Krieg: his XO move, the Shield
Digger, will annihilate all the snow on the platform in a matter of seconds!
Choose Nami, and her OX "Water Strike" works even better.
3-VI. Wootz Smash
-----------------
RULES:
The final minigame pits you against a computerized Krieg with a shield powerup
and an unseen health bar. He can be very aggressive, as well, and the shield
means that only throws and grappling moves will make him flinch. As you whittle
down his health, his armor (constructed of nigh-unbreakable Wootz steel, in
case you were wondering) will visibly crack.
You have a minute and fifteen seconds to take him down. Since the battlefield
is automatically set to Baratie, a stage rife with altitude changes, you should
be set for any plan. On occasion, bombs will rain down on the arena.
STRATEGY:
The final minigame pits you against a computerized Krieg with a shield powerup
and an unseen health bar. To fell him the quickest, choose Krieg or Luffy.
Krieg's flamethrower and Luffy's R1+O kick can wear down the enemy armor from a
safe and reliable distance.
Others will have difficulty coping with the onslaught and the high defense,
but make every second count - lure Krieg into attacking, then jab from behind
and escape.  When bombs land on the arena, toss as many as you can in his face.
With skill, cunning and a little luck, you should be able to bring him down
with time to spare. Be careful, though - this is one of the few minigames in
which you can actually be KO'ed.
3-VII. Usopp Duel
-----------------
RULES:
No matter what, when you play the Usopp Pirates' Challenge, this will be your
third match.  It's a simple duel against Captain Usopp, but no one said he'd
fight fair: once his life is depleted, his attack power will double and he'll
sprout a whole new health bar!
STRATEGY:
This isn't as hopeless as it might sound, but you will have to watch your back.
For a guy who uses rotten eggs as a weapon, Usopp's Supers are very nasty if
they hit; employ a hit-and-run strategy to conserve stamina and you'll outlast
him. You have two options: pick someone who's either evasive or destructive and
use them accordingly. Ms. Sunday, Chopper, Zoro, or Crocodile will do.
Use the environment to your advantage and crush Usopp with your best moves,
then make like a banana and split - chances are, he'll return with a silly but
damaging counterattack.  Remember: when he enters One Piece Heat, guarding is
useless.  Secret techs are allowed here, so if your health gets low, let him
have one.  Deplete his second stamina bar and you've won the UP Challenge!
---------------------
PART FOUR: In Closing
---------------------
This guide was completed with a ton of help from Reezen. She's as entitled to
writer's credit on it as I am - many thanks to her!
4-I. Contact Information
------------------------
If you've got any suggestions, additions, flames, etc., feel free to email me.
I'm also available, fairly frequently, via a number of instant messengers.
My associate on this guide, Reezen, can also be reached through me.
Email: javer80@gmail.com
AIM: Javer80
MSN: javer80@gmail.com
Yahoo: Javer8000
4-II. Copyright Information (And Other Legal Junk)
--------------------------------------------------
This FAQ may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2006 Philip Powers