For someone where it’s claimed that ‘no one knows his name’, Saitama is one that rings loud and clear for anyone with even a passing interest in anime and manga. While he’s referred to as Caper Baldy in the series proper, everyone knows him as the One Punch Man, so naked because he can obliterate his enemies with just one punch.
For a while, people wanted a One Punch Man fighting game. Who wouldn’t? Besides Saitama, there’s his cyborg disciple with explosive firepower, the martial arts virtuoso Silverfang, the Mach infinite Speed-o-Sound Sonic, and plenty more heroes and villains that being rich, dynamic life to the One Punch Man universe. But how do you make a fighting game balanced where the main character is utterly, totally, 100% invincible, and can end a fight in one blow? Many didn’t think it could be done, but if there’s one thing video games have been known to do, it’s the impossible.
A wise wizard once said that ‘a wizard arrives neither late nor early, but precisely when he means to’. Saitama isn’t a wizard, though; he’s someone who took training *way* too seriously and became a physical god as a result. But in A Hero Nobody Knows, his monstrous power is kept in check by a rather smart system.
Battles in the game are 3v3 tag matches, but if you choose Saitama as one of your fighters, he isn’t selectable until a certain amount of time passes. This leaves you at a bit of a disadvantage since you don’t have your full party from the get-go, but his arrival time can be shortened via performing combos and perfect guards. So good gameplay rewards a good partner, while not allowing his canon OP-ness to violently skewer things in your favor.
Anime fighters aren’t new; some can fade into total obscurity while others make such a big splash they change the minds of people who weren’t even interested in them. One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, looks to be intent on doing just as much impossible as the titular hero.
There’s no release date yet announced, but Bandai Namco plans for a release on PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One. Until next time, stay and play savvy, gamers!
