One-Punch Man is the incredibly popular manga series that focuses on a hero that nobody knows about, named Saitama.
However, you can't let Saitama’s appearance confuse you – the balding "hero for fun" proves in the anime series that he is able to destroy literally anything with just one punch.
In the show, Saitama explains that he got his insane strength and power from his daily workout, telling his friend Genos that he can get just as strong as him by doing it.
The routine that made him into the weapon that he has become consists of:
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 100 squats, followed by a 10-kilometre run.
Saitama always keeps a straight face when telling people about his routine, which tends to send every character in the show into a fit of rage.
The video game seems like it's going to be pretty similar to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, so there will be an awful lot of fighting, but players can also explore a number of environments with quirky characters.
Continue reading for all the details on the release date, trailer, combat and characters!
Release date
One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows officially launched versions for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 27 February 2020, so it's finally available to play!
Trailer
In a game trailer released at Gamescom 2019, we were teased with a brief montage showing Saitama killing a variety of enemies with just one punch.
Even when the opponent manages to pummel Saitama, he doesn’t take a single point of damage. He’s over-powered and unbeatable.
While at first, it seems a little confusing that the development team would include a playable character that is, quite literally, unbeatable — they have found a way around it.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Continue below to find out more.
Combat
When the One Punch Man game was first announced, many fans familiar with the anime raised the question of how a fighting game could work when the main character is unbeatable and has the ability to demolish anything and anyone with just one punch.
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But as it turns out, publishers Bandai Namco and developers Spike Chunsoft have given this issue an awful lot of thought, and have come up with a rather graceful solution.
The introduction of the ‘Hero Arrival System’ ensures that the fighting game remains balanced while staying true to the notion that the bald protagonist, Saitama, could spark you out with zero effort.
READ MORE: Dragon Ball Z Kakarot – All Characters in the new game
The ‘Hero Arrival System’ is essentially a mechanic that forces players to survive long enough for Saitama to arrive and save the day.
However, it’s not just a case of avoiding the enemy until Saitama arrives to deal with your enemy – no, that wouldn’t make for an outstanding fighting game.
You are encouraged to block their attacks, fight better and pull off combos to get Saitama to come to your aid as soon as possible.
You’ll see a live feed of Saitama quite literally running towards your location during the fight, so stay alive long enough for One Punch Man to show up and do his thing.
It all sounds like an amusing, functional solution to what could have been a major issue, so it gets my stamp of approval.
Characters
The focus on 3v3 battles means that we will be seeing a lot of characters from the successful anime series.
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Players will be able to “form powerful teams using many familiar and fan favourite faces”, like Genos, Fubuki, Mumen Rider, and Sonic.
Bandai Namco also recently revealed that Terrible Tornado, Silverfang, and Atomic Samurai will be joining the roster, with more to follow in the build-up to launch.