The Ten Best Video Games Based on Anime and Manga

Save for video games, cars and sushi, very few things from the land of the rising sun have taken over our lives quite like manga and the anime that’s based on them. With Bleach: Soul Resurrection recently coming out, we thought we’d take a look at our top ten favorite video games based on anime. Before you click to number one looking for Pickachu, one caveat: this list is for video games that are based ON anime or manga, not games that spawned the anime or manga itself afterward. So, no Pokémon for you! With that said, read on for the full list of what we deem the top ten video games based on anime and manga. Despite the reference, there are actually no Naruto games on this list. Sorry.

We’re going to be honest with you. Some of us here at the office aren’t the biggest Gundam fans in the world. The games themselves (the ones NOT like Dynasty Warriors) have left us feeling out in the cold since you have to be a fan of the series to truly appreciate them. We DO, however, like Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front, where we can stomp around rampantly in a mech suit with the accompaniment of other mechs. You don’t even have to watch the show to like it. Sorry, Gundam fans. But, hey, at least we like this game.

Based on the Japanese movie, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, this hop and bop NES adventure had sublime music, excellent gameplay where you transform into animals - which we’re pretty sure was the inspiration for Kid Chameleon - and great graphics for the time. This was in the era of Capcom’s phenomenal reign on games where they could do no wrong. Little Nemo was an NES classic.

Aside from the Dragon Ball Z and the Naruto video games - which have their own unique fighting systems - you’ll find that most other anime-based fighters mimic the typical fighting game. Bleach: Dark Souls could have gone any which way, but developers at Treasure Co. opted to mimic Guilty Gear, which is a fine choice. It’s win-win when you have Ichigo bouncing around the screen like Sol Badguy and the gang. Improving on Blade of Fate, which was already an excellent title, Dark Souls is one of the games that made us believers in the DS as a haven for fighting titles. Gotta dig that Wi-fi connection.

Wait, what do you mean we’re cheating a little bit here with this entry? While the Capcom roster was thick with characters we’re sure you were familiar with, are you going to tell us that most Americans were well versed in Yatterman, Neo-Human Casshern and Golden Warrior Gold Lightan? We beg to differ. Featuring just as many Tatsunoko All-stars as Capcom All-Stars, the game played somewhat like Marvel vs. Capcom and the Street Fighter EX series, and, yet, quite differently from them. It was a strange hybrid that worked surprisingly well.

Remember how we said that the Bleach game for the DS was similar to Guilty Gear? Well, Fist of the North Star the arcade game (note: NOT the boxing one), shares even more of a connection to the aforementioned Guilty Gear. It very well should be, considering that Arc System Works developed both titles. We’re HUGE fans of the anime it’s based off of, and seeing Ken, the “man with seven scars,” tear it up against Shin, Raoh and others simply seals the kickass deal. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Okay, here’s some controversy. Sure, we love Budokai 3 and have spent countless hours playing it. But think of Burst Limit as that game times two, with its superior graphics, abundance of moves, tight controls and that quintessential old school style to boot. We totally dug “Z Chronicles,” and the fighting brought to you by none other than Goku and the kicking-ass-and-taking-names gang was as solid as ever. The great thing about these DBZ games is that they seem to be getting progressively better. It’s an altogether enjoyable franchise, at least when it comes to fighting games.

If you truly LOVE manga, you have undoubtedly read Shonen Jump. It’s not even a question. Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto - they’re all there. If you’re nodding your head in tacit agreement here, then you’ll also assuredly love Jump Ultimate Stars, which is basically the Nintendo DS’s response to Smash Bros mixed with manga characters. So why haven’t some of you heard of this game before? It’s import only, homey. Still, you don’t need to be fully fluent in Nihongo to enjoy it. You should definitely be picking this one up, if you can find it, that is.

As the title states, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is, well, bizarre. On one hand, it plays like a faster paced version of Street Fighter 3. On the other hand…it doesn’t. The blame ( blessing, depending on your taste) is on the Stand system, which grants you enhanced abilities and other techniques when activated. What was particularly beneficial in this Dreamcast edition was that it gave us access to both the original AND the revised versions. It may not be one of the more popular titles on this list, but it’s definitely one of the best. Play it but, again, if you can manage to get your hands on it.

Are we big fans of Astro Boy here at the office? Not particularly, no. We respect him for being a landmark character as well as the first real anime. But there’s just something about “butt cannons” that somewhat confounds us. That said, Astro Boy: Omega Factor is simply such a well rounded game that we had to put it on this list, and high up on it. It’s definitely a fairly standard beat-em-up, but it’s satisfying as all hell. One of its cooler aspects is that it totally embraces all of Astro Boy’s quirkiness, and, yes, even the butt cannons. Overall, if you like fast-paced action on the small screen, then this one is hard to beat.

We’re not going to lie to you. Back when we first played this game on the SNES, we had no idea it was based on a manga (Area 88, by the way). But it didn’t matter; we didn’t have to. U.N. Squadron was such a solid shooter that even NOT knowing about its history doesn’t raise an issue. With its level of power-ups, difficulty, music, boss fights, and flat out overall gameplay, this one is a no brainer. U.N. Squadron still holds up today, and that’s certainly saying something about this old timer born in 1983. You should play it. And we mean, like, right now.