When Nick Tan and I had the chance to go check out Bandai Namco Entertainment's Global Gamer's Day for the Americas last week in Las Vegas, we were expecting to see plenty of anime titles, one of Bandai Namco's fortes. We were not disappointed in this – we checked out previews of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, J-Stars Victory Vs. +, and Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul, among others.
It got me to thinking how intricately the two are tied together, as each medium has influenced the other greatly. With both finding their main origins in Japan, it's not an odd concept to see one cross over to the other. A few months ago, Fearless Leader Nick Tan put 20 anime based on video games into the spotlight. This time, I'm doing the opposite, taking a look at the Top 10 video games based on anime or manga series.
I laid down a few guidelines (note they're not exactly strict rules) for this Top 10 list:
ICHI: The material had to be based on an existing manga or anime, not the other way around. Nick has that under control.
NI: I tried to stick with games that made its way to an English-speaking country, because MURRKA! (And Europe and Latin America why don't we all just hug it out for gosh sakes).
SAN: Some of these manga/anime franchises have spun off numerous games, enough to make their own Top 10 lists, so I consciously avoided massive franchises such as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Naruto, or Dragon Ball. (I apologize if this keeps some of you under 9000.)
Check out our picks for the best anime- or manga-based video games. If you don't, then tsukini kawatte, oshioki yo!
