Anime games have existed since near the dawn of the medium. From the NES to the PS2, the amount of them could easily fill a moderately sized storage garage. While some standouts still rank as some of the best anime games ever made, let alone the best games ever made, there was one thing lacking in a lot of them.
Due to console limitations, anime games couldn’t look quite as good as their TV counterparts. However, with the HD generation including thePS3, companies were able to emulate anime better through the medium of video games. So, here are some great anime games that stood out in this generation.
8Afro Samurai
Afro Samuraiwasa multimedia event that saw the release of an anime, manga, and video game all sharing the same names and concepts. There is a samurai with the Number One Headband and everyone in the world wants the title. The titular protagonist wears the Number 2 Headband and seeks revenge more so than the title of the best samurai in Japan. The mix of hip-hop makes it stand out from other samurai games on the PS3 let alone other action games. The cel-shaded visuals also help it stand the test of time even though the gameplay was never perfect.
7J-Stars Victory VS+
J-Stars Victory VS+is far from the best anime fighting game on the PS3. It, however, best represents the medium and is a fan’s delight that just wants to jump into a video game and have fun with their favorite characters. It features dozens of heroes and villains from over a dozen series within theShonen Jump manga brand. Big franchises likeOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andJoJo’s Bizarre Adventureare represented, but then there are more obscure series likeReborn,Dr. Slump, andBobobo-bo Bo-bobo. It’s not quite on the scale ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatein terms of content, but it gets pretty close.
6Another Century’s Episode: R
Another Century’s Episode: Ris a crossover mech action game starring robots from a wide variety of anime. There are severalGundamseries featured along withCode Geass,Macross, and too many more to name. It was made by FromSoftware who just returned to mech games this year viaArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
Another Century’s Episode: Ris much more fast-paced than any of theArmored Coretitles and the only downside is that it never left Japan. There’s not much of a story to speak of, so the learning curve for the menus and button layouts shouldn’t be that hard.
There are a near-limitless amount ofDragon Balltitles on every PlayStation system, butDragon Ball Xenoversestands out on PS3. It allowed players to create their own character and help Trunks do some investigations through time. Players would involve themselves in major battles throughout the series such as theSaiyan arc with Vegeta. The game has some RPG elements but it was more of a fighting game than an action RPG due to the limited arena-based areas. That’s not a bad thing though and the idea was unique enough to get a sequel, which more or less followed the same time cop idea.
4Bleach: Soul Resurreccion
Bleach: Soul Resurreccionwas not made by Omega Force, the developer behind the Musou games, but it played like a Musou game. The game was an exclusive for the PS3 and was co-developed internally within Sony, which is nearly unheard of for an anime game. It took place during the Arrancar arc of the anime, which is the second to last major arc. The latest anime season,Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, is currently covering the final arc. Players could fight hundreds of Hollows and Arrancar in explosive battles as themain hero Ichigoalong with his friends like Rukia and Uryu.
3Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3is another Musou game, but this one was developed by Omega Force. Of the fourGundamspinoffs, this ranks among the cream of the crop. It’s the only onethat featured cel-shadingwhich helped it look more like the anime franchise it was trying to bring to life.
The graphical aesthetics were great but it was the fan service that truly brought this game to new levels. The number of mechs and pilots represented inDynasty Warriors: Gundam 3from the various anime seasons was astounding even by Musou standards.
2Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormis far and away the best anime fighting game on the system. It follows the entire first part of the anime, minus the filler arcs, which stop just before the time skip. It was developed by CyberConnect2 who made a decent splash with a niche fan base who were into the .hack games on PS2.
They did such a good job with thisNarutoadaptation that they were seemingly chained to the franchise for a decade with little room to get their original voices out, which is debatable whether that is bad or good. The sequels and remasters toNaruto: Ultimate Ninja Stormare good too, but the surprise of this first game makes it stand out among both anime fighting games andNarutogames.
1Attack On Titan
Attack on Titandidn’t receive a fancy name to set itself apart from the anime, but it was made in 2016. It’s a late PS3 game, which just goes to show how long the system was supported after the launch of the PS4 in 2013. It’s not as fast as the PS4 version, but the core gameplay loop is there.
The game follows the anime closely through the first two seasons with players tasked with taking down the titular Titans with lightning-fast speed. Zipping past Titans and buildings feels as good asaSpider-Mangame.
