Anime and video games have maintained a prolific love affair for years now, though for the most part, it’s been fairly one sided. Video games have found great success by either adapting already popular anime franchises, or by taking the aesthetics and storytelling principles of anime and applying them to video games. Anime based on video games, however, hasn’t been quite so successful. Between the CG Resident Evil content, Halo Legends, Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, the results have been quite hit and miss over the years.
However, it feels like the average quality for anime adaptations of video games has been getting better over the years, especially thanks to the likes of Netflix. Castlevania has been a huge success, while the upcoming Tekken anime looks like it’ll be the franchise’s most faithful recreation yet. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of games that we think would make a great transition into anime.
1. Bloodborne
It’s no secret that FromSoftware has practically become a household name over the past decade, and while the development studio might have hit a new peak with the success of Elden Ring, few games have experienced a more enduring legacy than Bloodborne. With a visually striking world and memorable characters, few FromSoftware games are begging for further exploration than Bloodborne.
Nothing proves that notion further than the series of prequel comics and tie-ins that the game has received ever since it was first released. Some kind of anime that brings all those comic stories together, or even tells a new story within the Bloodborne universe, would likely be a huge success. If we’re not getting a sequel or a remaster of the original game, an anime series would be lovely, thanks.
2. The Wonderful 101
Platinum’s The Wonderful 101 feels like it wouldn’t have even existed if it wasn’t for the power of anime. Taking all the best loved tropes and features of the Sentai genre and turning the dial up to 11, The Wonderful 101 is an absurdly weird yet incredibly fun superhero game that more people should check out. It would also be brilliant to see the franchise turned into an anime, just because.
With the game’s wide variety of colourful characters, the groundwork is already there for an anime series about a team of heroes standing against an alien menace. Meanwhile, the sheer scale of the action and the humour/tone of The Wonderful 101 could give an anime based on the licence a similar vibe to Gurren Lagann: an anime series with fights that steadily escalate in size and stakes, until the whole universe becomes the battleground.
3. Metroid Prime
The Metroid series has been one of Nintendo’s crown jewels for decades now, though interest in the series is perhaps at an all-time high thanks to the incredible success of Metroid Dread. Nintendo have been no strangers to licensing their properties for anime projects in the past, with F-Zero being a notable example, so it would be nice to see the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter Samus Aran get her time in the spotlight.
Truthfully, the Metroid series is filled with story and lore to the point that an anime based on the franchise has so much potential source material to pull from. An anime based on Metroid Fusion certainly wouldn’t go amiss, but some kind of adaptation of Metroid Prime would likely be the best fit. If nothing else, seeing Samus take on the dark version of herself feels like something lifted straight out of an anime.
4. Okami
We’ve been vocal in the past about our love for the short-lived Clover Studio, Capcom’s development team that would eventually form most of PlatinumGames’ founders. Their three titles all feel heavily anime inspired, with Viewtiful Joe’s sentai and film influences incredibly clear. Ordinarily, that would get the nod here, but there’s already been a Viewtiful Joe anime, so let’s pitch an Okami one instead.
From a visual standpoint alone, Okami feels like it’s already halfway towards becoming an anime, with the cel-shaded visuals giving the game a hand-drawn feel. Adapting that into an anime would probably create one of the most gorgeous pieces of media ever created, while the story of the goddess Amaterasu trying to save Nippon from an all-consuming evil would give the visuals an excellent backdrop.
5. Chrono Trigger
Look, if you’re already hiring acclaimed manga artist and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama to create character designs for your video game, you’re already halfway there when it comes to getting an anime adaptation. While that gives all of the Dragon Quest series a good shot at turning into an anime film or series, we’d actually like to see one of the all-time great RPGs, Chrono Trigger, turn into an anime.
The iconic SNES RPG, Chrono Trigger’s combination of vibrant, colourful characters and a time-hopping story would make it the perfect fodder for some kind of anime series. Either an anime could retell the game’s incredible story, or it could dive into the different characters and time zones that feature within the game. Either way, it could be the next great anime adaptation.
6. Metal Gear Solid
One franchise that’s been begging for some kind of adaptation for a long time now is Metal Gear Solid, and while it’s not anime, a live-action film adaptation is currently in the works. However, the project has been dragging its heels for years now, due to one reason or another. On top of that, it’s hard to believe a live action project can capture the ridiculousness that is Metal Gear. If anything could do it, it’d be an anime.
The potential avenues of a Metal Gear anime adaptation are practically endless. The older Metal Gear games could make for ideal adaptation fodder, along with the events of Shadow Moses Island. Personally, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance would also make a brilliant anime. The soundtrack is already brilliant, and the action is about as over the top as anime can get. Why not lean into that a little bit?
7. Parasite Eve
Square Enix isn’t just the studio that develops the Final Fantasy series, as there’s plenty of weird and wonderful games in their back catalogue that are crying out for some kind of anime adaptation. The child in me wants to say The Bouncer, just because The Bouncer deserves a lot more love in this world, but the real answer is absolutely Parasite Eve, Square’s cult classic horror RPG series.
Parasite Eve is a game filled with mysteries, as you control Aya Brea as she tries to investigate a spree of people spontaneously combusting across New York City. Oh, and there’s also a massive horde of mutants to fight. With enough room in the franchise to just adapt the game’s normal story, or to fill in the gaps with the franchise’s lore, Parasite Eve would make a brilliant anime. It’d be creepy, if nothing else.
8. Siren
If the previous entry proved anything, it’s that the older PlayStation consoles were treasure troves for some “out there” horror games. The Obscure games, Rule of Rose and others are certainly a couple of other examples, but if you want one that’s ripe to be turned into an anime, Siren is a shoo-in. Hell, the franchise has already received a film adaptation and two spin-off mangas, so an anime adaptation isn’t exactly beyond the pale.
Siren, also known as Forbidden Siren in the West, is a series of Japanese horror games that focus on an ensemble group of ordinary people, brought together by extraordinary circumstances. While the situation in each Siren game is different, one key link between them all is that the humans are up against different kinds of Japanese demons intent on murdering the humans in the most gruesome way possible. Siren isn’t for the faint of heart, though that ought to make an anime based on it more memorable as a result.
9. Ico
Honestly, you could probably make a great anime out of any of legendary game developer Fumito Ueda’s work, with Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian both making for excellent anime candidates. Despite that, though, there’s an undeniable charm, beauty and mystery to the world and visuals of Ico that make it perfect to become an anime. It probably wouldn’t be the most conversational anime ever made, but it’d more than likely look amazing.
A minimalist adventure with an amazing art style, Ico follows the titular character, a boy born with horns, as he tries to guide a princess by the name of Yorda through a castle, dodging shadowy figures and Yorda’s own mother in order to survive. With plenty of intrigue in the plot, along with potential to expand on the world and lore, Ico would be a brilliant candidate for an anime adaptation.
10. Lollipop Chainsaw
Some games are basically anime anyway, and Lollipop Chainsaw is about as close as video games get to anime. It’s not surprising really, given that the game was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, whose entire output is completely outlandish and ridiculous in the best way, but Lollipop Chainsaw is certainly one of the more absurd games they’ve created. It’s between that and Shadows of the Damned, really.
Lollipop Chainsaw was a collaboration between Grasshopper and acclaimed writer/director James Gunn, and sees cheerleader and zombie hunter Juliet Starling trying to deal with a zombie outbreak that’s threatening not just her high school, but the whole world too. Admittedly, Lollipop Chainsaw would be an expensive one to adapt, but not because of the action involved: the licensed soundtrack alone would probably cost a fortune.
READ MORE: The Best PS4 Anime Games You Should Play
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