Top 10 Video Games That Should Be Anime
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VOICE OVER: Ashley Bowman
WRITTEN BY: Garrett Alden
Our Anime team put down the reigns and let the Video Game team take this one! Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 10 video games that should be anime.
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
To have your ideas turned into a WatchMojo or MojoPlays video, head over to http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and get to it!
Top 10 Video Games That Should Be Anime
These games deserve to be animated. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 10 video games that should be anime.
For this list, we'll be looking at the video games and game series that we think would work well as Japanese animated series or films. We'll be excluding those that have received an anime adaptation already, like "Phoenix Wight" or "Sonic the Hedgehog."
Created by beloved game developers Rare, the "Perfect Dark" series follows Joanna Dark, a secret agent and ex-bounty hunter who works to unravel a shadowy corporate conspiracy involving aliens. While its premise is intriguing enough that it could probably be adapted to any medium, "Perfect Dark"'s cyberpunk aesthetic, spy thriller themes, and compelling female protagonist are especially evocative of anime such as "Ghost in the Shell." The paranoid and twisted lore and interesting combat displayed in the franchise could easily make for a "perfectly dark" "Perfect Dark" anime.
A thoroughly underrated platformer series, the "Shantae" franchise stars its titular heroine, a half-genie who fights pirates and other evil doers. The series' Arabian setting is an uncommon one in anime and the simple but memorable art style would naturally lend itself well to animation. In addition, Shantae's abilities, which include using her hair like a whip and transforming into various animals, could make for some entertaining and creative fight scenes. Lastly, the franchise's offbeat sense of humor would also translate well to the screen; ensuring a funny and visually appealing anime.
In yet another franchise named after its protagonist, Klonoa is a cat/rabbit boy who gets into a series of adventures, either related to dreams or set in dream worlds. "Klonoa" has a creative setting and characters designs that are well suited to an anime, as marketable characters and intriguing stories are great hooks for potential viewers. Though a western animated film is supposedly in development, scant information about it has been released. Plus, we wouldn't mind seeing a television series either to allow for more development.
The epic crossover between "Final Fantasy" and "Disney" media is absolutely perfect for an anime adaptation too. Everything about the franchise, from its character designs, to its combat, to its overcomplicated lore and plot, to its propensity for endless sequels with increasingly pretentious titles just screams "anime!" The mashup of traditional "Disney" and Japanese animation would no doubt be beautiful and would likely draw in plenty of viewers worldwide; given "Disney"'s popularity, though the rights and logistics would probably be tricky. We just hope they leave out Atlantica -- too many bad memories.
A military/stealth action franchise, "Metal Gear" may seem like a relatively standard video game series at first glance, but look deeper and you'll see that its heart is all anime, thanks to the trademark style of creator Hideo Kojima. The franchise's emphasis on action, complex multi-layered stories, as well as distinctive heroes and villains make it perfect for an animated adaptation. "Metal Gear" also manages to seamlessly blend gritty realism with outlandish set pieces, absurd character designs, and over-the-top plots, involving robots, ghosts, psychics, and nanomachines. Otacon said it best: "It's like one of my Japanese animes!"
Set in a version of Tokyo's Shibuya district, "The World Ends With You" is an action RPG that sees its protagonist battle against fellow dead people in a series of games. The game has an urban fantasy setting pitting young people against each other in a strange contest, both of which are very popular tropes in anime, and the art style would also transfer well to an animated format. In addition, "The World Ends With You" features a complicated battle system that could prove entertaining to see onscreen.
It's time for anime to "git gud!" A notoriously difficult fantasy action RPG franchise, the "Souls" series pits players against a veritable legion of tough enemies and bosses. Packed to the brim with terrifying creatures and legendary heroes, the "Souls" games would make for a visually arresting anime. In addition, the franchise has a huge amount of highly detailed lore from which to draw material from. And if they wanted to vary up the setting and lore while still keeping the same essential style, they could always adapt "Bloodborne" too.
A long running fantasy adventure series, "The Legend of Zelda" series follows a succession of characters named Link usually out to save the eponymous princess form the evil Ganon, featuring plenty of dungeons, monsters, iconic characters, and action along the way. With how many iterations of the story the franchise has told, the animators would have a lot of options. If they wanted a more realistic look, they could go with "Ocarina of Time," a lighter one with "The Wind Waker," or somewhere in the middle with "Breath of the Wild." Whatever they decided to do, it could not possibly be worse than the American cartoon.
This action RPG franchise may be relatively young, but we're still eager to see it animated. The games in the series feature gorgeous and creative settings, as well as strong core casts of characters that are the ideal types for anime heroes. "Xenoblade Chronicles" also features plenty of creative powers in battle which could make for fantastic fight scenes. All in all, "Xenoblade Chronicles" is one series that we're "really feeling" needs an anime, particularly if they can retain its fascinating lore, compelling characters, and amazing soundtrack.
One of the most beloved RPGs of all time, "Chrono Trigger" follows an eclectic group of adventurers as they travel their world as well as through time on a journey to stop the apocalypse. The game has a masterfully told story, iconic characters, beautiful locales and time periods, a great battle system and powers, beautiful music and so much more that make it a treat to experience every time through. But, perhaps most importantly, the art style was done by Akira Toriyama, the creator of "Dragon Ball!" If that doesn't scream the need for an anime adaptation to you, what else does? Those cutscenes from the PlayStation port are spectacular!
These games deserve to be animated. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 10 video games that should be anime.
For this list, we'll be looking at the video games and game series that we think would work well as Japanese animated series or films. We'll be excluding those that have received an anime adaptation already, like "Phoenix Wight" or "Sonic the Hedgehog."
#10: "Perfect Dark" Franchise (2000-10)
Created by beloved game developers Rare, the "Perfect Dark" series follows Joanna Dark, a secret agent and ex-bounty hunter who works to unravel a shadowy corporate conspiracy involving aliens. While its premise is intriguing enough that it could probably be adapted to any medium, "Perfect Dark"'s cyberpunk aesthetic, spy thriller themes, and compelling female protagonist are especially evocative of anime such as "Ghost in the Shell." The paranoid and twisted lore and interesting combat displayed in the franchise could easily make for a "perfectly dark" "Perfect Dark" anime.
#9: "Shantae" Franchise (2002-)
A thoroughly underrated platformer series, the "Shantae" franchise stars its titular heroine, a half-genie who fights pirates and other evil doers. The series' Arabian setting is an uncommon one in anime and the simple but memorable art style would naturally lend itself well to animation. In addition, Shantae's abilities, which include using her hair like a whip and transforming into various animals, could make for some entertaining and creative fight scenes. Lastly, the franchise's offbeat sense of humor would also translate well to the screen; ensuring a funny and visually appealing anime.
#8: "Klonoa" Franchise (1997-2008)
In yet another franchise named after its protagonist, Klonoa is a cat/rabbit boy who gets into a series of adventures, either related to dreams or set in dream worlds. "Klonoa" has a creative setting and characters designs that are well suited to an anime, as marketable characters and intriguing stories are great hooks for potential viewers. Though a western animated film is supposedly in development, scant information about it has been released. Plus, we wouldn't mind seeing a television series either to allow for more development.
#7: "Kingdom Hearts" Franchise (2002-)
The epic crossover between "Final Fantasy" and "Disney" media is absolutely perfect for an anime adaptation too. Everything about the franchise, from its character designs, to its combat, to its overcomplicated lore and plot, to its propensity for endless sequels with increasingly pretentious titles just screams "anime!" The mashup of traditional "Disney" and Japanese animation would no doubt be beautiful and would likely draw in plenty of viewers worldwide; given "Disney"'s popularity, though the rights and logistics would probably be tricky. We just hope they leave out Atlantica -- too many bad memories.
#6: "Metal Gear" Franchise (1987-)
A military/stealth action franchise, "Metal Gear" may seem like a relatively standard video game series at first glance, but look deeper and you'll see that its heart is all anime, thanks to the trademark style of creator Hideo Kojima. The franchise's emphasis on action, complex multi-layered stories, as well as distinctive heroes and villains make it perfect for an animated adaptation. "Metal Gear" also manages to seamlessly blend gritty realism with outlandish set pieces, absurd character designs, and over-the-top plots, involving robots, ghosts, psychics, and nanomachines. Otacon said it best: "It's like one of my Japanese animes!"
#5: "The World Ends With You" (2007)
Set in a version of Tokyo's Shibuya district, "The World Ends With You" is an action RPG that sees its protagonist battle against fellow dead people in a series of games. The game has an urban fantasy setting pitting young people against each other in a strange contest, both of which are very popular tropes in anime, and the art style would also transfer well to an animated format. In addition, "The World Ends With You" features a complicated battle system that could prove entertaining to see onscreen.
#4: "Souls" Franchise (2011-)
It's time for anime to "git gud!" A notoriously difficult fantasy action RPG franchise, the "Souls" series pits players against a veritable legion of tough enemies and bosses. Packed to the brim with terrifying creatures and legendary heroes, the "Souls" games would make for a visually arresting anime. In addition, the franchise has a huge amount of highly detailed lore from which to draw material from. And if they wanted to vary up the setting and lore while still keeping the same essential style, they could always adapt "Bloodborne" too.
#3: "The Legend of Zelda" Franchise (1987-)
A long running fantasy adventure series, "The Legend of Zelda" series follows a succession of characters named Link usually out to save the eponymous princess form the evil Ganon, featuring plenty of dungeons, monsters, iconic characters, and action along the way. With how many iterations of the story the franchise has told, the animators would have a lot of options. If they wanted a more realistic look, they could go with "Ocarina of Time," a lighter one with "The Wind Waker," or somewhere in the middle with "Breath of the Wild." Whatever they decided to do, it could not possibly be worse than the American cartoon.
#2: "Xenoblade Chronicles" Franchise (2010-)
This action RPG franchise may be relatively young, but we're still eager to see it animated. The games in the series feature gorgeous and creative settings, as well as strong core casts of characters that are the ideal types for anime heroes. "Xenoblade Chronicles" also features plenty of creative powers in battle which could make for fantastic fight scenes. All in all, "Xenoblade Chronicles" is one series that we're "really feeling" needs an anime, particularly if they can retain its fascinating lore, compelling characters, and amazing soundtrack.
#1: "Chrono Trigger" (1995)
One of the most beloved RPGs of all time, "Chrono Trigger" follows an eclectic group of adventurers as they travel their world as well as through time on a journey to stop the apocalypse. The game has a masterfully told story, iconic characters, beautiful locales and time periods, a great battle system and powers, beautiful music and so much more that make it a treat to experience every time through. But, perhaps most importantly, the art style was done by Akira Toriyama, the creator of "Dragon Ball!" If that doesn't scream the need for an anime adaptation to you, what else does? Those cutscenes from the PlayStation port are spectacular!
