Top 15 Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

Pokemon

While there have been tons of video games that have received anime adaptations, there are none that have reached the level of popularity that Pokemon has. What started as a pair of games for the original Game Boy about catching small monsters and doing battle evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. The anime follows a young boy who is a lot like we all were as kids, only he gets to go one of the most insane adventures ever as he works to become a true Pokemon Master.

Corpse Party: Tortured Souls

The interesting thing about Corpse Party is that it wasn’t really a big game at first, in fact it was just a small project that wasn’t intended to be much more than a fun project. However, it garnered immense popularity that lead to it being picked up by a publisher and even had an anime created which is equal parts terrifying and exciting. As you can tell by the title there are some corpses to deal with since a group of high schoolers get transported to an alternate dimension while telling ghost stories. It’s dark, mysterious, but hard to put down once you get into it as you hope that all the students make it out alive.

Mega Man NT Warriors

Mega Man Battle Network is one of the best games to star the blue bomber, so there’s no surprise that the anime spin-off, Mega Man NT Warriors, is just as amazing. The series follows Lan Hikari who is the hero in this iteration as he fights using MegaMan.EXE to take down digital criminals. It’s fun, has plenty of action, and part of it remains faithful to the games while still allowing for plenty of new story.

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

God Eater

If you’ve never played God Eater, think of it as a more mature Monster Hunter that’s all about slaying powerful beasts in order to create better gear and save the world. There’s plenty of gore, and while it’s pretty dark at times there is also a healthy dose of humor to add some life to the characters. You know… before they die. The anime has all the action you can wish for as you watch the protagonists face off against massive Aragami. If you like anything with huge monsters, definitely add this to your list.

Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I

While Dolores, I is a follow up to the first Zone of the Enders anime, 2167 IDOLO, it actually takes place before, during, and after the events of the first game making it a great watch for fans of the series. There’s plenty of mecha action, as one would expect, and a nice amount of humor to the proceedings as well. Don’t worry about it being pure comedy, though, as there’s enough drama to keep James Links’ mission at the forefront of his mind.

Street Fighter

It’s tough to simply pick one animated adaptation of Street Fighter, so we’re just going to lump them all in as one. The various series and films each offer slick combat and stories that let us see what goes on outside of the arena. It’s also great to see certain characters with a full range of motion, showing off just how great they are in the art of fighting. If you’re a fan of the games, check out Street Fighter II: the Animated Movie or the Street Fighter animated series.

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Final Fantasy VII is considered by many to be one of the best video games ever made and has received plenty of spin-offs, including a beautiful CGI animated film titled Advent Children. It takes place after the events of the game, but includes many fan-favorite characters, as well as a plot to bring Sephiroth back to rain hell upon the planet. It’s artwork is top-notch and holds up as one of the best looking films to date, and it’s just a simply great Final Fantasy experience.

Steins;Gate

Danganronpa

The Danganronpa games are both unique and amazing as players find themselves trapped in a high school where the only way to get out is to successfully commit murder without getting caught. Naturally, the anime is just as unique and interesting with murder, adventure, and plenty of mystery to go around. It’s a solid anime series that you must add to your queue, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different from the usual popular fare.

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

Tales of Symphonia

Tales of Syphonia released on the GameCube in 2003 (though Japan saw a PS2 release in the following year), and saw a re-release relatively recently with a PS3 port in 2014, as well as PC in 2016. It became highly popular which led to an anime adaptation in 2007, four years after the game’s release. It follows the game’s story so fans are thrust right into a familiar world with faces they’ll easily recognize. It’s a beautiful fantasy story with amazing artwork and even greater characters that are sure to keep you locked in throughout its entire run.

Tales of the Abyss

Considered by many fans to be the very best anime adaptation that this popular JRPG series has ever seen (followed closely by Tales of Symphonia), world of Auldrant is inviting as fans follow Luke on his quest to return to his kingdom and deal with the trespasses against him. It’s a beautiful story full of mystery and magic. The best part is that not only fans of the Tales series would appreciate the series, as it stands up quite well on its own even for those who have never played the games, so it’s definitely one to put on your list.

Clannad

The series is based on a visual novel of the same name. It focuses on fantasy and love as the series protagonists discover a young girl who lives in a world all on her own. This particular series isn’t full of action or over-the-top set pieces, but it certainly leaves those that watch with a lot to think about as it explores deep themes of family, friendship, and love.

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games

.hack

There are actually a lot of different series under the .hack umbrella, but they’re honestly all worth a watch. There’s a healthy mix of fantasy and sci-fi elements such as in .hack//Sign which mixes magic and a virtual world. There’s plenty of mystery and intrigue as protagonists explore the virtual worlds of the series and it’s genuinely just a great anime for fans of video games in general

Castlevania

Castlevania is the newest entry on this list, but it quickly earned its place among the anime based on video games. It has all the gothic themes fans of the classic franchise would expect with intense action and plenty of eye candy. Our one gripe is the short length (only four episodes), but that’s just a testament to how enthralled we were that even with a complete story told so quickly, we were clamoring for more.

Digimon

Some of you may be thinking that the PS1 games came after the anime, and that’s true. However, Digimon games original existed as virtual pets in the vein of Tamagotchi and NeoPets. That evolved into an anime series that was similar to Pokemon in that children befriended small monsters, only it had a much heavier tone and the monsters could speak our language (thank goodness for that). It’s fun, dramatic, and action packed, perfect for fans of all types of anime.

Best Anime Adaptations of Video Games