Anime and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly. For a gamer to be a fan of anime or for an anime fan to be a gamer is not uncommon. After all, a ton of video games are Japanese made and anime is a Japanese product as well. Due to this, a lot of video games get anime adaptations and vice versa.
The adaptation phenomenon is not limited by genre either. From horror to action and fantasy, all these genres can easily be translated from one form of media to the other. Anime has even proven to adapt to RPGs, where the protagonist is typically a silent character. Video game adaptations are a little more common, but there has certainly been a push for more anime adaptations of games, as there have been major hits recently such as Castlevania.
10 Anime Adapted To Game: Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelist Of The Rose
There are many who would naturally think the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime was created to sell a card game. However, the manga was what came first before any anime or merchandise. However, the anime definitely put the story on an international scope.
The anime actually has many video game adaptations that range from the Gameboy Advance to today's Nintendo Switch. Most of them were for the Playstation 2 though, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelist Of The Rose. It was one of many Yu-Gi-Oh! games that were not well received.
9 Game Adapted To Anime: Pokemon Origins
Pokemon started as a video game and exploded into a worldwide beloved franchise. While the adaptation everyone knows the most is with Ash as the protagonist, the closest adaptation to the original games is Pokemon Origins.
While Ash's story seems endless, this adaptation is very short with only four episodes. However, it is complete enough in those episodes. It is likely that as veteran fans grow up, there will be even more adaptations targeted towards their nostalgia.
8 Anime Adapted To Game: My Hero One's Justice
My Hero Academia is the new Naruto in terms of being on the mainstream action anime bracket. Like Naruto, it is accumulating many video game titles as well.
Among these games are action fighters like My Hero One's Justice. While it mostly serves as a fighter where you can select different characters to fight on a roster, the game also adapts different scenes from the series.
7 Game Adapted To Anime: Danganronpa
Inspired by debate games like Ace Attorney, Danganronpa is a series about a bunch of high schoolers who are forced to kill one another in a killing game. The gameplay is a mixture of finding the culprit in a mock courtroom, getting to know the cast of characters, and looking for clues to solve the murders.
The first game got an anime adaptation. The anime was received pretty negatively though, as it makes the pacing of the story go on hyper-speed and lacks the charm of the debate mechanics. However, some fans want to see adaptations of the other games as well.
6 Anime Adapted To Game: Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is a little unusual in the anime world, as it's a pretty popular series in different countries despite its heightened violence. Typically anime with content like Attack on Titan has a cult following, but Attack on Titan broke into the mainstream consciousness. Due to that, it has gotten video game adaptations.
The games are not amazing, but they are good for an anime adaptation. They also cover the story well and intermix it with gameplay.
5 Game Adapted To Anime: Persona 5
Persona 4 also got an anime adaptation, but it is the fifth title that is the most recent in the series. The Persona series is a lot like anime with its combination of school life and supernatural adventure. The game itself even has its fair share of anime cutscenes.
The anime covered the full story with 26 episodes. While the anime commits well to the characters, it is like Danganronpa in terms of poor pacing without the buffer of video game mechanics.
4 Anime Adapted To Game: Dragon Ball Fighter Z
Dragon Ball Z is the king of anime fighting shows, so it has many video game adaptations. Many of their games are actually highly rated and loved for their balanced fights, beautiful visuals, and a wide array of characters to play as.
While there are many good titles, a lot of fans consider Dragon Ball Fighter Z to be the best of them. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 does come in at a close second place though.
3 Game Adapted To Anime: Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
Neither the game nor the anime of Corpse Party is for the faint of heart. Originally a horror game, many characters in the story perish under gruesome circumstances.
The fact that this game got an anime is a little bit of a miracle. The game has a strong cult following like most other games made with RPG Maker. Due to the love of the simple game, the game itself also got many remakes and sequels.
2 Anime Adapted To Game: Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Inspired by Tamagotchi, Digimon were most popularized through anime. However, their video game series is quite expansive. Their games have been on every platform imaginable with the first game released being Digimon World and the most recent title being Digimon New Century.
A small example of their games is Cyber Sleuth and its sequel, Hacker's Memory. Those particular titles are RPGs with original stories. There are other titles that follow the story of the anime.
1 Game Adapted To Anime: Air TV
One of the most popular adaptations to come to the anime world is adaptations of visual novel games. These games are a little more like books but are technically games. The player can achieve different endings by making different choices as they read and play.
One such example of these adaptations is Air TV. Of course, unlike the visual novel, it decides for the viewer what characters to focus on. Due to that, many prefer the game to the show.