Video games based on anime do not have a consistently strong track record. Some games are colossal crossovers with little nuanced gameplay, like Jump Force. However, many older fans probably remember games like Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22, a game that gained infamy in the last days of the Playstation era for its poor gameplay. Despite feeling like a barren desert, there are some solid options out there in games based on anime.
The following games are diamonds in the rough, ones that stand out through semi-recent history. To simplify matters, games that preceded their anime counterpart -- like Pokémon or Persona -- will not count here. The anime had to come first, and the game based on it has got to be something great.
Super Robot Wars (series)
Few franchises are as memorable as Super Robot Wars. In many regards, it's the ultimate fusion of the mecha genre, with every significant mecha franchise -- from Mazinger Z to Gundam to Evangelion -- joining together in one epic, game-spanning plot. Of note, many obscure mecha franchises found a second-life in here too, like Gunbuster, Martian Successor Nadesico and Heroman.
It's no doubt challenging to discern which games are better than others in this long-running franchise, so this is a general entry for the whole collective series. If you like strategy RPGs filled with the most memorable icons in anime history joining together, this is the game for you.
Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story
Sailor Moon: Another Story might not have the mainstream appeal that other RPG adaptations of popular anime might have, but it's a cult classic deserving of more praise among Sailor Moon fans. The game's story is centered on a faction from the future who blames Sailor Moon for Earth's problems, so they travel to the past to alter history.
Despite its popularity among anime fans, this SNES game has never been translated officially, forcing fans to pick up the slack with their fan translations. Though it's a simple tactical RPG, the plot feels like the best sort of fanfiction. This game is often overlooked when discussing great anime video games because Americans have not played it -- which is a shame.
Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3
Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 is arguably one of the best anime fighting games of all time. While later games would have more expansive rosters and a sandbox setting, Budokai 3 felt like the best fighting game we could have asked for. Tons of transformations, a fun story mode and a surprisingly deep combat system make Budokai 3 stand out even over a decade later.
Of course, the Budokai and Budokai Tenkaichi series remains a fond memory for many Dragon Ball Z fans. While Budokai 3 is arguably the best entry, special notice goes to Budokai Tenkaichi 3, the ultimate sandbox fighter game for Dragon Ball Z fans, featuring a massive roster of characters.
.hack Franchise
The initial anime, .hack//Sign, and the first game in the .hack series, .hack//INFECTION, came out around the same time in 2002. However, the anime debuted in April, while the first game came out in June. Long before Sword Art Online, there was this trapped-in-an-MMO isekai series. It almost immediately garnered popularity for its blend of a sci-fi narrative and fantasy adventure. Both the games and anime spun wildly into their own directions as the years passed.
Nearly twenty years on, the original four Playstation 2 games remain a slightly obscure entry in the JRPG craze but are still worth playing if you can get your hands on them. In some ways, the games for .hack are more fondly remembered than the anime series, despite .hack//Sign airing on Toonami. Toonami played a massive role in promoting both the game and anime to a vast audience, making it a nostalgic entry for 90s and 2000s children.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Naruto has had several fighting games over the years, but Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 seems to be the standout entry. It took the formula that had worked in previous games and amped it up with more characters, improved gameplay mechanics, tons of style and unique jutsu.
The game is essentially an update of its previous entries -- and indeed, the whole Ultimate Ninja Storm series is excellent, much like the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai series. Still, it manages to encompass the entirety of the original saga and a lot of Boruto DLC as well, marking it as the must-play entry in the series.
Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom
Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom is an essential game for any fan of the series. You live through the core events of the anime's first season, managing to combat the Titans' wrath through complex hack-and-slash gameplay, pitting you against legions of the gigantic adversaries.
What makes this game so notable isn't necessarily its heavy combat but its ability to immerse you in the world of Attack on Titan. There are several other games based on this series that fail to transport you into this complicated world. Thankfully, that's not the case for Wings of Freedom.
Jump Ultimate Stars
There have been multiple attempts over the years to combine the various icons of Shonen Jump into one video game. None have been as successful as Jump Ultimate Stars. Not only does it pack in the most extensive cast of Shonen Jump heroes, but it also manages to make a fun -- albeit wildly unbalanced -- handheld game in the process.
Jump Ultimate Stars is hampered because it was never officially released overseas, meaning many players were left unable to pit Light Yagami against Arale or Yoh Asakura against Yusuke Urameshi. It's a surprisingly complex game that exists almost as official fanfiction. If you can get your hands on it, it's well worth it for the expansive roster and entertaining gameplay.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ might be one of the best games based on an anime to have come out in years. Few games manage to balance intense, competitive gameplay with a stunning roster of characters as this title does. Dragon Ball FighterZ is a fighting game so well-designed it's been put into EVO -- an annual fighting game tournament.
That is not to say Dragon Ball FighterZ is the best game ever made, but it is one of the most complex fighting games for the Dragon Ball saga and includes characters that span across the franchise's history. It's managed to make characters from GT cool again -- and that in and of itself is a triumph.