Anime continues to be one of the most creative and versatile mediums of storytelling. It’s amazing to see the levels of production that have been achieved over the past decades. Anime tell incredible stories, but there are plenty of places that they turn to for inspiration, and it’s not unusual for anime to function as an adaptation of another medium.
There’s always been a level of connectivity between anime and video games, and this relationship has continued to blossom. It’s common for anime to adapt video games and vice versa, but there are also occasions where this transition process actually improves upon the original product.
10 Monster Rancher’s Anime Develops A Strong Story To Give It Direction
Monster Rancher is one of the many anime that came out during the 1990s that took advantage of the type of monster-collecting gameplay that Pokémon made so popular. Both Pokémon and Digimon have acclaimed anime, but the same can be said for their video games. The Monster Rancher video games continue to trudge along, but they’ve largely remained in obscurity. The anime takes its central premise and strengthens it with an affable cast of characters. Monster Rancher’s anime doesn’t overstay its welcome and benefits from the singular story that it tells.
9 Super Dragon Ball Heroes Throws Its Canon Into A Blender
Dragon Ball’s popularity is so intense that practically any product that comes out will do reasonably well with audiences. Super Dragon Ball Heroes is a short promotional anime that airs every few months to advertise the video game of the same name. The video game focuses on throwing as many characters from different timelines into the mix. This can be disorienting, but it’s fun to see it play out in anime form. It’s absolutely ridiculous and borderline confusing for those that watch the proper Dragon Ball anime, but it’s an oddity that’s hard to ignore.
8 F-Zero GP Legend Adds A Narrative To The Racer
F-Zero is a Nintendo racing franchise that’s never reached the same level of popularity as the Mario Kart games, but they’re still excellent and fast-paced racers. It may initially seem like a radical idea, but F-Zero GP Legend turns the racing game into a racing anime series that does the material so many favors.
F-Zero GP Legend has just over 50 episodes that all showcase the vehicles and tracks of the F-Zero universe. Still, the anime gets to flesh out characters like Captain Falcon and introduce an element to the series that’s sorely been absent.
7 Gungrave’s Action Triumphs In An Anime Setting
Gungrave is an aggressive third-person shooter for the PlayStation 2 that stands out from the crowd due to its exaggerated violence and moody protagonist who’s out for revenge. The Gungrave video game is designed by Yatsuhiro Nightow, who’s renowned for his work with action anime, and the game taps into that energy. Therefore, it makes sense to translate the shooter into an anime series, and the 26-episode adaptation goes to even crazier places. It doesn’t feel restricted by the mechanics of a video game. Madhouse’s animation produces a very polished package that also looks better than its video game counterpart.
6 Bomberman Jetters Expands The Game’s Universe
Bomberman Jetters pulls from the video game spin-off series of the same name, but it opts to tell an original story set in the same universe rather than adapt its events. Bombermna Jetters's beginning is a little shaky and has a very episodic approach as Bomberman’s team travels across the galaxy on different missions. However, Bomberman Jetters’ tone slowly matures, and the anime handles some surprisingly deep themes and subject matter that are nowhere to be found in the video games.
5 The Danganronpa Anime Deepens The Video Games’ Mystery
The Danganronpa games are a popular murder mystery series that pit many unsuspecting high school students into tense murder games against surreal gatekeepers to survive. The Danganronpa games are exceptional, but they largely function as visual novels, which reduce the amount of actual gameplay.
Danganronpa: The Animation beautifully translates the first game’s story and incorporates its art style without difficulty. However, the next Danganronpa anime concludes events from future games and tells an even more complex and compelling narrative than what’s featured in the addictive games.
4 Show By Rock!!’s Anime Adds Depth And Story To A Rhythm Game
Sanrio is responsible for many kid-friendly properties, but Show by Rock!! Marks their attempt to skew to an older demographic. The series features a fun cast of relatable characters who dream of their band finding major success. Show by Rock!! It is a mobile rhythm game, which is entertaining, but not that deep otherwise. Show by Rock!!’s anime is such a surprise because it turns these characters into real people and explores issues like the difficulties of starting a band and finding one’s voice. It takes something simple and actually adds a foundation to it.
3 Rage Of Bahamut: Genesis Turns A Card Game Into An Epic
Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is a 13-episode fantasy series set in a dangerous world where humans, demons, and Gods all coexist. A delicate balance is in place, but all of that is put at risk when the revival of a deadly demon known as Bahamut is threatened. Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is full of stunning action sequences where the world's fate is at stake. The original Rage of Bahamut video game is a mobile collectible card title to the anime's credit. The anime narrows in on the property’s lore and turns it into a sprawling adventure.
2 Higurashi When They Cry’s Mystery Gains Layers As An Anime
Higurashi When They Cry is a series of visual novel games that lead to serious tonal whiplash. The game and its characters are presented in an ultra-cute style, only for the subject matter to revolve around a series of grisly murders. Higurashi is engaging, but the various anime that has been released take advantage of the games’ atypical tone. The anime plays even more with audience expectations and crafts an intricate story full of cryptic clues. Higurashi’s anime makes the games’ story and surprises work even better. It’s a challenge to solve, even for fans of the games.
1 Steins; Gate’s Heady Sci-Fi Story Is Better As An Anime
Steins;Gate is another visual novel title, but this one embraces the science fiction genre and presents a complex story about time travel. Steins;Gate deals with a group of students who gain the power to change the past, which opens up a whole cosmic can of worms. Steins;Gate presents an amazing story, but the visual novel game often feels like it wants to be an anime but can’t. The actual anime has the advantage of being able to view Steins;Gate’s entire story and craft something even more impressive that respects the source material but makes it even more engaging.