Much likefilm tie-in games, anime games bring the source material to life. They use established worlds to create wholly unique experiences. While Western audiences have mostly tired of this product placement-driven genre, anime producers are still chomping at the bit to release gamified versions of their worlds.

Thus, there’s a massive pile of anime games. However, as with any genre, not all of these entries are good. Some are blatant cash grabs, while others are carefully constructed masterpieces. You can, of course, play Pokémon and call it a day, but there are many more worlds to explore.

Usagi Tsukino walks towards an enemy in Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon.

9Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon

Not all of the “best” anime games are necessarilygoodgames. Take, for example, the 1995 Banpresto Sailor Moon side-scrolling arcade game, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. It’s little more than another Street Fighter clone, albeit withthe five original Sailorsas playable characters and a pastel paint job. Despite its success as an arcade cabinet, the uninspired beat-em-up won few glowing reviews.

Still, it’s a fun diversion for Sailor Moon fans. Its focus on physical attacks is its kind of comedy, and there’s something strangely hilarious about watching Usagi suplex a full-grown bodybuilder. The game’s eight stages are visually appealing, too. You’ll even get to go toe-to-toe with Tuxedo Mask.

Kenshiro faces a giant in an arena as part of Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.

Fist of the North Star may not be at the forefront of modern anime pop culture, but its cultural influence is undeniably massive. Its muscular protagonist, Kenshiro, graced manga magazines throughout the 80s, and his innovative (albeit fictitious) fighting style quickly wormed its way into global pop culture.

Decades later, in 2018, Kenshiro found another way to vent his inner rage in Sega’s Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. Developed by the Ryu Ga Gotoku team, the epic fighting game borrows all the best parts ofthe famed Yakuza seriesand seamlessly blends them with the ultra-violence of Fist of the North Star.

Guts fights off a wave of enemies in Berserk and the Band of the Hawk.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk

Fighting games are a frequent vessel for anime adaptations. They’re fairly easy to produce and bend to any world’s rules. For a series as gruesome as Berserk, the genre also stands as the only logical option. Thus, the world received Berserk and the Band of the Hawk in 2017. Originally released for PlayStation 3, the game has since been ported to Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.

On a more technical level, Band of the Hawk is the perfect marriage of Berserk and the hack-and-slash action of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors series. Its plot mostly follows the first three volumes of the manga, although some arcs are omitted for pacing. While it’s not the most inspired adaptation, it’s a thematically appropriate and all-around satisfying blend of anime history and immersive combat.

Mugen and Fuu shiver as they walk through snow in Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked.

As a product of the mid-2000s, don’t expect cutting-edge graphics from Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked. Still, youcananticipate action-packed — if not somewhat polygonal — gameplay as either Jin or Mugen. Functionally, thishack-and-slash titlefollows the genre’s most basic rules. You string together light and heavy attacks to maximize your flow and speed.

However, you get the bonus of immersing yourself in the creatively reimagined Edo period of Samurai Champloo. The narrative has been hailed as a missing piece in the one-season anime, although it’s an enjoyable game in its own right.

Sasuke using Chidori in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3.

Narutohas long since established itself as an anime superpower. The orange-clad ninja has sprinted his way into hearts worldwide, and his tale of resilience has spanned literal decades. Masashi Kishimoto’s world has inspired multiple anime series, films, and video games. Each has its own distinct flair, of course; they’re all made for different audiences.

However, when it comes to Naruto games, few can top the Ultimate Ninja series. The now-massive collective of fighting games debuted in 2004 on the PlayStation 2, and its latest release dropped in 2023. Functionally, it’s your standard beat-em-up, but its attention to detail sets it apart. You’ll enjoy all the high-octane fun of the series and plenty of Jutsu eye candy. Depending on which entry you pick, you can even play as characters from the Boruto spin-off series.

Characters fight a mob in Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet.

Admittedly, Sword Art Online is the perfect anime for a video game adaptation. It’s set in a world of advanced VR gaming, after all. So, it’s no surprise that there aremultipleSword Art Online games. You could spend countless hours tearing through each, but one of the best is 2018’s Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet.

The third-person shooter game is packed with series-typical action. It also highlights an entirely new story, eschewing previous games’ reliance on established faces from the anime. Thus, you can create your own adventurer and tweak their skills to your liking without worrying about the canonical implications.

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Screenshot Of Monkey D. Luffy Fighting Large Pirate.

Like its pop culture nemesis, Naruto,One Piecehas withstood the test of time. Monkey D. Luffy has stretched his arms around the world and embraced fans across multiple decades. Likewise, his lovable gang of misfit pirates has become a staple in global pop culture. So, it’s only natural that the long-running quest has some video game adaptations.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors is a hack-and-slash fighting game — at this point, that’s probably not a surprise. Nonetheless, the action-packed gameplay is a perfect fit for the swashbuckling fun of One Piece. The series’ first entry dropped in the distant year of 2012. The most recent entry, Pirate Warriors 4, debuted in 2020.

Levi uses 3D Maneuver Gear in Attack on Titan 2.

Attack on Titan is part action, part post-apocalypse, partcharacter-driven drama, and wholly unique. Its dark fantasy setting quickly captivated audiences, propelling Hajime Isayama’s vision to global superstardom. Considering its action-packed plot and rich lore, it seems that the series is the perfect staging ground for countless video game spin-offs.

While this modern masterpiece hasn’t tucked as many gaming titles under its belt as its competitors, ithasproduced an action gem. Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle covers the series’ first fifty chapters, although it has a special non-canon ending. Nonetheless, it gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the bloody reality of Shiganshina.

Dragon Ball FighterZ image showing Goku firing a point blank kamehameha.

Everyone knows about the Dragon Ball series. Goku has graced televisions for decades; he’s even made appearances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Considering his impact, it didn’t take him long to appear in video games, too. While there are countless Dragon Ball games, one of the best is Dragon Ball FighterZ.

As withthe series’ other fighting games, you get plenty of chances to play as your favorite characters. You can fling hard-hitting Kame Hame Ha attacks or play methodical defense against your opponents. There’s no “wrong” way to play. You choose your team and command the battle, and the result will always be filled with eye-popping action.