Anime often have plots or settings that make them obvious candidates for video game adaptations. Combat-centric series likeDragon Balland genre-defining work likeInitial Dhave games that successfully translate their appeal into engaging gameplay. Even some series that don’t seem adaptable have interesting adaptations, such asCrayon Shin-chan.
Spring 2023’s crop of debuting and returning anime have their fair share of video game adaptations. Some already have a good library of gems, while others have set release dates for their games. From MMORPGs to gacha, rhythm, and a number of other genres, there are enough games on offer to fill days between new episodes.
10I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too
Author Miku’ssecond work featuresan obese, bullied protagonist-turned-buff hero. It’s not set in a game world, but its setting and mechanics lend themselves well to an RPG. They fit so well, in fact, that its staff announced a free MMORPG based on the franchise this year.
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No release date has been announced for the free game, which is titled after the franchise with the subtitle “Parallel Universe.” But fans can look at the visuals released on thegame platform G123, which will host the MMORPG. The game will be released worldwide in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.
9KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World
Konosubais finally back on air with a series after a considerable hiatus and a few OVAs.Between anime seasons, the franchise’s light novels ended, and a number of adaptations made good on its goofy RPG premise. Every game is titled after the franchise, with a subtitle. The first two, subtitledIn The LifeandRevival of Beldia, were released along with Blu-ray and DVD copies of each anime season. A visual novel calledJudgment on this Greedy Game!was released on the PS4 and PS Vita around 2017, then ported to the Nintendo Switch later.
Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurerswas also released for the PS4 and Vita in 2019. The PS4 and Switch would get an updated version of this game a year later. Both consoles would get two more releases:Love For These Clothes Of Desire!andCursed Relic and the Perplexed Adventurers. International fans can also jump onFantastic Days, a mobile gacha RPG game available on iOS and Android in English, Japanese, and several other languages.
8The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: U149
U149is a spinoff ofCinderella Girls, a franchise with 190 recruitable idols across its various games. The main game now lives on in the form ofTHE iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage, where theU149girls can join a fan’s playable roster.
Starlight Stageis amobile rhythm gamewith surprising depth, thanks to its sliding controls. Sliding controls are more prominent the higher the difficulty level, and successful runs often make their way on video sharing sites for bragging rights.
7Demon Slayer
Demon Slayeris another game prime for multiple video game adaptations. Along with the myriad of Breathing Styles that constitute flashy fighting techniques, it also has numerous characters with backstories worth exploring.The Hinokami Chronicles, a 2021 adaptation, made use of these elements to create a fun fighting game.
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ThisDemon Slayerarena fighter has a single-player story mode that faithfully follows the manga’s story, up to the Mugen Train arc. Its main bread and butter, the multiplayer mode, lets players square up against CPU opponents or local and online fighters with a team of two characters.
6In Another World With My Smartphone
With over 28 volumes and counting,In Another World With My Smartphoneis another isekai franchise with a giant following. As mentioned by the title, protagonist Touya Mochizuki is sent to another world with his smartphone that proves indispensable in his new life. It’s not hard to imagine how useful it could be if Touya’s thrown into a video game adaptation next.
Smartphone’s creators have yet to reveal if it will indeed play a huge part in the upcoming adaptationIn Another World With My Smartphone: Happiness Cradle. What is known isits host platform, G123, which will also host theCheat SkillMMORPG.
5EDENS ZERO
Rave Mastermangaka Hiro Mashima came back withEDENS ZEROin 2017 after finishing the long-livedFairy Tailthe previous year. As expected of a Mashima title,EDENS ZEROis a sprawling adventure manga that, expectedly, spawned several video games.
Konami released the first of itstwo game adaptationsin 2022.EDENS ZERO Pocket Galaxyis a 3D action mobile RPG where players can navigate the world and fight from a top-down view. The second of Konami’s games have yet to come out, but fans can tide themselves over with anRPG Maker-style game made by Mashima himself.
4Birdie Wing
Birdie Wingmade a splash in its debut thanks to its unapologetic, over-the-top story and extreme take on the tame sport of golf. Critics and fans alike also liked the cast’s chemistry and leads Eve and Aoi’s rivalry-slash-romance. For all these reasons,Birdie Winghas three video game adaptations slated for the future.
The earliest to come out is a2023 title for the Switch.Birdie Wing - Golf Girls' Storywill allow players to use the Joy-Con to swing their clubs in both story and multiplayer mode. A mobile game and VR suite are also in the works.
3Stella of the Theater: World Dai Star
World Dai Staris the latest multimedia franchise to hit the market.Akame ga Kill!mangaka Takahiro,Is It Wrong to attempt to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?producer EGG FIRM, andCowboy Bebopstudio Bandai Namco Filmworks wrote and created the anime, manga, and the upcoming mobile rhythm game.
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TitledWorld Dai Star: Yume no Stellarium, players control, raise, and recruit girls from the series to clear dozens of songs. Each board is set against 3D stage play performances of the girls. Like other idol rhythm games, raising a girl’s card will confer gameplay bonuses, and unlock neat side stories. Because the game is Japan-only, worldwide fans may need apps such as QooApp to access the game when it comes out.
2Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
The Witch from Mercuryis arguably one of the bestGundaminstallments to come out in the last decade. Vengeance, political corruption, and the dangers of uncontrolled, emerging technology and capitalism intertwine with the dark coming-of-age of its leads Suletta and Miorine.
While the series has yet to get a proper standalone game, Suletta has made her way to anactiveGundamgame. Suletta and her Gundam Aerial are playable via DLC inSD Gundam Battle Alliance. They were also available as a limited-time unit inMobile Suit Gundam UC Engage.
1Crayon Shin-chan
Crayon Shin-chan, likeSazae-san, has never had an off-season, but it is a series that has had a recent video game adaptation.Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation – The Endless Seven-Day Journeyis notable for having a worldwide release on the Nintendo Switch and PC.
As a spiritual successor toMy Summer Vacation (Boku no Natsuyasumi), it successfully merged the charming, open-ended gameplay of the Japanese game series and the familiar characters ofShin-chan. Though it has an overarching plot, players, like the titular kindergartner, can spend the summer doing whatever they want.
