What Anime Fighting Games Should I Play?
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The 24 Best Anime Fighting Games Ranked
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure? Dragon Ball Z? Naruto? All of these titles have great anime fighting games. Here are the best ones, ranked. When most people think of fighting games, they probably think of fighters like Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and Street Fighter. All of those are great, but there are plenty of other fighting games out there that are also amazing. And some of those are What's an anime fighter? Well, they come in two types. One is a fighting game that has an anime art style to it. The other is a fighter based on an actual anime. Some games can even classify as both! Whether you're a long-time fan of anime fighters or want to get into them, this list here might interest you. Updated Sep 14, 2022, by Chris Sanfilippo: Our latest update focuses on fighting games inspired by the manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Bandai-Namco's remaster, All-Star Battle R, reminds us why this dream match is one of the best Jojo video game adaptations. However, we also revisited a cult-classic Capcom fighting game, Jojo' s Bizarre Adventure Heritage For The Future, which preceded All-Star Battle by over a decade. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Melty Blood
There are probably few who know about the visual novel game , but there was a . That lack of context might confuse new players, but it doesn't stop from being one of the best anime fighting games. The Melty Blood series has more than 30 characters from Tsukihime and other visual novels from the Type-Moon series. Despite being 2D, the game's graphics are vibrant, and the animation for each character's sprites runs pretty smoothly. Melty Blood incorporates many different fighting game mechanics for cancels and chain combos. Every character has a distinct fighting style, and the newest game in the series, Type Lumina, includes new characters, new routes, and endings. One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition
is a shonen anime that's been around for decades with around 1,000 episodes -- no small feat. Many video games have attempted to capture the magic of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirate Crew, but they're often a mixed bag. One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition is one of the best One Piece games ever made. It features nearly 40 playable characters and addictive gameplay that feels authentic to the anime series, whether players work their way through hordes of enemies by themselves or with others. Pokken Tournament DX
may seem like a bit of a cheat since the franchise has its roots in video games, but the anime series has gained a life of its own and is just as popular (if not even more so). Pokken Tournament DX is a curious experiment that takes the combat from the Pokémon series but shifts it into a fighting game that enhances the action and eliminates everything else. It's an exciting step forward for the series, and it's a fun way to put Pokémon in the spotlight without trainers getting in the way. Plus, that Magikarp track is a total banger. KILL La KILL- IF
It can be challenging to describe the kind of anime that KILL la KILL is in just a few words. The story follows Ryuko as she tries to find the truth behind her father's death -- a truth that Satsuki Kiryuin, the student president of Honnouji Academy, seems to know. However, follows the anime through an alternate storyline that follows Satsuki Kiryuin instead. The game is modeled directly after the anime's art style, with the same VAs (Japanese and English) reprising their roles. The fighting is fast-paced, and there's a gameplay mechanic called "Bloody Valor," where players can mock and taunt their opponents to deal additional damage. BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle is a wild crossover of several fighting game series and, for the first time, Rooster Teeth's animated series RWBY. Created by Arc System Works, players can pick any two characters from seven different series and battle against opponents in two-on-two battles to collect fragments of a "Keystone" that will send the characters back to their respective universes. Each character is done in the BlazBlue art style and has their special moves turned into Astral Finishes. The game started with twenty characters, then ballooned to 54 after DLC. You'll find heroes and villains from BlazBlue, Under Night In-Birth, Persona 4 Arena, RWBY, Arcana Heart, Senran Kagura, and Akatsuki Blitzkampf/EN-Eins Perfektewelt. Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax is a game developed by French Bread and Ecole Software. Published by Sega, this game is a crossover of all the light-novel series published under Dengeki Bunko. The roster of the base game includes fourteen popular characters from Sword Art Online, Durarara!!, Valkyria Chronicles, Virtua Fighter, and more. Players can pick their main fighter along with an assist character. Although the game's controls appeal to casual and veteran players of fighting games, they allow for complex combos. And with licensing, players can enjoy battling on themed stages of their favorite Sega franchises, like Sonic the Hedgehog. Persona 4 Arena
is the first fighting game in the Persona series. It takes place a few months after the events of and includes most of the main cast of . The Investigation Team and the former SEES members cross paths as two individuals who look like Teddie and Rise hold a tournament that forces them to fight one another. P4A's sequel, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, introduced a new, duel-blade-wielding character named Sho Minazuki. Each character controls a Persona, which acts as both a special attack and battle partner. Plus, battle stages include locations seen in both games. JoJo' s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's unique style and unforgettable characters make it one of the most iconic series, both in manga and anime. And the game, , captures that very essence. This Playstation 3 fighting game has more than forty characters from all eight JoJo story arcs. Every character has one of five Battle Styles reminiscent of their skills and abilities from the series. For example, Dio has the Vampirism Style that lets him drain opponents' attacks and heal himself. However, characters like Jotaro and Josuke have their Stands instead. There are several different game modes, too. For example, players can play through Story Mode to reenact their favorite moments from the series and even play through Campaign or Versus to gain Customize Metals or battle their friends with their favorite characters. Jojo' s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R
When the original All-Star Battle launched internationally in 2013, the manga series was not as prevalent globally. However, the anime adaptation of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, streamable on Netflix, exposed Hirohiko Araki's stylish supernatural series to a more robust audience. So, in celebration of the manga's thirty-fifth anniversary and the anime's tenth, Bandai-Namco launched a remaster titled Jojo' s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R. ASBR is a fantastic upgrade from its forebearer. The title adds ten new characters, including long-running favorite heroes and villains like Robert E. O. Speedwagon and Pet Shop. Plus, ASBR features several new game mechanics, such as the addition of assist characters and dash jumps. Unfortunately, the only area where the remaster struggles is online due to its outdated delay-based netcode. Jojo' s Bizarre Adventure Heritage For The Future
Bandai-Namco's All-Star Battle series was not the first fighting game to feature the characters of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. On the contrary, Capcom adapted the manga over a decade earlier in one of the few fighting games to debut on the company's CPS-III arcade board. But, instead of devising a dream match, this title focused primarily on the manga's third arc, Stardust Crusaders. Jojo' s Bizarre Adventure Heritage For The Future is the definitive version of the Jojo fighting game, later ported to the Playstation and Sega Dreamcast. Capcom fans will quickly notice familiar mechanics in this game, such as chain combos. In addition, the game featured several new mechanics inspired by Stands. For example, Tandem Attacks let players pre-program their Stand so User and Stand could fight simultaneously. Jump Force
Crossover fighters are a sub-genre of video games that are growing popular thanks to the success of titles like and . Jump Force is a brilliant idea that takes characters from popular Shonen Jump mangas and throws them into one game together. The Jump Ultimate Stars franchise has been running for a long time, but is the newest entry and brings a lot of new characters and fun to the equation. In addition, there's something satisfying about having characters from Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece all combat each other. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst
The fans of the long-running series have only become more passionate in recent years, thanks to the Boruto sequel series. Unfortunately, Naruto is an anime that developers have tried to perfect in video game form for a long time, and many regrettable entries deliver clunky and tedious combat. The series is a delight, and while some may prefer Ninja Storm 4, the third entry is just as strong and features a better-developed story on top of everything else. The Full Burst edition packs in even more content in pristine HD. My Hero One' s Justice 2
is one of the most popular anime that's currently on television. But while its previous fighting game, One's Justice, is a commendable effort, its new sequel knocks it out of the park in every category. takes what works from its predecessor and crams it with more content, including new characters or an extended story and mission mode. The addition of destructible environments and incredible Team Final Smashes make One's Justice 2 an absolute triumph. Dragon Ball FighterZ
Without a game, no list of the best anime fighting games would be complete. Of course, there are many great ones, but the best one that captures the essence of the series is Dragon Ball FighterZ. Arc System Works, the same company responsible for Blazblue and Guilty Gear, developed the game. FighterZ has the same game mechanics as most other fighting games, and its base game includes a 21-character roster, with three unlocked from gameplay. It's possible to purchase more fighters through DLC with characters like Vegito and Dragon Ball Super's Andriod 17. In addition, it has an original story mode where a new Android, 21, uses the Dragon Balls to resurrect several of the series' villains and seals the power of Earth's greatest heroes. Under Night In-Birth
Under Night In-Birth is a 2D fighting game developed by French Bread, the same studio behind Dengeki Bonku and Melty Blood. For centuries the "Hollow Night" has given way to terrible monsters that feed on a power called "Existence." There have been people who can see these monsters called Voids, and those that survive an attack from a Void gain the power to combat them and become In-Births. As with Melty Blood, In-Birth has various fighting game mechanics that give players multiple ways to cancel and counter their opponents' attacks. Each character also has unique combos and distinct exchanges with different characters. Guilty Gear Xrd
The Guilty Gear series has been around since 1998 and Guilty Gear Xrd is the 5th main title in the series. ArcSys introduced a new art style for the series utilizing a gorgeous 2.5-D look. The game also has features to make it easier for new players to get into, like a comprehensive tutorial mode. Xrd's story mode dives deep into the game's lore and briefly introduces what went on in the past series. Twenty characters are on the roster, with classic characters like I-No, Sol, and Millia. Additionally, its latest iteration, Rev 2, has twenty-five fighters. Dead Or Alive 6
The first game launched way back in 1996, with its latest launch in 2019. But, of course, the series was always known for its "bounce physics." Still, the fast-paced combat keeps players on their toes, and the cast seems to keep growing. The sixth installment improved the gameplay and included tutorials for newbies but struggled initially with multiplayer functions. Still, it's worth picking up if you're a fan of the series and anime fighting games. Fate Unlimited Codes
Cavia developed this title for the TYPE-MOON segment, and it initially launched in Japanese arcades in 2008. All fan-favorite characters make appearances, from Saber, Rin, and Archer to some exclusive characters like Zero Lancer tied to the PSP or PS2 releases. The story relates to Fate/Stay Night's plot but gets told from the player's perspective. Though Sony announced the closure of the PS Vita, PSP, and PS3 stores, they reversed their decision due to fan demand. As a result, only the PSP store shut down, with some titles still available on the PS Vita and PS3 digital storefronts. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4
As a direct sequel to the 2015 title mentioned earlier on this list, amended some of the plots but furthered them, too. The gameplay remains essentially unchanged, apart from some new multiplayer modes. But the story is the real focus here as it has an original ending. Moreover, since the manga arc is ongoing, it's a neat departure from the canon narrative for fans. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
The journey of the cat-like ninja with quick hands never seems to end, but that's fine with games like this. Unfortunately, Bandai-Namco confirmed this would be the last in the Ninja Storm series. For addictive gameplay and a captivating story, it's hard to beat this title available for Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Fun fact: one of the showing just how enduring the series is.