2013 was undoubtedly a good year for anime. Some of the most wildly popular shows likeAttack on Titan, KILL la KILL, andDanganronpawere just a few that debuted that year. The rise in popularity of anime was growing and there were many titles that were expanded into various media outlets.
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There are quite a few Japanese animated games that were adapted into a TV series and popular games series that received a video game adaptation. Whether you were a fan from the beginning or just came to discover these series, it is truly astounding that many of these entries are reaching their tenth birthday in 2023.
8Fist Of The North Star: Ken’s Rage 2
Unlike the first game, this game was received as a less impressive copy of the first game and retold the story of the first game with expanded lore. Still, if you enjoyed playing against hordes of enemies that you could take down with martial arts then the game is worth checking out.
TheAce Attorneygames became incredibly popular thanks to their visual novel gameplay and unique characters of defense attorneys. The fifth entry in the series is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies.
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What really made these games stand apart was the adventure and court gameplay that captured audiences. This game brought together adventure, trials, and the reward of bringing back justice to the shady courts in the game.
When you get to play this game it’s not hard to see why an anime of this was made as Phoenix Wright and the other characters make for an entertaining watch.
6Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
The Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise is popular for a variety of reasons. Its beautiful graphics, turn-based gameplay, and storyline. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is the third installment in the franchise and was well-received by fans.
Set in an alternate dimension to Gamindustri in 1989, this story follows the main character Neptune as she tries to return home. However, she soon finds out that a group known as the Seven Sages is trying to eliminate the CPUs inthis alternate dimension, and it becomes her mission to save her new world.
Personabecame an extremely popular series for its role-playing gameplay and storylines focusing on its many characters. Persona 4 Arena ended up having some issues regarding releases and region locks but was finally released on the PSN in 2013.
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Persona 4 Arena is a spin-off fighting game from the Persona series and focuses on the P-1 Grand Prix, a fighting tournament. This game follows characters from bothPersona 4and 3 where the Investigation Team must fight the Shadow Operatives.
This was the first game in the series to stray away from the usual RPG elements but proved successful as the follow-up game Persona 4 Arena Ultimax continued this game’s story.
4Skullgirls
Skullgirlstook over the world when it was first released originally in 2012. There have been many ports for the game but the Windows version will be celebrating its tenth birthday as of August 2023.
In this 2D fighting game, you play as one of the different Skullgirls characters each with their unique abilities and move sets.
You can play with up to three characters on each team and if there are fewer players on another team, the game will balance out the teams such as the low players get more health and damage. You can play in a normal fighting mode or in a story mode that follows a new Skullgirl and seven other fights who seek to gain the Skull heart which grants them all a wish.
3Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch
If you are a fan ofStudio Ghiblithen it really might be worth checking outNi No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch if you haven’t had the chance to yet. This third-person RPG follows a young boy who is on a journey to resurrect his deceased mother.
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The game’s animated sequences were produced by Studio Ghibli and the art style for the game is also heavily inspired by the famous studio. The game includes an open world where you may freely explore if you wish to not follow the story.
There are many tasks you can complete in addition to the main storyline. A remastered version of this game is out for next-gen consoles andNintendo Switchand is worth a playthrough.
2Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
There are many series that could be considered influential to the rise in popularity of anime in Western countries andNarutois one of them. The number of characters, well-crafted stories, and spectacular fight scenes are what helped Naruto become a must-see anime.
The game itselffocuses on the story of ninjas from all the villages fighting against the Akatsuki. It is a fighting game and has 81 playable characters from the series including Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Gaara, Madara, Killer B, and Rock Lee to name a few.
The game itself was well-received for its action, gameplay, and cinematic boss fights.
1Pokemon X And Y
Perhaps one of the most well-known and longest-running anime isPokemon. The amount of anime series, cards, games, and merchandise that Pokemon has spawned is incredible and will most likely continue for generations to come.
In Pokemon X and Y, you start off in the Kalos region learning how to train your Pokemon and beat the gyms. However, there is a dangerous villain known as Team Flare who wants to destroy humanity.
There are more hidden secrets though that you discover during your time in the region. The game also introduced new starter Pokemon,Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie, including 72 new species, and Mega Evolutions like Mewtwo and Lucario.
