Video Games and Anime: should they mix?

[unangbangkay]

In general "Anime games" tend to be as good (or bad) as any other licensed tie-in game. The level of connection between the Japanese cartoon industry and its game development industry tends to make the anime games more tolerable on average. For example, if forced to, I'd much rather play a game about "Bleach!" or "Naruto" than "24" or "The Shield". The fact that anime are easier to adapt to the nature of games also helps it, as opposed to primetime live-action TV shows.

However, if we talk about anime IN games, i.e., games that use the anime medium or aesthetic or anime writers or being heavily integrated with their own anime, I'm all for it. Despite being a grind-tastic piece of gameplay dreck, the ".hack" franchise makes for a great integration of passive media with interactive media.

Anime stylizing is also an easy way for a game with otherwise substandard visuals to stand out. Cute sprites and lavishly animated cutscenes can sometimes cut through to a nerd's heart where no amount of bloom and realistic normal mapping can. Just look at how many DS games (particularly the strategy RPGs) take advantage of "talking face" sprites to add personality to games that might otherwise be passed over.

Of course, if gamers reach a point of "anime fatigue", where every giant-eyed loli looks the same, much of the advantage to integrating anime aesthetic into a game will be lost, so the last paragraph was really just about what can come of having good, stylish art direction.

 

[VideoGameFan]

I would play Robotech, Mobile Suit Gundam (Universal Century Gundam), and there were some anime games that have been released in the United States of America.

 

[Zera]

Since this was started by talking about Bleach lets first use that as a comparison. I personally love Bleach and its been one of my favorite animes since I discovered it (just got on season 4). At the same time, my experience with anime games has been lackluster in the past. All that aside my main issue with anime games is they always seem to fall primarily into one genre: The side-to-side fighter. It's almost a law in japan that if you're going to make a game based on any anime series its going to have to be a 2-d fighter because they're cheap and easy to make and at the same time they will sell to two markets (2-d fighting enthusiasts and fans of the specific anime series). I think Bleach would work perfectly with a sandbox style of gameplay where you play Inchigo in 3rd person and roam around his town/soul society/where ever the story is and develop his skills in action oriented battles (somewhere between Crackdown and a non-standard RPG like Chrono Trigger). Merlynn's point about a superman character is a good one, but she/he is misinterpreting the problem. A main character can be ridiculously powerful compared to a normal human so long as the enemies the character fights are just as (and even better if more so) powerful than the protagonist. In the series Ichigo doesn't start out being that powerful and at every step of the way he is confronted with opponents who are more powerful than he is and often nearly dies in the process of getting stronger. You can't have your charter start off as a superman and you can't have him be one without equally powerful enemies, but that doesn't mean your characters have to have human limitations. Just chiming in.

This is like what ubisoft is doing in Naruto Rise of a Ninja for 360. After seeing some previews I must say this is actually looking decent. Probably because they are making this game from the ground up and isnt just another anime fighter (though there is a versus mode). We can only wait to see how this turns out.

Oh by the way I finally got the bleach games i mentioned in the beginning. Ill give a quick review later.

 

[LordOmnit]

Since this was started by talking about...

Ah, most excellent point. Many times (especially fighting anime's) it would be great in a Dynasty Warriors-style or an FPS-type-esque game (only not being as overpowered necessarily, or having an army backing you... or having a base... etc.).

 

[blackfly01]

Hate to jump into the conversation, but only if the anime in the game isn't an actual anime. As in the game developers don't base the game off of an anime, but make an original anime-style for the game. And for once, have it not take place in/involve Japan or at the very least a fantasy world; I know it sounds contradictive, but consider it a cultural challenge: name one game that combines an ORIGINAL anime that represents the game that DOESN'T take place in Japan or a fantasy place that involves a Japanese character. Go on, shoot me down.

 

[Yerocha]

Anime-like games are always good, but I feel that an anime game, in order to fully succeed, would need to be structured like an anime movie. Rather than just a rehash of old episodes, which need to be reworked for the game anyway, there should be content which is at least somewhat new.

 

[The Madman]

Don't see why not, it's simply an art style, no reason many a cartoon or comic would work but not an anime. It's not like big eyes and impossibly fluffy hair are impossible to render in 3D!

The problem is less whether it CAN be done and more about whether it lives up to that particular shows/movies/whatevers fanbase expectations.

 

[noradseven]

This is the rule of thumb video games CAN make good animes, animes make bad games examples of such

game-->anime
examples
Fate/stay night
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Utawarerumono

counter example:
Tsukihime

Sure they wern't as good as the game but they were still very good

anime-->game
Naruto
Bleach
One Piece
Gundam

The anime--> game fighting games are fun for 3 hours until you break the game aka figure out something cheap and gay for insta win.

Counter examples
Gundam G fighting game broke but not too bad as long as you didn't pick 3 certain guys
Zoids I don't know this was fun sorry.

I think they can mix but you have to be careful
However the original is ALWAYS the best.

 

[LordOmnit]

Why is everyone going back and bringing up old topics?

 

[Zera]

Why is everyone going back and bringing up old topics?

Tell me about it. I guess one of the many new people that Yahtzee has brought upon this site actually went past page one on the forums. Im okay with it(since most of the old topics they bring up are my own). Wish they didnt bring back the western games one though.

 

[mrbunny]

anime games are overall, shit. they base they buyers off the existing anime fanbase, which is why they are majorily so crappy. not to say there are some anime games that COULD be great. its just that the guys producing them already have this idea in mind so they dont give a fling about how great the game is, but just how great the anime behind it WAS. therefore, no i dont think anime and games mix well because how they are treated. however, lets not exclude the overly popular anime role-relationship games that are huge in japan (most of them h-games: google it), but simply put it is more of an interactive story or novel than a game.

IF i was a game designer, i would very rarely contemplate basing a game on anime - because of the simple fact that animes usually have bad themes for the games that we know and love today, eg an fps hellsing? wtf would make it stand out from the rest other than the face it was based on hellsing, get my drift? it just dont work in my opinion.

AND BESIDES anime is great! dont fix something that aint broken

 

[Prodigs]

It creates a wide range of characters, plots and locations as basis for a game. It simply comes down to the devlopers choice to appeal to both the gaming and the anime market. It's the same with film tie-ins, cheaply and half-ass-made games which are released before or on the films release in order to attract (generally younger) fans of the film and gain a foothold on the charts for at least a month.
And with anime it's the same thing, but it's not always made with such little effort. Since the game can only be based on a successful anime series, then it's usually sometime after the series' release that the game is released, so generally more time and effort is put into it.
But really they differ, I personally feel that the new Naruto game, Rise of a Ninja (developed by Ubisoft, making it the first Naruto game to be made outside of Japan), may well be one of the best anime games of all time. It remains very faithful to the TV series (or at least as much as a game can), retaining all the characters and story arcs, whilst at the same time being a very entertaining adventure for the average gamer. It's a great example.
Games like the Dragonball Z Budokai series are great fun for the anime gaming market, and whilst they are enjoyable, people who are not regular fans of the series won't find them as easy to play, the characters won't be familiar and the concept confusing. But that's simply becaue Dragonball Z has a more bizarre story. So basically, it's the anime it's based on that decides whether the game will succeed.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

i usually cant stand anime cause i just cant get interested in a bunch of muscle bound shirt-ripping men who fight each other all day long with their veins constantly bulging in their necks, their hair always increasing in length and brightness , and when ever they want to make an attack they have to take 15 friggin' seconds to chant the name of their attack, then they shoot a fireball the size of the goodyear blimp....

also, isnt a ninja supposed to be quiet, stealthy, swift and deadly?...is naruto any of those? well i guess he is swift and deadly but then again i doubt ryu hayabusa ever had to go through a bunch of exams just so he could have a bunch of spiky haired freaks tell him he was allowed to wear a shiny headband and armor. plus you cant really be stealthy and blend in with yur environment when yur wearing an orange jumpsuit

 

[GrungeHead]

I really don't like anime based games. I never watch anime, ever, and most TV/Film tie ins are sub standard. Ive just never ever been into anime, ever. maybe i spend to much time outside.

Anyway, I think anime style games would be good for anime fans, although I only know one person who is. Hes really into Final Fantasy with i hate due to turn based combat and the cold, soulless eyes of all the characters.

 

[Axulciex]

Anime is perfect source material for games. not dragon ball Z, naruto, sailor moon etc. that stuff is shit.

Anime has already had a huge influence on cinema & games, not to mention art in general.

 

[Fire Daemon]

Are You talking about the Animation style or basing a game on an Anime series?

If your talking about the storyline of an Anime series being used in a game then all I need to say is that; they tried it with DBZ and it failed.

The Animation on the other hand sounds like an interesting idea, prehaps with the use of cell shading it wouldn't look to bad, not as good as othher games but not to bad.

 

[Axulciex]

Are You talking about the Animation style or basing a game on an Anime series?

If your talking about the storyline of an Anime series being used in a game then all I need to say is that; they tried it with DBZ and it failed.

The Animation on the other hand sounds like an interesting idea, prehaps with the use of cell shading it wouldn't look to bad, not as good as othher games but not to bad.

Storyline, themes, style, or just influence.
Oni was very, very good.

I can't actually think of a good game thats based on an anime(not including vice versa), but theres some serious potential.
Hellsing game, hell yes.

 

[Fire Daemon]

Are You talking about the Animation style or basing a game on an Anime series?

If your talking about the storyline of an Anime series being used in a game then all I need to say is that; they tried it with DBZ and it failed.

The Animation on the other hand sounds like an interesting idea, prehaps with the use of cell shading it wouldn't look to bad, not as good as othher games but not to bad.

Storyline, themes, style, or just influence.
Oni was very, very good.

I can't actually think of a good game thats based on an anime(not including vice versa), but theres some serious potential.
Hellsing game, hell yes.

I can think of alot that suck lol.

 

[modris]

They are both quite different fields if you think about it. Being a fan of both, this question came to mind. Now I know there have been some anime based games, But do you ever think they would be well "good enough" for other gamers to get into besides the fans of the anime[?]

Yes. I do think there are some anime based games that appeal to non-fans and there will be more. For instance, I've never seen Naruto, but Naruto: Rise of a Ninja looked like something I would enjoy. It hasn't arrived yet, so I haven't played it, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm also tempted to try out the Bleach game on the wii. While I used to be a Bleac fan, I wouldn't say I am currently. I think there are definitely animes that could be made into excellent games that would appeal to people who've never even heard of the show. Just off the top of my head, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, in the right hands, could be awesome games. Personally I'd love to see what a Satoshi Kon style game would be like.