Over the past few years, video game adaptations of anime series have exploded in popularity thanks to the mainstream attention that shows like Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan generate. Although it’s not always easy to translate the storytelling of an anime series into a video game medium, there have been a number of successful titles in a variety of different genres.
While it’s great to see anime’s rising popularity over the years, there are plenty of underrated shows that get missed as a result of the seasonal scheduling. Though they might not have been the biggest franchises in the industry, they nonetheless have plenty of potential to be transformed into a video game adaptation.
FLCL has been an underrated anime series since its initial six-episode run back in 2000. Mixing together elements of sci-fi, comedy, and slice of life in a hyperactive, abstract method of storytelling, FLCL stands as one of the most unique anime ever created. Though it might be difficult to imagine an exact genre for a FLCL video game adaptation, its stylistic animations and breakneck pace nonetheless make it a great candidate. The art style and soundtrack of FLCL is reminiscent of games like Jet Set Radio Future and with the recent revival of the franchise in 2018, there’s plenty of potential in a video game adaptation.
Katanagatari is a story about a young swordsman and an ambitious strategist who team up to find 12 legendary swords for the shogunate. Part adventure and part romance, the show is masterful with its character dialogues and its colorful visuals based on traditional Japanese art make it stand out. With the gorgeous settings that the protagonists encounter during their journey, Katanagatari has a lot of potential in being transformed into an adventure game. Each of the swords could represent a boss fight and there’s plenty of room for experimentation in the combat mechanics.
It’s incredible that Black Lagoon has never received a video game adaptation given its nonstop action sequences throughout the series. From exploding helicopters to umbrella shotguns, Black Lagoon is reminiscent of cheesy 80s action flicks and games like Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row. Set in a fictional city in Thailand, Black Lagoon follows a band of pirate mercenaries as they smuggle goods into the criminal underworld. With such an interesting premise and setting, Black Lagoon would make for a phenomenal action or stealth game.
Made in Abyss has the perfect setting for an open-world adventure or RPG adaptation. The series follows an orphaned girl named Riko and a robot named Reg as they descend into a massive hole leading to the center of the Earth called the Abyss. As they explore the Abyss in an attempt to find Riko’s mother, they come across strange relics and horrifying creatures that turn their adventure into one of survival. The concept of delving into the Abyss gives the series plenty of possibilities as a video game from roguelike, adventure, or survival RPG.
91 Days is a distinctive anime series given its setting in the United States Prohibition era of the 1920s. Centered around a man named Angelo Lagusa whose family was killed in a mafia dispute, 91 Days follows his journey to exact revenge on the Vanetti family. Angelo slowly infiltrates the Vanetti family by befriending the don’s son and 91 Days features a thrilling storyline of betrayal and revenge. While mafia games aren’t a new concept, 91 Days often places Angelo in difficult situations and this could translate to a unique video game adaptation where choices matter and killing mafia members will have consequences to the narrative.
