good anime themed video games released in the US

[Tep]

-Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen (Clash of Ninja)
-JoJo's Venture and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
-Pokemon (anime came after)
-Those DBZ fighting games are fun
-F-Zero: GP Legend/F-Zero Climax, thought technically they're just more F-Zero games

[Overbite]

The old games based on anime were pretty bad except for probably Golgo 13, but even that wasn't so hot.

The best I've played are Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for PS2 and Record of Lodoss War for Dreamcast. Both are really fun. Neither are classic.

edit: forgot Magic Knight Rayearth for Saturn. That one is fun too.

[cyberfluxor]

What about the Wild Arms series? Although it's all over the place today it began as a game and had anime scenes. Does it have to be a game based off a pre-existing anime movie/series? Or, can it just be a game that has anime styles or themes?

[Sudo]

Naruto, Rise of a Ninja for 360 is pretty good. I played it recently and while it was rather short, it did the best job of capturing the feel of the anime out of any anime-based game I've played.

[kainemaxwell]

there's also the Sailor moon and Rayearth rpgs for the SNES/Super Famicom.

[Haoie]

Actually there's a Wild Arms anime, too. Unsurprisingly.

So no mention of Lunar and its variants? I always favoured it.

If Lunar was an anime, it'd be 1 of the best dubbed, that's for sure.

[Steven]

Well, if you're willing to look on the SFC side, there were a few decent to good anime-turn-video games. Was Go Go Ackman an anime, or just a manga? Anyway, we got 3 pretty decent Ackman games. Ghost Sweeper Mikami was another solid one. The last Ranma fighter was the best in the lineup, and to those who mentioned Hard Battle, I too liked that one as a kid. However, I recently played it and was shocked by how much it is lacking in terms of sound gameplay. I guess as a kid I just thought the bizarre characters were way too cool.

There are some other good ones on Super Famicom. My site has some reviews of the more obscure titles, some of which were based off an anime or manga. Lupin III on SFC was also not bad. Hyper Iria sucked, though.

[Sothy]

I have always wanted to try the Japanese Cowboy Bebop games.

Crayon shin chan also.

Ghost in the shell was an abortion unfortunately.

[walrusmonger]

Astro Boy on the GBA was a great game. GREAT game!

[Steven]

Astro Boy on the GBA was a great game. GREAT game!

Oh yeah that reminds me. Astro Boy on SFC (Tetsuwan Atom) wasn't too bad, either.

[TEND]

Not mentioned yet but "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage" on the DC was a fun hack and slash for me at least. I suppose it helps that I'm a huge fan of the anime.

[smork]

Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer for the Neo Geo (US and JP version). There is a Gowcaizer OVA released, on DVD in the US, no less.

I wouldn't call the game "good", though -- just "cheap" and "utterly impossible". Anybody know anybody who's actually beaten it?

[InsaneDavid]

Astro Boy on the GBA was a great game. GREAT game!

Indeed. Also one of the most beautiful 2D games ever created in my opinion - the level of detail and color was intense.

[exit]

The Tenchi Muyo game for SNES was pretty decent.

[sisko]

Surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but Gundam Side Stories for the Dreamcast was a great game. In my opinion, one of the best US DC games out there.

[diskoboy]

Cliff Hanger. (the laserdisc arcade game based on Lupin III)

[CaptainFalcon13]

I wouldn't count out victorious boxers: revolution for wii. It is based of the fighting spirit anime. there are also a few other games based off fighting spirit, but I forget what they are called.

[Viraneth]

The Jio-Jio games.

[Osaka]

There's a bunch of great Gundam games out there (and also some really crappy ones too)

Encounters in Space (PS2) and Federation vs Zeon (PS2) are some of my favorites

[VACRMH]

I wouldn't count out victorious boxers: revolution for wii. It is based of the fighting spirit anime. there are also a few other games based off fighting spirit, but I forget what they are called.

Same name.

Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road To Glory
Victorious Boxers 2: Fighting Spirit.

Both very good games, and I'm not even a boxing fan.