Don't Stop at Castlevania: Here's 10 More Video Games That Need an Anime ASAP

Video game adaptations have never been as popular as they have been in the past few years. Not only have TV shows like Arcane, Fallout, and The Last of Us been met with incredible praise, but the film adaptations of Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario have both been major box office successes, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie even becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

The video game adaptation curse is largely dead, and that especially shows itself with anime. As bad a history as video game anime have, recent projects like Castlevania and Nier: Automata Ver1.1a have done great jobs of bringing their original games to life, and with those examples in mind, the recent uptick in quality for video game anime adaptations shows that there’s more than enough reason for that to become a trend for years to come. Naturally, there are plenty of video games old and new that are deserving of that treatment, and each one is plenty worth highlighting.

10 Celeste

Video Game Released In 2018; Developed By Maddy Makes Games

6 Images

Your comment has not been saved

Celeste

Platformer

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Avg:92/100Critics Rec:99%

Released: January 25, 2018
ESRB: E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Developer(s): Extremely OK Games
Publisher(s): Extremely OK Games

Engine: microsoft xna
Steam Deck Compatibility: Verified
PC Release Date: January 25, 2018
Xbox Series X|S Release Date: January 25, 2018
PS5 Release Date: January 24, 2018
Nintendo Switch Release Date: January 25, 2018
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia, Steam
How Long To Beat: 9 Hours
X|S Optimized: No
File Size Xbox Series: 1 GB (November 2023)
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Maddy Makes Games’ Celeste is a platformer starring Madeline, a young woman plagued by anxiety and depression who decides to climb Celeste Mountain in an attempt at self-improvement. The mountain repeatedly challenges Madeline on a physical, emotional, and even mystical level, however, and in her quest for self-improvement, it will Madeline everything she has to survive.

Not only is Celeste’s artwork and style of gameplay the kind of material that would translate very well into animation under the right studio, but Celeste’s mature and thoughtful narrative about depression and the importance of learning to accept yourself make it the kind of story anyone can relate to, no matter where they are in life. It’s a surprisingly touching story in the best of ways, and an anime would serve to bring its best qualities out even further.

9 Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Video Game Released In 2009; Developed By Vanillaware

Vanillaware’s Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a side-scrolling beat ’em up set in a fantastical take on Genroku-era Japan. The shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi has thrown the nation into chaos over his desire to own the legendary Demon Blades, and unwittingly wrapped up in all of it are Momohime, the princess of a small province possessed by a deadly samurai, and Kisuke, an amnesiac ninja on the run from his clansmen.

Not only does the game have some of the most stylish side-scrolling action of any video game, but the way Muramasa: The Demon Blade handles its stories both separately and as an interwoven narrative makes for a surprisingly compelling narrative that always has something that can keep people interested, no matter the circumstances. Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a cult classic for a reason, and the right anime adaptation could do wonders to show off why it’s so beloved.

8 Ratchet & Clank

First Game Released In 2002; Developed By Insomniac Games

Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank is the long-running platformer and third-person shooter franchise starring the duo of the alien Ratchet and the robot Clank. Each game sees Ratchet and Clank travel across the galaxy to save people from a new cataclysmic threat, and despite its simplistic origins, each new game sees the stories and characters within them gradually mature.

Ratchet & Clank’s great combat and character designs, combined with its writing that always strikes a perfect balance between comedy and heart, has made it one of the most iconic Western video games of the past 20 years, and that hasn’t changed, even with how much the series has slowed down in recent years. The 2016 film was a critical and financial failure, but if given an adaptation that was more faithful to the original games, it would surely be just as fun, if not more so.

7 Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Video Game Released In 2022; Developed By Game Freak

Game Freak’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a spinoff of the iconic Pokémon franchise employing an open world-esque gameplay. The player character is a child chosen by Arceus, the God of the Pokémon world, to go back in time to Hisui i.e. ancient Sinnoh and catch all the Pokémon there, and doing so quickly puts them at the center of a conflict that could destroy the very fabric of the universe, itself.

Between the open world setting, the element of Pokémon attacking you in the wild, and a vibrant and engaging narrative, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is one of the best Pokémon experiences in recent years for how much it tries and succeeds at changing Pokémon’s formula. Seeing a full-fledged anime adaptation would only further emphasize how great the story is, and with other spinoffsgetting that treatment in the past, there’s a clear precedent for Arceus doing the same.

6 Hollow Knight

First Game Released In 2017; Developed By Team Cherry

Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania set in Hallownest, a desolate kingdom for anthropomorphic bug people. Many years ago, Hallownest fell to ruin when it was overrun by The Infection, a supernatural disease infecting far too many with madness, and for reasons unknown, a young bug known only as the Knight has taken it upon themself to venture into Hallownest and find a way to end The Infection for good.

Not only would the artwork and action both translate perfectly into animation, as seen with a show like Castlevania, but the haunting and twisting narrative of Hollow Knight makes for a very compelling narrative that emphasizes the dark imagery in the best of ways. Hollow Knight has been iconic ever since its Indie release in 2017, and with Hollow Knight’s sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong seemingly delayed indefinitely, an anime would be the best way to capitalize on its success.