Not every anime video game can be a winner. Even though there are lots of great anime games that fans can pick up and play today, a rotten one will still appear every now and then. Sometimes a bad anime game can be blamed on the hardware, likeDragon Ball Z for Kinect relying so much on Microsoft's less than a desirable motion-sensor device. Other times, bad anime games happen out of lazy development or rushed production. Even ambitious anime games like Digimon World can doom themselves by focusing on the wrong aspect of the series; leading to a disappointing gaming experience.
Whatever the case, here are 15 of the worst anime video games that everyone should avoid. Don't forget to vote up the bad anime games you want everyone to avoid.
Dragon Ball Zfor Kinect is exactly what it sounds like it is: A Dragon Ball Z fighting game for the Kinect. It attempted to take the fast-paced 3D action of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and translate it into a first-person experience for Xbox 360 players. Performing a Kamehameha wave from Goku's point-of-view should have been a dream come true for Dragon Ball Z fans, however, the Kinect was not up to the task. As with many Kinect games, the device often failed to register the correct gesture commands from the player. Not only that, the actual gameplay experience was repetitive nonsense with little variety.
Not to be confused with the excellent Astro Boy: Omega Factor for the Game Boy Advance, the 2004 Astro Boy video game for the PS2 failed to live up to the franchise's high expectations. Based on the 2003 anime revival, Astro Boy is a 3D action game starring the iconic spikey-hair robot and his adventures in Metro City. While the anime game was a nice departure from all the Sonic the Hedgehog games by Sonic Team, Astro Boy had all the same problems every 3D Sonic Team game has, bad camera, bad controls, and outdated gameplay.
When it comes to making anime games, a lot of game developers tend to stick with the safe fighting game formula. With that in mind, it was nice to see Bandai Namco try to do something different with the One Piece license. In One Piece: Pirates' Carnival, Monkey D. Luffy and his crazy pirate chums compete against each other in a Mario Party style board game with over 30 minigames to choose from. Even though the chibi art style for the game was adorable, One Piece: Pirates' Carnival rarely had any fun minigames for everyone to play. It was just a lazy party game.
Released: 2006
Developer: Namco Bandai Holdings, h.a.n.d.
Genres (Video game): Action game, Party game, Strategy video game
Dragon Ball wasn't always a world phenomenon. Back in the late 1980s, the Japanese Dragon Ball NES game, Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo, got Americanized as Dragon Power. The anime game was basically The Legend of Zelda, but with 2D boss battles. Overall, it was a subpar experience. What really makes Dragon Power horrible, however, was the way the North American version washed away all the references to Dragon Ball. Goku is just a generic martial artist. Master Roshi is just a generic Kung Fu teacher who loves sandwiches.
Released: Nov 27 1986
Developer: Tose Co., Ltd.
Genres (Video game): Action-adventure game, Action game
The PlayStation video game, Vampire Hunter D, almost feels like a precursor to the Devil May Cry series. Based on the second anime movie, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, the Vampire Hunter D game puts players in the role of D, the famous half-breed vampire hunter. The game is strongly influenced by the early Resident Evil games, as you'll explore a pre-rendered supernatural world for clues and key items for puzzle-solving. What separates the two is that Vampire Hunter D wants you to slice up bad guys in an over-the-top manner, instead of running away from them in fear. However, the poor controls are the game's biggest Achilles' heel.
Similar to the Clash of Ninja series, Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles is a free-roaming action game for the Nintendo Wii. While most of the Naruto games cover the same story as the anime, Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade actually features an original storyline where Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are searching for the mystical Dragon Blade. The game, unfortunately, features numerous technical issues and frustrating controls.
