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Video Game adaptations have been around since Super Mario Bros. in 1993. Many of them are not the best when it comes to story, plotlines, or direction. In recent years however, these adaptations are significantly better than those days of yore like the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Adaptations of fighting games have had similar success recently as well. In this article we look back at the best fighting game anime adaptations to ever release.
Blazblue: Alter Memory
Arc System Work has developed anime, manga, mobile games, and spin-offs for BlazeBlue since its initial release on November 19, 2008. BlazBlue: Alter Memory condenses the events of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger and BlazBlue: Continuum Shift into 13 episodes, airing from October 8 – December 24, 2013.
Wanted with the highest bounty on his head, Ragna the Bloodedge seeks to destroy the Novus Orbis Librarium. His plans are repeatedly foiled by a Murakumo Unit, Nu-13, however. Stuck in a time loop, Ragna and Nu-13 fall to their deaths, resetting the timeline each time. Until Noel Vermillion, a member of the Novus Orbis Librarium, breaks the cycle by rescuing Ragna.
Tekken: Bloodline
As a long-running franchise, Bandai Namco has adapted Tekken in different formats beyond fighting games. Tekken: Bloodline released on August 18, 2022 on Netflix is one of these adaptations.
Tekken: Bloodline loosely follows the story of Tekken 3. After watching the death of his mother by the hands of Ogre, Jin Kazama seeks out his grandfather Heihachi Mishima at her behest. Jin learns the aggressive Mishima Style martial art under his tutelage. After grueling training, Jin is ready for vengeance.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
Street Fighter II is a video game that many give credit for the birth of the fighting game genre since Capcom published it to arcades in 1991. With classic characters such as Guile, Chun-Li, Ken, and Ryu, Street Fighter has become a household name. Capcom has expanded this Street Fighter title with live action movies, an animated series, and the well known animated movie, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.
The plot of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie revolves around Street Fighter several iconic characters such as Ryu, Guile, and Chun-Li as they try to dismantle the Shadowloo (formerly Shadowlaw) organization. However, the Shadowloo leader, M. Bison, will stop at nothing to control the world’s strongest fighters to do his bidding.
Power Stone
Capcom first released Power Stone for the Sega NAOMI arcade machine on February 13, 1999 in Japan. It was later ported to the Sega Dreamcast exclusively the same year. From April 3 – September 25, 1999, an anime adaptation of this Capcom franchise aired on TBS in Japan.
The story of Power Stone stars Edward Falcon on his journey of becoming a champion fighter like his idol, Vargas. One day, Falcon is sent a mysterious stone from his father, imploring that he holds it dear. Fights ensue at every corner as he attempts to save the world by collecting all of the stones.
Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
Based on the popular fighting game franchise by SNK, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf follows Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi on their quest for revenge. After witnessing the death of their adoptive father, Terry and Andy Bogard relentlessly train to defeat their father’s killer, Geese Howard. Terry and Andy, alongside a new acquaintance, Joe Higashi, enter a tournament sponsored by Geese Howard known as the King of Fighters.
Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge
Consisting of four OVA episodes approximately 40 minutes long each, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge was released from March 21, 1997 – March 27, 1998. Madhouse Studio adapts this Capcom property from the classic Darkstalker series.
Night Warrior: Darkstalkers Revenge is a story of succubus, vampires, werewolves, and zombies fighting for their own ambitions to come to fruition. These creatures of the night are known as the Darkstalkers. The Darkstalkers are not alone in this world, though. They cohabit the world with humans who threaten their lives.
Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture
Similar to Capcom, SNK has released a plethora of iconic fighting games. Among their popular titles, Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan) has had the most commercial success since the first iteration in 1993. In 1994, SNK released a television special based on this franchise named Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture.
Six legendary warriors are reincarnated after their death many years prior. These holy warriors set out on a quest to locate the treacherous Shiro Tokisada Amakusa. While the other five holy warriors slept, Amakusa amassed an army through the manipulation of the current shogunate. It is up to Haohmaru and the other holy warriors to finally put an end to Shiro Tokisada Amakusa.
While a few of these titles can’t be viewed via streaming service, some of them can be purchased digitally from Amazon. Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf and Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie are available on Crunchyroll. You can purchase five episodes of Blazblue: Alter Memory from Amazon at $1.99 per episode. Tekken: Bloodline can be watched on Netflix.
