Top 10 anime and manga series based on video games

Devil May Cry (Anime)

Dante's anime adventures are an interesting beast as they find Dante setting out on various adventures you wouldn't normally see him tackling in-game, but that's what makes the MADHOUSE-produced anime so gripping. Dante takes up jobs as a bodyguard, frequents a local diner, and meets up with suspicious characters on the regular, including one who insists he ran with Dante as a small child. Dante's mercenary work is spotlighted in each serial, and though it's hard to say whether or not these episodes are considered canon for the Devil May Cry universe, it's an interesting alternate look at a familiar series.

Pokemon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu (Manga)

Otherwise known as the Pokemon manga series most of us remember as the first one available in America during the Pokemon craze, this four-volume series followed Satoshi (Ash) on his journey to become a Pokemon Master throughout some decidedly adorable situations, many of which include Clefairies in space, seeing Shigeru (Gary) traveling with Satoshi at the beginning of the tale, and it rocked a completely different vibe than the anime series or games — for that reason, it's worth checking out if you like a healthy mix of shonen and shoujo action in your manga.

Xenosaga: The Animation (Anime)

If you haven't the time to rush through the excellent Xenosaga RPG trilogy, the anime series can rush you through the first game's overall plot in its first few episodes, getting viewers up to speed with the greatest of ease and putting things in perspective. It follows the games quite closely save for a few specifically rewritten scenes here and there, and ADV's dub is surprisingly competent.

Viewtiful Joe (Anime)

If the game itself weren't completely over-the-top and insane, the anime series more than makes up for that. Joe busts out the "Henshin-a-go-go, baby!" across a whopping 51 episodes. The subbed version is of course preferable to the English dub riddled with Joe's "witticisms," but following the adventures that unfold in the actual games themselves is the main draw here, especially if your main reason for picking up the games themselves were their frenetic nature and reference to "sentai" media.

Persona 4: The Animation (Anime)

With bold visuals, dialogue lifted straight from the original game, and creative additions left in such as day-to-day transitions, Persona 4: The Animation is undoubtedly the closes you can get to actually playing the spectacular MegaTen game. Though you should still absolutely play the game, especially with Persona 4: Golden on the horizon. The English dub voice actors return to reprise their roles, adding another dimension to the game you may not have experienced during the daily grinding and focus on building your social links. It provides a chance to take in the narrative (even though it's not 100% adherent to the source material) from a completely different angle, and that's something to take note of.

Tales of the Abyss (Anime)

The Tales series has been adapted into several different types of media over the years, but Tales of the Abyss takes the cake for being one of the highest-caliber. Slick, gorgeous animation and excellent voice acting are wrapped up in an attractive package that condenses the easily 100+ hour RPG into a digestible fantasty adventure that spans 26 episodes. While you're going to be treated to a slimmed-down version of a much beloved game, there's still plenty of content here for even newcomers to the Tales series to come out ready to either investigate the game itself or go onto other entries in the Tales series, which is what great supplemental tie-ins should do.

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Manga)

Though the manga adaptation of the beloved sequel to Lunar: Silver Star Story only spans one volume, it's a great companion to the game that explores Lucia's origins and her eventual journey with Hiro, Ruby, and the rest of the crew to restore peace to the world. If you enjoyed the sparse anime cut scenes interspersed with gameplay in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete or found yourself obsessively snapping up bromides, the crisp manga illustrations should be right up your alley. As is a trend with some of the items on this list, it's another multi-hour RPG smartly compiled into a simple collection that even casual fans can get into.

When a great game comes to an end, you either start a new one or scour the internet for more like what you just experienced. It's a common phenomenon. Maybe you look for fanfiction or some sort of additional content like developer interviews or any type of media that might give you insight into the events that may unfold after your time in that world has come to an end. Or perhaps you're not one to consistently enjoy video games, but do enjoy the characters or stories. No matter the case, there's a simple solution: choosing anime or manga based on the content instead. There's a veritable treasure trove of fantastic choices out there, and if you're looking to further immerse yourself in some of the best tales around, we've chosen ten optimal series/manga for your to start with, no matter what you're into. Trust us.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Volumes 1 and 2 (Manga)

This two-volume release is a retelling of one of the most timeless Zelda titles of all time, adapted by two-woman manga-ka team Akira Himekawa, S. Nagano and A. Honda. While it doesn’t adhere strictly to the tale woven in the time-spanning adventure, it’s a gorgeously illustrated annotated look at a game that plagued many a childhood. Purists may find one roadblock, however: Link is now sporting a voice and some very charming dialogue. It does add an entirely new dimension to the familiar story, though, so it’s an acceptable change, and one that’s easy to digest. Some of the creative liberties may not mesh well with the Zelda universe, but this manga explores Link as if he were the typical shounen hero, and if you’re a Zelda fan you should find a quick, compelling read in these two installments. If you like what you read, you can collect several other of Link’s adventures, too, including Majora’s Mask.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Manga)

Kenji Kuroda and and Kazuo Maekawa reunite fan favorites Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey in an all-new collection of cases in the “official” Phoenix Wright manga translation. If you’ve been hankering for the crime-solving drama of the original DS installment, then you’ll eat these new complex turnabouts up. Sharp, quick-witted writing perfectly complements the personalities of your favorite heroes from the game. If you’re longing for more Phoenix and Maya you really can’t go wrong here.

Kingdom Hearts II (Manga)

Though the original Kingdom Hearts manga series was an impressive companion to the game, just like the sequel improved upon Sora’s journey tenfold, the second manga series follows suit. Both Shiro Amano’s writing and illustrations are more clearly defined and readers unfamiliar with the games and popular characters can jump right in with no prior knowledge. The multi-volume series is a strict retelling of the events that unfold in the game and the story deviates much less than the Ocarina of Time adaptation, so if actually playing left you in the dark, you should be much more satisfied here.