Manga That Need Video Game Adaptations

The world of manga is ever-expanding and has enough stories and characters to ensure there are more than enough series for everyone. While most popular manga get adapted into anime to attract new fans, the genre still has a gold mine of high-quality works that are untouched by other media.

The primary reason some manga don’t get anime adaptations is that the story wouldn’t give the same experience as reading it would. However, video game adaptations could potentially solve this problem. Adapting some popular manga could let creators experiment with their masterpieces while bringing more eyes to their work.

8

Magus Of The Library

Knowledge Is Power

• Genre: Adventure Fantasy
• Writer: Mitsu Izumi
• Original Run: November 7, 2017 – Present
• Volumes: 8

Magus of the Library follows the life of Theo Fumis, a mixed-race boy who lives in the slums. Theo has great affection for books, and that’s what the plot is centered around. Mitsu Izumi gives significant attention to all the characters, and they’re well fleshed out. The manga focuses on knowledge being powerful and dangerous, but you will also see other social issues, like cultural clashes between the multiple races in the series.

An open-world game would be the best for this manga, as you would explore the beautiful fantasy world and interact with different beings. The library would be a central location and may be your point of contact for quests and such. The biggest specialty of the game would be learning and using the newfound knowledge to solve problems.

7

Psyren

Too Much Power Is Dangerous

• Genre: Sci-fi Adventure
• Writer: Toshiaki Iwashiro
• Original Run: December 3, 2007 – November 29, 2010
• Volumes: 16

Psyren is like The Matrix if the payphone sent you to a wasteland where you receive supernatural powers that you have to use to kill monsters. The manga’s story follows Ageha Yoshina, who is chosen to participate in the Psyren games. The world’s fate depends on whether the participants complete various tasks given to them.

If adapted into a video game, Psyren would follow the manga to a great extent, with both the story and the unique abilities of the participants being the focal point. That game could take inspiration from the Persona video games, especially in the way it tackles social interaction within the game.

6

I Am A Hero

Don’t Underestimate The Common Person

• Genre: Action Horror
• Writer: Kengo Hanazawa
• Original Run: April 27, 2009 – February 27, 2017
• Volumes: 22

I Am a Hero features a main character who is a manga artist’s assistant with an unfulfilling career. Hideo Suzuki lacks confidence, and when he’s thrown into a world filled with zombies, he has to pick up a shotgun to protect himself. This is a unique scenario as the main character has no skills and doesn’t have any other choice but to kill the zombies.

This is another manga that could work as a typical shoot ‘em up game. In the manga, Hideo is a typical down-on-his-luck character, and the same would be perfect for a video game. Most shooters have experienced main characters, but a normal guy who has to kill to protect himself with limited skills can be a game-changer. It would be fascinating to have a slow level-up system where the character slowly polishes his survival skills.

5

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Vigilante Justice

• Genre: Superhero
• Writer: Hideyuki Furuhashi
• Original Run: August 20, 2016 – May 28, 2022
• Volumes: 15

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is both a spin-off and a prequel to the main series. The main character, Koichi Haimawari, helps others even though he isn’t a licensed hero. His quirk is significantly strong, and his speed rivals that of the Pro Hero Ingenium. The story focuses on the lives of those who deliver their justice without expecting recognition. The characters are well fleshed out, especially the female characters, who were overlooked in the main series.

If made into a video game, it would be your typical superhero game with a gripping story. The powers of the main character can be a focal point of the game, where he starts inexperienced and has to learn before he can defeat enemies. Something like Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, where the main character goes around learning from other known characters from the series, would likely go perfectly with the vigilante premise of this manga.

4

All You Need Is Kill

How Many Deaths Are Enough?

• Genre: Sci-fi Adventure
• Writer: Hiroshi Sakurazaka
• Published: December 18, 2004

All You Need Is Kill is the manga that inspired the Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow. The manga’s story is centered around the main character, Keiji Kiriya, who is stuck in a time loop and continues to live the same day every day. Keiji is a soldier fighting aliens, and when he dies, he remembers things that help him avoid the same scenarios, but he continues to die. Whether he manages to save the world forms the crux of the story.

There are many video games about aliens trying to take over the planet, but All You Need Is Kill would make for an interesting game. You will be able to form new strategies each time you die. This unpredictable gameplay style would make the game stand out from others in the genre. Additionally, whatever developer picks up the game could also implement multiple endings based on your choices.

3

Helck

The Power To Destroy Everything

• Genre: Adventure Fantasy
• Writer: Nanaki Nanao
• Original Run: May 5, 2014 – December 18, 2017
• Volumes: 12

Helck is a story of a human hero who has incredible powers but has also faced significant loss in his life. Humans and demons are at war, and when humans defeat the demon king, the demons hold a tournament to select a new king. Surprisingly, the best candidate for the position is a human named Helck.

Helck would do well if it were made as an open-world RPG. The story takes the main character to different parts of the demon world, and that could be properly explored in a video game. The manga is full of action, but it also has elements of comedy, which are necessary in the game’s story as well. The backstory of Helck needs to be a focal point in the video game as well to ensure you root for him.

2

Yakuza Reincarnation

The Princess Who Can Fight

• Genre: Fantasy Comedy
• Writer: Takeshi Natsuhara
• Original Run: July 19, 2019 – Present (Hiatus)
• Volumes: 16

Yakuza Reincarnation has one of the most interesting premises in the world of manga. The protagonist, as the title suggests, is a Yakuza boss who reincarnates, but with a twist. Ryu returns as a princess in a fantasy world. If that’s not enough, the veteran Yakuza remembers and uses his experience in the new female body. The princess challenges stereotypical tropes found in multiple mangas to make for a relatable protagonist you can’t help but root for.

Yakuza Reincarnation could go the route of the old Yakuza video games with the unexpectedly lethal princess brawling her way through bad guys. This manga as a video game may be better and more focused on fights rather than a detailed storyline. It can become a guilty pleasure you play just to reduce stress while knocking down opponents as a princess.

1

Vagabond

Brat To Legend

• Genre: Epic Martial Arts
• Writer: Takehiko Inoue
• Original Run: September 3, 1998 – May 21, 2015
• Volumes: 37

Inspired by Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi, Vagabond follows the life of the legendary Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi. The manga is considered one of the best, in no small part due to its engaging storytelling and breathtaking artistic work. The story ventures into discovering yourself and growing as a person despite how hard life gets.

Musashi’s feats in 16th century Japan can be the focal point of a video game, with the focus being on his journey from a brash man with a temper to a legendary martial artist. Games like Assassin’s Creed and Ninja Gaiden are highly popular, and a game about the samurai would likely follow them, especially since some parts of Musashi’s life are similar to that of Ezio Auditore, who is one of the most beloved video game protagonists. With a good storyline, great visuals, and nice action scenes, the game would be a must-play if made.