What could be “the new anime FighterZ”?

Dragon Ball FighterZ recently celebrated its 3rd anniversary, and this got me thinking about other series that could receive the same treatment. While Dragon Ball FighterZ wasn’t the first Dragon Ball fighting game, this 2018 release was definitely one of the best and most visually spectacular.

Dragon Ball is famous all around the world; it’s basically a founding father of JUMP, and it’s the battle manga that all others would be inspired by at one point or another. With that said, though, there are a huge number of battle series that have come out since Dragon Ball Z wrapped things up. But I have two series in particular that I think would make amazing FighterZ-style fighting games.

My Hero Academia

While the two My Hero One’s Justice games offered a solid arena battling experience, if My Hero Academia were to get a more traditional fighting game — specifically a 3 vs 3 team battler — it would quite literally become the anime version of Marvel vs Capcom. And who on Earth doesn’t want that?!

MHA boasts an ever-growing cast of characters that all have unique and interesting quirks. The quirks are essentially superpowers that can range from superhuman strength all the way to Sellotape coming out of your elbows. (Could have used that around Christmas – Ed.)

The main reason behind MHA being one of my picks is that the series is still highly relevant today, and very popular in both Japan and the west. Heck, the series is so popular it’s got numerous movies lined up similar to how One Piece has been over the years. 

When it comes to the actual gameplay, I do think 3 vs 3 would be best for MHA. The number of character interactions when calling your assist character would be amazing. Bakugou, the hot-headed explosive hero, reluctantly assisting Deku in an extended combo would be glorious. The possibility of the resident fangirl magnet and half-hot, half-cold hero Todoroki Shouto throwing a “Hadouken” type attack would be amazing (get it? Because Ryu is a shoto character and Todoroki is called Shouto… Nevermind). And characters like Sellotape-man Sero could have unique movement options in the game, similar to Spider-Man in the Marvel vs Capcom series.

Similar to Dragon Ball, there are a great number of Cinematic Finishes that could be present in the game when certain conditions are met: All Might vs All For One’s United States of Smash, Deku’s 1 million percent Destriot Smash, Endeavor’s Plus Ultra Prominence Burn.

MHA is a current big-hitter and I think that the series would make a strong FighterZ-style game for fans to enjoy.

One Piece

Imagine thinking for a second that One Piece wouldn’t be on here; it’s without a doubt the top contender for receiving a true 2D fighting game. Outside of the Pirate Warriors games, One Piece has had its fair share of terrible games, so it’s high time it got the FighterZ treatment — because I think it would make a great fighter. 

One Piece has been the king of the Shounen Jump magazine for around 15 years. It isn’t luck that keeps an author like Eiichiro Oda at the top for that long; it’s all down to his incredible worldbuilding, storytelling, and a mesmerising cast of characters. Just thinking about how some of the characters would play… I get goosebumps. 

The series has built up a whole world’s worth of characters, each with a completely unique and interesting set of Devil Fruit powers that could be developed into epic movesets: Luffy would be an all-rounder who can keep the opponent on their toes with his stretchy limbs. Robin (Best Girl) could control space and utilise different types of throws using her powers. Nami would be able to set up numerous weather traps around the stage, similar to a character like Rocket Racoon from Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. Usopp would become the classic zoning character who attacks with a variety of projectiles — and this is just some of the Straw Hats! The possibilities for characters are endless in One Piece.

Another incredible thing that comes from anime fighting games is the stages. Stages can make a fighting game feel complete and polished to perfection. One Piece is loaded to the brim with iconic scenes that would be the perfect setting for the fights to take place. Imagine brawling away in iconic locales such as Enies Lobby, Impel Down, Arlong Park, Marineford or Alabasta.

There are just too many incredible stages to pick from! And the possibilities for Cinematic Endings are endless; another perk from a series that has been running for the last 20 years. When the stage is set to Enies Lobby and Luffy beats Lucci, the game could transition into a cinematic recreation of the famous Jet Gatling scene. I think I would shed tears of joy if this ever became real.

There you have it; the two Shounen Jump series that I think have the best chances of getting a masterfully crafted ArcSystem Works fighting game. There are plenty of other series that would make great fighting games, too — but we’ll save those for another time!

What series would you like to see made into a FighterZ-style fighting game? Let us know in the comments, or via the usual social channels!

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