Asia has long had a strong influence over pop culture in the west. It has been impossible to escape the rising prominence of Korean cinema in the past few years, with films like Parasite and Train to Busan getting huge amounts of attention, according to The Hollywood Insider. Even Star Wars was heavily influenced by the films of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurasawa. But there are more ways that Asia has been a driving factor in Western culture.
Video games are full of Asian-influenced properties. Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most popular MMOs at the moment and it is as typically Japanese as an RPG can be. But it isn’t just Japan that has influenced video games throughout their history. Games have borrowed the likeness of the iconic Bruce Lee for years, dating back to the 1984 computer game classic named simply Bruce Lee. There are even Asian-influenced titles in the online slots from Gala Bingo, including Bruce Lee and Ninja Panda Jackpotz. These take some core imagery from Asian cultures, such as Bruce Lee and ninjas, and adapt it for a game genre that wouldn’t be an obvious first choice fit. The same can be said for games like early mobile games like Fruit Ninja, which was one of the first mobile games to gain popularity.
More recently, anime has invaded the gaming market. There is a wealth of games for anime fans to play. Some games, like the Senran Kagura series, just take anime imagery and designs and put them into a video game, while others take popular anime franchises and allow players to drop directly into the world they know. With the mobile gaming market growing so quickly, it isn’t a surprise that there have been so many anime-inspired mobile games to choose from. Here are a few of our absolute favorites.
Bleach Brave Souls
When it comes to shonen anime, there are few that had a bigger impact than Bleach. With the show returning for another shot at finishing off Ichigo’s story, now is the best time to try out Brave Souls. This mobile game follows the story of the anime, with some extra content thrown in to keep fans from knowing exactly what is happening next. The game is largely around creating the right team for the mission you’re undertaking, making sure that you have the right people in place to cover each other’s weaknesses. There is even a PvP aspect to the game for those looking for an extra challenge, making this by far the best Bleach game on the market.
One Piece Treasure Cruise
At the end of the world, there will be a moment of silence followed by a brand new One Piece chapter dropping. The manga has been going on for over 1000 chapters and doesn’t look set to stop anytime soon, so it isn’t surprising that it has seen its fair share of video game adaptations. Treasure Cruise is one of the best mobile games out there, letting you build a crew of your favorite characters from the show and set sail in search of the greatest treasure ever assembled. The series is known for its huge cast, so there are plenty to choose from and an epic storyline to get through.
Dragon Ball Legends
This action RPG takes place in the legendary world of Dragon Ball and even includes an original character created by Akira Toriyama himself. The plot of the game sees this new character, a Saiyan named Shallot, trying to recover his memories and save the world alongside Goku, Vegeta, and all the other Dragon Ball characters we know and love. The game has an intuitive on-screen control scheme along with card-based gameplay that allows you to recreate some of the most iconic teams in the Dragon Ball franchise. This is a must-play for any Dragon Ball fan.
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