The anime industry has always been a formidable niche that enjoyed oodles of great shows. From universally acclaimed anime like Dragon Ball Z to Naruto and Kimetsu no Yaiba, it’s easy to be lured to this niche without one’s notice. But that’s not a bad thing, because anime shows have witnessed some tremendous licensed games similar to the case of the gaming industry with movies.
A high number of anime games on the 3DS were sadly released exclusively in Japan. Thankfully, an abundance of these can be played from start to finish without any proper knowledge of the language. The list will focus on the best anime games on the 3DS, featuring Japanese exclusives and those released worldwide. Bear in mind that this list will only feature video games based on the original anime or the manga. Additionally, video games such as Persona that have had an anime adaptation will also be featured.
So what are you waiting for? unleash your Haki and come read about the best anime games the 3DS had to offer. Granted, you’re bound to find something to pique your interest.
 | Gundam the 3D Battle2011 ガンダム ザ・スリーディーバトル (Gandamu za surīdī Batoru) |  |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date March 24, 2011 | |
 | Developer Artdink |
 | Publisher Bandai Namco |
| Genre Vehicular Combat | |
| Concept Mecha | |
| Players 1v1, Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
 | Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2011-03-24 |  |
Gundam the 3D Battle is probably a game you didn’t know existed, but if you’re a fan of the series, the name should be familiar to you. The 3D Battle is part of the Gundam Battle series which initially debuted on the SEGA Dreamcast. And to many, the Battle series is a love letter to every die-hard fan.
As far as gameplay goes, 3D Battle is reminiscent of Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon. Players have several mecha to choose from with a few familiar mobile suits from Gundam Unicorn making an appearance. The game’s premise is simple; shoot and destroy. In that, you shoot or slice enemies with melee weapons via a fixed lock-on either in space, water or land. As you progress, you unlock new deadly mobile suits. Every Mobile Suit Gundam should give this game a try. And as far as things go, you don’t need to understand Japanese to play this one.
 | One Piece: Unlimited World Red2013 ワンピース アンリミテッドワールドレッド R (One Piece Unlimited World Red R) |    |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date November 21, 2013 | |
 | Developer Ganbarion |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
 | Franchise One Piece |
| Genre Action Adventure | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2013-11-21 |  |
| 2014-06-26 |   |
| 2014-06-27 |   |
| 2014-07-08 |   |
One Piece: Unlimited World Red is a fantastic take on the universally acclaimed One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda. Featuring a fully original story, the game puts you in the flip-flops of Monkey D Luffy and his adventures with his pirate friends.
Unlike previous game adaptations of the series, Unlimited World Red is an open-world beat ’em up. The game allows Luffy to bounce around corners, find treasure, confront enemies using his rubber powers and more. Now while the game may suffer from several flaws that may not please die-hard fans, Unlimited World Red remains a simple fun game and an example of licensed games done right.
 | Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden2015 ドラゴンボールＺ超究極武闘伝 (Doragon Bōru Zetto Ekusutorīmu Butōden) | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date June 11, 2015 | |
| Developer Bandai Namco |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
 | Franchise Dragon Ball |
| Genre 2D Fighting | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players 1v1, Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-11 | |
| 2015-10-16 | |
| 2015-10-20 | |
| 2015-10-23 |   |
| 2015-11-12 |   |
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Bûtoden is a traditional 2D fighting game featuring over 100 fighters in both one-on-one and team battles. As you would expect from the story, the game is based on the original manga, with players going through various memorable arcs.
Once in-game, Extreme Bûtoden is a pretty standard fighting game. In the sense that, you have a slew of characters to pick up from which you can use to defeat an opponent in action. Players can also pick a supporting character in case they want a helping hand. Despite being a pretty old 2D fighter, the game feels smooth thanks to its beautiful pixel art graphics. The visual effects when landing hits upon your opponent are also incredible. While it’s true Dragon Ball FighterZ remains a better specimen of the genre, Extreme Bûtoden isn’t a bad game at all. Definitely recommended to every Dragon Ball or fighter fan.
 | One Piece: Great Pirate Colosseum2016 ONE PIECE 大海賊闘技場 (Wan Pīsu: Dai Kaizoku Koroshiamu) | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date September 21, 2016 | |
 | Developer Arc System Works |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
| Franchise One Piece |
| Genre 2D Fighting | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players 1v1, Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2016-09-21 | |
One Piece: Daikaizoku Colosseum is yet another 2d fighter but in the vein of Extreme Bûtoden. However, it was released exclusively to Japan, luckily you’re not obliged to be Japanese to play this game.
Delve through this non-stop fun 2D fighting game featuring up to 23 playable characters and 80 support characters all from the One Piece universe. As you would expect from a 2D fighter, players go through various matches, and the winner is the one standing. The game isn’t a walk in the park as some opponents such as Marshall D Teach and Ace are a pain in the butt to deal with. But if you’re a die-hard fan of the genre, you shouldn’t have any trouble. In fact, you’ll be the main trouble for these opponents.
Inazuma Eleven® GO: Shadow / Inazuma Eleven® GO: Light2011 / 2011 |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date December 15, 2011 | |
 | Developer Level-5 |
| Publisher Level-5 |
 | Franchise Inazuma Eleven |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2011-12-15 | |
| 2014-06-13 |     |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date December 15, 2011 | |
| Developer Level-5 |
| Publisher Level-5 |
| Franchise Inazuma Eleven |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2011-12-15 | |
| 2014-06-13 | |
Inazuma Eleven GO is a Japanese-role playing and sports game released in two parts; Inazuma Eleven Go: Shadow & Light. Its gameplay may remind many of Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, but Inazuma Eleven GO prides itself in its blend of RPG mechanics and fun sports gameplay.
The results are quite fascinating, and it’s safe to say Level-5 are one of the pioneers of the genre. They’ve previously made some of the best RPGs including Dragon Quest 8, but to think they could outdo themselves with Inazuma Eleven was far from predictable.
Persona™ Q Shadow of the Labyrinth / Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth2014 / 2018 |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date June 05, 2014 | |
 | Developer Atlus |
| Publisher Atlus |
 | Franchise Shin Megami Tensei |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2014-06-05 | |
| 2014-10-23 |  |
| 2014-11-25 |  |
| 2014-11-28 | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date November 29, 2018 | |
| Developer Atlus |
| Publisher Atlus |
| Franchise Shin Megami Tensei |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2018-11-29 | |
| 2019-06-04 | |
Persona Q duology is a cute take on Atlus’ timeless Persona series. It may look like something every adult will veer away from due to its chibi nature, but at least try it before giving the final judgment. The former is a unique take on a dungeon crawler RPG, but when compared to mainline instalments, it’s obvious it’s not as memorable as its predecessors. Still, it was generous of Atlus to make such a fan-serviced game.
The success of Persona 4 Arena was stimulus enough to push Atlus into making more crossovers including two separate Persona titles once again. This time the company opted for Persona 3 and Persona 4. Featuring characters with deformed chibi appearances, and gameplay similar to Etrian Odyssey, Persona Q was the first entry in the franchise to be released on a Nintendo platform, specifically the 3DS.
 | My Hero Academia: Battle for All2016 僕のヒーローアカデミア バトル・フォー・オール (Boku no Hīrō Akademia Batoru Fō Ōru) | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date May 19, 2016 | |
 | Developer Dimps |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
| Genre 3D Fighting | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players 1v1, Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2016-05-19 | |
Boku no Hero Academia: Battle for All is a 3D fighter and is considered the 2nd game to be part of the Boku no Hero Academia franchise. Developed by Dimps, Battle for All is a completely 3D combat experience, featuring renowned characters from the original mangaka Kōhei Horikoshi. As far as the story goes, the game covers the events of the manga up until the U.A. Sports Festival Arc.
Boku no Hero Academia: Battle for All not only does feature fighting levels but also a couple of 2.5D mini-games. These consist of various missions players have to accomplish in order to progress. Such as capturing every flag on the square, destroying objects on screen, and beating your opponent before time runs out. This is sadly another game released exclusively in Japan. Thankfully, you can finish it from start to finish without any issues.
 | Tales of the Abyss2005 テイルズ オブ ジ アビス (Teiruzu obu ji Abisu) |  |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date December 15, 2005 | |
| Developer Bandai Namco |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
 | Franchise Tales of |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concepts Anime, Fantasy | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-30 | |
| 2011-11-24 | |
| 2011-11-25 | |
| 2012-02-24 | |
Tales of the Abyss is part of Bandai Namco’s long-running Tales series initially released to the Super Famicom back in 1995. It goes without saying that, like its predecessors, Tales of the Abyss is nothing short but fun.
The gameplay is a step above its predecessor, Tales of Symphonia in many ways. Originally released to the PlayStation 2, it took Bandai Namco six years to release a port to the 3DS, and boy was that a surprise. JRPG fans can now experience this masterpiece anywhere. Either in the living room, the garden, or even the toilet.
 | The Seven Deadly Sins: Unjust Sin2015 七つの大罪 真実の冤罪 (Nanatsu no Taizai Anjasuto Shin) | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date February 11, 2015 | |
| Developer Bandai Namco |
| Publisher Bandai Namco |
| Genre Beat 'Em Up | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-11 | |
Nanatsu no Taizai: Unjust Sin is an average 2D brawler based on the Nanatsu no Taizai manga by Nakaba Suzuki. Unjust Sin is considered the 2nd game to be based on the manga, with Grand Cross being the first established licensed game of the series.
Unjust Sin is pretty short with only 6 playable characters and 5 bosses to confront in order to progress. Bandai Namco could have done a better job with a manga such as Nanatsu no Taizai, but it’s pretty obvious this is a budget title. It won’t please die-hard fans of the show for sure, but for those looking for a short braindead brawler, Unjust Sin is recommended.
 | Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson2014 閃乱カグラ2 -真紅 (Senran Kagura 2 -Shinku-) | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date August 07, 2014 | |
 | Developer Tamsoft |
 | Publisher Xseed Games |
| Genre Hack & Slash | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2014-08-07 |  |
| 2015-02-12 |  |
| 2015-08-27 |  |
| 2015-09-15 | |
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is a fun hack-and-slash title developed by the same people that brought you the Oneechanbara series. Its story focuses on young heroines wielding katanas on a quest to stop Dogen from destroying Japan.
Unlike Oneechanbara games, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is more of a Musou title than a hack-a-slash type. The game will throw a myriad of enemies at your face and all you have to do is slice and dice anything that moves. Just a tip of advice, lower the volume when playing the game because these girls are always screaming.
 | Return to PoPoLoCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale2015 | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date June 18, 2015 | |
 | Developer Marvelous |
| Publisher Xseed Games |
| Genre Farming | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-18 | |
| 2016-02-18 | |
| 2016-03-01 |  |
Popolocrois is a cute turn-based farming simulator franchise that probably flew under your radar. Its origins date back to the original PlayStation when the first game was released. Quite unfortunately, the first 3 games were released exclusively in Japan. So it was pretty challenging for fans of the genre to get their hands on any of the originals.
Luckily, Return to Popolocrois is a great introduction to fans that didn’t get the chance to try the original. Its colourful graphics, engaging gameplay and vibrant anime style have something for everyone. Oh, and it helps to mention that the series does have an anime show, which makes it a worthy mention on the list.
 | Yo-Kai Watch®2013 |  |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date July 11, 2013 | |
| Developer Level-5 |
| Publisher Level-5 |
 | Franchise Yo-Kai Watch® |
| Genre JRPG | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2013-07-11 | |
| 2015-11-06 | |
| 2015-11-26 | |
| 2015-12-05 | |
| 2016-04-26 |  |
| 2016-04-29 |  |
Yo-Kai Watch is Level-5’s ambitious answer to juggernauts such as the Pokémon and Digimon franchises. And while it may not reach the same commercial success these series have garnered throughout their lifetime, Yo-Kai Watch has a few enjoyable moments to offer for every fan of the genre.
Anime fans should give Yo-Kai Watch a chance for its addictive gameplay, the anime-styled graphics and the original storyline. The fact that there are numerous anime and manga adaptations for Yo-Kai Watch out there is enough to warrant the game’s mention on this list.
 | Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal® World Duel Carnival2013 | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Release Date December 05, 2013 | |
 | Developer Other Ocean Interactive |
 | Publisher Konami |
| Genre Card | |
| Graphics 2D | |
| Perspective Top-Down | |
| Interaction Turn-Based | |
| Concept Anime | |
| Players Single Player | |
| Monetization Buy to Play | |
| Country of Origin Japan |
| 3DS Releases | |
|---|---|
| 2013-12-05 | |
| 2014-06-26 |  |
| 2014-07-10 |  |
| 2014-09-25 | |
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal World Duel Carnival introduces the renowned Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise to the Nintendo 3DS, incorporating elements from its predecessors, including the beloved spin-off series Yu-Gi-Oh GX. Zexal maintains the same level of quality and excitement that fans have come to expect from the franchise.
One drawback of Zexal is the absence of multiplayer functionality, which prevents players from engaging in duels with their friends. This omission may disappoint many Yu-Gi-Oh enthusiasts who value the ability to challenge others. However, if you are content with experiencing the story solo and competing against CPU-controlled opponents, You’ll find Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal to be one of the best anime games on the 3DS.
Thank you for reading. That’s it for the list.
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FreeckyCake
I'm just your average gamer who enjoys hunting hidden gems and underrated games. My love for Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is like a truck and I recommend that you play it.
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