The first E3 that I attended was special for a variety of reasons. Seeing companies build these huge set pieces, watching two teams of wrestlers face off in a video game competition and getting to talk to like mined fans was an experience I will never forget. The one thing that I did not expect was seeing a heavy anime presence. Luckily for me, Bandai Namco had me covered and I got to get my hands on two fighting games which I think will please fans of both fighting and anime.
My Hero One’s Justice
A fighting game based on the anime My Hero Academia seems like a no brainier. The superhero style lends itself to the fighting genre as easily as Injustice or Marvel vs. Capcom. In this game, you pick one main character and one support character. The action is not strictly side to side. You move around the environment and can actually get thrown into walls and objects. The fighting style was not that hard to pick up, and the thrill of hitting one of your quarks is awesome.
The graphics are top notch and the voice overs are very familiar. I picked Stain for my main character and was actually able to go to the third round. Sadly, evil must always lose. If you are a fan of My Hero, and honestly who is not at this time, this game will be a must have. It comes out on August 23 on most systems. Could not take game footage (have to obey the rules) but the next game was more then willing to let me have a few pics.
Jump Force
Just the idea behind this game will make you smile. Shonen Jump has taken some of it’s most beloved characters and put them together in a fighting game. One Piece, Dragon Ball and Naruto are the biggest names in a fighting game that looks more gritty and real. The locations are in our world and the story brings these characters to our reality.
This game is easier then your typical fighting. Much like Hero, you move around your opponent as you build up to hit a big move. There is something a little startling about seeing the Nine Tailed Fox towering over Goku in his Super Sayian form. When you want that move, a prompt appears giving you the choice and the button that activates it. Naurto is the big player here, as he can copy himself to inflect confusion and mayhem. I want more, and hopefully the game comes out early in 2019.
There were other games that definitely had the anime feel. Anime games might be in the minority at E3, but there were choices if you look for them. For me, I am trying to imagine who would win between Frezia and Monkey D Luffy in the middle of Times Square.