Given the growing popularity of Asian video games in western countries, it’s only natural to see the number of well-known anime and manga-based games increasing as well. Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Saint Seiya, Bleach and Captain Tsubasa are just a few of the titles mentioned on this extensive list of free games for Android that we’ve put together for you.
Dragon Ball games for Android
Of course, the most popular manganime in the world has plenty of official games that represent it in the smartphone universe. That being said, Dragon Ball Legends is the most popular one, without a doubt. This 3D fighting game is just as incredible as any console game. Dokkan Battle, on the other hand, offers you turn-based combats and 2D visuals that challenge you to battle against your rivals while you move around the board, just as if you were playing a board game.
But that’s not all. There are other games that haven’t officially reached this side of the world but you can still enjoy them, as long as you don’t mind the language barrier. Dragon Ball Awakening challenges you to participate in automatic combats as you advance through the history of manganime. Tapp Battle is a 2D fighting game that’s reminiscent of the 1vs1 games that you might have played on 16 and 32-bit consoles. Although it’s officially been canceled, there is a community-modified version that even includes new characters.
In addition, and given their predominance, Tencent owns the publication license in China and includes games such as Dragon Ball Fighting (which can almost be thought of as another automatic combat MMO). Then there’s the most interesting one of them all: Dragon Ball Strongest Warriors, an MMORPG with spectacular 3D graphics that lets you follow Son Goku’s story in chronological order, unlock new characters and participate in all kinds of challenges in Toriyama’s masterpiece’s “expanded world.” Just keep in mind that it is currently in the closed beta phase, but we explain how to access it in this Twitter thread.
One Piece games for Android
Eiichirō Oda’s masterpiece is one of the most long-lasting works in modern times. So much so, that there are more than 900 chapters and there’s no end in sight. With four years of experience behind it, Treasure Cruise is the most popular one, although it is definitely not the best one. We’re talking about a semiautomatic combat MMO, just like they like them in the Asian countries. One Piece: Bounty Rush, on the other hand, offers a super entertaining MOBA action gameplay with 3D visuals. This time, you get to control Luffy and friends while destroying the opposing team and completing different conquest goals.
There are also other minor titles, like the fun Bon! Bon! Journey! Many others have fallen by the wayside or have closed their services globally, as is the case of Thousand Storm, which can only be accessed through its servers in Southeast Asia.
Naruto games for Android
The adventures of the most hard-headed ninja inside the Hidden Leaf Village (now his son’s, actually) have been the inspiration for quite a few games. Once again, MMOs win hands down as can be seen with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing. Although it’s important to mention that its turn-based combat system and action areas between characters stray from the tediousness that characterizes this type of game.
Naruto X Boruto Ninja Voltage, on the other hand, offers a greater variety with a mixture of real-time action and a tower siege and defense system. More recently, we’ve seen Naruto X Boruto Ninja Tribes, which in this case is more focused on strategic turn-based combat.
As always, not even half of the games reach this side of the world. Tencent has also developed Naruto Mobile for Asian countries. This is basically a beat’em up with really decent animations in which you get to relive all the most important events in manganime: from Chuunin’s exam all the way to the great Ninja war.
Captain Tsubasa games for Android
Captain Tsubasa Dream Team has made a pretty deep impact among players. Most manganime soccer games have included a gameplay that’s closer to an RPG rather than a traditional soccer simulator. The real keys to their success have been a gacha system to put together your lineup, incredible 3D graphics that copy your finger’s movements to perform each character’s special moves, and the localization into an infinite number of languages.
In mid-2018, a new anime was released which is basically a remake of the original Captain Tsubasa. It narrates Ozora/Oliver’s adventures in the Nankatsu/Niupin/NewTeam. Captain Tsubasa Zero presents the revival alongside a charming management simulator and assisted games.
More anime and sports games for Android
Leaving the grassy terrain behind and moving on to the soccer fields, you’ll find a title from Bandai Namco that can only be enjoyed in its Japanese version for the time being. In Futsal Boys you’ll have to help the characters from Yukina Hiiro’s anime by the same name to complete successful soccer plays. Plus, you’ll have to do so to the rhythm of tons of songs that will follow the development of each match.
Of course, if we’re going to talk about sports animes, we can’t forget to mention Slam Dunk. Inspired by Takehiko Inoue’s manga, this title takes you to different basketball courts to experience exciting standoffs. Throughout each confrontation of up to 5v5 players, you can help Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kaede Rukawa and Ryota Miyagi, among other characters, to score spectacular baskets before the buzzer sounds.
Bleach games for Android
The adventures of Ichigo created by Tite Kubo should also be included as a shōnen reference point for Jump Magazine. Bleach: Brave Souls has been with us for a few years and it has the same spirit of the original — there’s nothing quite like a 3D action game in real-time where you get to destroy all kinds of demons with your mystic katana. Besides that, we’ve had to wait a long time and have passed through several closed betas for a version of Bleach Mobile 3D (known as Soul of Awakening in Asia) to be released in Southeast Asia with English subtitles as an option.
Saint Seiya games for Android
The epic story of Athena’s Bronze Saints is a peculiar one because Masami Kurumada’s masterpiece is more well-known in countries such as Brazil, Spain or Italy than in its native home of Japan. The only game that has transcended it is Cosmo Fantasy, the inevitable Gacha Collector where you get to relive all the original manga sagas while you unlock all kinds of knights: from Pegasus and friends to Hades’ spectrums, to Poseidon’s Marina Generals and the iconic Gold Saints.
Saint Seiya: Awakening is fanservice, plain and simple. We’re actually talking about a Chinese game with the official license. However, its development is not very canonical —to put it gently— to be up to par with the Freemium MMO standards that fans across the sea love so much. Saint Seiya Mobile is also worth mentioning because it’s the only one out of three we’ve recommended that offers real-time combats. Great graphics, great images and a great deal of reverence for the original manga and its imagery.
Gundam games for Android
Gundam Battle: Gunpla Warfare is a tribute to the leader of the mecha series, since it focuses on the figure collecting that’s so closely associated with its most diehard fans. Meanwhile, another typical feature of games featuring these anime characters is turn-based strategy with Super Deformed graphics. This is exactly what you’ll find in games like Gundam Wars or the more canonical Super Robot Wars DD where you’ll also find robots from other franchises including Mazinger Z, Getter Robo and Evangelion.
Other Bandai Namco titles such as Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. ENGAGE and Gundam Supreme Battle will also immerse you in intense 3D battles starring these robots. Throughout exhilarating battles, you’ll be given a limited amount of time to make your way through each setting to deliver spectacular blows to your opponents. Both games allow you to unlock dozens of these characters whose abilities vary depending on the level of experience you obtain.
Evangelion games for Android
Hideaki Anno’s masterpiece has its own RPG that gives you the chance to fight against hundreds of angels in a spiral of fanservice for Shinji Ikari fans and the like. Evangelion: EVA Dawn includes characters from the original anime, the Rebuild films, and many other Evas and characters from other spin-offs.
On the other hand, and although it hasn’t yet left Japan, we have Evangelion Battlefields, a turn-based combat game whose main new feature is being able to interact with physical collectible figures to unlock special abilities for your characters.
Other Anime-based games for Android
Countless licenses have made the leap to mobile devices, taking advantage of the boom (or nostalgia) for certain manga and anime. Here’s a list of some of the most popular ones that you can find:
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross
- Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: SLIME – ISEKAI Memories
- The Promised Neverland: The Promised Neverland
- Sword Art Online: Integral Factor, Alizication, Memory Defrag
- Tokyo Ghoul: Dark War, Tokyo Ghoul Mobile
- My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero
- Digimon: ReArise
- Inuyasha: Awakening, Revive Story
- Fairy Tail: Heroes U nite!
- Hokuto No Ken: Shin Hokuto Musou
