Given the vast number of fighting games and arena brawlers based on popular Shonen anime and manga, fans might assume that all the major franchises have seen English-language video game releases, but one major title that has been overlooked up until now could see its first localized game soon: Hunter x Hunter. Shonen is perhaps the best-known category of manga and anime in the West, featuring over-the-top battles and heroic adventures. These translate particularly well to video games, and most of the big-name series, especially those released in the publication Shonen Jump, have found audiences in English-speaking territories. Hunter x Hunter is one Shonen Jump hit that has, unfortunately, never had a video game localized outside of Japan.
The perennial classic Dragon Ball has been adapted to genres ranging from 2D fighting games like Dragon Ball FighterZ to asymmetrical multiplayer combat in Dragon Ball: The Breakers. The world’s best-selling comic series, One Piece, had its first English-translated turn-based JRPG released last year with One Piece Odyssey. Newer titles like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen have had Western game releases, alongside ongoing epics like My Hero Academia and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is a Shonen Jump series that has steadily built a fanbase in English territories, yet somehow, not a single video game has ever been translated for international release.
Why Hunter X Hunter Still Hasn’t Released Any Anime Games Outside Japan
Hunter X Hunter is a popular manga, but none of its videogames have been released outside Japan. This is largely due to timing and production gaps.
The Hunter X Hunter Manga Author Also Wrote YuYu Hakusho
There have been more than a dozen Hunter x Hunter games released in Japan since the manga’s start in 1998, but none have been localized outside the series’ country of origin. Togashi’s work has received renewed interest in the West thanks to Netflix’s live action adaptation of the author’s earlier Shonen manga opus, YuYu Hakusho. There are a few unfortunate coincidences that may have contributed to the absence of translated Hunter x Hunter games. Many of the early Hunter x Hunter video games were for the WonderSwan, a portable that was never released outside Japan. The manga has also had many long breaks between chapters due to Togashi’s health issues.
Tonally, Hunter x Hunter is also among the strangest Shonen manga of all time, which could make its video game adaptations more complicated. Many series like One Piece begin with a silly, lighthearted tone, and gradually introduce more mature content over time. Hunter x Hunter is a different case altogether. The series’ initial protagonist is the 12-year-old Gon Freecs, and early arcs suggest a kid-friendly adventure with a few scary interludes. The story contains some extremely dark and bleak subject matter, however, including dismembered children, cannibalism, and other grim topics. Even the genre of Hunter x Hunter is difficult to pin down, making video game adaptations harder.
The initial Hunter Exam arc presents the story as a series of mental and physical challenges, and the Heaven’s Arena arc is a very traditional Shonen super powered martial arts tournament, reminiscent of Dragon Ball. The subsequent Yorknew City arc introduces mob drama and revenge narratives, and Greed Island features the heroes transported by a video game to an island where it becomes a card-collecting mission, not unlike Yu-Gi-Oh. The divisive Chimera Ant arc involves human-eating sentient insects that pose an extinction-level threat, and the current Succession arc is similar to HBO’s Succession or Game of Thrones, played out with murderous superpowers.
Hunter X Hunter Is A Unique Manga & Deserves A Great Game
Notably, the original hero, Gon, is not even present in the ongoing Succession arc, and could very well be sidelined for the rest of the series due to events during the Chimera Ant story. This absence of a single recurring protagonist sets Hunter x Hunter apart from other Shonen series, along with its drastic shifts in tone and genre. Still, the unpredictable nature of Hunter x Hunter could be considered one of its strengths. Game publisher Bushiroad recently announced that development studio Eighting is working on a Hunter x Hunter game. Eighting has developed quality fighting games like Bloody Roar, Marvel vs Capcom 3, and the recent DNF Duel game.
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Video games based on anime, such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Fist of the North Star, can be some of the best games out there for fans.
Ideally, Hunter x Hunter will receive a proper fighting game rather than another arena brawler, but fans of the anime and manga will likely be pleased if any game is confirmed for an English language version. Hunter x Hunter characters have been featured in Jump Force, and other crossover games, but Eighting’s upcoming title could be the first official franchise game released in the West. More information is expected in January 2024, and hopefully, fans will finally receive news of a Hunter x Hunter game with an international release.
