As one of the “Big 3” shonen anime in the early 2000s, next toNarutoandOne Piece,Bleachwas rife with characters wielding massive swords and gaining wild power-ups. These would, of course, lend themselves nicely tosome impressive video games, placing that power squarely in the player’s hands.
However, even as one of the most popular anime of the time, it seems that someBleachgames managed to make it past many fans' radars. Well, with the anime being in the middle of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, now would be the perfect time for fans to catch up on the games they missed from this story that is nearly 2 decades old.
10Bleach: Heat the Soul Series
Sales According to VGChartz: About 0.49M (Across 7 Games)
Yearly entries in theHeat the Soulseries brought bleach games more in line with other shonen anime-based games of the time, adding to the story and roster as the anime progressed. In addition, being a traditional 3D fighter, meant it was specifically sharing DNA with classics likeTekkenandSoul Calibur.
The first game in the series had a measly 6 playable characters, but that roster would balloon to a staggering 86 by the final installment. Other features that would eventually make their way to the series are tag team battles, as well asa 4-player mode.
9Bleach: The 3rd Phantom
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.20M
Another example of the diversity inBleachgames,The 3rd Phantomis a tactical RPG akin totheFire Emblemseries. Characters are moved about a grid until engaging in battle, at which time, the camera shifts to a 2D view to see who comes out on top.
The story is an original one involving a pair of time-displaced twins making their way in a Soul Society they know nothing about anymore. A twin is chosen by the player at the beginning of the game, which determines exactly how the events of the game unfold, as well as some fun extras throughout “Free Time” between missions.
8Bleach: Blade Battlers (Series)
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.11M
As far as fulfilling stories go, the Japan-exclusiveBlade Battlersseries has much to be desired, with each featuring a handful of silly, non-canonical stories for players to brawl their way through. However, they make up for it by letting fans embody their favorite characters from the show, with full reign to move about a stage in any direction during combat.
Throughout a fight, players build up meters that allow them to use large attacks or transformations. Of course, not every character has a Bankai form, like the stuffed animal Kon, so their specials have toget a little creative. Some tend to get a bit destructive, too, changing the look of the stage to reflect it.
7Bleach GC: Tasogare ni Mamieru Shinigami
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.09M
The way battle-anime present characters and their powers is often long and drawn out to allow each one to truly shine. But what if the drama was forgone so that skill with the blade trumped all else?
Tasogare ni Mamieru Shinigamiis a weapon-based fighter in the same vein as games likeSamurai Showdown. Here, matches are short and decisive, much like they would be in reality. Things could get hurried along even faster if someone manages to pull off one of a character’s special moves.
6Bleach: Erabareshi Tamashii
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.08M
Something thatBleachgames can’t be criticized for is the amount of original stories that are incorporated into their games.Erabareshi Tamashiiis a perfect example of this, taking place entirely in Ichigo’s hometown of Karakura, as a hollow invasion takes place.
Stages see players move from one enclosed arena to another, battling waves of those iconic white-masked monsters. Also featured are bouts with some familiar faces from the show, including the snakey Ichimaru Gin,as well as surpriseslike Izuru Kira.
5Bleach: Hanatareshi Yabou
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.07M
Bleach, and really shonen anime in general, are highly reliant on fast-paced action to keep their audiences' attention. So, of course, the logical next move is to funnel that essence into a turn-based RPG, right?
Well, that’s exactly whatHanatareshi Yaboudoes while giving fans an original story, with some new characters, to sink their teeth into. Unfortunately, even with moderately varied hollow designs, there isn’t much going on to keep combator exploration engaging.
4Bleach: Versus Crusade
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.06M
Teams of two face off against each other in this Japan exclusive for the Nintendo Wii. With 25 characters to choose from, the roster is a healthy one, especially considering it only takes place during the Arrancararcs of the anime.
Fighting is unique inVersus Crusadeas well, having the camera hanging out behind the player, tracking their movements closely. Locking on to an opponent is the most effective way to close the distance before handing them a rather cinematic beating.
3Bleach DS 4th: Flame Bringer
Sales According to VGChartz: 0.03M
Bleach DS 4th: Flame Bringerprovides 8 playable characters across an interesting original story about a masterless zanpakuto with a mind of its own. Players get to enjoy some solid side-scrolling action gameplay, with stages punctuated by boss battles against some of the series' most notable foes.
Where some DS games of this kind fill the bottom DS screen with buttons to activate specials or use items,Flame Bringerutilized both for gameplay. Other times, like during boss battles, they might be taken up to show the true breadth of a bankai.
2Bleach: Soul Carnival 2
Soul Carnival 2covers a bit more than its predecessor, with more stages and more characters to get through them with. It sees the story up until Ichigo’s final bout with Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo.
That being said, it’s still thesame chibi art styleand basic beat-em-up combat against droves of hollows. Minor bits of each stage are destructible like the first game as well. However, even with its additions, the game is a bit rudimentary, even for a PSP game.
1Bleach Advance: Kurenai ni Somaru Soul Society
Sales According to VGChartz: N/A
Essentially a hectic game of rock, paper, and scissors, seeing this game to the end requires a deft hand and a lot of luck. What it doesn’t take, though, is a whole lot of time, asKurenai ni Somaru Soul Societyonly covers the infiltration of Soul Society, stopping at Ichigo’s battle with Byakuya.
It’s definitely not hard to see why this title wasn’t localized for a western audience. While the highly “command-battle” action is certainly unique, it might be hard to grasp for many.
