Ask John: Is It Likely to See Old Anime Revived as Video Games?

Question:
With the new Lupin the Third and the upcoming Astro Boy games for PS2, both new games based on older shows, does it seem more likely that other older titles like Ronin Warriors or even Guyver may be turned into modern games?

Answer:
In my opinion, the probability of older, somewhat obscure anime titles being revived as video games isn’t very likely. Samurai Troopers and Bio-Booster Armor Guyver are both older titles that have always been niche market anime in Japan. Furthermore, they are titles that faded into relative obscurity in Japan years ago. On the other hand, Lupin the 3rd and Astro Boy are Japanese cultural icons that have always had mainstream Japanese celebrity status and have never been out of the spotlight in Japan. So rather than presume that Lupin the 3rd and Astro Boy are the predecessors of a wave of revivals of vintage anime titles, these two franchises should be considered exceptions. However, the recent announcement of a Flame of Recca game for the Playstation 2 is also an unusual exception, being an example of an older anime title that’s been largely forgotten in Japan suddenly and unexpectedly revived as a video game.