We recognize that the fanbase for video games and anime overlap quite a bit, and so do a lot of companies out there. It's no surprise, then, that popular anime properties get adapted into game form quite a bit. We've seen it on the DS with Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach, not to mention the ultimate in anime tie-ins: the Jump Super Stars series.If you like anime, does this kind of thing have any influence on you? Do you get excited hearing about a game version of your favorite show, despite the years of punishment licensed games have dealt us? Or do you get worried that a game will somehow tarnish the reputation of the source material? And if you don't like anime, have you run across any anime-based games that you love separate from the license? The GBA slot in our DS is often occupied by Sega and Treasure's brilliant Astro Boy: The Omega Factor despite our not being the most devoted Astro Boy fans.
After last week's flood, it looks like DS owners are back down to a trickle of releases, but importers take note -- there's 
Oh, we don't mean the pain of the action variety. This is more the pain of "where the hell is Bleach DS?!" We haven't even seen the first one and they're already on a sequel. What gives? Folks outside Japan can certainly appreciate a good fighting game. Oh well, looks like those of us who can't live without a little violence might have to turn to importing. This isn't just any violence, either. We're talking four-on-four multiplayer WiFi violence.
One can look around at the abundance of excellent games on the DS, usually feeling contented and satisfied. Yet, despite the numerous genres represented (and in a few cases, completely made up), the dual-screened wonder lacks a proper fighting game. Well, that's only partially true: Japan scored a brilliant game in Jump Superstars, a battle royale between essentially every popular anime and manga character in the country. And it was import-friendly! However, despite the game's excellent Smash Bros-like battle system, the real fun came via ad-hoc multiplayer...and what were the chances of finding another American gamer with this thing?
While we haven't even received the first game yet, Sega has let loose word that a sequel to the popular fighting game Bleach for the DS is in development. In the latest issue of Shonen Jump magazine, a single-page spread confirms that the game will be seeing the light of day, as well as depicting some of the combat to come.
A new scan from Japanese magazine V-Jump reveals news that is sure to send some anime and manga fans into joyous poses amidst rapidly scrolling backgrounds. Yu Yu Hakasho is destined for our favorite dual-screen device, though our inability to decode the Japanese language prevents us from sharing anything further. Since Funimation's picked the show up for American distribution, there's a glimmer of a chance that this one might make it across the ocean, but don't hold your breath. You'll need the air to scream about that 
The fine folks at Siliconera have posted a playtest of Sega and Treasure's Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei, a 2D fighting game based on the hugely popular anime. But really, we should have had your attention at "Treasure". As previous classics like Dynamite Heddy (that final boss still gives us nightmares), Silhouette Mirage and Astro Boy: Omega Factor have proven, Treasure is a developer that just knows how to do 2D games right.
