With the release of Studio Ghibli latest work, here are some titles that collect the legacy of Miyazaki’s style.
The Boy and the Heron is the new film from Studio Ghibli. Released first in Japan and then in America and then arriving in Italy, it met with incredible success. In Italy alone, from 1 to 7 January it grossed 3,945,152 euros for a total of 526,348 spectators.
The success at the box office is a record result for a Miyazaki film, not only in Italy. Previously no other film by the Japanese director had recorded similar figures in our country.
For the Studio Ghibli title, this is also the best result ever for a Japanese animated film in Italy. The previous previous record was set by Captain Harlock who had grossed around 2.7 million euros in 2014.
Hayao Miyazaki’s new film also tops the American box office, with a figure of around 10.7-12 millions. The best debut for a Miyazaki film after The Wind Rises with 5.2 millions.
The great success of these titles are the strong narrative, the great visual impact and the strong universal messages they contain.
The world of video games obviously took a lot of inspiration and there are even titles in which Studio Ghibli collaborated directly. Let’s see which ones are most easily available.
A Look to the Past with Studio Ghibli
For the record, it is right to mention the past of games inspired and in collaboration by Studio Ghibli. Like the laser game involving the adventures of Lupin III, Cliff Hanger (1983). There are two films involved: The Mystery Of Mamo and Lupine III – The Castle of Cagliostro. The shoot’em up and adventure titles dedicated to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) are interesting too. Other games are inspired by Conan, the Boy in Future.
In this article, however, we will discuss more recent titles that have inherited the legacy of Studio Ghibli.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Real collaboration between Studio Ghibli and LEVEL-5. In this RPG a boy named Oliver embarks on a journey to a parallel world to become a wizard in an attempt to bring his missing mother back to life. Along the adventure Oliver will meet many new friends who will help him grow and learn. Obviously both the stylistic code and the themes are those dear to the Japanese house. Also worth highlighting is the sequel: Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, set hundreds of years after the first chapter.
Forgotton Anne
Forgotton Anne is an adventure platform game developed by ThroughLine Games and published by Square Enix Collective.
The game uses a hand-drawn anime aesthetic style and an orchestral score performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra.
An adventure with a compelling story, platforming and puzzle elements. Anne, a law enforcement officer, must try to stop a rebellion that prevents her and her master, Bonku, from returning to the human world.
Europa
Scheduled for release on April 16, 2024 and published by Future Friends Games, Europa is a relaxing adventure, platforming and exploration game. An android named Zee sets off in search of answers from Europa’s moon. He will have to make his way through the ruins of a fallen utopia and discover the story of the last human being alive. The stylistic inspiration and themes covered by Studio Ghibli are strong.
HOA
From Skrollcat Studio, a puzzle platform adventure with an extremely engaging and transporting style and soundtrack. In the role of a strange little being we will immerse ourselves in a wonderfully designed world with the aim of discovering its secrets.
Planet of Lana
A beautiful puzzle platformer. Although it is stylistically different from the works of Studio Ghibli, Wishfully deals with the theme of man rediscovering the past made up of ancient technologies. The references to the Japanese company are strong, especially in the contents and evocative views. Here’s our news.
Journey
A journey into a now extinct civilization, in search of its secrets. Beyond this it is a journey of training and redemption towards awareness of others and of oneself. An enormous desert that recalls that of Nausicaa and that gives us the same sense of solitude. This is Journey, developed by Thatgamecompany, Tricky Pixels and Santa Monica Studio.
Spiritfarer
Although the comparison may seem risky, especially due to the stylistic distance, let me explain. In my opinion, Spiritfarer collects the themes of Miyazaki’s works very well: the awareness of death and the care of their souls. In fact, in this Thunder Lotus Games management game we have to build our boat and give peace to the souls of the dead.
Here are some tips. Did you know them? Have you seen The Boy and the Heron? Tell us what you think.
I’m a musician (pianist), a nerd and a longtime manga lover.
My gamer life started with a copy of Pitfall (1982) for Atari 2600, and so I grew up hand to hand with this medium until now. Later I started to look for what’s behind the final product, its design and what happens behind the scenes of the video game world.
