Best Spike Chunsoft Games, Ranked

Summary

• Spike Chunsoft is famous for visual novels and enthralling adventures post-2012 merger.
• The company has released a variety of games across platforms and genres, from professional wrestling to detective mysteries.
• Key series include early
  Dragon Quest
  ,
  Danganronpa
  , and
  AI: The Somnium Files
  .

Prior to the 2012 merger, Chunsoft was perhaps best known for creating the Dragon Quest series and going on to develop the first five installments, while Spike put together the Danganronpa series. Since then, Spike Chunsoft has been famous for visual novels, enthralling adventures, and cerebral detective thrillers, assembling a rich back catalog of some classic titles.

Since the companies combined, they have been prolifically developing, and releasing a variety of games across all major platforms and a multitude of genres. From wrestling games to psychological detective mysteries, and even some anime adaptations, Spike Chunsoft is responsible for some must-play games.

10 Torneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon

The Merchant Is Going Rogue

Originally a playable character in Dragon Quest 4, Torneko spawned his own spin-off game, Torneko’s Great Adventure, which itself formed the Mystery Dungeon series. Continuing his story in this roguelike RPG, Torneko’s goal is to make his store famous, and he ventures into randomized dungeons to find and retrieve items to fill his stock.

Initially exclusive to Japan, the game had been planned for a Western release, but it sadly never came to fruition. Reviews at the time were glowing, and the game garnered enough sales to continue with the series, with Spike Chunsoft even releasing crossovers with Pokémon and Final Fantasy.

9 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

Number Nine

Nine captive characters have nine hours to escape a sinking ship by unlocking nine doors. As Junpei, a college student, players are tasked with solving puzzles in order to prevent himself and the eight other people, who have been kidnapped, from drowning on the cruise liner.

Mostly a visual novel where the player’s decisions matter, with logic and smatterings of numerology, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors was a surprising hit in North America. Despite some apathy in Japan, the game received a sequel and the subsequent Zero Escape series, but nothing beats the original.

8 Fire Pro Wrestling World

Squared Circle Strategy

After Spike Chunsoft’s previous attempt at a Fire Pro Wrestling game a few years prior upset many fans, they went back to what players loved about the series; strategic grappling action. Fire Pro Wrestling World is probably the best in the series with its vast customization possibilities, and exciting gameplay based on timing and strategy.

The game is officially licensed by New Japan Pro Wrestling, so over 50 of the top stars at the time are playable in the game, such as Kazuchika Okada and Zack Sabre Jr., and over 20 joshis from Stardom are available as DLC. The popping art style and isometric camera angle will not appeal to everyone, but many wrestling fans feel it is the best grappling simulation on the market.

7 Dragon Quest 3

Chunsoft’s Finest

Since Chunsoft’s five entries in the Dragon Quest series came prior to the merger with Spike, it seems appropriate to only include one title here, and Dragon Quest 3 is the brightest star of them all. Winner of Famitsu’s Game of the Year, among other accolades, it follows “the Hero” who must assemble companions to save the world from the archfiend Baramos.

Gameplay is more refined than in the previous games and the open-world setting with a day/night cycle was revolutionary for the series. An HD-2D remake was released in 2024, so players can enjoy this title with all the perks of modern gaming and updated graphics.

6 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

The Best Of Spike

Perhaps Spike’s crowning achievement, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, was quite controversial internally at the time. A visual novel, combining elements of dating simulators, third-person shooters, and detective mysteries, the dark tone and excessive violence were not popular with some people in the company.

Controlling Makoto Naegi, players will spend their time exploring the campus of Hope’s Peak Academy and trying to determine who is committing multiple murders at the school. The “Class Trials” are somewhat similar to Ace Attorney, and reviewers loved the innovative gameplay.

5 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Danganronpa: Lost

Inspired by the popular television show Lost, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair moves from the confines of the academy to a tropical island. Many of the same gameplay elements are present, but with the added “Rebuttal Showdowns” during trials, where students duel in arguments.

The change of scenery and strong cast of characters impressed critics, but the lack of challenge and very few gameplay innovations were a problem for some. Still, the overall package is more enjoyable than the first game, and multiple other media spawned from this game, such as an anime series, spin-off games, and sequels.

4 Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

Kamehameha!

Spike Chunsoft has a history of great anime tie-in games, adapting Dragon Ball, One Piece, and One Punch Man among others, and 2024’s Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the best of all. A fighting game from the Budokai Tenkaichi series, it features multiple game modes and a roster of over 180 combatants.

The game was praised for appealing to both fans of the anime and players who are unfamiliar with the series. The Episode Battle in particular has branching paths, the visuals are striking, and the variety in the game makes each fight feel unique.

Game modes:

• Episode Battle – a single-player story mode with eight playable characters.
• Custom Battle – a new mode allowing players to create their own scenarios.
• Battle Mode – an online tournament with various victory conditions.
• Ranked Match – online matchmaking earns players rankings.
• Tournament Mode – create or join an online tournament. It’s also possible to play offline tournaments with automatically generated AI opponents.

3 Master Detective Archive: Rain Code

The Forgetful Sleuth

Inspired by Tim Burton’s films and created by many of the minds behind Danganronpa, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code follows the adventures of an amnesiac detective in training. Alongside his ally, Shinigami, Yuma Kokohead investigates the Ameratsu Corporation in Kanai Ward.

Something of a departure for Spike Chunsoft is the use of 3D models throughout the game, rather than 2D models on 3D backgrounds. Split between the real-world Kanai Ward and the Mystery Dungeon, players tackle puzzles and debates similar to those they loved in the Danganronpa series.

2 AI: The Somnium Files

A Mystery Of Two Halves

The creator of the Zero Escape series, Kotaro Uchikoshi, wanted to create a game with simpler gameplay and better character design, and from that came AI: The Somnium Files. Kaname Date is the playable detective exploring a near-future Tokyo when a corpse turns up with an eye missing.

Date himself is missing an eye from an attack six years prior. An interesting mechanic in this game is the use of the “Psync Machine” to enter the “Somnium” of an uncooperative suspect or a witness struggling to process what they have seen and uncover some information through their subconscious.

1 AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative

The Plot Thickens

• Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
• Released: 2022-06-23
• Developer: Spike Chunsoft
• Genre: Adventure, Visual Novel

Six years after the events of the first game, players now take control of Kaname’s daughter, Mizuki Date, and Kuroto Ryuki as they investigate the “Half-Body Murders”. Previously, the right side of a corpse had been discovered, but now, after half a decade, the left side shows up with no signs of decay.

Presented through a visual novel style and third-person exploration, once again the “Psyncing” process is a key mechanic. Much like its predecessor, critics loved the storytelling and well-rounded characters, as well as the general mysterious premise.