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Many Shonen anime stories aim for mainstream success, with very few gaining traction outside of Japan, let alone surviving more than two seasons. That’s why My Hero Academia changed the game when it was released, catching the attention of fans and studios alike in 2016.
This smashing success over the last decade has left a lasting impact on anime history, so much so that it naturally transitioned to a video game adaptation, emulating the inspiring storylines and flashy action sequences that captivated fans worldwide.
A franchise was born with 2018’s My Hero One’s Justice, a 3D arena fighting game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Despite selling over half a million copies since release, this first installment set the tone for the other MHA entries, most likely for the worse.
Praised for its interactive environmental damage and the faithful adaptation of beloved characters and fights, yet rightfully criticized for oversimplistic combat, janky POV, and a sudden plot starting point from the middle of the second season. The lacklustre story mode, with PowerPoint-style slideshows for context and little to no animation, put too much pressure on the fighting, you know, the popular part of fighting games.
Its rock-paper-scissors fighting system did it no favors, leaving players with only three options during a fight: Basic Attacks, Unblockable Attacks, and Counter Attacks, one cancelling the other out, making battles blind button mashing instead of strategic bouts. Plus, you can choose two more heroes/villains as assist members of your team, though it feels like an excuse for constant flashy gameplay instead of a feature that pushes the skill ceiling.
Unfortunately, none of this was amended in the series sequel, 2020’s My Hero One’s Justice 2. Debuting a beloved anime video game title with a mixed reception is understandable, but following it up with a dud is entirely on the devs. One’s Justice 2 sold 250,000 fewer copies and faced twice as much criticism. The same flaws plagued story mode, combat, and camera controls, leaving the hero franchise looking more and more like the villain.
Now, the world’s hopes lie on the third-times-the-charm upcoming entry, My Hero Academia: All’s Justice, and, call me Sir Nighteye, the way I see the vision clearly. This will be the title to turn the ship around and lead the saga into Deku-greener pastures.
My Hero Academia: All’s Justice, announced in the summer of 2025, will wrap the main story as the manga and anime already have in the last year, giving developers Byking Inc. the perfect opportunity to go beyond and show their Plus Ultra.
For starters, the story mode promises an original team-up series of missions written by the official My Hero Academia team, already considered headcanon by anticipating players. This story will have the entire 1-A class putting a stop to a loose Nomu, allowing our heroes to traverse the city in Free Roam mode.
Single-handedly, this already fixes two major problems in previous games: soulless story adaptations and a lack of original content, both in one swing. Consider this a video game OVA that will lead to the last canon arc, the Final War between All For One and the world’s best heroes.
Whilst quality-of-life enhancements to better balance the fighting system are still to be tested, this time teams turn assists into full-blown 3v3 matches with switch timers, separate health bars, and complete move sets, finally rounding out the roster with a purpose bigger than a cameo.
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The trailer and early hands-on showcase also show improved graphics and camera angles, cleaning up after its hyperactive environment, which previously stole the spotlight. This, on top of the anime’s most iconic fights available in Archive Battle mode, makes the game already feel like a love letter to one of the most influential anime in recent memory.
Doubling down on early successes and seizing most room for improvement, My Hero Academia: All’s Justice is positioning itself to be the best release to date, one that hopefully digs the franchise out of its United States of Smash-sized hole.
This should be the beginning of many more entries with more complex combat, community options, and character creation for a fully-fledged open-world story mode with free roam, quick-time events, and more. Until then, we look forward to seeing if All’s Justice does MHA fans dirty for the third time in a row or the video game saga calls wrap with a global Smash hit. Gambare!
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