Sand Land Is A Breath Of Fresh Air Among All These Anime Arena Fighters

Anime and manga are a rich and diverse medium with something for everyone, except when it comes to games. When immensely popular shows like Dragon Ball and Naruto opted for arena fighters and succeeded, every subsequent anime thought “Arena Fighters is where it’s at, let us do the same,” instead of exploring their own strengths. Soon, the repetitive genre was the only thing we were left with.

In this monotonous time, came Sand Land to prove just how much good an anime game can do when it explores new possibilities. It’s a shounen, but didn’t succumb to the curse. Created by Akira Toriyama, the legend is no longer with us, but his works continue to inspire.

What Is Sand Land? Mad Max Meets Anime

Akira Toriyama was far and wide known for Dragon Ball in particular, but he also had other mangas like Dr. Slump and Sand Land. Although Dragon Ball is what brought him international recognition and success, his other works were also pretty brilliant. Dr. Slump was a very popular product of its time, and Sand Land is a rather short but heartwarming story.

Without going into any spoilers, let me discuss the premise a little. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by war and natural disasters, where water is deficient and what little’s left is under the tyrannical possession of a king.

Panel from toriyama’s ‘Sand Land’, from the year 2000. It’s plausible!!
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Tired of the oppression, one mysterious old man rises up and enlists the help of the demons of Sand Land, particularly the demon prince Beelzebub, the protagonist of our story. It’s a very shonen-esque story filled with friendship, fighting oppression, and banding together for a just cause, all executed very well. And while the story may be different, the premise and presentation are an anime-style Mad Max.

An Anime Game Done Right

That’s all good, but I’m sure you came here to know about the video game adaptation, so let’s cut to the chase. To answer that question, the Sand Land game is without a doubt a highly enjoyable adventure you shouldn’t miss out on. Its vibrant visuals, creative gameplay elements, and superb vehicular joy come together to paint a beautiful picture.

Sand Land: The First 15 Minutes of Gameplay
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In terms of the story, the game closely follows the original plot, albeit with a little more filled pasted in between to populate its world. The open world itself is nothing to write home about, but it’s not a boring mess, either. There’s plenty of incentive to go around and roam the scorching desert in your funny-looking tank.

The gameplay is where things get very interesting. From hand-to-hand brawls utilizing Beelzebub’s might, allies lending aid amidst the heat of battle, creative mission design with exploration intent and unique mechanics like stealth rooms, and the no-holds-barred shoot ’em-up style of the vehicles, Sand Land is a true shounen romp packed brilliantly in the video game.

Sure, it has some problems, but at least it doesn’t shy away from trying something new and unique, which is a lot more than I can say for many of the other anime games around.

A Much-Needed Break From Arena Fighters

Sand Land itself is a very well-done game, but there’s another reason why I keep it in such high regard. It’s the fact that it broke away the curse of every new anime game being a copy-pasted arena fighter. I’ve already discussed in detail just how monotonous and boring this overuse of the concept has become.

Dragon Ball and Naruto succeeded in it, yes, but that doesn’t mean every subsequent anime gives up its identity trying to replicate that success when it should be playing to its strengths. One Punch Man, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, practically every anime game ends up becoming an arena fighter in one way or another.

A meme showing frustration with anime fighting games these days
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Take a step back and ponder for a moment. Can anime games only be arena fighters and nothing else? Is the source medium so one-trick-pony that only arena fighters can come out of it? You know as well as I do that that’s not the case. We have examples of novel anime games, a very recent one is One Piece Odyssey; an absolute gem. 

Sand Land’s Example Needs To Be Replicated

This brings me to the crux of my discussion. I wanted to highlight just how impressive Sand Land was, primarily because it was a breath of fresh air from all these suffocating arena fighters shoved in our faces. Toriyama’s parting gift boldly announces that anime games can indeed be versatile and unique, you just need to give it a try.

Thus, subsequent games must follow this example. Anime is a very rich and beloved medium with unimaginable depth and versatility. It’s practically an insult that it be translated only into arena fighters, when in fact, it can do much more, much better.

We need less anime arena fighters and more games that capture the true essence of the shounen genre
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I hope Sand Land becomes the trigger for more anime games exploring the many genres out there just waiting to be utilized.