Best Neon Genesis Evangelion Games

A landmark of anime and a cultural touchstone, Neon Genesis Evangelion is still an enduring presence nearly thirty years after it was first released. The apocalyptic tale of giant robots piloted by conflicted teenagers is one of the best-loved and most iconic franchises in Japanese animation and has picked up new fans along the way thanks to its inclusion on Netflix and a fourth and final Rebuild movie released in 2021.

The series lends itself well to video games, and over the years, there have been so many titles and spin-offs – including pachinko, dating simulators, visual novels, and mobile games – that it is difficult to keep count of them all. To make life a little easier, these are some of the best mainline Evangelion games.

7 Neon Genesis Evangelion 1st Impression

First Impressions Last In The Series Video Game Debut

• Developer: SEGA AM2
• Platform: Sega Saturn
• Release Date: March 1, 1996
• Genre: Visual Novel/RPG

1st Impression set the tone for most games in the series by prioritizing footage, imagery, and music from the TV series over gameplay elements. Taking place shortly after the episode “Asuka Strikes!”, the player takes control of Shinji Ikari after losing his memories following a traumatic Angel battle and must recover by sparring with Asuka before eventually re-confronting the Angel that defeated him.

The gameplay, such as it is, mixes RPG elements with a ton of animated footage and iconography from the show. The whole thing can be finished in a tidy forty minutes or so, so it doesn’t offer the most robust gaming experience but is still a cheerful celebration of the anime with some neat Saturn-era visuals.

6 Shinseiki Evangelion: Typing Project E (PC)

One Of The Most Outlandish But Enjoyable Entries

• Developer: Gainax
• Platform: PC
• Release Date: February 8, 2001
• Genre: Typing

Anyone familiar with Sega’s Typing Of The Dead will know the drill in this typing game, as the player must use a special keyboard to type words within a time limit to complete tasks. Typing Project E sits at the quirkier end of the spectrum of Evangelion games, as it comically bounces between serious and not-so-serious scenarios.

One minute Asuka will be fighting off mass-produced units in a recreation of the unforgettable set-piece from The End Of Evangelion. Mere seconds later, a cutesy Misato will be chugging beer and prepping bento boxes in her kitchen. The game requires typing of Kana and Latin characters so English speakers may have a little more to enjoy in this colorful, outlandish entry.

5 Neon Genesis Evangelion 2nd Impression

Second Time’s The Charm As Shinji Continues His Adventures

• Developer: Gainax
• Platform: Sega Saturn
• Release Date: March 7, 1997
• Genre: Visual Novel/RPG

2nd Impression, as the title suggests, does much of the same work as its predecessor. The biggest difference in this case is that the game utilizes a choose-your-own-adventure approach and has separate routes that the player can take in the narrative each with their own ending. It contains a brand new story but also has the same structure as an episode of the show, so fans will feel like they are playing an interactive anime.

The game focuses on Shinji’s interactions with a transfer student named Mayumi Yamagishi and their infection by an Angel. The gameplay refines on the RPG formula introduced in the previous game and throws in plenty of animated footage for good measure.

4 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra

No Room For Teen Angst In This Brawler

• Developer: Headlock
• Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
• Release Date: June 28, 2007 (PS2), March 19, 2009 (PSP)
• Genre: Fighting​

Epic showdowns between mighty beings are recreated in this platform fighting game that was originally released for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. Any Evangelion fan who wanted the chance to duke it out will be in seventh heaven as every Eva Unit and Angel from the franchise is included. Some fan service is thrown in for good measure as characters from the Rebuild films are also included.

The gameplay mechanics lack the depth of more well-known fighting games like Super Smash Bros. but are still serviceable. The game featured fully-rendered 3D backgrounds and each playable character could perform two special attacks that can unleash a devastating special attack.

3 Rebuild Of Evangelion: Sound Impact

Make Sweet Music In This Rhythm Action Game

• Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
• Platform: PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• Release Date: September 29, 2011
• Genre: Rhythm

The rhythm action craze of the 2000s found a home in this PlayStation Portable title, overseen by No More Heroes developer Grasshopper Manufacture with Suda 51 as Executive Producer. The game came out shortly after the first of the Rebuild movies was released in Japan. Most of the music featured in the game was taken from that film.

Original Evangelion composer Shiro Sagisu had his compositions in the game, along with legendary Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. The title maintains Grasshopper Manufacture’s flair for the esoteric. Eye-popping visuals combine with off-beat gameplay elements to make a unique experience, albeit not the longest one.

2 Evangelion VR: Throne Of Souls

A Truly Spectacular Experience – With A Catch

• Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Platform: VR Arcade Experience
• Release Date: July 14, 2017​
• Genre: First-Person Mech Combat

Throne Of Souls recreates an experience that most Evangelion fans can only dream of – an Eva Unit first-person pilot simulation, in a VR game no less. Players take a seat inside a dedicated motion simulator that is meant to be an Eva cockpit (without getting soaked in immersive LCL orange fluid), where they must defend Tokyo-3 from The Tenth Angel, teaming up with two other pilots to banish the foul beast.

The game includes features from the show like monitoring the player’s sync rate, and the visuals are state-of-the-art, making for a once-in-a-lifetime video gaming spectacular. Sadly for anyone outside of Japan, such an experience is only available at select Japanese VR arcades, meaning that a lot of travel fare is involved if you want Shinji to get in the robot.

1 Neon Genesis Evangelion, AKA Evangelion 64

The Best All-Rounder Offers A Solid Eva Experience

• Developer: BEC
• Platform: Nintendo 64
• Release Date: June 25, 1999
• Genre: Action/Fighting​

Evangelion 64 takes the top spot for a few reasons: it’s the most playable, it hits the sweet spot between fan service and gameplay, and it offers a longer playing time than some of its competitors. Not only that, but it looks noticeably better than several Nintendo 64 games released around the same time, representing something of a technical high point for the console.

The premise is fairly simple; Shinji must pilot Unit 01 and defeat Angels, but there are unlockable gameplay modes as well as the chance to play as Rei or Asuka. The game’s cinematic presentation made it feel like an episode come to life, and it included story aspects not found in the TV show or movies, making it a holy grail for hardcore Evangelion fans.