When animated series are successful enough, video game developers and publishers will try to cash in and create games that fans of the series will enjoy. While many of these games can fall under the shovelware umbrella, a few attempts stand out as truly entertaining and worthwhile endeavors.

This week’s installment of Important Importables is devoted to the best of the best, the anime games that were so good, even people who are unfamiliar with the original series seek them out. A few of them may seem incredibly familiar, as they even received worldwide releases. Rest assured though, the following 10 games and series are so good, you’ll enjoy them even if you’ve never even heard of the animes they’re based on.

Idea Factory is certainly going to be bringing some joy to otome (girl’s dating/life sim) and visual novel fans in 2009. A quick visit to the company’s Otomate website, which reveals the company’s upcoming otome titles, shows that both Will O’ Wisp and Ouran Koukou Host Bu (Ouran High School Host Club) will be receiving portable ports.

We don’t know as much about Ouran Koukou Host Bu DS aka Ouran High School Host Club DS yet. Its official website doesn’t offer a release date, but the Otomate site states it will be out on March 19, 2009. That’s all we definitely know so far. It could just end up being a direct port of the PS2 game. Idea Factory has been really good about adding in additional scenes/content for the ports of its PS2 titles, so we’ll have to wait and see what kind of extras also appear. I’m sure more information will be gradually revealed to build up hype as the release date comes closer.

The DS and PSP ports of Will O’ Wisp and Will O’ Wisp: Easter no Kiseki will come out shortly after. Both Will O’ Wisp Portable and Will O’ Wisp DS will debut on March 26, 2009…

If you’ve been following Important Importables for a while, you might have noticed that I like to touch on not only games but game-related imports as well (or at least things from Japan that might interest gamers). Today’s column is one of those days.

Due to coverage of titles like Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side 2nd Season, Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo DS!! and Duel Love, Important Importables has acquired a few otome fan readers (fans of dating/life sims for women). I figured today’s column would be a good chance to highlight an anime episode that they’d enjoy – Ouran High School Host Club episode 4, “The Invasion of the Female Manager.” it has a hilarious storyline involving a devoted female otome fan, a club filled with otome stereotype guys and a series that is going to appear on DVD in the US in the coming months…