In the vibrant era of the 1990s, many beloved fighting video games, such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, received animated adaptations. Among the more unexpected of these was Capcom’s highly popular brawler, Darkstalkers. For years, this animated series has been difficult to find, but now, distributor Discotek has announced its full release on Blu-ray, set for October 28. Fans looking to complete their collection with this significant piece of Darkstalkers history can now preorder the complete series.
This Blu-ray compilation includes all 13 episodes of the show, presented in 480i standard definition, with a total runtime of 325 minutes. While extensive bonus materials are not a primary focus, the disc does feature extras such as a series trailer, original promotional bumpers and credits, select commentary tracks, and a video showcasing various memes inspired by the show. The cover artwork itself pays homage to the video game’s origins, drawing inspiration from the classic releases on consoles like the Sega Saturn.
Darkstalkers: The Complete Series – Special Features
- Series trailer
- Commentary tracks
- Meme compilation video
- Promotional bumpers and credits
Loosely based on the popular video games, the Darkstalkers animated series delves into an ongoing conflict between monstrous entities. On the side of malevolence, the vampire lord Demitri spearheads a campaign of terror under the command of his master, the cosmic threat Pyron. Standing against them are various Night Warriors, alongside their human companion, who represent Earth`s final defense against Pyron and his formidable minions.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the only animated adaptation of Darkstalkers. A four-episode Original Video Animation (OVA) series, produced by the renowned Madhouse Studios (known for Trigun, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Yu Yu Hakusho in the ‘90s), aired from 1997 to 1998. This OVA was a much more faithful adaptation of the games and garnered praise for its high-quality animation.
The Blu-ray for the OVA collection, released in 2022, features the episodes remastered in 1080p and in their original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Audio quality is also exceptional, offering Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. A music-only DTS-HD Master Audio option is also included, perfect for those who wish to focus on the visuals and soundtrack. Bonus features include a selection of promotional materials, credit-free sequences, and art galleries.
Darkstalkers: The Complete OVA Collection – Special Features
- Original and remastered trailers and TV spots
- Promotional videos for various Dark Stalkers video games
- Epilogue without title text
- Ending without text
- Alternate Japanese ending credits sequence
- Vintage English opening and ending sequences
- `The Trouble Man` music video
- Art galleries
For enthusiasts keen on expanding their collection of classic animated shows on Blu-ray, Discotek offers a diverse catalog. A significant upcoming release is Mega Man: The Complete Series, with all 27 episodes from its 1994-96 two-season run arriving on Blu-ray. This new edition is set for an October 28 release and includes archival content, TV commercials, and fresh commentary tracks from Ian James Corlett, Mega Man`s US voice actor.
Fans can also acquire Street Fighter: The Animated Series, a delightfully cheesy adaptation of Capcom`s fighting game from the 90s. Its new Blu-ray includes commentary tracks by popular Fighting Game Community streamers and competitors like Matt McMuscles and Maximillian Dood. Additionally, Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie is available on 4K Blu-ray, featuring clean credit sequences, archival promotional materials, production art, an isolated score, and various cuts of the movie in both English and Japanese.
Sega devotees aren`t left out, with the availability of all 78 episodes of Sonic X on Blu-ray, offered in both its original Japanese and English dubbed versions. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is also available, perfect to revisit before the new game in the series launches next year. Below is a compilation of further animated video game adaptations available from Discotek on Blu-ray.
More Discotek Blu-rays Based on Video Games
- Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Complete Series
- Darkstalkers: The Complete Animated Series (Releases October 28)
- Darkstalkers: The Complete OVA Series
- Digimon Adventure: The Complete Series
- Digimon Adventure 02: The Complete Series
- Digimon: The Movies 1-3 Collection
- Fatal Fury
- Fist of the North Star: The Complete Series
- Fist of the North Star: The Movie
- Fist of the North Star: Legend of Kenshiro
- Fist of the North Star: Legend of Raoh
- Mega Man: The Complete Series (Releases October 28)
- Monster Rancher: The Complete Series
- Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
- Sonic X: The Complete Series (English Dub)
- Sonic X: The Complete Series (Japanese Dub)
- Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie (4K)
- Street Fighter: The Animated Series
- Virtua Fighter: The Animated Series