Top 15 Best Fighting Games of All Time

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Released 25 years ago, and regarded by many as one of the greatest fighting games of all time, Street Fighter 2 put the genre on the map in a big way. In a time where the fighting genre was relatively undiscovered, Street Fighter 2 was the first 1v1 fighting game which allowed players to select from a diverse line-up of characters. With its refined combat, breadth of special attacks and combos, Street Fighter 2 may have single handily popularized the fighting game genre.

Marvel Vs Capcom 2

Upon release, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 elevated the versus series to a new plateau, with its polished 2D visuals, frantically paced combat and tight tag team mechanics, this entry challenged players to master an expanded roster of characters. Shaped by the ample heroes and villains from both Marvel and Capcom, players engaged in 3v3 fights as they exchanged a flurry of attacks against their opponent to prevail.

Mortal Kombat 2

During the age of arcade gaming a brutal fighting game named Mortal Kombat entered the scene and had players emptying their pockets for one more round. It’s sequel, Mortal Kombat 2, introduced more merciless fatalities, expanded the number of playable characters and incorporated diverse combo mechanics which made achieving a flawless victory a testimony to your dexterity.

Super Smash Bros Melee

Drawing from an ensemble of Nintendo characters, Super Smash Bros Melee tasks you with knocking your opponent off the stage to reign supreme; to achieve this, Smash calculated each character’s damage during combat, as opposed to depleting a traditional health bar. The more damage players took the easier it became to smash their character off the stage and claim your win. This innovative approach to the fighting genre has solidified Super Smash Bro’s position as one of the greatest fighting games of all time.

Soul Calibur 2

In 2002 the weapon fighting game Soul Calibur produced a sequel, one with stunning visuals and robust mechanics which raised the benchmark for 3D fighting games. From the precise strikes of a samurai sword to the crack of a shape-shifting whip, attacking and defending had to be expertly timed as Soul Calibur 2 challenged players to master its strategic weapon based combat.

Tekken 3

This third instalment to the Tekken series pushed the franchise into the spotlight; with its explosive combat and characters who could sidestep in and out of the background, juggling your opponent in the air with a series of cutting edge combos, Tekken’s gameplay was exquisite. With its movement overhaul, expanded combo mechanics and drastically increased character count, the third King of Iron Fist Tournament stands out as the most ground-breaking in the series.

Super Street Fighter IV

Known as the definitive version of Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV takes this already incredibly game and polishes it to perfection. Street Fighter IV introduced new mechanics like it’s focus attacks and ultra-moves along with new characters and placed them all in stylistic package adored in splashes of ink. By tapping into its roots and simultaneously innovating with these new mechanics, Street Fighter IV had a generation yelling “hadouken” once again.

Mortal Kombat X

With improvements made to its gameplay, graphics and character move sets, Mortal Kombat X upped the ante and set out to drench the arena in blood of your enemies. With its bone crunching X-Ray special moves, interactive environments and gory fatalities, Mortal Kombat X offered a substantial fighting game that proved it was not for the squeamish.

BlazBlue Continuum Shift

Influenced by traditional 2D fighting games, BlazBlue Continuum Shift introduces new modes, characters and stages while refining the experience of its predecessor. Continuum Shift showcases a stunning sprite design which lends a vivid colorful pallet to its unique cast of characters. Each character bounds around the stage as they engage in the fast-paced combat the BlazBlue series is known for.

The King of Fighters XIII

Enter a new King of Fighters tournament with King of Fighters XIII, an entry which sets out to harness the best aspects of its predecessor and build upon them in every way. Stripping away many of the cumbersome mechanics the pervious iterations had developed, King of Fighters XIII streamlines gameplay while retaining a satisfying diversity in the 2D combat the series is known for.

Dead or Alive 3

You’ll guard, attack and stun opponents with the fluid movement of the Dead or Alive 3 cast. With a freedom to navigate the arena, a new character tag system and an accessible entry point to the series made by the “easy to learn, difficult to master” combo system, Dead or Alive 3 offers a stellar 3D fighting game.

Killer Instinct (2013)

Rebooting the original Killer Instinct for the modern generation, this 2013 version invigorates the series and reintroduces its collection of distinct characters. With an emphasis on combos, you’ll find yourself unleashing Ultra combos, combo breaks and fluidly connecting moves together with Killer Instinct’s dynamic combo system. As you continue to chain combos together Killer Instinct will test your reaction speed and, once again, prove itself as a fighting game worthy of your time.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus

Known by its numerous alias which include Guilty Gear X2, Guilty Gear XX Slash and even Guilty Gear X2 #Reload, this definitive version of Guilty Gear has seen multiple versions across and array of platforms. Featuring several modes, special attacks called Overdrive Attacks and a combination of throws, cancels and melee combos which all work together to offer a cohesive fighting game experience.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

This definitive version of Persona 4 Arena is based on the iconic Persona series and stands tall due to its imaginative gameplay. Adopting the iconic persona’s the series is known for, Persona 4 Arena introduced them to the 2D fighting plane and allows them to assist you in the arena, even as far as letting you chain physical combo’s with their mystical attacks.

Virtua Fighter 5

This fifth instalment to the Virtual Fighter series presents several gameplay tweaks, including additional moves, which allow for diverse combos, and new characters which increasing the roster size. These elements merge together to offering an absorbing fighting game experience, one with enough depth to hook even the most hardcore players.