The fighting game genre has had its fair share of series come and go over the years, but more recent generations have seen series return after they were thought to be dead or indefinitely dormant. It’s gone to show that there’s always hope for a series to rise from the ashes, which has us asking: Can these five fighting game franchises come back please?
Persona Arena
The Persona series rocketed upward in popularity in recent years, so it’s strange Atlus and Arc System Works haven’t jumped at the chance to develop a new Persona Arena title.
Kicking off with Persona 4 Arena back in 2012, the fighting game spin-off title was pretty standard fair in terms of appearances.
Utilizing the style and aesthetic of Persona 3 and 4 – along with characters from each title in order to bulk up its roster – the game came off to most as a way to capitalize on the growing popularity of the series while also pulling in those who might not typically play the series’ games due to its genre.
For those who gave the game a proper look though, there was a diamond in the rough. Its mechanics were sound and polished; characters were varied and diverse in their playstyles and moves; and the story offered a serviceable single player mode to go along with the well-executed multiplayer matches.
And yet, there’s been no sign of the series this entire generation. It’s a shame too, since the release of Persona 5 brought with it a slew of new characters who would be right at home on a new game’s roster as well as a sizable boost in the Persona series’ recognition overall.
It may be asking a lot – especially when one factors in how busy Atlus and Arc Sys are with different titles and projects right now – but to keep this series dormant would only waste the immense potential it has to be one of the biggest names in the fighting game genre.
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Most might not have the best memories of Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, but it’s undeniable that now might be a great time to revisit its concept.
A relic of the sixth console generation, the game saw Marvel heroes pitted against a new team of villains while also allowing players to duke it out against one another. The game’s roster included mainstays like Spider-Man and Wolverine, and seemed poised to kick off a promising new fighting game series.
Or at least, it did until people got their hands on it. While it had decent enough fighting game mechanics and balancing between characters, the punishing and spam-happy AI made the single player a nightmare. Multiplayer didn’t fare any better either, with limited options and poor online play functionality.
As a result, it was maligned by critics and all but the most die-hard Marvel fans, left to be forgotten to time.
And yet, given the state of Marvel properties now, it might be possible to salvage the idea. Marvel’s mainstream popularity has opened the floodgates for who might pick up a fighting game featuring popular and obscure characters alike.
Likewise, this increase in popularity means more skilled and experienced developers could be enlisted to the project, reducing the chance for issues which plagued the first game in the series to occur.
Top it off with the fact that Marvel vs. Capcom is low-key going on a hiatus due to its most recent entry’s crash in popularity, and there are more than enough reasons to think the Imperfects should rise from the dead.
Power Stone
There’s always been something special about the cult classic fighting game series Power Stone.
Initially launched in arcades and later on the Dreamcast, the Capcom-developed series was an energetic 3D arena fighter full of personality and spirit. Those who played it swore by its solid multiplayer, which was only bolstered by the variety of its characters and their abilities.
They likewise loved its open-ended nature, which allowed anyone to hop in and have some fun with its insane mechanics, characters and style.
This remained true with the release of its second entry, which saw its roster expanded to include even more zany characters while also refining its gameplay. It seemed like the franchise had a bright future ahead of it.
In more recent generations though, the title has become more and more obscure. Granted, it had a re-release on the PlayStation Portable, but otherwise it has largely been forgotten.
This is a shame, especially since it corners a market that Capcom’s other fighting game series don’t. Whereas Street Fighter and MVC each appeal to fighting game lovers, Power Stone appeals to anyone who just wants to drop in and have some fun with friends sans hours of practicing.
PlayStation All-Stars
PlayStation All-Stars is one of those series that didn’t set the world on fire, but still had plenty of reasons to keep pursuing further.
Released in 2012, the game was a somewhat blatant “alternative” to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series utilizing popular Sony-branded characters. Like with Smash Bros., it saw players duke it out on a handful of different arenas, using special moves and abilities to prove their favorite character the best of the best.
Unfortunately, it didn’t prove anywhere near as successful as the series it was trying to ape. While it certainly had its appeal to fans of the console and tried to do a few things differently where it could, All-Stars didn’t have the same crowd-drawing roster and appeal, resulting in a plunge in popularity and limited staying power.
Fast-forward to today though, and a new release would find itself in much better waters. The Sony library has only expanded, offering new series and characters to draw potential fighters from.
It could likewise capitalize on what made it different, and set itself apart from Smash Bros. in ways that’ll help it to escape the juggernaut’s shadow.
Darkstalkers
Few fighting game franchises could hope to have the kind of cult following – and, in turn, justification for a return to form – that Darkstalkers has.
Though never exceptionally popular, the series has always had ardent supporters since its launch back in 1994. Players were drawn to its novel concept of a roster made up of monsters and their nemeses, and the art style drew in more than a few with its vibrant take on the horror aesthetic.
However, it only made it to a third entry before its limited mainstream popularity caught up with it. After that, the series only received updates, remasters and compilations, with its most recent one – Darkstalkers: Resurrection – coming out in 2013. The series has since been silent, aside from its most popular characters appearing in crossover fare like MVC.
With MVC’s decline in popularity though, there’s now room for a new fighting game property to take up its mantle, and few are better suited to the job than Darkstalkers.
Its art style could be a perfect departure from what other fighting games are offering nowadays, and with the application of modern day improvements to fighting mechanics it could appeal to the most stringent of fans of the genre.
Published: Jun 15, 2020 03:26 pm