Street Fighter
There aren’t many gamers in the world who don’t know what Street Fighter is, and that’s for a very good reason. The Street Fighter series isn’t just one of the best fighting game franchises, it is one of the most recognized video game franchises period. But this fighting game is more than just great. It is a forefather of pretty much everything that came after it. Street Fighter 2 is the first fighting game that allowed you and your friend (or enemy) to choose from a roster of fighters. This, of course, became the norm for all fighting games to follow, and paved the way for some of the games on this list.
What truly makes the series great is its commitment to precise fighting action. Games in the Street Fighter series have always been easy to pick up and play, but to truly become a champion you needed to learn the intricacies of all of its mechanics. Counting frames, cancelling, combos, and other staples of the fighting game genre were introduced by Street Fighter. tournaments have been built around the game because of it, and fighters have been pulled into other games and forms of media because of its immense popularity.
Marvel vs. Capcom, and Capcom vs. SNK both showcase some of Street Fighter‘s best combatants, along with gameplay that utilizes most of the now common mechanics introduced by the franchise. Heck there was even a crossover between Street Fighter and Tekken, another entry on this list, showcasing the best of the best. Then there are the movies (both animated and live action). While a couple other entries on this list have movies as well, none can compare to Street Fighter‘s (the animated ones at least). A truly great fighting franchise indeed.
