With the re-emergence of the fighting game scene on the backs of Street Fighter 5 and Pokken Tournament, I wanted to talk about some of my all-time favorites. I am awaiting Pokken Tournament to show up on Friday and I will buy SF5 when it is actually complete and worth purchasing.
Any time a new Street Fighter comes out it signifies a re-birth of the genre. Street Fighter is the tent pole. People in the FGC can argue about why that is and how it should be some other deeper game, the reality is that Street Fighter sets the stage.
I have loved fighting games my entire life. I played local, single player, and dabbled in a few tournaments and local meet ups in my hey day. There is something so pure about learning the mechanics and battling an opponent that is as skilled as you. For me, fighting games are the closest thing gaming has to sports. The rules are set, the athletes are constant, and their is a clear winner. No judges, no scoring. A health bar that depletes will tell you everything you need to know.
What do I like in a fighting game? I love frenetic action. Speed is everything for me. Crazy visuals, fun special moves, and scale. I like the spectacle of fighting games. I know some people really get off watching footsies and technical play, but for me…nah. Give me flashy lights and fireballs and shit. Street Fighter 4 was cripplingly slow for me. I loved the game, but it was moving in molasses. I fell in love with Street Fighter 2 Turbo where the 99 second clock was a joke, I never saw a match time out. For me playing a fighting game should feel like driving a sports too fast around a corner and just hoping the grip on your tires does it’s job and physics doesn’t leave you in a ditch. That feel of mastering technique that people think you are just button mashing until the match is over and you’ve won. The games below gave me these feels.
Super Street Fighter 2 turbo HD Remix- The perfect game. Everything I loved about SF2 Turbo but multiplied by 20. The sprite work is amazing, and the game is silky smooth. The net code was great. The game has this unpredictability about how much life a hit might take off the life bar. There was a sense of mystery to every fight. A combo that will normally clear out a health bar may leave a slither of life…now what? It’s perfect.
King of Fighters (’98, 13, and many others)- So many characters, so many moves and the sprite work is gorgeous. KOF holds a special place in my heart because in grad school I had some friends that were very into these games, and we had endless battles. My favorite thing about KOF is that you can play it competently without a clue of entire layers of moves and then you discover them and it’s a brand new game. Also, a lot of black characters have quietly been in the series to little fanfare.
Samurai Shodown (2, 5, and 2 for Neo Geo Pocket)- Brutal. Fast. Death. One second you are poking back and forth the next second a heavy slash literally chops you in half. The game revels in this idea of a death tournament, and not in the crazy way Mortal Kombat does but in this sinister way. A young female can get her torso lopped off as easily as the giant with the wrecking ball. It’s amazing. (the 360 version, the 3D game…one of the worst fighters I have ever played)
Pokken Tournament- Great cross between Tekken and a Naruto fighting game. It’s a 2D game at one phase and a 3d brawler at another. Very seamless, roster is too small. The problem with this game is that it immediately makes you want more, it makes you want your favorite character. All the great things it does (amazing single player, multiplayer is super smooth) is overshadowed by the want of more.
Street Fighter x Tekken- I know the gem system sucked…but you could avoid it. This game is fast and beautiful and it’s everything I wanted out of 4 and more! The roster was dope, it was awesome controlling the Tekken fighters in 2D. People were very hard on this game and I think unfairly so.
Saint Seiya Soldiers Soul- This game is amazing, it’s perfect fan service (not in the big titty way). I love this anime. The game has every special attack in it that the characters from the show have. The show is interesting because the cloths (armor sets) dictate power and moves. The game has every evolution of cloth and move set for every character. The single player plays out in a great way, if you want to watch the anime story in a condensed way this game is perfect. Graphically it looks like a cartoon. The fighting system is admittedly a little shallow but it makes up for that with style and lots of play modes.
Powerstone (Series)– I love this series with friends, but not one I have spent a ton of single player time with. This game was a great looking 3D fighter. It’s more of a 3D brawler, not a 3D fighter in the sense of Virtua Fighter but more like Smash Bros. in a 3D plane.
SkullGirls – This game is beautiful but the lack of charge characters in the initial roster was a deal breaker. I was impressed with the story mode though, it did not get enough press. The tutorials are a master class in teaching fighting game mechanics. The 50’s theme is awesome, they really commit to kind of an art deco style (I think?) and it’s a cool mix of watching steam boat willie and a Looney Tunes cartoon all in one.
Killer Instinct (1, 2, Ultra, New)- Focusing on the newest game, I must say that I hate guest characters in established franchises but the characters in KI are so bogus that it doesn’t matter and Rash fits in perfectly!!! I love the combo system in this game. Beautiful things happen on accident all the time. The stage combos and ultra combos are nuts. The single player content is good. This game is the first “games as service” that has delivered in spades. Try it. It’s free.
Eternal Champions- mediocre fighting game, vile death scenes. Cool black character but WTF she got impaled!!!! Game was nuts….
Marvel Vs Capcom 2- Best roster ever. Period. Wildly unbalanced, wildly fun.
Clash of Fighters SNK v Capcom- The first crossover game, and a neo geo pocket classic. It plays great, looks great and sets up a lot of dream match ups that I thought would never happen.
Justice League Task Force- I bought it on sale at Blockbuster. I was young. It sucks. BUT it taught me how to find special moves and who Darkseid was…so instant classic? The animations were good but it’s always off when Superman doesn’t just win.
Tekken 3- Bowling, Volleyball, Sidescrolling brawler, oh and a fighting game. Beautiful game with a full roster. This game perfected the Tekken style. The cut scenes are awesome and there are tons of things to unlock.
Soul Calibur- Best launch game ever.
Mortal Kombat 3- Jax.
Street Fighter Alpha 3- ROSTER! SPEED. So much speed. This game makes the other Alpha games look like slow motion. The animations are awesome, and there are so many options for specials.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom- One of my favorite fighting games of all time…is on the Wii. It’s an amazing mash up that is worth checking out. Cel-shaded graphics have aged well, simple gameplay and awesome combos. Very fast paced. In my opinion this is the last proper VS. game and it’s a great way to learn about some amazing anime.
Blazblu- The sprite work is great and this game is closest I have ever been to the Guilty Gear series. It’s a lot of fun, I love Iron Tager. The story was deep and interesting long before Mortal Kombat too.
Dead Or Alive 4- Boobs and Masterchief. Need I say more?
Those are my favorite fighting games! Thanks for reading! Peace!
J3Blackgamer 