My Favorite Fighting Games (A List)!

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!

Black Characters in Games- D’arci Stern (Urban Chaos)

What if I told you that in 1999 there was a video game that was a 3D action game with an open world/sand box (pre- GTA 3), involved driving, had you play as a cop, and had a black female protagonist? You’d say “nah bruh, that game was way ahead of it’s time”. Believe it! Urban Chaos is all of those things and on some level more.

In a post-Tomb raider world the protagonist is not over sexualized. In a pre-GTA 3 world, the driving and combat are good and the world feels (dare I say…) alive. In a video game industry obsessed with sales and being safe this game had a black female protagonist who doesn’t look white! (I’m looking at you Remember Me). In a pre-2015 “cops shoot everybody” world this game was dealing with the realities of police and gang violence and what that means for the city. THIS GAME HAS NON-VIOLENT OPTIONS TO DEAL WITH BAD GUYS!

This post isn’t about the game Urban Chaos (obtained for $1.74 of GOG.com, PC), it’s about D’arci Stern. She is a take-no-shit rookie cop, who is cleaning up the streets of Union City from the Wildcats gang (and little does she know but also sooo much more!). D’arci curses and fights and wants to be treated like one of the boys. All of the other on the force are white, and seemingly Irish???? but that’s ok. Some cops support D’arci, while others aren’t sure she is really cop material. I think it’s cool the game deals with that.

 

Stereotype: Strong Black Female- D’arci is conforming to the strong black woman stereotype. She curses like one of the guys and she refuses to show any emotion. She is fearless and given all the hardest assignments.

Strong black female trope involves being emotionless, able to cope with anything, not needing anyone else for help, and able to do everything for everyone else eagerly. This is problematic because this view of black women is dehumanizing. The pain of the black woman is not felt by society. Their plight is ignored by a middle-class white feminism, yet the civil rights movement was dominated by men. All of that is seemingly OK because the strong black female can provide for her own, wants to work five jobs, and basically be super heroes. Until they ask for needed help and then are framed as welfare queens, whores with too many partners, and drains on society.

The strong black females of Family Guy

The negative portrayal of black when they do ask for provided and legal help is something society needs to change (especially because the largest recipient of welfare are white women…but I digress). Black woman are oppressed in many ways and their pain is real. They are strong because they are forced to be but they deserve to be treated fairly and not expected to be super woman all the time.

Stereotype: Female character with “Daddy Issues”- Daddy issues are the short way to say a woman is crazy due to her having a father who was bad in some way. It trivializes real experiences of sexual abuse, abandonment, and various other things and says the result of any of that is a broken woman who is probably wild in bed and a nightmare to date. None of this is good. The only time D’arci shows emotion in this game is when the mysterious Roper brings up her dead father. It’s an archaic trope that needs to end.

 

 

Stereotype: No love interest- On one hand this is positive, a female not pigeon holed as a as being defined by her relationships and who she is sleeping with. But this is also another black female who has to deny her femininity to be accepted and does not get a true love interest.

Stereotype: Cops as GOOD guys!-  I have spoken about my issues with current police behavior (a few officers at least are very problematic) but video games have a habit of obsessing over the corrupt cop. While this game does feature a corrupt politician, the police force is truly trying to do what is best. D’arci is a kick ass cop saving the day. The best part… YOU CAN ARREST BAD GUYS WITH OUT KILLING THEM. We can barely do that in real life….

Stereotype: Ethnic Hair- You know what I was mad about her hair style for a hot second but honestly I am happy that they gave her a natural hair style and they put some beads in it. They could have straightened her hair and conformed to white standards of beauty and they chose not to.  Good stuff.

 

 

Stereotype: Diverse cast of bad guys, black men, white men, and females- I love that the cast of villains is diverse but it’s a shame that all the female antagonists are dressed sexually and in this game are prostitutes.

Stereotype: White Savior (Roper)- Because there is no way a black woman could solve this crazy mystery on her own, a white man has to come out of nowhere and help save the day. In the game D’arci literally says why should I listen to you, you came outta nowhere. It’s a trope that is common in film and it shows up here once again.

That’s Roper in the back….wtf…

Is D’arci Stern Problematic? I don’t think so. Quite the opposite really. She was ahead of her time. I am sad that she hasn’t starred in a game recently. I’d love an HD Remaster of Urban Chaos. She’s a fun character to get to know, and I would love more story about her.

Check out Urban Chaos (PC), It’s great. Thanks for reading. Peace!

Random Thoughts on 7/24/2015: Why Do They Keep Killing Us Edition or Has life finally become Grand Theft Auto?

You know how in Grand Theft Auto games where you can barely graze an officers car and end up getting gunned down in the street? That is basically the black experience right now.

University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing shot Sam Dubose.

Here is the sad part,in GTA you have to initiate contact with the cops to prompt a response (or commit a horrible crime) but in real life cops can pull you over and kill you for not having a front license plate (Sam Dubose, RIP) or an illegal turn signal (Sandra Bland, RIP).

Sandra Bland was murdered in her jail cell….potentially.

In Grand Theft Auto I always blamed the Police actions on poor A.I. but what is the excuse in real life?

The narrative about games and violence is that playing GTA will lead to more mass shootings and violence but in reality it looks like it has normalized the police use of excessive force.

Never have i feared more for people then when they get pulled over or stopped by the police. It doesn’t take much to escalate a situation and the police are armed. I know people who work as officers. They are good people. I have worked with police very closely during my career, they were very professional and as caring as they could be. BUT there is a cultural and systemic issue in our current police culture and black people are dying because of it.

Just my thoughts…..Peace

A Question: What does it mean to control a character with a racial identity in a video game? To Kill that Character?

The answer could be a short and sweet, “nothing” or a long and complex “everything”. One of the interesting facets of gaming that is focused on far too infrequently is that you control and act on raced characters in the game world. The main difference between watching a white man kill a black man in a movie compared to the same event in a video game is that you pulled the trigger (pressed the button) in the video game.

Does this act of pushing the button and being the white man in that scenario have implications? The example game I want to use in this scenario is Street Fighter II. This is a game that many people are familiar with and the characters are clearly tied to a race and/or region.

A little background on SF:II for this piece. Street Fighter II is a one on one fighting game featuring fighters from all over the world. Ryu is from Japan, Ken is from the USA, Guile a white man from the USA, Balrog is a black man from Las Vegas, USA, Zangief is a white man from the U.S.S.R, and there are more characters from more places…. This game is a one to one game where the user controls an avatar that is clearly representing an ethnicity and race while beating up another character of possibly a different race and nationality.

My thesis is this: (I use thesis loosely) Video games are an active medium where users have control over their avatar’s actions, due to the active nature of the medium interactions had with raced avatars can influence one’s personal views and experiences of that group. Basically, what I am saying is that if I am a white person and I control CJ from GTA: San Andreas for 60 hours, that interaction with CJ will influence my views of black people. There are a lot of factors at play, but imagine you are a suburban white kid who doesn’t have any black friends and has little exposure to black people. CJ and his friends/enemies in GTA are the first interactions with this group.

To take an even broader look, what does it mean when a white kid pulls the trigger on his XBOX 360 to kill a Middle Eastern man in Call of Duty?

When I mention these ideas and topics to people I almost immediately get dismissed and am accused of looking too much into things. Games don’t cause racism, they don’t cause violence, they don’t effect anything are what people say to me. Games evoke feelings, they stimulate users both visually, intellectually, and aurally. I think games have the power educate, create new ideas towards things, and reaffirm old notions you may already have.

In our defense of gaming, (i.e. gaming does not cause violence, etc.) we lose the ability to explore the medium further and deeper.

If i say a game helped helped me learn to read and the instructor I had in the game was Asian, people would be so happy. I had a diverse experience and gaming taught me something positive. What if I continue to say that “I think Asian people, especially women are bitches. My instructor was mean and I have never met any Asian people in real life.” Now everyone balks and says gaming doesn’t impact people like that. It’s a 2-way street. This is why I think race and culture and representation matter in games. (I have no issues with Asian Women….just to clarify).

My first exposure to somebody who was Indian is Dhalsim from Street Fighter II. What are the implications of that? His stage is covered in elephants. Dhalsim blows fire and can stretch his arm. He is a mythic figure who can float in the air. Dhalsim is basically a video game version of Johnny Quest’s Hadji. My entire exposure to beautiful diverse culture is reduced to stereotypes. On top of that, the interaction is violent. Street Fighter II is a fighting game. My first interaction with an Indian man is framed with violence. I am not saying this is good or bad, but I am saying that it has to mean something. What does it mean? Why don’t people look into it?

I am asking questions that I don’t have the answers to. I think they are questions that need to be explored.