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The 18 Best Fighting Games

• By GamePro Staff
• November 21, 2008 15:30 PM PST
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#6: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

A typical fighting game consists of two players battling against each other over 2-3 rounds, but Super Smash Bros. breaks out of that tired convention, allowing a variety of crossover characters in a brawl with up to four players at once. The side-scrolling and interactive stages add an additional challenge to the battle system, where each iconic character may use different abilities based on their original attributes without getting knocked out of the boundaries. SSBB has an ever-expanding cast of original Nintendo characters and third-party cameos, making it easy to jump in and knock-out a buddy or two with one of your favorite brawlers.

#5: Soul Calibur

A Dreamcast classic and the second addition in the Soul series, this timeless game is practically untouchable. With an 8-way directional system so you can kick ass from all ends, 20 memorable and incredibly detailed characters that only grow better with more use, and the illustrious tech roll to top it all off, how can you go wrong? Sure, Soul Calibur IV is by far the graphically superior iteration in the series, but the original Soul Calibur will always be our favorite in the franchise.

#4: Mortal Kombat II

MK2 is perhaps best remembered for possessing some of the most violently bloody digital sprites of the entire fighting game genre. With the introduction of memorable new characters such as Baraka and Kitana, the moves get increasingly more ridiculous in addition to new fatalities, babalities, and friendship finishers. Nothing is more satifying than landing a combo on a dazed and helpless opponent, winning the round with the ultimate finishing move.

#3: Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Where gamers have spent the past year debating the logic of placing DC comic book characters into a Mortal Kombat game, that issue of believability never really seemed to be an issue for Marvel vs. Capcom. To be completely honest, the "why" and "how" was the least of anyone's concerns. When you line up a team consisting of Iron Man, Strider Hiryu and Spider-Man himself, the "why" doesn't even come close to mattering. The snap-backs, assists, and ridiculously over-the-top team-based attacks, however? That's what mattered. Complimented with amazing gameplay, smooth 2-D graphics and an enormous roster of characters, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 changed the way gamers looked not only at company crossovers, but fighting games in general.

#2: Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection

This always-solid series added two key features when it jumped to the PS3. The high-def visuals were a major improvement upon the already amazing-looking PS2 version of Tekken 5. The online gameplay boiled down the multiplayer experience to its arcade essence. You watch two people fight, then belly up to the (online) machine and try your luck. If you lose, you go back to watching. Of course, there's a great deal of offline depth, as well as tons of replay value for those who enjoy customizing their character, which makes Tekken 5 the top title available on the PlayStation Network Store. Now where's our Tekken 6, Namco?!

#1: Street Fighter II

Do we really need to explain why Street Fighter II, the ultimate example of a kickass fighting game, is at the top of this list? In many ways, Street Fighter II is responsible for shaping the fighting genre. Even to this day, Capcom's 2D one-on-one brawler is played as fervently as when it was released way back in 1991. With a solid art design, blistering-fast-paced fighting, a roster of memorable characters, and signature special moves like Ryu's Hadouken, Street Fighter II did just about everything right. Like chess, tic-tac-toe, and bloody knuckles, Street Fighter II is a game that will never get old and things will only get sweeter once Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix hits PSN and XBLA.

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