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The 9 Best Video Game Fireballs

• By GamePro Staff
• July 07, 2009 17:19 PM PST
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#4: Hellish Enemies' Fireballs

From: Doom series
Veterans of id Software's demon-obliterating shooter series will tell you it's impossible to play a Doom game, whether it's Doom 3 or the original, without both running from and getting nailed by your devilish foes' fiery projectiles.

In fact, a good chunk of playing a Doom game is spent evading the bluish flaming discharges of Cacodemons, the green globs of flame from Barons of Hell, or regular old fireballs spewed forth from Imps and those repulsive obese monstrosities called Mancubi. Without question, there's no shortage of fireball varieties in this FPS franchise.

#3: Liu Kang's Dragon Fire

From: Mortal Kombat series
You may be saying to yourself, "what's so special about Liu Kang's balls." Well, to be honest nothing. But that's kind of the point. If we had to pick the archetypal example of the traditional video game fireball, it'd have to be that of the shirtless Asian martial artist who screams like Bruce Lee in all the Mortal Kombat games.

Not only can Liu Kang blast enemies with his Dragon Fire move from three different stances (midair, standing, and kneeling), but he even has an ultra devastating version called the Chi Fireball fatality where it literally reduces a foe to bloodied hunks of smoldering meat. Now, that's a fireball!

#2: Ryu and Ken's Hadoken

From: Street Fighter series
For Street Fighter, everything started with the fireball. This mystic ball of flaming energy pretty much won the fight in a single hit during the original Street Fighter, and it's only gotten more flashy as the years go on. Over 20 years, we've seen blue, yellow, white and purple Hadokens, but our favorite is still the Red Hadoken. For the first time in SF history, Ryu and Ken's trademark attack not only did some serious damage, but it could straight up set people on FIRE.

Also, you can't deny that the Hadoken is the forerunner to just about every other fighting game's standard projectile attacks -- Capcom was the first to popularize the QCF motion, and it still sticks.

#1: Mario's Fireball

From: Super Mario Bros. series
There is perhaps no fireball more iconic than the one shot from the fist of the famous mustachioed Mario Brothers. When Mario or Luigi snags a fire flower, not only do they get a nifty wardrobe color change, but they also obtain the power to shoot unlimited fireballs until they are hit again or collect a different power-up.

The fireball allows the brothers to change their offense from in-close stomping and shell-kicking to a safer, more ranged attack moveset. The fireball was even effective against Bowser himself, as a few well placed shots would send King Koopa flying, without having to worry about scampering past the giant creature.

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