Ever since I can remember, fighting games have played a large part in my growth as a human being. From my adolescent beginnings playing The Way of the Exploding Fist on ZX Spectrum, to the modern day where I cry over the fact that I don’t have a PS4 and thus cannot play Street Fighter 5. Over the years I’ve developed a personal selection of fighting games that I hold higher than any other, and today I’d like to share them with you…
1. Marvel vs. Capcom II (2000)
For many people (myself included), Marvel vs. Capcom II is the pinnacle of the Capcom vs. series. For the first time, it let you have three characters on your team and allowed you to either use your team for quick assist moves or swap them completely. This changed the focus of the game from merely choosing characters and instead made you look at how teams performed together. It’s also a super crazy game where your Team Hyper Combo will take over the entire screen!
2. Street Fighter III: Third Strike (1999)
Street Fighter III: Third Strike is the third iteration of Street Fighter III and, in my opinion, the most solid Street Fighter game I’ve ever played. The new mechanic of parrying mixed with the traditional move-sets really allowed an almost infinite level of improvement based on your own timing and reactions. Street Fighter III isn’t as highly regarded as Street Fighter II, but in my opinion, its overall depth and the skill level you could attain make it far superior.
3. Waku Waku 7 (1996)
An unknown gem in the world of games, Waku Waku 7 is a bright and colourful 2D arcade fighting game featuring a cast of anime/video game clichés. It’s a great send-up, whilst still being a fantastic fighting game. If you ever see this at an old Butlins (as I did many years ago), then I suggest spending all your money on reaching the end, with my personal favourite character Politank-Z.
4. Tekken 3 (1997)
Without a doubt the greatest of all the Tekken games, boasting the same fluid and beautiful combat its predecessors had, but also adding the ability to move in three dimensions with the inclusion of the side step. Nothing feels as good as dodging one of Hwoarang’s kicks with a well-timed sidestep and slapping a fierce King style clothesline right into the side of his head!
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
The Super Smash Bros. series are definitely the most frantic and over the top games you will ever play. Boasting a massive roster of Nintendo characters and pulling on those nostalgic heart strings has cemented the series as an industry mainstay. But out of all the Smash games, Melee comes out on top, mainly for its depth and speed of gameplay. It doesn’t rely on the nostalgia effect, but draws you in with it and then showcases a technically proficient and wildly playable game.
There you have it, my top 5 fighting games of all time. It was tough and I feel bad for many of the games I had to leave off, but at the end of the day this is just a list, and no list can stop you from having your own opinion on what fighting games are the best.
Author – Hal, Plymouth store
