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Unleash Your Inner Warrior: Top 10 Fighting Games

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - July 20th 2024, 16:00 GMT+2

Street Fighter

When thinking of fighting games, none come to mind as quickly as the Street Fighter saga, and this is not only true for fans and gamers but for pop culture in general. This fighting game franchise has been so influential that it has produced spin-offs in the form of animated series and even a live-action movie (which, although a bit... peculiar, has its merits). You definitely need to try the Street Fighter games if you are looking for both a history lesson in video games and an introduction to the fighting game genre. | © Capcom

Tekken

There was a time when Tekken was considered the dark horse compared to other popular titles on this list, largely due to Its somewhat strange roster of characters, as you could play as a panda, a wooden man, and even a baby dinosaur that attacks its enemies with farts (yes, seriously). Did that stop it? Not at all! It remains iconic to this day and even has a whole professional esports scene. | © Bandai Namco

Mortal Kombat

If fights are scenes of violence, blood, and gore, none have taken it to the extreme like the Mortal Kombat games. With its famous fatalities, this series was what parents thought of when they believed video games were too violent for children. And over the years, it has only increased the intensity of those attacks that make us exclaim "oof" when we see broken bones and gallons of blood splattering across the screen. | © NetherRealm Studios

Super smash — Super Smash Bros.

Of course, Nintendo had to respond with its own entry in the genre, and although it has been the publisher for many titles on this list, none reflects the company as well as Super Smash Bros. This franchise has gathered countless popular characters from the company's games and its allies (like Pokémon and Sega), creating a strange mix of designs and genres, but it works incredibly well competitively. Oh, and Melee is the best, fight me (in Melee, if possible). | © Nintendo

The King of Fighters

One of the strongest points in favor of The King of Fighters is how it has evolved over the years, from earlier installments being pure button-mashers to becoming a more refined game that requires some strategy when executing your combos. This franchise is a reminder that we are not in these games for the story or plot, but for the competitiveness and skill when exchanging punches and kicks. Although it may not be as good or beautiful as other more popular titles, it certainly is a refreshing change for veterans of the genre. | © SNK

Soul Calibur

With all the obsession over using fists in fighting games, someone had to go for the weapons, and that’s where the main appeal of Soul Calibur lies. Each character has a completely different weapon from the rest, with their own fighting style reflecting the part of the world they come from. Beyond the simple plot of searching for the Soul Edge, the ultimate weapon, what Soul Calibur brings to the table is the reimagining of different fighting styles from very distinct cultures facing off and seeing how such a demonstration might look. | © Bandai Namco

Marvel vs Capcom — Marvel vs. Capcom

If there is something I have to thank Marvel vs. Capcom for, it is that it introduced me to many franchises and characters that I would never have known if they weren't in a fighting game. Although the latest installments have not been the best, the twist of adding 3 vs. 3 battles always made Marvel vs. Capcom feel like more than just a simple fight between two known characters, but rather a Civil War-like all-out crossover. | © Capcom

Dead or Alive

I feel that Dead or Alive has too many uncomfortable things to comment on. There are certain controversies with the creator, the strange beach volleyball spin-offs, the objectification of women, and a terrible, terrible movie. And despite all that, it has been able to generate a cult community around this game, perhaps because there is a genuine love for the fighting game genre behind all that, one that we can appreciate despite the uglier moments of this franchise. | © Tecmo

Guilty Gear

Something I've always loved about Guilty Gear, and that few games of its kind manage to do as well, is the character design and the mystery surrounding them. When you first enter this saga and choose your fighter, you can feel that there is a whole backstory and a reason why they are fighting, and it shows in their detailed animations and the personality exuded by every part of their body. If you want characters to fall in love with, look no further than the hundreds of games in this saga. | © Capcom

Injustice

To conclude, and although I’ve never been a fan of DC, I have to recommend Injustice for one reason I didn’t expect to mention in this list: the story. Not only is it very good (with hours of cinematics to enjoy), but it might be the best among all the company’s games. Additionally, it features the same brutal action from the creators of Mortal Kombat, making each fight full of intensity and adrenaline, especially with those "fatalities" where our heroes and villains manage to traverse the entire planet. | © NetherRealm Studios

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The fighting game genre has evolved greatly, from the classic side-scroller where characters occupied 80% of the screen, to the addition of platforms, items to aid in combat, eye-catching graphics, and in some cases, the leap to 3D, adding a new layer of dynamism to the fights. But with all these advancements and titles over the years, which franchises have managed to endure through time? Here are our 10 favorite fighting games of all time!

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The fighting game genre has evolved greatly, from the classic side-scroller where characters occupied 80% of the screen, to the addition of platforms, items to aid in combat, eye-catching graphics, and in some cases, the leap to 3D, adding a new layer of dynamism to the fights. But with all these advancements and titles over the years, which franchises have managed to endure through time? Here are our 10 favorite fighting games of all time!