1997-2001: The PEAK of Fighting Games
I think a pretty common agreement is that the 2020s have been the spark of a new golden age of fighting games, with games like Guilty Gear Strive and Street Fighter 6 really leaning into promising times to come. With Tekken 8 on the horizon it made me think about what I would argue being the best span of years for the genre. Feel free to comment or leave suggestions!
NOTE: "Honorable Mentions" are games that aren't as widely played or acclaimed, but I felt were worth putting on the list in some capacity for their prominent artistic values.
NOTE: "Honorable Mentions" are games that aren't as widely played or acclaimed, but I felt were worth putting on the list in some capacity for their prominent artistic values.
17 Games
A step up in gameplay from Tekken 2, while also offering plenty of unlockables with silly characters and modes. Still on par with the newer entries and an absolute must play for fighting game fans or PS1 fans.
A big influence on anime fighters to come, insanely fast gameplay with a super diverse and loveable roster. Easily the best darkstalkers game.
I'm not much of a mahvel fan or player but the presentation of MvC1 is amazing. Small but great roster with banger ost.
My favorite street fighter game. The game (especially in later iterations) has a big cast of characters to choose from, LIGHTNING fast gameplay, and incredibly goofy and busted fighting styles to pick from. Worth noting that the PS1 port set a standard for content in home console fighting game ports.
One of the best KOF games with a pretty large competitive community on both fightcade and steam, Gameplay still has that good ol' KOF clunk but it's still widely played for a reason.
It's third strike tf am I supposed to say
Tied with Soulcalibur and Dead or Alive 3 as one of the most impressive launch fighting games of all time. Just like Soulcalibur on the dreamcast, the PS2 port of Tekken Tag Tournament completely wipes the floor with the arcade version visually, which was a HUGE deal at the time. While Tag is functionally just more of tekken 3 with an added tag mode and bowling, I felt it was worthy to be on this list for it's status of setting the stage of what the PS2 meant for the future of console gaming.
AWOOG- sorry. Stupid fun game with great cast and stages, a must-play for Dreamcast fans.
SNK's honestly really competent competitor for Third Strike is one of the best games the company has ever pushed out. Immaculate spritework tied with a condensed but great roster makes for an unforgettable SNK title.
Broken as shit but amazing at how pro players can make even the garbage tier characters even remotely viable.
A contender for my favorite fighting game. CvS2 is bursting to the seams with characters and grooves to play around with. The competitive scene is all over the place for this game especially because of roll cancelling but on a casual level I can always play this and have a great time. In desperate need of a rollback port.
Game still looks fantastic to this day, and was an impressive showcase for the capabilities of the Xbox. Overall a good upgrade from DOA2 as well.
Hitomi my beloved
Hitomi my beloved
Honorable Mention
Strong contender to use to argue that video games are art. Insane spritework and stages alongside the sound design really lets you sink into it all.
Strong contender to use to argue that video games are art. Insane spritework and stages alongside the sound design really lets you sink into it all.
Honorable Mention:
Incredibly dense for a handheld fighter. Cute lil roster and sprites, plays great, worth a look into.
Incredibly dense for a handheld fighter. Cute lil roster and sprites, plays great, worth a look into.
Honorable Mention
Possibly the most charming fighting game capcom has ever pushed out. EVERY character is loveable, the story mode is great, and it is super easy to pick up and play. One of my favorite fighting games and I really wish more people got to play it.
Possibly the most charming fighting game capcom has ever pushed out. EVERY character is loveable, the story mode is great, and it is super easy to pick up and play. One of my favorite fighting games and I really wish more people got to play it.
Honorable Mention
Hated at release for not being competitively viable, but 23 years later I have seen a bit of resurgence in praise for T4 from a small but very dedicated fanbase. The stages are super dense, and alongside some of the coolest atmosphere in a fighting game makes for a really great time for more casual players.
Hated at release for not being competitively viable, but 23 years later I have seen a bit of resurgence in praise for T4 from a small but very dedicated fanbase. The stages are super dense, and alongside some of the coolest atmosphere in a fighting game makes for a really great time for more casual players.
2 Comments
garou, doa2-3, and marvel 1 holy baste
no guilty gear though?
no guilty gear though?
Weatherby
3 months ago