It may be a thing of the past to spend an afternoon and dozens of quarters at the arcade trying to defeat that kid in the neighborhood who knew all the special moves – but fighting games are more relevant now than ever. The combination of cross-platform play, rollback netcode, and free-to-play models brings in more newcomers eager to test their skills.
Street Fighter 6 is just around the corner, and Mortal Kombat 1 is set to release in September. Sony announced Tekken 8 during one of their State of Play showcases last year, and although it doesn’t have a release date yet, it’s possible we’ll see it this year. As a result, 2023 could be a landmark year for the fighting game genre, as three of its biggest franchises may receive major sequels.
Meanwhile, you can practice your skills with a variety of fighting games. You can find a fantastic selection of games to start flexing your fingers even if some fundamental titles aren’t available on modern platforms. This list of the best fighting games (and, in some cases, the second-best games in their respective series) will help you dive deeper into one of the most rewarding gaming genres.
MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2
Despite a long-lasting legacy as one of the greatest entries in the fighting game genre — a recent campaign by a well-known streamer brought the game back into the spotlight, as did an ESPN graphic during the 2020 NBA Finals and a sighting at a recent AEW event — Marvel vs. The game has become extremely difficult to play in 2023. Despite its iconic roster, team-based mechanics, and stellar music, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 remains one of the greatest fighting games ever made.
A deluxe arcade cabinet or downloading Marvel vs. Capcom 2 through… other means may be out of reach unless you want to drain your wallet. If that’s the case, you might want to try Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
SKULLGIRLS 2ND ENCORE
Skullgirls is the queen of independent fighting games. In this 2v2 fighter, you will find creative combos, character synergies, and powerful tag mechanics that kick-started the indie competitive scene.
There are also some of the most creative hand-drawn characters in Skullgirls — a doctor holds medical tools while carrying a corpse in a black bag, a girl whose hair has become infected with a parasite and now has superpowers, and, my personal favorite, a big boy who plays various instruments as a one-man band. In 2023, the definitive version of the game, 2nd Encore, will receive new updates and characters.
MORTAL KOMBAT X
NetherRealm Studios is having a great year. The studio has developed the concept of a “modern fighting game” since Mortal Kombat 9, which revived the series in 2011. There is plenty of single-player content, a funny story, and a robust multiplayer component (even if it doesn’t always work).
Mortal Kombat X, however, allows you to make the most split-second decisions during battles. Due to its wide variety of routes and links, the introduction of styles for each character reduced the number of special moves you could perform, but it ended up bringing a level of freedom not replicated in MK 11. There were also several new characters introduced, including Cassie Cage and Erron Black, who became fan favorites.
SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE
It’s part platform fighter, part homage to video game history, Super Smash Bros. There is something truly special about Ultimate. This game lets you battle completely unrelated characters like Solid Snake, Pac-Man, Steve (the guy from Minecraft), and Sora in the wildest (and weirdest) fantasy battles. Ultimate offers over 80 characters, dozens of stages, hundreds of songs, and an array of modes.
TEKKEN 3
With its detailed (for the time) polygons, the sparks and explosions when each attack connected, and the bangers that played throughout, Tekken 3 was dazzling. It remains one of the most mesmerizing and exciting tracks in the genre just by entering the character select screen.
Over time, the series has become known for its absurdly large number of playable fighters. Tekken 3’s roster may have been small, but it already included a lot of current fan favorites, including Gon, King, Jin, Kuma, Nina, and Yoshimitsu.
STREET FIGHTER 3: 3RD STRIKE
With dozens of editions and re-releases, what makes Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike stand out? Style and confidence. Its roots in hip-hop culture are evident in every stage, tune, and detail. It wouldn’t matter if 3rd Strike didn’t have a robust combat system based on the intricacies of the Street Fighter 3 series. The polish is exceptional.
There are plenty of new faces in 3rd Strike for anyone unfamiliar with 2nd Impact, the previous Street Fighter 3 entry. In addition, several stalwart characters were removed, which, although shocking at first, has gone down as a bold move.