Post by stratogustav on Feb 19, 2019 5:32:31 GMT
Here I'm listing my personal list of what I consider the top 10 essential 2D fighting games I grew up with in order of appearance:
1. Street Fighter II
This is how it all started. The game kept progressing with updates to the the point that it felt the 3rd installment was never coming out, but it established fighting as the prime genre of the entire decade.
2. Mortal Kombat II
The first Mortal Kombat was impactful with its fatalities, but it wasn't until the second Mortal Kombat that the series became a household name in the gaming industry as a whole, and it still is.
3. Samurai Shodown
The art on this game was so shocking that it was impossible to not notice it in the arcades with their use of weapons, the music, the fighting.... NIPPON!
4. Killer Instinct
Co-co-combo Breaker! Ultra - Ultra - Ultra!
5. The King Of Fighters '98
Since KOF '94 these games were simply "the shit", but it wasn't until '98 hit that we saw an increasing addictive fascination that couldn't keep anyone away from the arcades.
6. The Last Blade 2
If Samurai Showdown was a piece of art, this was a masterpiece of art perfection. With titles like this, Metal Slug, Blazing Star, and the like, video games started to look like something of great artistic value, and no just another medium of entertainment.
7. Street Fighter III
Just like in II, we also saw updates for this one, but they were so quick that 3rd Strike felt like the first one. It was weird, it was new, but it was gameplay mastery.
8.. Garou Mark Of The Wolves
SNK wanted to show their guns, and dropped another masterpiece of gameplay design to compete with Capcom, and they succeed. Raging STORM!
9. Guilty Gear X
Helloween, Guns N' Roses, Angra, Sepultura, Carcass, Testament, Pantera, Morbid Angel, Judas Priest, Slayer, Exodus, Iron Maiden, Gamma Ray, Anthrax, Ozzy Osborne, what a game.
10. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Still considered the very best fighting game of all time, it was the culmination of a long line of excellent fighting games including X-Men Children Of The Atom, Night Warriors, Street Fighting Alpha, and Marvel Super Heroes.
Honorable mentions:
• Art Of Fighting 3
Big sprites, big character, this game wasn't left unnoticed featuring Robert Garcia, and Ryo Sakazaki.
• Capcom Vs. SNK 2
One of the best games ever made, it was only overshadowed by the immensely popular Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.
• Darkstalkers 3
What an amazing title this was. Capcom knew exactly how to be weird, and awesome at the same time.
• Fatal Fury 3
SNK showing off they were the powerhouse of fighting mechanics refinement.
• The King Of Fighters 2002
This was my all time favorite KOF game before XIII came out. The gameplay here never gets old, and it still feels fresh many years after.
• Mortal Kombat Trilogy
The N64 version was loyal to the arcades because it was made in house, so it should have been called Ultra Mortal Kombat 3. Instead, the PS1 version, that was outsourced, was more of a console Trilogy, and it had the right name.
• Real Bout Fatal Fury 2
A very underappreciated game.
• Street Fighter Alpha 3
The final roaster was finally complete.
• World Heroes 2
Another famous fighting franchise from the early days.
• X-Men Vs. Street Fighter
Universes face to face, crossovers were now a thing, and we were glad.
3D fighters were also extremely important. Titles like Tekken 3, Virtua Fighter 2, Dead Or Alive ++, SoulCalibur II, Rival Schools, etc., definitely left a mark, but I can't deny that 2D fighters took a very special place in the hearts of all of us that were there to experience it.
1. Street Fighter II
This is how it all started. The game kept progressing with updates to the the point that it felt the 3rd installment was never coming out, but it established fighting as the prime genre of the entire decade.
2. Mortal Kombat II
The first Mortal Kombat was impactful with its fatalities, but it wasn't until the second Mortal Kombat that the series became a household name in the gaming industry as a whole, and it still is.
3. Samurai Shodown
The art on this game was so shocking that it was impossible to not notice it in the arcades with their use of weapons, the music, the fighting.... NIPPON!
4. Killer Instinct
Co-co-combo Breaker! Ultra - Ultra - Ultra!
5. The King Of Fighters '98
Since KOF '94 these games were simply "the shit", but it wasn't until '98 hit that we saw an increasing addictive fascination that couldn't keep anyone away from the arcades.
6. The Last Blade 2
If Samurai Showdown was a piece of art, this was a masterpiece of art perfection. With titles like this, Metal Slug, Blazing Star, and the like, video games started to look like something of great artistic value, and no just another medium of entertainment.
7. Street Fighter III
Just like in II, we also saw updates for this one, but they were so quick that 3rd Strike felt like the first one. It was weird, it was new, but it was gameplay mastery.
8.. Garou Mark Of The Wolves
SNK wanted to show their guns, and dropped another masterpiece of gameplay design to compete with Capcom, and they succeed. Raging STORM!
9. Guilty Gear X
Helloween, Guns N' Roses, Angra, Sepultura, Carcass, Testament, Pantera, Morbid Angel, Judas Priest, Slayer, Exodus, Iron Maiden, Gamma Ray, Anthrax, Ozzy Osborne, what a game.
10. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Still considered the very best fighting game of all time, it was the culmination of a long line of excellent fighting games including X-Men Children Of The Atom, Night Warriors, Street Fighting Alpha, and Marvel Super Heroes.
Honorable mentions:
• Art Of Fighting 3
Big sprites, big character, this game wasn't left unnoticed featuring Robert Garcia, and Ryo Sakazaki.
• Capcom Vs. SNK 2
One of the best games ever made, it was only overshadowed by the immensely popular Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.
• Darkstalkers 3
What an amazing title this was. Capcom knew exactly how to be weird, and awesome at the same time.
• Fatal Fury 3
SNK showing off they were the powerhouse of fighting mechanics refinement.
• The King Of Fighters 2002
This was my all time favorite KOF game before XIII came out. The gameplay here never gets old, and it still feels fresh many years after.
• Mortal Kombat Trilogy
The N64 version was loyal to the arcades because it was made in house, so it should have been called Ultra Mortal Kombat 3. Instead, the PS1 version, that was outsourced, was more of a console Trilogy, and it had the right name.
• Real Bout Fatal Fury 2
A very underappreciated game.
• Street Fighter Alpha 3
The final roaster was finally complete.
• World Heroes 2
Another famous fighting franchise from the early days.
• X-Men Vs. Street Fighter
Universes face to face, crossovers were now a thing, and we were glad.
3D fighters were also extremely important. Titles like Tekken 3, Virtua Fighter 2, Dead Or Alive ++, SoulCalibur II, Rival Schools, etc., definitely left a mark, but I can't deny that 2D fighters took a very special place in the hearts of all of us that were there to experience it.
