What are the best fighting games of all time?
Since the evolution of video games in the 20th century, hundreds of fighting games have been released.
Some have progressed through the ranks to achieve market success and have contended with their counterparts to remain one of the most entertaining games ever played.
The top 15 of these fascinating best fighting games ever released will be reviewed in this article.
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Best Fighting Games of All Time
15. Guilty Gear XRD REV 2
Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is a Japanese action video game sub-series by Arc System Works as the successor of Guilty Gear 2: Overture.
It depicts a futuristic game setting in 2187 that focuses on Ramlethal Valentine’s arc.
The game offers players four modes to choose, including Network Mode, Battle Mode, Practice Mode, and Story Mode.
Earning a metacritic aggregate score of 84 and many favorable reviews from fans, Guilty Gear XRD REV 2 was named the Best-looking Game for 2017 by Giant Bomb.
It was made available on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Arcade, and Microsoft Windows platforms.
14. Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown is a Japanese fighting game developed and published by SNK in 1993 as the first installment in the Samurai Shodown series.
The plot depicted the late 18th century scenes and characters from ancient Japan, portraying the Japanese culture and weapon-based combat.
It is praised for its gameplay, powerful strikes, and slow-motion effects, and “Rage” gauge.
13. Virtua Fighter 5
Virtua Fighter 5, the fifth and final installment in the Virtua Fighter series developed and published by Sega and released in 2006 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Arcade.
The game features seventeen of the world’s best fighters fighting at a World Fighting Tournament.
Players not only battle against other characters but against the corrupt organizers of the tournament.
The game can be played in single-player and multiplayer game modes. Virtua Fighter 5 was met with favorable response upon release, reaching number 7 in the UK game sales chart.
12. Injustice 2
Injustice 2 was based on DC Comics’ movie character, Batman, to revive the society after the destruction of Superman’s government.
Players must choose either of the characters, Batman or Superman, to fight a battle that offers Supergirl the chance to join the winning team.
Injustice 2 was released in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.
Injustice 2 received commendations from fans and critics for its storyline and gameplay.
Injustice 2 was named the “Best Fighting Game” in 2017 at The Game Awards, Games Informer, and IGN
11. The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
Unlimited Match is the ninth installment of The King of Fighters developed and published by Playmore and first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2009.
In a game involving 66 characters, players would fight for survival on a 3-on-3 battle format.
Unlimited Match earned sales of over 19,000 copies in Japan at its first week of release.
10. Capcom VS SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
Mark of the Millennium 2001 is a Japanese fighting game developed and published by Capcom and SNK.
It is renowned for its inclusion of characters from other Capcom and SNK games, offering players thrilling moments.
Players assume control of these characters and fight other opponents and teams in battle.
9. Dragon Ball Fighterz
Dragon Ball Fighterz is a Japanese 3D fighting game developed by Arc System Works and published by Bandai Namco.
Like the Mark of the Millennium 2001, Dragon Ball Fighterz incorporates characters from other Manga and Anime video games from the Dragon Ball Franchise.
It was released for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms in 2018.
Players assume control of three characters and use them to defeat all three of their opponent’s characters to win the game.
Dragon Ball Fighterz became the fastest-selling Dragon Ball installment in the Dragon Ball series.
8. Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
Super Street Fighter IV is a Japanese fighting game developed and published by Capcom.
The Arcade Edition is an upgrade of Super Street Fighter IV first released in 2010 for the arcades; PlayStation and Windows the following year.
Super Street Fighter IV portrays close combats between game characters with the Arcade Edition having character and gameplay improvements.
7. Tekken 7
Tekken 7 became the first game to make use of the Unreal Engine released in 2015.
Tekken 7 was developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment as the seventh episode of the Tekken series.
The storyline portrays events leading up to the concluding clash between Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima.
Players must choose between the two characters and defeat the other to win the game.
Being the successor of Tekken 6, Tekken 7 incorporates the Rage Arts and the Power Crush mechanic enhancements.
In 2019, five million copies of the Tekken 7 game had been sold.
6. Soulcalibur II
Soulcalibur II was released for the arcades in 2002, before later releases for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox platforms the following year.
Its storyline features the search hunt for “Soul Edge,” a legendary weapon shattered into pieces.
Players assume control of a character to find and reconstruct all the Soul Edge pieces to achieve total power and control over it.
5. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Age of Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 incorporates characters from Capcom’s video game series and Marvel Comics’ book series.
It was developed and published by Capcom in 2000 for arcades, with releases for other platforms surfacing over the years.
Players assume control of a team and must defeat their opponents to win the game.
4. Super Street Fighter II: Turbo
Turbo was released in 1994 as the fifth episode of the Street Fighter II sub-series. Players assume control of in-built characters and customize their style of play by imputing game codes.
Characters chosen by any player must defeat their counterparts to be declared the winner.
With the inclusion of combination moves, super combos, and air combos, Turbo can correctly be called an upgrade to the preceding Super Street Fighter II.
Turbo achieved commercial success and still has active competitive tournaments worldwide.
3. Mortal Kombat II
First released for arcades in 1993, additional releases for other platforms have evolved.
Mortal Kombat II is the second installment in the Mortal Kombat series developed with enhanced gameplay and extra varied finishing moves.
Game characters like Shao Khan, Scorpion, and Cyrax have acquired fame, making the game a commercial success.
Players assume control of game characters and defeat their counterparts to win the game; it can be played in single-player and multiplayer modes.
Mortal Kombat has won several game awards like Best Genesis fighting game, Best SNES fighting game, and Best Overall SNES fighting game.
2. Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Third Strike was released in 1999 as an arcade game before further developments for PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, and Xbox.
Five new characters were added to the game with enhanced gameplay mechanics.
For over ten years, Street Fighter III was one of the most played 2D fighting games in the world, earning praises from many game industry publications.
1. Super Smash Bros Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is a fighting game published by Nintendo in 2001 as the second installment of the Super Smash.
It features characters from its predecessor and other game franchises.
It’s prominent for its multiplayer mode, which incites video game tournaments.
The majority of fighting game fans viewed Super Smash Bros Melee as the most competitive multiplayer video game in the mid-2000s; and was featured from 2014-2018 in competitive game tournaments organized by Evo.
Final Words
Hope you enjoyed our collection of the best fighting games of 2020 you can play right now.
Think we missed out any top game?
Please share with us in the comments section below.