Do you like a brawl in video games? Then meet the 30 best fighting games in history! These are games present on the most diverse platforms: from Arcades to the most recent generations of consoles. Check out the games and be surprised by the great titles of the genre!
1. Street Fighter III: Third Strike (2000)
Platforms: PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Dreamcast, PC e Arcade
Street Fighter II is great. But Street Fighter III is wonderful. The best fighting game of all time mixes exciting punch animations, dodges and blockings with perfect timing and twists in fights that only Third Strike can do.
There are several innovations compared to the previous game in relation to combat, but also in relation to the scenarios. They are more realistic, being part of every fight. And the mix of old and new fighters brings that nostalgia fused with novelty.
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
Platform: GameCube
Precisely because Super Smash Bros. Melee has none of the "traditional" mechanics of fighting games that it is almost at the top position. Bringing together the best Nintendo characters in a fighting game, putting Link and Mario in a battle arena, is priceless. The game is fast, polished and simple to master, which makes it just as good as the current generation.
3. Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994)
Platforms: PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Wii U, Game Boy Advanced, Dreamcast, Saturn, PC e Arcade
Super Street Fighter II Turbo is considered by many to be the best in the franchise. First because it had new combos of great quality, varied game modes and, of course, the first appearance of Akuma, the legendary fighter with fire-colored hair.
4. Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Platforms: PS1, PS3, Xbox 360, Saturn, Sega 32X, SNES, Genesis, Sega Master System, Game Gear, PC e Arcade
The first game brought free violence, but the second Mortal Kombat brought battles with a lot of quality. The Fatalities and bloody battles were still there, but the combos and special moves gave the game a unique shine. Not to mention the secrets and unlockables that only the wildest could find.
5. Soulcalibur (1998)
Platforms: Xbox, Dreamcast, iOS e Android
The first Soulcalibur was successful for allowing movement in 8 directions. At the time, it was jaw-dropping. With unforgettable fighters and a weapons-based combat system, the game stood out among the others and is still fondly remembered by players today.
6. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000)
Platforms: PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Dreamcast e PC
The most ambitious game in the franchise, New Age of Heroes features 55 characters in total. All are animated to look like their most iconic versions, especially Marvel heroes. Playing with 3 fighters at once on the team, the amount of combos that could be done was almost infinite!
7. Tekken 7 (2022)
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC
Tekken 3 is unforgettable, but 7 is the best. There are many iconic characters, an improved Rage system and new camera options that make battles cinematic. Each fighter has more than 100 moves for you to master, which gives you many hours of training.
8. Guilty Gear XRD (2022)
Platforms: PS3, PS4 e PC
Arcane systems, blocks and crazy combos are the mainstay of Guilty Gear. XRD, however, went further and "forced" players to adapt to a new combat system. The anime style in the visuals is another nice point, turning the game into a fan favorite.
9. Samurai Shodown II (1994)
Platforms: PS1, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Android, iOS e PC
In 1994 Samurai Shodown II was an absurd innovation. Brought a vast set of hits to a game of cartridge, counterattack and ability to break enemy weapons. This allowed for close and hot duels, as players created several different strategies per battle.
10. Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (2010)
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 e PC
SSF IV is known for repopularizing fighting games. It's the connection between the past and the future of the genre, bringing all the most famous fighters of the series, with a game mechanic closer to what we see today.
11. Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of The Millennium 2001 (2001)
Platforms: PS2, Xbox, GameCube e Dreamcast
This Capcom crossover features characters from Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters. There are several fighting styles, the grooves, which give a different feel to the game. They copy character styles from SNK and Capcom games, which fans of the companies' older games are very fond of.
12. The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (2005)
Platforms: PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch e PC
Simple game, focused on battles between two teams of three fighters. All characters from previous games are present, which gives super varied team combinations! Unlimited Match makes players want to play it dozens of times to find their Dream Team!
13. Darkstalkers 3 (1997)
Platforms: Saturn and PS1
Darkstalkers 3 has a lot of humor and horror. It takes elements from games like Castlevania and from fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom. All this mix makes for a cute game, with good animations, especially the special ones, that make you feel like you're in front of a movie!
14. Virtua Fighter 5 (2007)
Platforms: PS3 e Xbox 360
Virtua Fighter always puts at least one game on the list of the best in the genre. In the case of VF 5, there are 17 fighters, well balanced, with unique moves, which requires different approaches from the players. You can't just press buttons and expect to win!
15. Fatal Fury: Mark of The Wolves (2001)
Platforms: PS2, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, PC e iOS
Fatal Fury gave rise to King of Fighters, but said goodbye with great quality with Mark of The Wolves. The combat system makes you choose before the fight starts when the Power-Up will activate and under what circumstances. This makes the fight less predictable and more difficult, requiring players to arm themselves to maintain a good level of combat.
16. Dragon Ball FighterZ (2022)
Platforms: PS3, PS4, Switch e PC
It will probably be a long time before another Dragon Ball Z game surpasses FighterZ in terms of fighting mechanics. The team fights, the look VERY faithful to the design and the amount of extra content are other points that make this easy, easy the best ever released about Goku and company.
17. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2022)
Platform: Switch
Using the term "Ultimate" for Smash Bros. it can be risky as there is a perfect edition of this franchise. Still, one of the last games is very good. It brings all the fighters that appeared so far and new ones, representing the game with the most content in the series so far.
18. Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)
Platforms: PS1, PS2, PS4, PSP, Xbox One, Switch, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance e PC
Street Fighter Alpha 3 is not just another arcade version of SF. He added "isms" to characters, allowing them to have a variety of combo options. In addition, the defense system has been greatly improved, bringing a blocking system with perfect timing.
19. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2022)
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One e PC
This game emerged as a simplified version of the previous version, but ended up becoming one of the best in the franchise. With the ease of building powerful combos, some say you can take advantage of the game's glitches and make infinite combinations of moves! Apart from that the fighters are a charm on their own.
20. Mortal Kombat X (2022)
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS e Android
Few fighting games are as enjoyable as Mortal Kombat X. Multiple fighting styles, diverse skins, multiple game modes and brutal Fatalities make this one of the best games in the franchise. Apart from the presence of new characters and guest fighters, something that has become more and more fun in MK games.
21. Soul Calibur VI (2022)
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One and PC
Soulcalibur VI learned from V's mistakes and exceeded expectations. This franchise reboot brought in the classic elements, but innovated by bringing more unique traits to each character, taking a little bit of each successful element from other fighting game franchises. Apart from that Soulcalibur VI has Geralt of Rivia as a playable character!
22. Tekken 3 (1997)
Platform: PS1
Tekken 3 is for many the best in the franchise since 1997. New fighters, refined combat and a lot of unique combos have made the game a rival to others in the genre. Apart from that mastering all the poses and strikes of each fighter was hard work, but it brought immense satisfaction.
23. Killer Instinct (1994)
Platforms: Xbox One, SNES e Game Boy
In 1994, Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter was in charge. But Killer Instinct managed to stand up and win many loyal players. Visually it was pretty cool, and the sound effects, especially when the commentator went wild with his combos, were fantastic. So much so that it won a wonderful remake for Xbox One.
24. Skullgirls (2022)
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS e Android
One of many games inspired by Japanese anime, Skullgirls features one of the most cartoonish visuals you'll ever see. In fact, it can almost be a predecessor of FighterZ, with chaotic team battles and fluid combat mechanics and easy to master.
25. Bushido Blade (1997)
Platform: PS1
Bushido Blade brought a level of difficulty to fighting games considered extreme. Many sword duels could last no more than a few seconds, due to the game's high level of difficulty and the fact that it is a realistic game. But the most skilled managed to make the fights last minutes, creating something almost cinematic.
26. The King of Fighters XIII (2022)
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 e PC
TKOF XIII kept the essence of the franchise and remained more 2D than 3D. Which was great, because it has a more Arcade feel, bringing combos in sequence, fast blocks and that classic team game of the series. The character and background sprites make TKOF XIII visually almost unique today.
27. Blazblue: Central Fiction (2022)
Platforms: PS3, PS4, Switch e PC
One of the few fighting games in history with a narrative as important as doing combos in arenas. Central Fiction is the grand finale to a great franchise, featuring 35 fighters to choose from. Although it has more complicated game mechanics than usual, it is very worthwhile for those who like it.
28. Dead or Alive 4 (2005)
Platform: Xbox 360
One of the great titles of Xbox 360, Dead or Alive 4 brought online fighting for the first time to the series, something new in general for the time. Very well built combat and counterattack system, impeccable soundtrack and fluid animation of classic characters make this one of the great games of the genre.
29. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2022)
Platforms: PS3 e Xbox 360
Persona 4 Arena pleases older fans of the franchise, but also any other fighting game player. Ultimax brings RPG elements that were very well mixed with the brawling genre. With new characters, in addition to many classics, it's a game that moves between two very different paths, but that does it with great quality.
30. Injustice 2 (2022)
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS e Android
Injustice 2 doesn't have as good and fun a story as the first game, but the combat is more polished and higher quality. Among the two games, this is the one that deserves to be highlighted for its graphic evolution, for the multiple possibilities for customization and for bringing epic fights between even more epic characters from DC Comics.
Other lists that may interest you:
- The best fighting games for PC!
- best horror games
- The best games in all of history
- The best PS4 games!
- best zombie games
