Fighting games appeal to a deep desire for competition within all of us. There’s just something exciting about seeing forces collide in a struggle for supremacy. Whether it’s one-on-one or a total free-for-all, fighting games offer some of the most suspenseful experiences that anyone can play. Due to their incredible popularity among gamers, the fighting game genre has thrived for a very long time, giving birth to a major part of the competitive gaming scene that we know today.
So which were the fighting game releases that had the biggest impact and the most influence on everything? Nobody would understand what a fighting game is or appreciate the experience of playing one without these games coming out. Some games are just that important that they help define a genre, becoming a major inspiration for the games that are developed long after. These are the 5 most influential fighting games of all-time that you need to play now if you haven’t already.
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5
Virtua Fighter
Three-dimensional combat
Before there was an abundance of 3D fighting games, the genre first stepped into a new dimension with Virtua Fighter. The first game in the ongoing series was developed by Sega in 1993, releasing for arcades and later home consoles. Multiple sequels and a few spin-off titles would release in the following years, with ports of the arcade games making it onto the Sega Genesis, Saturn, other consoles. What made Virtua Fighter so important to the genre wasn’t just the shiny new visuals that everyone marveled at, but the way it fundamentally changed how fighting games were played. Fights weren’t just a struggle on the left or right side of a screen anymore, now players would have to take hold of 3D space.
The game was a technical advancement for the genre, being credited as the point when fighting games were evolving beyond pixels and simple caricatures. The characters on the roster had fighting styles heavily inspired by real world martial arts, which informed how players would control them and form strategies in match-ups. While there were only three main buttons to use (which mapped out punch, kick, and guard), the fighting could get very complex with a variety of combinations for a character’s special moves. Most, if not all, 3D fighting games can trace many of their aspects back to Virtua Fighter because the series is viewed by many as the grandfather of 3D fighters.
Biggest Virtua Fighter Releases
- Virtua Fighter – Arcade (1993), Sega Saturn (1994), 32X (1995)
- Virtua Fighter 2 – Arcade (1994), Sega Genesis (1996)
- Virtua Fighter 3 – Arcade (1996)
- Virtua Fighter 4 – Arcade (2001), PlayStation 2 (2002)
- Virtua Fighter 5 – Arcade (2006), PlayStation 3 (2007)
- Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown – Arcade (2021), PlayStation 4 (2021)
4
Tekken
New style and flair
If Virtua Fighter was the series that laid the foundation of 3D fighters, then Tekken was the series to build upon that and take things further. Tekken is a widely successful series that is still going today, with more than eight entries across multiple platforms since 1994. The approach to 3D combat was similar to Virtua Fighter from Sega, but Namco had a slightly different approach to the overall experience. A focus on presentation made Tekken stand out among other fighting games within arcades, with an incredible soundtrack and dynamite display personality that wasn’t easily replicated.
Tekken was also a series that had an ensemble of characters with intriguing backstories that were tied together. Players can follow the main plot of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, with a number of additional stories between the fighters who participate in it. Every fighter had their own unique look and fighting style, which looked and sounded great in 3D. At the same time, Tekken was also one of the first really popular 3D fighting games to make an impact on home consoles when it released on the original PlayStation in 1995. Its two sequels went on to be the most critically praised and beloved fighting games of all-time, setting a new standard for 3D fighters moving forward.
Biggest Tekken Releases
- Tekken – Arcade, PlayStation (1994)
- Tekken 2 – Arcade, PlayStation (1995)
- Tekken 3 – Arcade, PlayStation (1997)
- Tekken 4 – Arcade, PlayStation 2 (2001)
- Tekken 5 – Arcade, PlayStation 2 (2004)
- Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection – Arcade, PlayStation 3, PSP (2005)
- Tekken 6 – Arcade, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 (2007)
- Tekken 7 – Arcade, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (2015)
- Tekken 8 – PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (2024)
3
Super Smash Bros.
Bringing everybody in
What if you could take your favorite characters from various franchises and put them into a ring to battle each other? That was the basic premise of the original Super Smash Bros. game in 1999 for the Nintendo 64. Years later, that same premise has grown into a franchise that gets people excited to play on a Nintendo console. Super Smash Bros. is a fighting game that blends elements of party games with those of the fighting genre, with the charm of seeing multiple iconic game characters fight in dream matches. It wasn’t just Mario and Link clashing with each other, it was them fighting alongside Kirby and Donkey Kong on a map pulled from Star Fox, or any other Nintendo game of the time.
Super Smash Bros. made a mascot fighting game have broad appeal, with the power of the Nintendo brand drawing in players who want to see crazy skirmishes between their favorite characters. At the same time, it inspired many other companies with a portfolio of franchises to find ways to mash them together, sometimes in ways that didn’t involve fighting at all. But what made Super Smash Bros. so much fun was how easy it was to get in and play, yet still have a deep fighting game for those who put in the time to explore it. As the sequels were released on subsequent Nintendo consoles, the roster of characters to play grew larger, with the idea of bringing everybody into the fold. One of the taglines to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch was “everybody is here”, signifying that nothing was off limits for who could join the fight.
Biggest Super Smash Bros. Releases
- Super Smash Bros. – N64 (1999)
- Super Smash Bros. Melee – GameCube (2001)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Wii (2008)
- Super Smash Bros. – Nintendo 3DS, Wii U (2014)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Nintendo Switch (2018)
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2
Mortal Kombat
Blood doesn’t scare us
In the 90s, there were a few major games that were a benchmark for a generation of players growing up. The release of Mortal Kombat in 1992 was one of those moments where not just fighting games, but video games as a whole changed forever. The creation of the ESRB and the perception of video games in the public eye within that decade are deeply tied to this series. The setup of Mortal Kombat is similar to that of a classic Shaw Brothers martial arts movie, with a bit of inspiration from Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon, along with a lot of blood to go with it. It was a tournament to determine the fate of the world, where fighters could humiliate their opponents in their defeat after hearing the infamous words “Finish Him” during a fight. For some it was shocking, but for others it was incredibly cool to witness and play.
Mortal Kombat was bold enough to make fighting games look and feel brutal, with the iconic Fatality finishing moves. Although excessive in some parts, the blood made people take notice of Mortal Kombat and jump-started the conversation about the games that people played. Because of the success of Mortal Kombat, many other companies making fighting games tried to replicate its formula, including going further with the gore and or ripping off some of its characters and basic setup. Many of the Mortal Kombat sequels and spin-off games that came after expanded the lore of the franchise, bringing in new characters and ideas that have kept the series going ever since. While parts of the gameplay have changed with newer releases across platforms, the brutality and gore remain a marquee aspect of Mortal Kombat.
Biggest Mortal Kombat Releases
- Mortal Kombat – Arcade (1992)
- Mortal Kombat 2 – Arcade (1993)
- Mortal Kombat 3 – Arcade (1995)
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy – PlayStation 1, N64 (1996)
- Mortal Kombat 4 – Arcade, PlayStation 1, N64, PC (1997)
- Mortal Kombat Deception – PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Cube (2004)
- Mortal Kombat Armageddon – PlayStation 2, Xbox (2006), Wii (2007)
- Mortal Kombat – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (2011), PS Vita (2012), PC (2013)
- Mortal Kombat X – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS (2015)
- Mortal Kombat 11 – Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (2019), Playstaion 5, Xbox Series X|S (2020)
- Mortal Kombat 1 – PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (2023)
1
Street Fighter 2
The G.O.A.T. to everyone
The fighting game scene would not exist as we know it without Street Fighter 2 from Capcom. If there is one game, or series of releases, that everybody can point to as being the foundation of the genre, this would be it. Street Fighter 2 is what defined fighting games in arcades during the 90s, with many other releases taking inspiration from it. 2D fighting games were definitely around before it’s release, but what Capcom did with Street Fighter 2 injected the fighting game genre into the public consciousness. Everything from combinations to execute special moves, unique stages themed to characters, the concept of VS Play against other players, and so much more for the genre are directly pulled from this game. Multiple updated versions of Street Fighter 2 would also be released by Capcom, adding in new characters and mechanics that would become iconic to fighting game fans, and would also lead to the formation of the fighting game community and competitive scene.
When Capcom released Street Fighter 2 for arcades in 1991, it exploded in popularity and started what many have called the golden age of fighting games. The game also went on to have a big influence on other aspects of pop-culture, with music samples and references to the game appearing in various places. Although a sequel to the original Street Fighter from 1987, Street Fighter 2 had a number of changes to its gameplay and overall design that would become staples of the genre, which would eventually be emulated and duplicated by many other fighting games from other companies. Today, a version of the game, titled Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, is still played at a competitive level among fighting game players and is still viewed as one of the greatest fighting games of all-time.
Biggest Street Fighter Releases
- Street Fighter – Arcade (1997)
- Street Fighter II – Arcade (1991), Super NES (1992), Game Boy (1995)
- Street Fighter Alpha – Arcade, PlayStation (1995), Sega Satturn (1996)
- Street Fighter Alpha II – Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Super NES (1996)
- Street Fighter III – Arcade (1997)
- Street Fighter Collection – PlayStation )1998)
- Street Fighter Alpha III – Arcade, PlayStation (1998), Sega Satrun (1999)
- Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – Arcade (1999), Sega Dreamcast (2000), PlayStation 2 (2004)
- Street Fighter IV – Arcade (2008), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (2009)
- Ultra Street Fighter IV – Arcade, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (2014), PlayStation 4 (2015)
- Street Fighter V – PlayStation 4, PC (2016)
- Street Fighter 6 – Arcade, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, GeForce Now, PC (2023), Nintendo Switch 2 (TBA)
Generations of Fighters
Each one of these games contributed to the growth of the genre in a major way. Whether it was how we played fighting games or how we viewed them as a whole, people would not see the genre as they do now without them. As more and more fighting games are developed for newer platforms, they are all still heavily influenced by these games, and will continue to be so for years to come. For anyone that wants to understand and explore the essence of what a fighting game is, you can start with any of these iconic titles that helped shape it.
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