The Best Fighting Games

The best fighting games to start from is very subjective. Think of it like picking your starter in Pokemon. Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Guilty Gear among many others. Which game should you try out? In the world of fighting games, there are a few different types of fighting games. The different types appeal to many different people, so if you’ve only tried one or two, I recommend trying them all to see which you like! So what are the different types of fighting games?

The most common type of fighting games are:

1. 2D
2. “NRS” aka Netherrealm Studios
3. 3D
4. Versus
5. Anime

2d Fighting Games

2d fighting games are probably what come to your mind when you hear the words: “fighting games.” The most common and most popular example is Street Fighter. A long and proven legacy, Street Fighter will provide slower and methodical gameplay so that beginners can have a better grasp of what is happening on the screen. There aren’t too many crazy attacks or extremely flashy moves that might confuse a player. If you’re looking for a methodical, balanced fighting game, look no further than 2d games.

The 2d games I recommend are:

Killer Instinct, Street Fighter 5 and Street Fighter 6 when that eventually comes out. Every time a new fighting game is released, everyone’s skill is reset so a beginner will have an easier and more fun time learning the game.

NRS or Neatherrealm Studios

As far as mainstream appeal, NRS or Netherrealm games might take the cake. Mortal Kombat and Injustice have been this company’s forte for the past few years. They are very unique from every other type of game because the strings and combos are built into the game on purpose and not something you really need to look on the internet for. You also have the most customization in fighting games when you go with NRS. Your characters will not look like anyone else’s character online. Alongside iconic characters like Scorpion, Subzero, Batman and Superman, if you need character familiarity to have fun, this is a great choice.

The NRS games I recommend are:

Mortal Kombat 11 and Injustice 2. Being their most recent titles at the time of writing, you will find the most players in these two games.

3D Fighting Games

3d fighting games deter the most from the usual formula, because they have an additional plane. Where in most fighting games, you only need to worry about the direction in front of you, in 3d games you can move in any direction you like. Sidestepping becomes crucial to dodging certain attacks or feinting your opponent. 3d games typically have a low entry floor because hitting any set of buttons will probably do something. However, they also one of the highest skill ceiling in the genre due to the extra layer of strategy from the 3d plane. Typically the people that play 3d fighting games, only play 3d fighting games due to their uniqueness and real martial arts feel. If you want something that deters from the usual formula, try out 3d fighting games.

The 3d fighting games I recommend are:

Tekken 7 and Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown. Both can be played for fun by hitting any direction with buttons and attacks will come flying out. Both can also be played to such a high level that it seems impossible.

Versus

Versus games, or team games, are fighting games where you take control of more than one character, typically 2 or 3. These games allow for the most creativity due to being able to fight with more than one character a time. Each character has “assists” which are individual moves that can either be used to lock down your opponent, protect yourself or extend combos. These games are also notorious for being “one player” games at times due to their nature. Characters die in a few interactions because you have more than one of them. Assists also allow for pressure to last for much longer than they otherwise would in any other fighting game. If you get hit it will typically lead to huge combos. If you enjoy being creative with your tools and doing long but cool combos, try out versus games.

The versus games I recommend are:

Dragonball FighterZ, Power Rangers: Battle For The Grid and the upcoming Project L. All of these games feature characters from existing franchises, so if you’re a fan of any of these it will be even more fun for you!

Anime

Anime games are the last and my personal favorite type of fighting game. As the title implies, they are very anime looking in nature, but there are a lot of other things that set them apart from typical 2d games. A trademark feature of anime games are airdashes, which means you can dash in the air for an extra layer of movement and outplay potential. Anime games typically feature a lot of system mechanics and creative ways to use your meter. For example, many of them have a “Burst” mechanic that allows a person getting hit to get out of a combo. However, the attacker can bait the burst by blocking. Alongside these things, most anime game characters are very flashy and have nonsensical attack moves that make you feel very powerful. If you want to feel like the main character in an anime, play anime games.

The anime games I recommend are:

Guilty Gear Strive, DNF Duel and Melty Blood: Type Lumina. Each one of these games feature cool and interesting characters alongside various system mechanics that add extra spice to your usual gameplan.

Hopefully this helps steer you towards the right direction. Remember, there is no solid answer for which fighting game should you start with. Instead, ask yourself which one looks the coolest. It could take a few tries to discover what you really want to play, don’t be afraid to try everything! Get out there and enjoy some fighting games. If you want more examples of fighting games or need help understanding certain lingo, click below.