Summary
Competitive games are magical products that bring players together in a social scene. They don’t only offer challenges, but opportunities to socialize with both teammates and opponents. In their prime moments, many competitive games grow their communities while gaining support from both players and developers. Their impact even inspires new games to include familiar mechanics with their unique spin.
Over time, the interest in older games diminishes for the newer competitive entries, especially from the devs.The most dedicated fans bring support to the older gameswith their community-based side tournaments. Despite most of the audience forgetting the previous games, their great impact on the scene will always remain.
10Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Ultimate All-Stars
2v2 Clash Of Anime And Video Game Casts
Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All-Starsis a crossover fighting game that features Capcom’s iconic gaming characters and Tatsunoko Production’s beloved anime cast. Originally released in Japan asCross Generation of Heroesin 2008, its newer version would also join North America and Europe’s Wii library two years later. It is the firstCapcom vsentrydesigned with full 3D models rather than 2D character sprites with 3D environments. It helped evolve the series' future, especially forMarvel vs Capcom 3.
The game revolves around its main mechanics like team assists and Baroque, a risk-reward feature that extends combos by costing recoverable health. Baroque damage increases along with the amount of health paid for activation, which can benefit or harm the user. Any character can partner up with any series representative from the more popular likeMegamanandScience Ninja Team Gatchamanto the more niche likeOnimushaandYatterman. It is appreciated by dedicated fans, especially through multiple community tournaments like Frosty Faustings. What hurts the game the most is the limited access to its exclusivity on the old Wii.
9Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
Love Letter For SNK series
Neo Geo Battle Coliseumis the result of mixing several SNK characters from different series into one tag-team battle. It includes both original characters of the Neo Geo universe and fighters from SNK IPs likeKing of Fighters,Garou: Mark of the Wolves,Samurai Shodown,Athena, and more.
It was designed to play similarly to traditional King of Fighters with cancels and specials for easier accessibility and balance for the audience. Its 6th gen release makes it difficult to open more community tourneys since there’s no online play. It participates mainly in certain tourneys like Tournament of Thrones and East Coast Throwdown.
8Lethal League Blaze
Intense, High Pace Dodgeball
Lethal League Blazeis an easy-to-play sequel to its unique indie fighting series. Originally for Steam, its enhanced version was released for consoles and PC a year later. The cast grew from seven to twelve playable characters with distinct moves and specials. The main goal is to take out the opponent by hitting the ball into them rather than directly with attacks. The ball’s damage increases up to its one-shot KO threshold as it travels all over the screen.
Any player can pick up and play this simple, engaging fighter. It is very accessible to play on modern consoles, which greatly benefits its offline and online events in tourneys like Defend the North.
Armswas a special project for Nintendo’s attempt for competitive support. The game primarily encourages motion controls, though pro controller and joy-con(s) are suitable as well. The game’s depth and competitive nature come from its arsenal of varied arms and unique character traits.
Nintendo gave support forArm’scompetitive nature from its launch up until 2020 with Arms North American Open Nintendo VS. Despite the end of the company’s support, the audience still opens its smaller tourneys. Hopefully, it’s enough to makeNintendo aware of the IP’s potential.
6Kill La Kill If
Faithful, Silky Smooth Arena Fighter
For anyKill La Killfans who desires to experience clothes-tearing action up close,Kill La Kill Iffulfills that need. It is faithfully designed with the anime’s graphics and action but offers different perspectives of an original story from the main characters Satsuki and Ryuko. The roster is limited to just 10 fighters, yet each character plays how they’re portrayed in the anime, such as Gamagori’s huge size and bondage suit. Its faithful portrayal and decently balanced cast were the main causes of gaining players during its launch.
The developers did support its game with DLC and tournament opportunities. It had a huge competitive participation in 2019 with ArcRevo America, Evo, and Ceotaku. The community isn’t huge, but there’s lots of passion from fans for how well the game encapsulates the anime feels.
Pokken Tournament DXis an exaggerated experience of animePokemonbattles. It’s an enhanced port of theWii U versionwhich originated from Japanese arcades in July 2013. Its fighting system includes phase shift, one of the unique features to change the fighting pace. When hitting an opponent with an impactful “critical hit,” the battle perspective changes between the 3D battle arena and 2D traditional fighting. The roster included 20 fighters and 3 DLC with differentPokemonmoves, abilities, status effects, and stats. SomePokemoneven have mega evolution or familiar moves like Pikachu’s electrical electric wind godfist.
The game’s competitiveness did earn developer support until thePokken Tournament DXWorld Championship 2022. Developer involvement ceased after the final World Championship event, yet the fans continue to create their side events in other tournaments, even being featured in Frosty Faustings 2024.
There aren’t manyeffective free-to-playfighting games that aren’t as accessible and visually appealing asFantasy Strike. The game’s simple-to-understand design raises more focus on frame data and fighting fundamentals such as footsies, whiff punishes, and counter hits. It evenly divides its 12-character cast into three categories: Zoner for long-range preference, Rushdown for close-range preference, and Wild Card for strategic preference.
The tournament scene is supported by its fans, especially online with its rollback netcode. Anyone can pick up the game on appropriate platforms to play the entire cast. It’s one of the easier fighting games to play and spectate with its vivid-colored signs and text such as invincible moves and cross-ups.
Power Rangers Battle for the Gridis a 3v3 fighting game that allows differentPower Rangerallies and foes to team up.Its series rangesfromMighty Morphin,S.P.D.,Samurai,Jungle Fury, and several more. The majority of the cast’s movesets are simplified and heavily inspired by other fighting games likeStreet Fighter. The game even included Ryu and Chun Li as DLC in originalPower Rangeruniforms.
The game isn’t popular, but it’s very accessible with its wider platform variety. The game does feature crossplay to unify online platform players and rollback netcode for smoother online play. Its audience has little trouble creating offline and online events to socialize and welcome players, especially during Frosty Faustings and East Coast Throwdown.
For anyone who wants to play as a musical celebrity who wrestles other famous artists in an underground, dangerous society,Def Jam Fight for NYis the perfect fit. It’s a 3D battle arena fighter that features inspiring characters such as Snoop Dog, Carmen Electra, Sean Paul, Bless, and more. Each character has one of five fighting styles: streetfighting, martial arts, kickboxing, submission, and wrestling. It is strongly encouraged to use environments and weapons to a player’s advantage, especially with the crowds.
Its wacky, ambiguous idea gave the game a positive reception from critics and the player base. It’s one of the most fun hidden gems from the 6th gen library, especially with how impactful and brutal the moves are.
Marvel vs Capcom Infiniteis the latestMarvel vs Capcomentrywith its 36-character roster. Rather than follow its recent predecessor’s 3v3 format, it follows theMarvel Super Heroes’format with its 2v2 battles and a returning mechanic, the Infinity Stones. A duo can use one of six Infinity Stones for granted abilities and ultimate buffs to shift the battle tide. The game even offers players the option to switch between teammates to extend the user’s combos or interrupt the opponent’s offense.
The gameplay’s mechanics and pace helped carry this entry, though the cons greatly harmed the series’ name at launch with its unsatisfying graphics, content, and developer support. It’s sometimes even overshadowed byMarvel vs Capcom 3. Despite its soured name, its gameplay greatly encourages its fans to open events in multiple tournaments, like Frosty Faustings and Defend the North.
