AMortal Kombat 9 marked a turning point in the history of MK. It was a reboot – not just of its story, but of everything that defined Mortal Kombat over the years. Motor Kombat, and weird Create-a-Fatalities were all gone in lieu of a back-to-basics approach that focused on the actual kombat.
Even just a passing glance at Skullgirls in motion will tell you that this isn’t your average indie fighting game. But there’s more to Skullgirls than just its looks. Skullgirls has one of the most flexible fighting game systems ever made.
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was the final arcade and console iteration of Sega’s premier 3D fighter, until Ultimate Showdown rebuilt the game on Yakuza’s Dragon Engine for modern consoles.
2013’s Killer Instinct proved the series was more than the Mortal Kombat imitator some claimed it to be. It was one of the first mainstream fighting games to integrate rollback netcode and its online play is still among the smoothest around.
It is set apart by its character balance and team construction. Many of the characters are broken in a way that only Marvel can get away with, and being able to put three of these characters together, each with one of three assist options, in varying orders, opens possibilities.
KOF XIII that remains one of the best fighting games of all time. The super detailed pixel art, pace of play, and Hyper Drive combo system all helped KOF have a resurgence in the competitive and casual fighting game scene.
What sets Tekken 7 apart from other entries in the series, and earns it a spot here, is how much it improved in accessibility without cutting back on its depth.
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is something special. The backgrounds ooze style; and the jazz-inspired soundtrack features some of the best music in any fighting game. Even the roster, holds up remarkably well with options to suit any playstyle.