Top 100 fighting games of all time

But with so many fighting games released over the past few decades, which one is the best? See what other gamers think are the best fighting games of all time. This list of fighting games covers all consoles and systems, and includes cover art when available.

These highly rated fighting games are ordered by popularity, so only the greatest fighting games are at the top of the list. But what constitutes the best? It's hard to say - some people play fighting games for the storylines while others play them for the competitive aspect. Ultimately, it varies from person to person. So get to voting for your favorite fighting game of all time or add it if you don't see it below, but beware, the competition is down right fierce. If you love this one, be sure to vote it up in our list of which Street Fighter game is best.

Developer: Backbone Entertainment, Capcom. Developer: Midway Games. Developer: HAL Laboratory. Developer: Production I. G, Namco. Developer: SNK Playmore. Developer: Rare Ltd. Developer: Dimps, Capcom. Developer: Team Ninja. Developer: Project Soul. Developer: Namco, Project Soul. Developer: Namco, Eighting Co. Developer: Namco Bandai Games. Developer: Sora Ltd.

Developer: NetherRealm Studios. Developer: Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd. Developer: Sega AM2. Developer: Acclaim Cheltenham, Capcom. Developer: Capcom, Arc System Works. Developer: Eighting Co. Developer: Yuki Enterprise. Developer: CyberConnect2. Developer: SNK Corporation. Developer: Ludosity, Fair Play Labs. Developer: Sega AM2, Genki. Developer: Nintendo.

Developer: Acclaim Cheltenham, Atari Games. Developer: Arc System Works. Developer: Eurocom. Developer: Atlus, Arc System Works.

Street Fighter II. Developer: Capcom. It is the second entry in the Street Fighter series and the arcade sequel to the Super Street Fighter II. Tekken 5. Developer: Namco. Tekken 5 is the fifth main installment in the popular Tekken series. It also marks the tenth anniversary of the series. It was first released for the arcades on running on the Namco System Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is a fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth game in the Marvel vs.

Capcom series. With the sixth installment, Capcom simplified Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat is an arcade fighting game developed and published by Midway Games in as the first title in the Mortal Kombat series.

It was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for Capcom vs. SNK 2. Super Smash Bros. It is the second game in the Tekken 3. Tekken 3 is the third installment in the popular Tekken fighting game series. The original Arcade version The King of Fighters ' It is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series. This installment was advertised Killer Instinct. Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. It was released as an arcade game in the summer of and, the following year, ported to the Super It was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Tekken Tag Tournament.

Tekken Tag Tournament is the fourth main installment in Namco's Tekken fighting game series. It, however, is not canonical to the Tekken storyline. The game was originally available as an update kit Street Fighter Alpha 3. It is the third game in the Street Street Fighter IV.

Street Fighter IV is a fighting game produced by Capcom, which co-developed the game with Dimps. It was the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since , a hiatus of nine Super Street Fighter IV. Mortal Kombat II. Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in Developer: Team Ninja.

Developer: Project Soul. Street Fighter II. Developer: Capcom. It is the second entry in the Street Fighter series and the arcade sequel to the Super Street Fighter II. Tekken 5. Developer: Namco. Tekken 5 is the fifth main installment in the popular Tekken series. It also marks the tenth anniversary of the series.

It was first released for the arcades on running on the Namco System Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is a fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. With the sixth installment, Capcom simplified Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat is an arcade fighting game developed and published by Midway Games in as the first title in the Mortal Kombat series. It was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for Capcom vs.

Find out in the game. Kazuya Mishima, after beating his father Heihachi in the first King of Iron Fist Tournament one year earlier, sponsors the second Tournament, promising a prize a thousand times that of the first.

T Action, Adventure, Family. A mysterious cloud brings back some of Goku's most fearsome foes throughout Dragon Ball history. Join the Z-Fighters in a raging blast of brawls to save the planet from an evil mastermind planning to seek his revenge on the Saiyan Race. T Action, Family, Fantasy. Play as Goku and a host of other Dragon Ball Z characters as you make your way through the Saiyan, Namekian, Android, and Buu sagas in the all new Dragon World story mode, or compete as your favorite character in the World Tournament mode.

Interactive and destructible environments bring a new layer of intensity to the battle stages featured in this game. Smash opponents into rocks to increase their damage count and gain the upper hand in battles. Heihachi Mishima sponsors the first King of Iron Fist Tournament with a large purse of prize money going to the fighter who can defeat him in the final round of competition.

Choose your fighters. Challenge your rivals. Will you cross the line? The greatest fighters from the world's 2 heavyweight fighting games finally collide in the ultimate tag team match-up.

Four years after it was thought that the evil sword known as Soul Edge had been destroyed, warriors from all over Europe and Asia once again take up the search to locate the blade for their own personal reasons. Jedah Dohma, one of the high nobles of Makai, is resurrected after a premature death long ago. Seeing the current chaotic state of the demon world, he decides that the only way to save See full summary ».

The dawn rises on a new era in Soulcalibur V as Patroklos and Pyrrha, heirs of Sophitia, take up arms in the eternal fight between the mighty Soul swords. Doctor Doom has assembled the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe and has joined forces with Albert Wesker in order to unite their respective universes in an effort to conquer both. After the G Corporation launches a full-scale attack on Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima, Kazuya betrays his father and escapes.

T Action. Two skilled martial arts experts, Ryu and Ken, go out to fight against other fighters held on the streets in five countries and must also face off against two undisputed Muay Thai fighters from Thailand to become street fighter champion. T Action, Sci-Fi. While it only offered one course, it proved to be more than enough to keep gamers hooked.

The game that made Yevgeny a household name! Kafelnikov and co. Although Virtua Tennis didn't feature any female players something rectified in the sequel , nobody had a problem with the drop shots, quick hardcourt stops, and minigames of this arcade port.

Tennis hasn't been a strong video game sport, but VT has certainly helped it make the leap. As the explosion of online multiplayer annihilation continues and mutates, one has stood head and shoulders above the rest of the pack — Half-Life: Counter-Strike.

With incredible realism, plus an enviable blend of gameplay and graphics, this title quickly became a world-wide phenomenon. While companies are still playing catch up to this gargantuan hit, an equal has yet to be made. Perhaps the formula was too amazing for its own good, however, since no Castlevania game has ever succeeded in the 3D realm.

Dots, ducks, and bats were all it took to fire imaginations in the early days of home consoles and start the first video game RPG. Atari's was host to this simple quest to return the Enchanted Chalice to the golden castle. Mario already had the patent on 8-bit gaming, so it was only natural that this Super Nintendo pack-in title ruled the bit platform roost from the word go.

The plumbers received help in the form of Yoshi, a dino companion whose taste for Koopas resulted in special powers. Mario World had 96 stages, many with multiple endings.

It may not have deviated much from the precedent set by Mario Bros. So many things can be said about this PlayStation game. Simply amazing. If there ever was a time when motocross didn't suffer from a social stigma, it was in , when Excitebike came out for the NES. Instead, kids everywhere reveled in the game's mix of cool track obstacles and slight strategy turbo too much and you'll be wasting valuable seconds on the side of the track as your bike cools down.

In fact, Excitebike virtually introduced the sports standard of creating your own track. The game was so highly thought of that it was included in Excitebike 64 some 15 years later. Rather than continue its foray into sci-fi, Square Soft decided to take a step back with the last PlayStation installment of its venerable Final Fantasy series. The results couldn't have been grander. The main meat of the game is arguably the best of the PlayStation lot, and the sidequests and minigames give players more than they bargained for.

A wonderful cap to an amazing series, Final Fantasy IX is a game that will be fondly remembered by all who play it. X-Wing allowed Star Wars fans to finally jump in the cockpit of a Rebel Alliance fighter and have a dogfight with the Empire. The game and its numerous expansions and sequels features a borderline flight sim interface atop well-defined graphics that move at an appropriately blazing speed. The later addition of multiplayer finalized this masterpiece of space warfare that still holds up incredibly well in today's PC scene.

Looking at it today, Pitfall! Back in , however, there was nothing like it. As Pitfall Harry, players tried to traverse across hazardous screens with only a jump button to aid them in their quest to collect all the gold in under 20 minutes. A revolution in gameplay, graphics, and sound can you hear the Tarzan yell while reading this?

Super Nintendo was a great system for fans of RPGs. This Square classic started the genre's explosion on the bit console, and did so in style. It also begot many of the series' staples, such as Chocobos, vehicles, and party configuration.

The story was original, and deviated from the simple "villain snags princess" fare we'd been spoon-fed in so many role-playing games before.

Cecil's inner struggle made him more than just a chivalrous knight, and gave the game personality. The game that made Nintendo billions of dollars, caused kids to froth at the mouth, and drove parents nuts. Once you start, you can't stop, and it's clear why it's so popular. Tecmo Bowl featured less plays than the 'ball played in your backyard, but it was the first to spawn trash-talking sessions between friends. Sure, the game wasn't ruled by football strategy, but it gave you rowdy, infectious fun that the sport deserved.

Beyond that, it started to make football look action-packed, beyond Xs and Os or blocky figures. Those were the days when Lawrence Taylor and Phil McKonkey were kings, and you wouldn't want it any other way.

Even though The Legend of Zelda did more to introduce gamers to the idea of role-playing games, and even though other Japanese RPGs found their way to the States before it, Dragon Warrior still holds a place in the hearts of many as the first RPG they ever played. Probably more influential on the console RPG scene than any other game, Dragon Warrior isn't perfect, but it is fun. Have you killed a slime lately? A game so great it could only be defeated by its own sequel.

Although part 2 is definitely superior to the original, there's still plenty to love about the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It introduced a control scheme that implants itself into your subconscious. The Warehouse level is still one of our favorites. Plus, the soundtrack has yet to be topped. Pro Skater has inspired many clones, but they all have yet to defeat this ambassador of kickyourassator.

This racer with a focus on fun spawned more crummy imitators than Elvis, but you can't blame Mario Kart. It's only natural for companies to try to capitalize on one of the best multiplayer games ever. All your favorites from the Mario universe are here, racing for place and battling for bragging rights. SNES' Mode 7 scaling revolutionized the way racing games looked, and Kart's weapons added a new dimension to play. Not even the bit update can compete with this originator. The first introduced us to the concept of survival horror, but Resident Evil 2 honed the formula to a fine edge.

The graphics got a serious upgrade, plus players were given more gore and weapons and the opportunity to play two different characters. Fear is a difficult emotion to evoke in a game, and Resident Evil 2 is guaranteed to put a shudder in your spine. Best of all, after the game is done, it can be played again with a different story. The horror…The horror…. In this persistent online fantasy world, thousands of players must work together to defeat dragons, slay giants, and explore the lands of Norrath.

Through expansion packs and patches, new areas are opened, and even various things change over time to keep the game new and fresh to its legions of players. Along with a tremendous musical score, Capcom ironed out the difficulty, added vehicles, and most importantly, made the boss encounters as exciting and nerve-wracking as they could possibly be.

This standard was refined in dozens of sequels and offshoots, but Mega Man 2 still reigns supreme. Although there were plenty of other sim games for PC before its debut, SimCity's micromanagement features offerred something for fans to drool over, and over, and over. Not only that, but this game served as a template for sims of other topics whether it be building railroads, theme parks, etc.

This awkward-looking platformer instantly turned into a beloved staple of the Super Mario franchise. Taking on the persona of your favorite characters from the original Nintendo offering, Mario 2 allowed you to capitalize on their strengths to help you overcome the diverse level types.

Toad has never looked better. To many of the Game Informer staff, Super Metroid and Metroid easily make the top ten, but since we let the readers in on this list, Super Metroid slid down a bit. Best described as an RPG with no talk and all action, Metroid is an adventure like no other. Multiplayer capabilities made for even more replay value.

Westwood was able to produce extremely successful sequels to this game, but the original stands as a testament to a tried and true gameplay formula. Nothing more than new rosters? Not quite. Madden was not only the prerequisite, but the defining game for the PS2. Collecting cards, slick graphics, and fast player movements were enough to excite fans something fierce, even if there were features from previous editions missing.

Real-time, TV-style presentation between plays brought a drama found only on the field itself, and could even make playing the Falcons fun. The first Crash is too hard, the second Crash is too easy, but Crash 3 is just right.

Definitely one any player would want in their library. It isn't pretty, even by Atari standards, but Warlords was the original trash-talking four-player combat game, and it's still the best. The goal of the game is simple: maneuver your shield so the ball destroys other players' walls while protecting your own.

Fast and visceral, Warlords is as addicting now as it was 20 years ago. We don't know how the Sega Genesis would have fared without a mascot. All we do know is that after Sonic The Hedgehog became the pack-in cartridge for Genesis, Sega soon controlled the majority of the early '90s console market.

Sonic perfectly showcased the Genesis' vivid graphics and processing speed. It was also a fun and inventive platformer. Sonic's adventures have since taken him into the 3D realm, but his 2D incarnations are still the most fondly remembered.

Bringing the series back to its isometric roots and expanding on the world of Hyrule, the first SNES Zelda is a graphical breakthrough and one of the most clever games to date. Rather than continuing its experiments, Nintendo stayed true to the original, and formed the gameplay foundation for all forthcoming Zelda titles to follow.

One-on-one fighting games didn't hit big-time until this masterpiece showed up in arcades. Capcom's flagship fighter let you pick from a group of World Warriors instead of one default character , each with his or her own special techniques. Turbo upped the speed ante, and the Super Nintendo received near-perfect ports. It's impossible to measure the massive influence that Street Fighter II had on the fighting game genre as a whole. Ryu be praised. GT delivered in graphics, gameplay, and depth like none before.

The latter aspect was seen in the Reference Manual, which detailed cars' specs and told you how it all works on the track. The game offered more than just real courses and cars. Players were bowled over by the all-encompassing sim experience, from buying Racing Stabilizers to correct entry angles for turns. Blood flowed red on the ice when you were injured, and that was just one of the perks of playing the first NHL title developed by EA itself.

From here on out the publisher would be known for keeping on top of yearly rosters, and it started with NHLPA 93 even if it meant that official team logos had to be axed from the year before. Stats also played a bigger role in 93, with even the tracking of the crowd's decibel level possible. Saveable line changes brought more strategy than before, although NHLPA 93 was still an intense experience out on the ice.

The game's speed flows, and helped mark hockey as one of the best multiplayer sports on consoles for years to come. Namco took one of its good games, Galaxian, and added the strategic option of allowing ships to be captured, then rescued for a double dose of firepower, danger, and fun. Twenty years later, Galaga is still the best there is in the shooter arena. Galaga was also one of the first games to introduce the idea of a safe, yet frustrating, bonus round in the form of the Challenge Stage.

The fear of getting trapped in a corner by shots, the agony of accidentally shooting your own ship and receiving a measly 1, points as compensation, and the thrill of scoring perfectly on a Challenge Stage have not been tempered by time, and the pull of a Galaga upright is still an undeniable force for any quarters in your pocket. When this game hit the PlayStation in , Konami's Castlevania series was already a well-respected and long-standing franchise. Still, nobody expected the mastery that Symphony of the Night embodied.

Expertly sticking to its 2D roots, this game showed unparalleled artistry in both appearance and sound.