The Best Fighting Games: These series are Down-Right-Fierce!

It’s looking like 2008 is the year that fighting games make their big comeback from a small niche genre to a formidable mainstream presence. Everyone has at least one fighting game in their home library, but it’s been far too long since there have been titles worthy of excitement. Dust off your arcade stick and let’s explore my top three series that have kept the love alive in arcade-style fighting games…

I’m not a fan of 3D fighters, myself. In fact, stick me in front of any Virtua Fighter and I turn into Rain Man. However, one series whose place in video game history even I can’t deny is Soul Calibur. With its beautifully designed characters and solid, easily accessible gameplay, it’s no wonder why each installment effortlessly draws industry-wide anticipation before its release. Now, with the original Soul Calibur becoming available for download via Xbox LIVE Arcade, a new generation of gamers can see how it stands the test of time, nearly 10 years later.

When people think of crazy 2D fighters, Capcom’s “Versus” series often comes to mind. With its high-speed combos, aerial raves, and flashy super moves, it’s undoubtedly fun. However, it was the Guilty Gear series that took all of those things and got it right.

What also sets these games apart is Arc Systems’ bold step into using character animations far superior to their competitors. While Capcom and SNK continued to reuse 10 year-old character sprites, Arc Systems set out to produce a truly “next-generation” product, sporting higher-resolution sprites moving at smoother frame rates.

Saving the best for last, Street Fighter continues to set the standards by which all others shall be judged. In 1991, Street Fighter II flooded arcades and became one of the most demanded games to be ported to home consoles. Though it’s spawned many spin-offs and imitators since, it’s the core series that gives the brand staying power.

Later this year we’ll see two new additions to the series. First up is the fully revamped port of Street Fighter II’s ultimate incarnation: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Laugh all you like at the never-ending title extensions, but “Super-Turbo” has been a staple in fighting game tournaments for nearly 15 years. That’s an achievement that no other fighting game can boast. This new edition lives up to its reputation, as Capcom is not only working with seasoned pros to give it the proper treatment of gameplay tweaks, but the entire project is being overseen by recurring tournament champion and professional game designer David Sirlin.

Already burning up Japanese arcades is Street Fighter IV, marking the return of the original 12 world warriors along with a few new challengers. This chapter properly introduces the series into the 3rd dimension (the EX series doesn’t count!) and utilizes a more offense-based attitude in the hopes of making the game more approachable to novice players.

Whether you’re new to fighting games or are a button-mashing veteran, one of the best ways to connect with the fighting game scene is over at Shoryuken.com. There you’ll find detailed strategy discussion as well as a matching service to connect you with local world warriors.