List of fighting games

Last updated

Fighting games are characterized by close combat between two fighters or groups of fighters of comparable strength, often broken into rounds or stocks. If multiple players are involved, players generally fight against each other.

Contents

Note: Games are listed in a "common English title/alternate title – developer" format, where applicable.

General

2D

Fighting games that use 2D sprites. Games tend to emphasize the height of attacks (high, medium or low) and jumping.

2.5D

2.5D fighting games are displayed in full 3D graphics, but the movement and gameplay is based on traditional 2D style games.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

Weapon-based

Adding melee weapons to a fighting game often makes attack range more of a factor, as opponents may wield swords,knife,katana or other kind of weapons of drastically different sizes.

2D

Fighting games that use 2D sprites. Games tend to emphasize the height of attacks (high, medium or low) and jumping.

2.5D

2.5D fighting games are displayed in full 3D graphics, but the movement and gameplay is based on traditional 2D style games.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

Tag team-based

Fighting games that feature tag teams as the core gameplay element. Teams of players may each control a different character, or a single player may control multiple characters but play one at a time. Other fighters feature tag-teaming as an alternate game mode.

2D

Fighting games that use 2D sprites. Games tend to emphasize the height of attacks (high, medium or low) and jumping.

2.5D

2.5D fighting games are displayed in full 3D graphics, but the movement and gameplay is based on traditional 2D style games.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

Platform fighters

While traditional 2D/3D fighting game mechanics are more or less descendants of Street Fighter II , platform fighters tend to blend fighting with elements taken from platform games. A typical match is arranged as a battle royal. Compared to traditional fighting games, attack inputs are simpler and emphasis is put on dynamic maneuvering in the arena, using the level design to get an advantage. Another major gameplay element involves using items, which may randomly spawn anywhere in the arena. Other terms which were used to refer to this sub-genre included "Smash Clones", "Party Brawler", "Party Fighter", and "Arena Fighter" (that is also being used to define another style of 3D fighting game).

2D

Fighting games that use 2D sprites. Games tend to emphasize the height of attacks (high, medium or low) and jumping.

2.5D

2.5D fighting games are displayed in full 3D graphics, but the movement and gameplay is based on traditional 2D style games.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

Arena fighters

Arena Fighters usually focuses on more free-controlling 3D movement and camera that follows the character, unlike other traditional 3D fighting games like the Tekken series that still maintain the side view and side-scrolling orientation to the attacks, also usually put emphasis on offense over defense. Games are often based on popular anime series or other IPs.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

4-way simultaneous fighting

Games in which four players face off at once. Other games may feature 4-way fighting as alternate game modes, but here it's more central to the way the game is usually played.

2D

Fighting games that use 2D sprites. Games tend to emphasize the height of attacks (high, medium or low) and jumping.

2.5D

2.5D fighting games are displayed in full 3D graphics, but the movement and gameplay is based on traditional 2D style games.

3D

3D fighting games add three-dimensional movement. These often emphasize sidestepping.

Sports (combat) subgenres

Sports-based combat (also known as sport-fighters or combat sports games) are games that fall firmly within both the Combat and Sports game genres. Such games are usually based on boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling, and each sport seen as their own separate subgenres. Often the combat is far more realistic than combat in fighting games (though the amount of realism can vary greatly), and many feature real-world athletes and franchises.

Boxing

Boxing games go back farther than any other kind of fighting game, starting with Sega's Heavyweight Champ in 1976, the game often called the first video game to feature hand-to-hand fighting. Fighters wear boxing gloves and fight in rings, and fighters can range from actual professional boxers to aliens to Michael Jackson.

Boxing management

Boxing games where combat is not directly human-controlled in the ring. Instead, a boxer is trained via a resource management game scheme, and bouts are directed via instructions given prior to each round.

Mixed martial arts

While most versus fighting games could be considered mixed martial arts games, listed here are games that are based on actual MMA franchises or tournaments.

Kickboxing

Wrestling

Wrestling games are either based on or have elements of wrestling, such as professional wrestling, grappling, or the wrestling ring itself.

Wrestling video games based on WWE/WWF properties.

Ball/Disc sports

Games involving flying objects that can include balls and discs, where the players can only interact with each other through the object, and may or may not include goalposts.

By theme

Anime-based fighting games

Games based on popular anime series and 3D variants often feature cell shading. "Anime fighters" also usually have very fast-paced action and put emphasis on offense over defense. Another common feature is that they typically have fighting systems built around doing long combos of dozens of attacks. But overall they appear in a variety of fighting game sub-genres.

2D

2.5D

3D

Crossover

Fighting games featuring characters from more than one franchise. Typically, these consist of characters across multiple game and/or comic franchises. Others are initially singular franchises featuring guest characters, often via DLC.

Eroge

Fighting eroge (erotic games). Fighting games with pornographic elements.

Mech

Fighters with a mecha or robot theme.

Monster/Kaiju

These games feature monsters as playable characters, usually set in destructible city environments.

RPG

Fighting games with RPG elements, like character building or variable storylines.

Super deformed

Super deformed refers to a popular type of Japanese caricature where the subject is made to have exaggerated toddler-like features, such as an oversized head and short chubby limbs. Their movements and expressions while super deformed also tend to be exaggerated.

Music

Fighting Games with Music elements.

See also

Related Research Articles

Dream Factory Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1995, based out of Tokyo. They are best known for developing fighting and beat 'em up games, such as the Tobal No. 1 fighting game series and the high-profile PlayStation 2 launch title The Bouncer, both developed under Square Co. The company's chairman, Seiichi Ishii, is an industry veteran who served as an early designer and director for two fighting game franchises: Virtua Fighter and Tekken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CyberConnect2</span> Japanese video game developer

CyberConnect2 Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game development studio mostly known for its work on the .hack series, along with a series of fighting games based on the Naruto franchise. They are also known for creating the Little Tail Bronx series. In 2016, they expanded their workforce into the international market by opening a studio in Montreal, Canada.

<i>Naruto: Ultimate Ninja</i> Video game franchise

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, known in Japan as the Naruto: Narutimate Series, is a series of fighting video games, based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. It was developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai and later Bandai Namco Games. The first game was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, and was followed by four more titles for the system, as well as five spinoffs for the PlayStation Portable. A follow-up for the PlayStation 3, titled Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, was the first to feature three-dimensional battles, and began the long-running Storm sub-series. While starting out as a series exclusive to the PlayStation family of systems, the series has also been present on Xbox and PC platforms since the release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the Xbox 360 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst for Windows, respectively. Latest releases were also ported to the Nintendo Switch. The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series sold over 20 million copies worldwide as of December 2019.

<i>Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm</i> 2008 video game

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, known in Japan as Naruto: Narutimate Storm is the first installment of the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, it is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) across North America, Europe and Australia in November 2008 and in Japan on January 15, 2009. It is based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, and the first installment of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series on the PS3.

<i>Naruto: The Broken Bond</i> 2008 video game

Naruto: The Broken Bond is an action adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for the Xbox 360. It was released worldwide in November 2008. It is a sequel to the 2007 game Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and is the second and final Naruto game to be published by Ubisoft before their rights to the IP expired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lars Alexandersson</span> Fictional character in the Tekken series

Lars Alexandersson is a character from the Tekken fighting game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment. First introduced in the 2008 arcade game update Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, he serves as the main protagonist of the Tekken 6 story mode.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2</i> 2010 video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, known in Japan as Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Storm 2 is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2. It is the second installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, and the sequel to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm published by Namco Bandai Games. It is based on the anime and manga series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, and was released in late-2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As a sequel to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the story and cast are based on their Part II manga appearances, known in the anime as Naruto Shippuden. The game mainly stars title character Naruto Uzumaki, a teenage ninja, and his fights against the Akatsuki terrorist organization.

<i>Tekken X Street Fighter</i> Video game

Tekken X Street Fighter was a planned crossover fighting game that was being developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was supposed to cross the universes of Namco's Tekken and Capcom's Street Fighter into one game, creating a roster from both franchises. The game was announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International by Bandai Namco producer Katsuhiro Harada. The gameplay of Tekken X Street Fighter was going to feature the same 3D fighting game engine of the Tekken franchise, as opposed to Street Fighter X Tekken, which features the 2D-style gameplay of Street Fighter IV. Bandai Namco put the game's development on hold in 2016.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations</i> 2012 video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, known in Japan as Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Storm Generations is the third installment of the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, is a video game in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja fighting game series, developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is based on the Naruto manga series by Masashi Kishimoto. First revealed in June 2011, it was first released in Japan on February 23, 2012, on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and on March 13 in North America, in Europe on March 30 and Australia on March 29, 2012.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3</i> 2013 video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, known in Japan as Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Storm 3, the fourth installment of the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2 as part of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja video-game series based on Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga. It was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Namco Bandai Games in March 2013 in North America and in Europe, and in April 2013 in Japan.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution</i> 2014 video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, known in Japan as Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Storm Revolution, is a fighting video game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Games as part of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja video game series, based on the manga Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. The game was released in September 2014 in Japan, North America, and Europe for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4</i> 2016 video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, known in Japan as Naruto Shippūden: Narutimate Storm 4, is a fighting game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows in February 2016. It is the sixth installment and the final main installment of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series inspired by Masashi Kishimoto's manga Naruto, and the sequel to the 2013 game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst. It was also the first Naruto video games released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

<i>Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing</i> 2016 mobile video game

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing, known as Naruto Shippūden Narutimate Blazing in Japan, was the first mobile platform game in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja game series published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was a turn-based action role-playing game, and it was available on iOS and Android. The game had a Japanese and English versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madara Uchiha</span> Fictional character from Naruto Series

Madara Uchiha is a manga and anime character in the Naruto series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He appears for the first time in "Part II" of the manga and the Shippuden anime adaptation, and serves as the supreme antagonist of the series. He, along with its first Hokage Hashirama Senju, is one of the co-founders of Konohagakure village from the ninja world. Their power conflict over how to run the village, as well as the long-time feud between clans, leads to Madara deciding that humanity is beyond saving, and seeks to cast a genjutsu on the entire planet that will eventually annihilate humanity and turn them into numerous variants of White Zetsu, with him the sole survivor. This leads to his defection and apparent death in a battle with Hashirama; however, it is revealed later that Madara secretly survived well into elderhood, and manipulates main antagonist Obito Uchiha into laying the key for his future plans before his true death. During most of the series, Madara serves simply as a posthumous background figure while Obito uses Madara's name to create aura around himself. This changes when Kabuto Yakushi reanimates the real Madara, who eventually defies Obito and becomes the primary threat for the remainder of the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiroshi Matsuyama</span> Japanese game designer

Hiroshi Matsuyama, born in November 23, 1970 in Fukuoka, is a Japanese game designer. He is the CEO of the company CyberConnect2. He developed multiple games including the .hack franchise as well as adaptations of the anime series including Naruto and Dragon Ball. Besides developing games, Matsuyama has participated in directing two .hack films as well as voicing a character from the series.

ILCA is a video game development company based in Tokyo, Japan. The studio is most known for developing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021) and One Piece Odyssey (2023). The company also has offices based in Nagoya and Kyoto.

References

  1. "The King of Fighters '94". IGN . Retrieved 2 February 2024.