ComScore
gaming

The 48 Best Fighting Games of All Time

ONE37pm editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. You can learn more about that process here.
sf3 mobile
Capcom

Gamers have come a long way since the days of OG fighters such as Karate Champ, Yie Ar Kung-Fu, and The Way of the Exploding Fist. Since the smashing success of Street Fighter II, the fighting game genre has evolved into a mega force. It offers a nice variety of fighters to engage with that incorporates traditional 2D fighters, super-fast-paced anime fighters, methodical 3D fighters, expansive arena fighters, and multi-person platform party brawlers. Fighting games have evolved from their arcade cabinet roots to take over the living room and major FGC tournaments that bring the hype of in-person events to everyone at home via live streams. Thanks to the ongoing fighting game excellence put forward by Capcom, NetherRealm, SNK, Arc System Works, and more, the genre has been given a wealth of classic titles that still get played religiously. Now it's time for us to show all the love in the world to 48 of the greatest fighting games ever made.

RELATED: The 33 Best Fighting Movies of All Time

Best Fighting Games

ss ea6f540a62c92babe0a76185a3b569234c06fd06.1920x1080
Capcom

1. ‘Super Street Fighter II Turbo’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Game Boy Advance, 3DO, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $23.25

2. ‘Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold’

Available on: PS2, PS1, Sega Saturn

Buy Now, $17.60

3. ‘Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, Dreamcast, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $23.25

4. ‘Ultra Street Fighter IV’

Available on: PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $29.96

5. ‘Super Smash Bros. Melee’

Available on: GameCube

Buy Now, $107.99

6. ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’

Available on: Nintendo Switch

Buy Now, $54.20

7. ‘Mortal Kombat II’

Available on: Arcade 1Up, Sega Saturn, 32X, Sega Genesis, SNES, Game Gear, Game Boy

Buy Now, $499.99

8. ‘Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3’

Available on: PS2, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis, SNES

Buy Now, $76.91

9. ‘Mortal Kombat’ (2011)

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360

Buy Now, $34.33

10. ‘Mortal Kombat X’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $11.99

11. ‘Mortal Kombat 11’

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $24.98

12. ‘Soulcalibur’

Available on: Dreamcast

Buy Now, $74.99

13. ‘Soulcalibur II’

Available on: PS2, Xbox, GameCube

Buy Now, $20.98

14. ‘Soulcalibur VI’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $18.79

15. ‘Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes’

Available on: Arcade 1Up, PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast

Buy Now, $599.99

16. ‘Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars’

Available on: Wii

Buy Now, $85.25

17. ‘Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita, PS3, Xbox 360, PC - Steam

Download Now, $24.99

18. ‘Tekken 3’

Available on: PS1

Buy Now, $50

19. ‘Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection'

Available on: PSP

Buy Now, Price Varies

20. ‘Tekken 7’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $21.57

21. ‘Virtua Fighter 2’

Available on: Xbox 360, Sega Saturn

Download Now, $4.99

22. ‘Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution’

Available on: PS2

Buy Now, $23.23

23. ‘Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown’

Available on: PS4

Download Now, $29.99

24. ‘Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R’

Available on: Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Download Now, $14.99

25. ‘Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2’

Available on: PS4, PS3, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $23.40

26. ‘Persona 4 Arena Ultimax’

Available on: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PS3, Xbox 360, PC - Steam

Download Now, $29.99

27. ‘Samurai Shodown V Special’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Download Now, $39.99

28. 'Garou: Mark of the Wolves’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Dreamcast, PC - Steam, iOS, Android

Download Now, $9.99

29. ‘Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001’

Available on: PS2, Xbox, GameCube

Buy Now, $100

30. ‘Dragon Ball FighterZ’

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $59.99

31. ‘Darkstalkers 3'

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS1, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $37.57

32. ‘The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition'

Available on: PS4, PC - Steam

Download Now, $14.99

33. ‘The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Download Now, $14.99

35. ‘The King of Fighters XIII Global Match'

Available on: PS4, Nintendo Switch

Download Now, $19.99

36. ‘Killer Instinct’ (2013)

Available on: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC - Steam, Microsoft Store

Download Now, Free-to-Play

37. ‘Skullgirls 2nd Encore’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Download Now, $24.99

38. ‘BlazBlue: Central Fiction’

Available on: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PS3, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $24.99

39. ‘Dead or Alive 5 Last Round’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC - Steam

Download Now, Free to Play

40. ‘Injustice 2’

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $26.15

41. 'Guilty Gear -Strive-'

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $59.90

42. 'The King of Fighters XV'

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $44.95

43. 'Melty Blood: Type Lumina'

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $49.99

44. 'Them's Fightin' Herds'

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam, Epic Games Store

Buy Now, Price Varies

45. 'Def Jam: Fight for NY'

Available on: PS2, Xbox, GameCube

Buy Now, $282.19

46. 'Samurai Shodown' (2019)

Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC - Steam, Epic Games Store

Buy Now, 49.99

47. 'Street Fighter 6'

Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PC - Steam

Buy Now, $46.99

48. 'Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising'

Available on: PS5, PS4, PC - Steam

Download Now, $49.99
Did you like this article?
Thumbs Up
Liked
Thumbs Down
Disliked