Best Fighting Games of All Time

Most major franchises regularly release new titles that push the genre forward. However, there are some titles which outlast the others. The best fighting games of all time aren’t just the most relevant today. They’re the games which have stuck around.

The best fighting game of all time is tricky to pinpoint, but there are some major titles which have had a huge influence on the genre. These are some picks for the best fighting games of all time and the most influential titles out of each best fighting game series.

Best Fighting Games of All Time

10. Dragon Ball FighterZ

FighterZ is a more recent game, but it has earned its place as one of the best fighting games of all time. It’s a fighter that manages to feel close to its anime source material, but still be an effective competitive-level game. It’s three v three battles and tight controls have made it an instant hit.

The FighterZ roster is pretty varied, and their movesets make for entertaining fights. There are the big Ki-based attacks, but at its core, there’s still room for combos of up-close fighting moves.

9. King of Fighters 2002

King of Fighters is one of the top fighting game series that has had the most instalments, 2002 Unlimited Match is a standout though. This game included every character from past King of Fighters games for one of the ultimate rosters in this series. Similar to the Smash Ultimate character approach, everyone was here. The gameplay went back to three-on-three battles. It’s the culmination of everything KoF was until this point.

8. Guilty Gear Xrd

The Guilty Gear series has a few standout games, including the most recent Guilty Gear Strive. However, Xrd is one of the best fighting games of all time. Xrd has great mechanics which includes plenty of the trademark complex mechanics made for the series. It’s also capable of being played much easier than some others in the series though, you can jump right in. It’s one of the best anime fighting games too.

Guilty Gear Xrd’s balance between the competitive high-level mechanics and being accessible has made it a contender for the best fighting games of all time.

7. Smash Ultimate

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the most recent in the series, but it has done a lot which might make it the best to some players. Smash Ultimate has a roster of characters which is unlikely to get matched in any Smash title in the future. It’s one of the biggest crossovers in gaming as a whole, and definitely the highlight for Switch fighting games.

On a gameplay level, Smash Ultimate manages to elevate the casual fighter. You’re able to play on a high level if you can master Smash Bros combos. It’s perfect for competitive fighting, and playing on a normal level.

6. Soulcalibur

The Soulcalibur series is a unique approach to fighting games. Rather than relying on hand-to-hand combat like most others, it instead uses melee weapons like swords!

Soulcalibur is the first title in the series, best known for its release on the Dreamcast. The eight-directional movement and more accessible approach to fundamentals like combos has made it a fan favorite. It’s definitely the best fighting game of all time on Dreamcast, and it’s up there across platforms.

5. Tekken 7

Tekken 7 is the most recent in the series, but there are some good reasons to think it might be the best. It has one of the best Tekken rosters, a much-improved Rage system, and a more dynamic approach to fighting. Tekken 7 is going to be hard to beat when we see the next game in the franchise, it’s even climaxed some of the longer running plotlines in the series.

4. Street Fighter III: Third Strike

The third Street Fighter game is definitely up as one of the best in the series and it has a decent claim to being the best fighting game of all time. It takes a bit of a different approach to SF and II. It improved on a number of its core mechanics. Parrying was a new addition here which opened up the entire fighting game genre. Inventing one of the key mechanics for most competitive fighting games definitely gets it a slot as one of the best fighting games. Although, even the best Street Fighter game is difficult to pick, so really quite a few in this series could be here too.

3. Mortal Kombat II

The second Mortal Kombat game is one of the best fighting games of all time. It keeps the over-the-top violence of the first game. However, there’s now a lot more going on than just brutality. There are more fun mechanics and a tighter feel for the combat. Mortal Kombat II has been on loads of platforms, but it’s best known for being on the arcades.

2. Smash Bros Melee

Super Smash Bros Melee has a complicated legacy as part of the series, but it’s definitely one of the best fighting games of all time. The title might have been intended to be a competitive-level fighter, but it’s become the definitive Smash fighting game esport.

Super Smash Bros Melee has been elevated by one of the most devoted fanbases in gaming. They’ve found tons of hidden mechanics which have helped make a casual fighter one with a high skill ceiling. Even in 2023, decades after release, new characters are rising up the meta and opening the new game up.

1. Street Fighter II Turbo

There are tons of Street Fighter games which could be competitors for the best fighting game, but Street Fighter II might be the most influential. It’s still played regularly at events like EVO. It’s also responsible for adding new combo forms which have become a standard in fighting games.

Even some of the most recognisable Street Fighter characters originate in this game. Pretty much the entire franchise takes something from Street Fighter II. A lot of the modern fighting game genre started here.

Those are some picks for the best fighting game of all time. This is going to be a bit subjective though. Everyone has a personal favorite. These titles are all games which have had an outsized impact in the space though. They’ve become touchstones for the genre, beyond just being a single good game.