The 20 Best '90s Fighting Games, Ranked

Capcom released the Street Fighter game way back in 1987. But in the few years between the first game to the release of Street Fighter II Turbo, the series was essentially upgraded and updated in every possible way. While Street Fighter 2 was already a classic, the Turbo edition took all of the great elements and made them even greater. By the time this game came out (which honestly wasn't much after the original Street Fighter II was released), there were several new combo moves to use and new characters to play as. Yup, there's a reason Street Fighter II Turbo is still regarded as one of the best games of the entire franchise and is still played competitively to this day.

Tekken 3 is what franchises should look to emulate when making a sequel. This game improved on the original two games in nearly every area, and they weren't even bad! Combat was refined by limiting jump heights and creating new maneuvers. Successfully executing a 10-hit combo felt like more of an accomplishment in this game, and as a result, it felt more rewarding. This game wasn't just a button masher like so many other fighting games at the time; it required a high level of skill.

If there's a competitor that can match Street Fighter in terms of sheer popularity, it's Mortal Kombat. While the first MK release was worthy in its own right, it was Mortal Kombat II that essentially started the legacy. The game's hyper-realistic graphics and over-the-top gore were so brash and outrageous that there was simply no way it wouldn't become an instant hit. In addition to bringing a new attitude to the fighting arena, the combat mechanics were also upgraded (while still keeping the high level of violence of the first game). This way the game stayed unique but was still able to compete mechanically with other fighters.

Basically the all-star matchup every gamer wished for, X-Men vs Street Fighter was an insanely popular arcade game that was first ported to the Sega Saturn and later released on the PS1 (though the reviews weren't nearly as generous). While the gameplay was similar to the original Street Fighter games, it included a new tag-team format where players could pick characters from different franchises, meaning you could have Wolverine pop in and help Ken out. Featuring 17 playable characters, it offered way more variety than your typical run-of-the-mill fighter. It’s fast, it’s frantic, and the graphics are still surprisingly tight. As one of the greatest and most popular fighters of the time, it’s no wonder it started such a huge movement.

Technically the second Soulcalibur game (the first being Soul Edge, which was released in 1995), Soulcalibur was an arcade game first that was later ported to the Sega Dreamcast. Unlike other fighters at the time, Soulcalibur took advantage of 3D gaming mechanics, which, when coupled with sharp graphics, smooth controls, and an engaging storyline, made for one great fighting game. Soulcalibur basically improved upon the original game in every conceivable way, which definitely helped solidify it as one of the most popular games to ever grace the Dreamcast. It also featured all the same characters (plus a whole lot more), which helped solidify its status as a diverse fighting game.

A classic series outside the States, the King of Fighters franchise is as vast and diverse enough to give Street Fighter a run for its money. King of Fighters '98 was the game that basically took everything that was great about the previous titles and combined it all into one. The roster was huge, the gameplay was fluid, and the graphics — like always — were cartoony and tight.

Although it's the second game in the franchise, this was the Samurai Showdown game that received the most praise. The game improved on the original by giving the player a more diverse moveset to use and making it possible to implement a wide variety of strategies. The mechanics and gameplay are still roughly the same, only this one improves on the original in virtually every possible way. While the series may not be a household name (at least not in the West), Samurai Shodown II is definitely a high point in for retro fighting games.

If it weren't for titles such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct may have gotten a lot more attention. Still, the series has a massive following with gamers often claiming the original as one of their favorite games. Killer Instinct had revolutionary visuals and audio for the time, plus it was brutal enough to give the folks over at Mortal Kombat a run for their money. And in addition to a roster of interesting, unique, and sometimes downright creepy characters, it also had an announcer that went crazy, making Killer Instinct one of the most hyped-up fighting game ever. Sure, the controls could be awkward at times, but the overall aesthetic appeal more than makes up for any in-game issues.

Originally released on the Nat Geo, Fatal Fury is easily one of the most acclaimed fighting franchises of all time, with Fatal Fury 2 being among the best of the bunch. First off, the roster was fairly large for the time period (it featured eight characters from the first game and five newcomers), and each character had their own style of play. Smash Bros fans will recognize Terry Bogard, who can almost be seen as a sort of spin-off of Ken from Street Fighter. Not that that's a bad thing.

Some people prefer realistic fighting games, and then some people prefer Darkstalkers. Unlike traditional fighting games that focus on real-life moves and mechanics, this game is incredibly cartoony —both in graphics and fighting moves. Instead of fighting humans, you fight epic monsters in this brilliant fighting game. Although the game never reached the height of other fighting games such as Street Fighter it still deserves to be played by fighting game fans.

After the massive success of Turtles in Time, Konami decided to try their hand at another TMNT game, this time a straight-up fighting game. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters is your basic fighting game that's made all the better by including all your favorite heroes in a half shell. Sure, it was basically a rip-off of Street Fighter, but as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if you're going to copy a fighting formula, at least copy one that works. As the last Turtles game of the 16-bit era, it's a fun fighter that actually includes a pretty impressive roster. And because it was released at the tail-end of the SNES and Sega's reign, it features decent graphics. Plus, the game was good enough to appeal to both fans of the franchise as well as newcomers, which isn't something very many franchise games can do.

Bloody Roar 2 put a spin on the fighting genre by introducing characters that could turn into vicious beasts. Not only did the beast mode add a new level to the playing field, it also came with a host of new attacks and abilities, making an already in-depth fighting game even better. Bloody Roar 2 takes place roughly five years after the first game and features many of the same characters. The graphics and gameplay are slightly better, making it the definitive version for old-school gamers.

The first entry in the series, Dead or Alive was an extremely popular arcade game that was eventually ported (rather successfully) on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation 1. The fist DoA game featured many new gameplay mechanics that would go on to become staples of the fighting genre. Featuring 10+ characters to choose from, the design and style was heavily inspired by the Virtua Fighter series, although subsequent Dead or Alive games would be more stylized. One of the greatest aspects of the original DoA is just how focused it is as a traditional fighter; there are no weapons, no hidden super moves. Instead, gamers need to execute high-level attacks in order to best their opponent. It's a game where skill trumps everything else, which is partly what made it so popular in the first place..

With so many remakes and remasters these days, it’s easy to forget that the original Virtua Fighter was a hyper-pixelated early '90s game on the Sega Saturn. As one of the first games to take the fight to the 3D realm, Virtua Fighter introduced a whole host of new gameplay mechanics. Keeping the fight inside the ring was a huge deal in Virtua Fighter; if you were able to push your opponent too far off screen, you’d automatically win the round. While the controls mimicked most other games at the time, the game itself was a huge leap forward in terms of technology, and some of that initial genius still shines through.

Primal Rage combined a cool story, unique characters, and fluid gameplay to create one of the great fighting games of the ‘90s. Plus, it's pretty gruesome. The arcade version was insanely popular, and the subsequent ports let gamers beat the living daylights out of giant beasts in the comfort of their own homes. Multiple sequels were planned, though they were never commercially released, which is a shame because the original game still has a dedicated following.

Most fighting games are entirely unrealistic, and for good reason. In real life you wouldn't be able to take a dozen punches without going down unless you were Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali. However, in video games you'll see characters stay standing after getting punched and hacked at by swords dozens of times. That isn't the case in Bushido Blade. Fights are much more realistic and knowing when to attack and when to block is crucial. It's a sword fighting game where you need to avoid getting hit at all costs. Battles can end incredibly quickly if you aren't prepared to parry your opponents attack. This makes the game fun for some, but a little too challenging for others. Still, it's a great game for those that like a challenge, but not for those that want a relaxing experience.

Eternal Champions was a game that had a huge surge of popularity when it was first released. However, it quickly fell into irrelevancy after other franchise-specific titles were released shortly after. It's unfortunate because the story is very interesting and exciting. Essentially, you play as the Eternal Champion who tries to bring balance to the timeline by reliving the great moments of fighters throughout history. The style and gameplay are similar to most '90s-era fighters, but unlike other games, the backdrops and character designs are uncharacteristically bright and vibrant, adding another layer to an already great game.

The ClayFighter games had a lot of problems. The mechanics were faulty a lot of the time, and the graphics weren't the best. However, if you were willing to overlook style and fur sheer outrageousness, they were still a lot of fun. That's because they had a plethora of outlandish and fun characters to play as. ClayFighter is essentially a parody fighting game, so you could have Santa Claus fight Elvis. There were plenty of bizarre matchups, so it was really up to you how much fun you wanted to have with the game.

There was a time, somewhere between the mid-'90s and early-'00s, where monster mashers were everywhere. And while Rampage is easily the most popular, the King of the Monsters franchise are classic games that are often overlooked. While it might've blatantly copied monsters from popular movies like Godzilla, that didn't mean the game wasn't enjoyable. Fights took place in big cities where you could reign down destruction on the city. You could even use buildings as weapons. And instead of ropes, the cities have electric borders to keep the fighters boxed in.

Cloud fighting Tifa fighting Vincent fighting Zack? Yes, please! Hot off the heels of Final Fantasy VII, Ehrgeiz was the RPG fighting game no one asked for — but everyone loved. Pitting your favorite Square characters against each other, the game featured stunning graphics (for the time) and even included some of your favorite players' signature moves. Cloud, for instance, could unleash his Omnislash attack mid-battle. Unlike other fighting games that were traditionally developed as side-scrollers, Ehrgeiz took advantage of a full 3D ring. It also featured an engaging Quest mode, which was essentially a smaller RPG story packed inside a fighting game.