Take to the streets yet again in the newest edition of the gold standard in 2D fighting games. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition features 40 (and five more with DLC) World Warriors to play as in one-on-one battles in Story, Arcade, and local multiplayer and online modes. SFV’s innovation for the series comes in the way of V-Trigger and V-Skills, which give players an easy way to activate a character’s unique and powerful abilities. Those looking for a place to start with the genre will find a great introduction here, and returning brawlers are sure to feel right at home with Street Fighter V. 

Street Fighter V has been around for over five years at this point and has only gotten better with age and updates from Capcom. Since the launch of Champion Edition in early 2020, more characters and mechanics have been added to keep competitive and casual players interested. Recent additions to the cast include past favorites like Dan and Rose, the inclusion of Rival Schools alumni Akira, and the soon-to-be-released look at the future of Street Fighter with the arrival of Luke. That’s all in addition to the V-Shift mechanic. Fighting game fans have plenty to dig into until Capcom announces its next foray into fighting games. 

Few games have as impressive of a roster as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. What started as a series bringing together a handful of colorful Nintendo characters, like Mario, Pikachu, Ness, and Kirby, has transformed into a behemoth cast that includes iconic franchises owned by third-party developers and publishers. These outside additions range from Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud, Minecraft’s Steve, Banjo/Kazooie (originally a Nintendo property now owned by Microsoft), and fighting game faces like Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter. The unprecedented cast is now complete, with Kingdom Hearts’ Sora joining in mid-October, bringing the number of unique fighters to 82.

Everyone is here to brawl it out in a platform fighter for up to eight players simultaneously, with online and offline Smash modes filled with a plethora of memorable stages, music, and items that make matches even more exciting. Smash Bros. Ultimate is a joyous celebration of video games, and it’s hard to deny the magic of pitting Solid Snake up against Mega Man or Link versus Simon Belmont. This game is an exceptionally charming smile factory that’s as fun to play as it is to think about.  | Our review

Arc System Works’ anime-inspired 2D fighter is a downright showstopper visually, and its newest iteration, Guilty Gear –Strive–, makes the gameplay even more accessible for a broader audience. Like its predecessor, Xrd, Strive’s art style incorporates beautiful 3D character models that animate as if they were 2D sprites. The illusion is impressive and sets up the mind-blowing camera sweeps, revealing the characters’ actual dimensions, while still looking stunning at any angle. For those looking for some additional complexity in a fighting game, Guilty Gear has you covered with its suite of air dashes, complicated character mechanics, and its versatile Roman Cancel system. Strive’s most significant improvement for competitive players is the addition of rollback netcode, which provides a smoother, more stable online experience than Arc System Works’ previous online endeavors. Currently, Guilty Gear –Strive– is one of the hottest fighting games around, so if you’re looking to see the latest and greatest, look no further.

Leave it to Arc System Works to make one of the best-looking fighting games around. Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the greatest interpretations of the Dragon Ball anime and manga, utilizing Arc System’s trickery to make 3D models look like 2D sprites. In 3v3 battles, you build your team of Dragon Ball characters to throw fists in fast-paced tag matches. Choose from various Gokus, Vegetas, their Sayian family members, earthborn friends, or even incorporate any of Dragon Ball’s diabolical villains into your team. Matching up against specific characters can trigger special animations like Dramatic Finishes that recreate moments from the anime, like the often-memed Yamcha’s crater death or the father/son Kamehameha used by Gohan to finish off Cell. Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently the top tag fighter in the competitive scene, so its credentials as a fun fighting game are as strong as its interpretation of the legendary Shonen series it’s based on. | Our review

The King of Iron Fist Tournament rages on with the seventh mainline entry in the Tekken series. Tekken 7 continues the tradition of fathers throwing sons into volcanos in its story mode, as well as just being a prime example of a fun 3D fighter. Unlike many of the other games on this list, players have the freedom to move around the arena with three-dimensional movement. They can dodge or attack foes from sides and angles not possible in games like Street Fighter or Guilty Gear. Each limb of a fighter is mapped to a different button, which gives the player control over which side your attacks are coming from.

Tekken’s fights are hard-hitting and dynamic, with each character bringing their own brand of martial arts to the battle. You can choose straightforward characters like Kazuya, who uses strong punches, kicks, and sweeps, or flashier fighters like the Capoeira styling of Eddie Gordo. New to Tekken 7 is a dramatic slowdown effect caused by final hits or near misses from round-ending haymakers. The slowing of the action sounds jarring on paper but adds a ton of excitement and edge-of-your-seat moments to the game. Tekken 7 is easily one of the best entries in the series, if not the best, and demands to be added to your growing collection of fighting games. | Our review

Soulcalibur has always had one big differentiator to other fighting games, and that’s its focus on weaponry. Each fighter wields their preferred armament in battle, which provides a suite of unique moves and strategies. Those swinging a massive blade, like Nightmare or Siegfried, have a far reach and hit exceptionally hard, while combatants wielding nimbler weapons like Taki or Raphael resort to quicker strikes and spry movement. Like its Bandai Namco developed counterpart, Tekken, Soulcalibur VI takes place on a 3D plane, allowing for sidesteps and even freely running around the battlefield.

Are you worried about being lost with Soulcalibur VI’s place in the series lore? That won’t be a problem with this entry, as it serves as both a reboot and sequel to the Soulcalibur franchise. Its Soul Chronicles mode lets players experience each character’s events throughout the history of the series, with updated events regarding the tale of this game. Soul Calibur VI certainly sets itself apart from everything else in the genre, but it’s easily one of the most fun games available now. | Our review

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a gory yet beautiful conclusion to the story arc that began in 2011’s Mortal Kombat. Netherrealm Studios, also known for its Injustice series, sets a high bar for how a AAA fighting game looks and plays. MK11’s crowning achievement is a best-in-class story mode that not only tells a great tale, especially for longtime fans of the series, but is fun to play as well. The story revolves around Kronika, mother of the Elder Gods and keeper of time. She is taking drastic measures to fix an anomaly in the universe’s destiny set forth by the actions of Raiden years ago. The resulting battle between beloved Earthrealm warriors and the forces of Kronika is bombastic and cheesy in all of the best ways. Time travel and alternate timeline shenanigans ensue, leading up to a final battle to control all of time itself.

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate brings everything from the base game and its expansion, Aftermath, into one package. That includes a roster of 37 Kombatants with series mainstays Sub Zero, Scorpion, Johnny Cage, and Shao Kahn, alongside a host of new characters and incredible guests the likes of The Terminator, Rambo, and The Joker. Each character comes with customizable moves and interchangeable costumes elements to further personalize your Kombatants of choice. Those who may be squeamish may want to skip this game, but fighting game fans, in general, should give MK11 a try if you can stomach intense violence. | Our review 

Originally designed as an homage to the playstyle of tag games like Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Skullgirls lets you choose up to three characters to take in a fight. Though you do have the option to go with fewer, resulting in your team or solo member having more health to account for the lack of partners. This flexibility in team size gives players the choice to embrace the complexity of a tag fighter or hone in and master just one character, a unique feature in the current slate of fighting games. Skullgirls’ recent resurgence is partially the result of its implementation of great rollback netcode, a valuable asset since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The game originally consisted of an all-woman cast, each partnered with a parasite that gives them superhuman powers. Eventually, male characters were also added to the roster.

Skullgirls was recently handed off from now-defunct Lab Zero Games to its new conservators at Hidden Variable Studios. And with new management comes a new business model. While Skullgirls 2nd Encore has been available for a number of years, the hand-drawn 2D fighter is jumping to a season character release structure, breathing new life into the game and ensuring we’ll be able to throw down with even more Skullgirls and guys in the future. | Our review

Few games are as fun to watch as Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. With its comic book aesthetics and a roster full of familiar faces from comics, movies, and video games, MVC3 is a joy to experience. You build three-character teams with the likes of Deadpool, Dante, Doctor Doom, Rocket Racoon, Phoenix Wright, Wolverine, Dormammu, Ryu, Zero, and the list goes on and on. Team composition is a crucial skill to learn, as is how to catch your opponents in lengthy combos involving members of your entire team, which can carry you and your victims high into the air. It’s fast, frantic, and exciting. Check out UMvC3 if you want to see the peak of tag-team fighters from the last decade, and test your skills and reflexes against CPU opponents or the online warriors still grinding on the game. | Our review

It’s morphin’ time in this game based on the Power Rangers “Shattered Grid” comic storyline. Fight as or against the forces of an alternate universe threat known as Lord Drakkon (a version of Green/White Ranger Tommy Oliver who chose evil over good) and Rita Repulsa from taking over the Morphing Grid. Matches are fast-paced 3v3 tag clashes where you can perform devastating team attacks, combos, or even call in help from the massive Zords.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is the little fighting game that could. Releasing in early 2019, Battle for the Grid has received constant updates from developer nWay, with new roster additions, voice acting (some actors reprising roles from the show), and stages. As of now, the game features over 25 characters spanning the eras and interactions of Power Rangers. Even Ryu and Chun-Li from Street Fighter have stepped up to become honorary Rangers. Out of almost any game on this list, Battle for the Grid shows how players can lead to a better game and encourage extended support. | Our review