Top Ten Fighting Games And Beat-Em-Ups:

Top Ten Fighting Games And Beat-Em-Ups:

Final Fight is probably the first beat-em-up game I remember playing in the arcade. It was just so cool. Waves of punks coming after Haggar and Cody and they just beat the crap out of them with wrestling moves and karate. It didn't make much sense, but it was so cool. The continue screen with the dynamite was so dramatic that it still sticks in my mind as one of the greatest continue screens of all time.

Next up is probably Street Fighter II. It combined everything that was awesome about karate movies and action movies, then made it into an international fighting tournament. Each fight was different, and the fighters had such personality and cool moves that I always enjoyed seeing how each fight would play out, even if it was just me holding forward and heavy punch, it all just looked so badass and became a cultural phenomenon.

After that, I'd have to say X-Men the Arcade Game was top-tier. It was like playing a version of the 90s cartoon. Nobody cared that the characters were actually from the 1989 pilot episode. It was enough to trash sentinels and then stomp on them, and use your mutant power to clear the screen. The mutant powers always felt so impactful and powerful, especially if you were low on health, and cleared the screen to save the day.

Number 6 is a tough call, but I think I'm gonna have to give it to Peacekeepers on SNES. It's cool for the same reasons X-Men Arcade was cool, except ramped up to 10. So, there's a superhero team, and they're taking on monsters and mutants with karate moves and huge wrestling slams. Even bigger if they're in “Angry Mode” and they just launch the bad guys. Plus, each character has their own attacks, special attacks, and super special attacks, so it's all really satisfying to keep beating on baddies, which is important because that's all you do in beat-em-ups.

This one probably a little more obscure: Saturday Night Slam Masters for SNES. It was a wrestling game that combined wrestling with beat-em-up mechanics, instead of the total clickfests that most wrestling games were at the time. The grapple system was still a clickfest, but they were on their way out. Cool special moves, tournament fighter-style and a memorable cast meant that I could keep playing. It probably started my love of wrestling games.

Number 4! Oh well, that's gotta go to Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. I can still play this game and enjoy it. Plus, it introduced some of my favorite characters like Cammy and Fei Long! It blew my mind that they just put the boss characters in there. It's like they said forget it. Just put everything that made Street Fighter cool into one game. And the world is better for it.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was the same next-level kind of insanity. Only now they let two characters tag-team together and unleash all kinds of crazy special moves, assist attacks, and hyper combos with a few easy button presses. This game was always pure eye candy. Did it make sense that little Mega Man could body slam Captain America? No, but it was so cool nobody cared. It was worth it to see them all on the screen together.

Oh, gosh. What's at Number 2? Super Street Fighter 4! I love that on the touch-screen version they let the player unleash super moves and super combos with a simple poke! Sure, it was the same animations over and over, but it meant there was a level playing field and wasn't a combo and clickfest. Plus, it still has most of my favorite characters like Cammy and added Juri Han! I can always still pick up and play this one.

Number 1 is BlazBlue: Continuum Shift! A great cast of colorful characters, big colorful attacks, and a complex, crazy anime-style narrative make this game my favorite. They put a lot into this game, including story modes, tournament modes, and branching visual novel-style presentation. This many ways to play plus such cool moves for each character means I never get bored of it!

Bonus: Lastly, the perfect way to end the 90s fighting game craze! In 1999, there was Tekken Tag Tournament. The inputs were easier, the characters were cool (You could play as a dinosaur!), it was easier to do combos, they let them tag between each other, each with their own crazy moves. Plus, they even added an unlockable bowling mode, which automatically makes it my favorite. How many other fighting games have a bowling mode?

Dual Blades (2002):

Dual Blades (2002):

Dual Blades (2002):

"Dual Blades is a fighting video game published by Metro3D, Inc. for the Game Boy Advance. It is a fighting game with single player and player versus player modes. It features a "power combining system" which was very new for the genre at that time. This system allows players to create their own fighting style.”

Fighters throughout time come to fight for the Dual Blades, a weapon that will grant immortality. First off, despite the power combining system, you pretty much just have light attack (thrust) and heavy attack. (Slash.) So, it all comes down to your weapon and character, as this is a weapon-based fighting game. My favorite character so far is Shin, the feudal Japanese magician who uses a spear. He gets an ending where he challenges the best fighters throughout time again, essentially just relaunching the tournament.

Others include Brandon an American vagabond with a sword, Efe, an Ottoman warrior with a scimitar, a female ninja named Kunonichi, a beastman, a sorcerer, a Russian witch, and the last boss who is unplayable. He's an immortal Roman named Alpe Ren, who can move super fast and switch instantly between “weapon mode” and “armor mode”. The only thing comparable that you as a player can do is choose between a defensive or offensive fighting style before the fight.

For a Game Boy Advance title, it does some advanced things for the time in 2002. I don't really think there's much reason to go back to it. It is super violent, which is unusual for even a weapon-based fighting game back then. But, even watching characters get sliced in half as the final heavy attack lands gets boring after a while. There are updated modern versions and sequels on Steam, but the original is pretty one-note (i.e. the power-combining system.) and stale by now.

My favorite ending to the game though, is Duke the English knight's ending, who uses the Dual Blades to umm...stop the Viking invasions of England? It's an interesting idea. It's ultimately how I feel about Dual Blades. It's an interesting idea. But, it doesn't really follow through, even though it could've completely changed things.

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (1993 Sega Genesis):

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (1993 Sega Genesis):

“The Mega Drive/Genesis version, titled Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition and released as Street Fighter II Dash Plus (stylized as Street Fighter II′ Plus) in Japan, was released on September 27, 1993 in North America, September 28, 1993 in Japan, and October 29, 1993 in Europe. It is the first of two Street Fighter II versions for the console and is in a 24 megabit cartridge. A six-button control pad was made primarily for it.” -Wikipedia

Ok, so, the classic experience of Street Fighter II for me was always on the Super Nintendo. I wanted to try something different. So, I went for Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition on Sega Genesis. Well, right off the bat, you can tell things are compressed down. The graphics are a bit smaller. The sound palette is a bit more “farty”. I mean, you'll get blips and squeals where some music and sound effects cut out.

Other than that, the name of the game here is speed. Just like in Street Fighter II Turbo, it introduces a speed mechanic which can be toggled up or down in the main menu. It's called hyper here, instead of turbo. I ran a basic E. Honda play-through, because his moves are easy for me to do. Anyone can press punch fast. It was ok, other than the farty sound palette.

This was right before my favorite game in the series. Just a year later, Street Fighter II: The New Challengers would release. In Champion Edition, you do get to play as the 4 bosses. Sagat, Balrog, Vega, and M. Bison are all available. They didn't introduce Cammy, T. Hawk, Deejay, or Fei Long until 1994.

Overall, they're some good ideas were here. I just prefer the Super Nintendo experience. Although, I get that they were going mostly for speed. The playable bosses are nice. But, knowing that The New Challengers would include both them and new fighters makes the game feel a little limited. I'll bet it was good for its time. In my opinion, you can probably skip this one and play either Street Fighter II Turbo or Street Fighter II: The New Challengers.

What Is A Visual Novel?

What Is A Visual Novel?:

“As a genre, "visual novel" is not defined by a mechanic or an aesthetic, but rather a distinctive presentation: VNs focus on presenting a text-based story using click-through text boxes, accompanied with static character graphics, and usually feature little to no actual gameplay.”– TVTropes.com

What is a visual novel? I guess the best way to describe a visual novel is like a virtual book that you read and occasionally make choices in that effect the story. But, then things get a little more specific. For example, many fighting games have “story modes”, which have larger plots connected to each character through a series of fights. Also, many role-playing games have story elements.

The main difference is that a visual novel is told mostly through text like a book instead of graphics. There can be graphics, but the story isn't told through the graphics, necessarily. But, then it gets even more complicated when you mix genres like fighting game-visual novels. The story is mostly text, and player decisions effect the plot, with an added fighting game mechanic.

This difference between “story mode” in most fighting games vs. fighting game-visual novels is mostly about how player decisions effect the plot. For example, if you lose fights in a traditional fighting game, you can't progress. The fights are the main game. In fighting game visual novels, losing a fight would effect the outcome, but the story text would continue. The text is the main mechanic, not the fight.

Then, you have kinetic novels, where there is no game at all. No choices are made by the player. It's a book in videogame format. You read it. There are no multiple endings, and there are no side mechanics. I don't really play visual novels that don't have gameplay. I like to make choices.

I just wanted to make this post because I've been posting about visual novels. And I realize that not everyone knows what they are. My favorites are Katawa Shoujo and short comedies like Leave Mr. Bear Alone. But, even some games like Blazblue, a story-heavy fighting game, have visual novel modes that are pretty fun. Like books, they can be any genre, not just dating games. If you have time today, look for a visual novel on Steam. You'll find something you like!

Here Comes a New Challenger (2023):

Here Comes a New Challenger (2023):

“The origins of the gaming phenomena that is Street Fighter II and how it impacted the lives of kids worldwide. It explores not just the aspect of the series, but what made it special to players that played at the comfort of their own home.”

I'm a big Street Fighter fan. So, if you have about an hour, you should watch this documentary on the unprecedented success of Street Fighter II. They interview game designers, and take you through Street Fighter I's game's movie inspirations that are mostly Bruce Lee's “Enter The Dragon”, and Sonny Chiba's “The Street Fighter”. Street Fighter had the basic ideas of Street Fighter II, but with wacky controls, bad hit detection, and limited characters. (1 player had to be Ryu. 1 player could be Ken, but only if he joined to fight Ryu.)

By 1991, Street Fighter II did everything bigger and better. 8 characters, 4 bosses, each with their own fighting styles. The 2-Player vs. mode revived a stagnant arcade industry, and made it ripe for in-home videogame consoles. It took off in a way Street Fighter never did. The meat of the documentary I think, is going through the old character designs (They knew they wanted an international fighting tournament, but who would represent each country?) and music decisions.

There's an interview with the game's composer Yoko Shimomura who confesses that for some countries she had no idea what music should sound like. She'd been to Spain, and was a big fan of American rock, so those countries were no problem. (And from that, we got the iconic Guile Theme for the USA stage.) But, for a country like Brazil...she didn't have a clue. In the documentary, she says she was taking the train home one day, and just filled in the train sounds with jungle drums, which became the iconic Brazil theme music for Blanka, the Brazilian fighter.

After the music, we finally get to explore fighting game tournament culture, a staple of Street Fighter II and all that came after. Championship Editions were released, along with re-makes and new characters like Cammy from England, and T. Hawk from Mexico in 1994's aptly named Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. Some versions like Street Fighter II Turbo added increased speed and really made use of the “combo” system, where players could hit more than once, and string attacks together; which became a classic feature.

But, it's not all just classics. There's a lot in the documentary about the cheesy merchandise that Street Fighter II brought with it. Of course, anything that gets big gets toys. I didn't really like this part of the documentary. If you're a fan, you know some of the toys and games (Even a boardgame!) were cheap cash grabs. Of course they were. It feels like...the director mocking toys and games that fans probably loved at the time. Yes, even the Street Fighter movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme. It felt a little out of place to praise Street Fighter II and then say “But, look at how stupid this stuff for kids was.” We know. We were those kids.

The documentary ends with Street Fighter II spin-offs and its influence on later games like Mortal Kombat, and Killer Instinct, up to Street Fighter EX and the anime-style Street Fighter Alpha series beginning in 1996. If you have an hour or so to kill (Ha!), give it a watch. It's really cool to see how Street Fighter went from one clunky arcade game, to its sequel becoming a cultural stable of the 90s, and an inspiration for the genre for years to come. Check it out!

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (2009)

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (2009):

“An anime OVA based on the Street Fighter IV videogame.”

OVA means Original Video Animation. In this case, this was an OVA intended solely to promote the then-impending release of Street Fighter IV in 2010. It introduces new characters like Sakura, Juri, Crimson Viper, and Seth. It also introduces the new villain organization S.I.N. Let's get right into it!

Right off the bat, Cammy and her team are investigating a burst of power from South America, eventually calling in Guile and Chun Li. But, their investigation leads them to S.I.N. Chun Li is on to Juri. S.I.N. is who's investigating Ryu's power, the “murderous intent”. (Satsui no Hado.)

Meanwhile, back in the US, Crimson Viper is a CIA agent trying to track down Ryu through Ken Masters. She tracks him down, gets Ryu's location, and fights him in Japan, trying to get him to unleash his full power, just like Seth. Crimson Viper fights Cammy off, and Sakura (The Ryu fangirl.) shows up to cry, and convince Ryu not to turn evil.

Ryu surrenders himself to the CIA, who turns him into S.I.N. He and Seth (And Ken!) fight. It's a pretty straightforward OVA. It basically establishes who's fighting for Good vs. Evil. Plus, it shows that the then-new characters could kick some of the old characters' butts. It's just enough to make you want to play Street Fighter 4. It's only about 64 minutes long. Give it a watch if you're a Street Fighter fan like me.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (2018):

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (2018):

“BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a 2D crossover fighting game developed and published by Arc System Works, first released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Windows in 2018. Cross Tag Battle features characters from different series, including BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth and RWBY.”

Well, it's BlazBlue with some extra characters, and tag team mechanics! I liked it. It has some characters I didn't know about like from the Under Night In-Birth series. (But, I get that they are monster-themed characters.) Honestly, it's worth it just for the novelty of seeing characters from Persona 4 like Chie fight Ragna The Bloodedge or Ruby Rose from RWBY.

The attacks and combos are insane, as usual with BlazBlue. Plus each character has a “clash” button, that automatically performs a small tag team combo. I thought that was nice. It sets up some nice juggling. Battles are 2-on-2. You can tag another fighter when one is low on health. Or set up tag attacks! There are some “secret” characters too, like Neo Politan from RWBY, or the Blitztank from Akatsuki Blitzkampf.

Apart from single player 2-on-2 battles, each franchise in the game (BlazBlue, Persona 4, Under Night In-Birth.) has its own story mode (visual novel.) to complete. Or you can complete the full story mode where every franchise is summoned by BlazBlue, and they all have to find magic stones to return to their franchise homeworld...by engaging in 2-on-2 tag team battles, of course.

Some of my favorite characters in this game are Ahkiko from Persona 4 and Yang Xiao Long from RWBY. Both boxing types, and good for quick combos. Plus, anyone can release special attacks when you fill your character's “Cross Burst” Meter. Those are always neat. Overall, I'd say check it out on Steam.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (2009):

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (2009):

“A few days have passed since the reported raid by Ragna the Bloodedge, The 13th Hierarchical City Kagutsuchi forgets to celebrate New Years, as his alleged involvement in the Mysterious Bombing and "Huge Pentacle Sightings" becomes the talk of the town. With the NOL offering no official explanation, the citizens voice their own theories, exaggerating and spreading rumors like wildfire. Completely indifferent to the state of the city, Ragna grips his massive sword and quietly bides his time—waiting for the chance to achieve his true objective, and then, the enormous power that has ensnared Ragna begins to activate...”

A Fighting Game/visual novel. Colorful characters, attacks, and sometimes waifus. One is a squirrel, and there's a couple cats, a couple robots, a vampire, and one character (Arakune) is a bag full of bees. The main character is a spiky-haired edgelord with a big sword who swears sometimes. There's a backstory about Magic Weapons and time travel, but it's not important. The last boss is Michael Jackson with demon powers, basically. Honestly, if it weren't also a fighting game, I'd say it made no sense. It still makes no sense, but at least it's cool to see. Actually, the visual novel aspect is pretty forgettable, for as complex as it wants to be. But, it's still a cool fighting game. I'd recommend it. Check it out.

Street Fighter: The Movie (1994):

Street Fighter: The Movie (1994):

If you know me, you know I love Street Fighter. I'm not here to talk about what makes the movie bad. There are plenty of articles on that. Plus, it still gave us Kylie Minogue as Cammy. Belgian action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme as the All-American Captain Guile at least works as a comedy. No, I'm going to be nice to the movie, (Merry Christmas!) and talk about the one thing that works about it: Raul Julia as M. Bison.

For a man dying of cancer at he was filming, it's amazing to me how he plays this role with such megalomania and exuberance. He gave us such classic lines such as: “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But, for me, it was Tuesday.” (To Chun Li.) He even says he'll replace God and has grand delusions of world domination through a mutant army, in an underground base. It's impossible not to be sucked in by this villainous dictator's charm and melodramatic proclamations.

I feel like he was the one actor who understood that the movie is a comedy. It's an action-comedy, of course. But, ultimately, at the time, videogame movies were still thought of as for kids. And that's who Raul Julia was doing it for! (Specifically, his kids.) So, even though Guile has weird lines, and almost nothing else about the movie works, we still have Raul Julia playing Bison as a madman fully aware that he's in a videogame! That alone should bring anyone joy. Give it a watch as a comedy, and see if it makes you smile!

So what's your favorite M. Bison line? I think mine is the "it was Tuesday." line. That was just great. But, he has such gravitas, every line is great. Let me know your favorite Street Fighter line in the comments. It's not a good movie, but it's not bad as a comedy. Merry Christmas, everyone.