Riaku And His Elite Four: Fighters

[ABMorales787]

Fighting games are my favorite kind. I grew up on them. So in the hopes of making a new series, I've decided to make a list of my 4 top picks and why. Feel free to comment or select your own Elite Four. yes, I knocked that out of Pokemon. Sue me.

#4) Mortal Kombat Trilogy

In my eyes it is the best MK game ever made. It has everything to ever appear in the 2D games. Every character, stage and finishing move. It has also everything from the previous games polished. The graphics are nice and clean. The stages don't look as pixelated. There is even interaction with them. Evident when you play Smoke on the Bridge stage and the wind blows the clouds away. Of course the gameplay here is whats most important. The arcade mode may be tough as hell, but it s always an entertaining ride.

#3) Soul Calibur 2

Easily the greatest weapons based fighter ever. It features a very unique story mode that has you learn every inch of the fighters and their abilities. Not to mention that the ringouts are fun as hell. A varied cast of characters, great stategy-based gameplay and of course Link. If you play on the Gamecube.

#2) Super Smash Bros. Melee

One of the more unique fighters out there for sure. Super Smash Bros. Melee was a launch title for the Nintendo Gamecube and through the duration of the GC's sales, SSBM was always one of the top sellers. I should know, I bought it 3 times. It features the unique aspect of 4 fighting at once and its very unconventional "Make 'Em Fly" fighting mechanic made it hugely popular. It is one console generation ahead of its predecessor and around 5 years ahead as well, so they had plenty of time to fix any flaws from the previous one and add as much as they could. 51 Missions, 3 separate arcade modes and a huge slew of characters, stages and trophies to get made this one very rewarding fighter.

#1) Marvel VS Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes

It was the final chapter (until now) of the Marvel VS Capcom saga. All four games are easily remembered for the feature of Tag Team fighting. Well except the last one. Which featured 3 on 3 instead. Over 60 characters wasn't too bad either. Its visuals were astounding for a 2D game. The combos are standard to any Capcom game, but that's actually a good thing. Even though it doesn't have much replay value it has huge party value. You can spend endless hours kicking your friends asses and it will probably never get old. This game gave arcades life again, even if it was for a brief period, but it did.


Honorable Mentions:

#5) Killer Instict
#6) Flying Dragon (N64)

Any Objections?

 

[Blade]

Yes. One big ass objection. You have absolutely no mention of Street Fighter 2. Now, between the ages of 5 to 15, I was a huge fan of fighting games. They were my favourite genre. I bought a crap load of them. Whenever I was in an arcade, fighting games are the first thing I'd look for. I know fighting games inside and out, and I know that you having no mention of Street Fighter, let alone Street Fighter 2 is a travesty.

Street Fighter 2 was the game that made people take fighting games seriously. Before that, they were just considered shallow and crude. Then Street Fighter came it, introduced strategy, thought and timing into the genre. It wasn't just a mash-fest like all other fighting games had been up to that point.

And it shouldn't be mentioned only for it's quality, but for its influence too. The way this game shaped the world of fighting games is still shown today. The strategy and elaborate special moves put into Soul Calibur, the style of the VS games, Street Fighter 2 is the Super Mario of fighting games. It should possibly be at number 1, let alone in the thing at all.

 

[Kashagi]

Yes. One big ass objection. You have absolutely no mention of Street Fighter 2. Now, between the ages of 5 to 15, I was a huge fan of fighting games. They were my favourite genre. I bought a crap load of them. Whenever I was in an arcade, fighting games are the first thing I'd look for. I know fighting games inside and out, and I know that you having no mention of Street Fighter, let alone Street Fighter 2 is a travesty.

Street Fighter 2 was the game that made people take fighting games seriously. Before that, they were just considered shallow and crude. Then Street Fighter came it, introduced strategy, thought and timing into the genre. It wasn't just a mash-fest like all other fighting games had been up to that point.

And it shouldn't be mentioned only for it's quality, but for its influence too. The way this game shaped the world of fighting games is still shown today. The strategy and elaborate special moves put into Soul Calibur, the style of the VS games, Street Fighter 2 is the Super Mario of fighting games. It should possibly be at number 1, let alone in the thing at all.

This, and if we are talking gameplay strictly, then at least Street Fighter 3 should be on there.

Now I dont know if you are talking about these games in terms of significance or gameplay. But if it was significance I would have something like this.

4) Dont know, certainly not a Mortal Kombat game, a series that has absolutely no significance at all other then being contriversal. Perhaps a game that introduced tag team fighting.

3) First ever fighting game????

2) Tekken - Despite my dislike of this game, when people talk about the first great 3D fighter, it is always Tekken, and I cant argue with that, Tekken set the standard for 3D fighting. (Following up and popularising what the Virtua Fighter series had done)

1) Street Fighter 2 - As has been stated, the Super Mario of fighting games, take a look at Street Fighter 1, it is about as average as you can get. A choice of one fighter, one hard to use special attack that killed the enemy in two hits, generic bad guy after generic bad guy all with the same voice.

So many fighting games were like that, but then Street Fighter 2 came around and is often somehow underrated for its significance. Street Fighter 2 set the bare basics for games such as Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, Tekken etc.

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Now if your talking gameplay, which is a harder list to compile, I would personally have an elite four similar to this (with one game from a series only).

4) Marvel Vs Capcom 2 - Team of three fighters, many possible combinations and therefore many great strategies and possible teams. Granted the game is unbalanced, a team of Storm, Cable and Dr Doom used by a good player will be much harder to beat then a team of Ryu, Guile and Wolverine. But thats all in the fun of figuring out what works best. The gameplay is fast, suprisingly simple and just fun altogether. Iceman needs a major nerf in the xbox live version though.

3) A game of the Soul Caliber series - While I dont have a favourite in the series, and in all honesty dont play the games that much. I have enjoyed what I have played and have not found the game to be too reliant on button mashing or cheap strategies like I have with the Tekken series for example. Granted I HAVE seen some cheapness in this game, I have enjoyed the gameplay, but cannot really name a favourite. Probably 2 personally.

2) Street Fighter 3 - While Street Fighter 2 is the most important fighting game of all time, Street Fighter 3 is a better game, and maybe the best fighting game out there. Personally its number 2 for me but thats not such a bad place. Street Fighter 3 introduced an almost entirely new cast which put some people off. But upon playing the game, these fans mostly found that the gameplay was as refined as ever, taking what Street Fighter 2 had and bringing it up to the next great level. Along with Street Fighter 2 and 4, this game is a must play, and in my opinion the best of the lot.

1) Virtua Fighter 5 - I had a hard time choosing between Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution or Virtua Fighter 5. But here is my choice. Virtua Fighter 5 in my opinion is currently the greatest fighting game to exist. A fighting game that relies more on realistic combat then special moves. While there are some insane moves characters pull off, none of it is impossible to do like a Hadouken. Virtua Fighter is the fairest and possibly hardest fighting series I have seen, often putting off people with its difficulty. There are only about 12 characters in the game, unlike Mortal Kombats monster roster. But every character is a different beast entirely, there are no clones which is something the Super Smash Bros series certainly cant brag about. The closest thing to a clone in the game is two fighters who both use Jeet Kune Do, but even then only their most basic moves are (slightly) similar.

If I had to recommend any fighting game to someone it would be Virtua Fighter 5, while the learning curve is steep, there are some characters that are easier to learn such as Lei Fei or Jackie. At the same time, this game also contains some of the hardest characters to ever master in a game (im looking at you Shun Di, with your drunken kung fu).

While Virtua Fighter 5 is not the most significant game of all time, and in terms of popularity.. Well the Virtua Fighter series has always seemed to have a cult level of popularity. But in terms of gameplay, nothing can come close to it with the exception of Street Fighter 3 in my opinion.

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I hope you can clarify whether you were referring to gameplay or significance on your list.

 

[ABMorales787]

They were my top four picks. The list was about the one's you like the most. I understand that Street Fighter II is what made fighting games, but the sad truth is that I hardly ever played it. I played it a couple of times then it was out, but I didn't own the console. I should probably go download it. Yeah, before I get made into a jobber by Blade.

...certainly not a Mortal Kombat game, a series that has absolutely no significance at all other then being contriversal.

I gotta disagree with you on that. It brought quite a lot of revenue to the arcades. I for one don't believe it was the so called controversial features to it, but the fun of playing it. Mortal Kombat Trilogy was huge for me because we use to play it among 10 people. Switching the controllers back and forth and having a good laugh about how ridiculous the Fatalities looked.

Tekken - Despite my dislike of this game, when people talk about the first great 3D fighter, it is always Tekken, and I cant argue with that, Tekken set the standard for 3D fighting. (Following up and popularising what the Virtua Fighter series had done)

If I were to have added a number seven, Tekken 3 would've been it. It just had something attractive to it. Back then 3D fighters never looked as good. The game had a bunch of hidden characters and ridiculous modes, like bowling and volleyball. It was an awesome game to have around. It had a fun appeal to it.

 

[Kashagi]

They were my top four picks. The list was about the one's you like the most. I understand that Street Fighter II is what made fighting games, but the sad truth is that I hardly ever played it. I played it a couple of times then it was out, but I didn't own the console. I should probably go download it. Yeah, before I get made into a jobber by Blade.



I gotta disagree with you on that. It brought quite a lot of revenue to the arcades. I for one don't believe it was the so called controversial features to it, but the fun of playing it. Mortal Kombat Trilogy was huge for me because we use to play it among 10 people. Switching the controllers back and forth and having a good laugh about how ridiculous the Fatalities looked.



If I were to have added a number seven, Tekken 3 would've been it. It just had something attractive to it. Back then 3D fighters never looked as good. The game had a bunch of hidden characters and ridiculous modes, like bowling and volleyball. It was an awesome game to have around. It had a fun appeal to it.

Well thats cool, I would say the games I listed in terms of gameplay are my favourites personally. Definitely pick up Street Fighter 2 at some point, it simply needs to be played by every fighting game fan. The remix on xbox is fantastic, I like to think I am a rather deadly Fei Long player.

While I dont hate Mortal Kombat, it is a series I have always felt was intensely overrated. Sure it pulled in revenue for arcades, but Street Fighter 2 started that, and is the series that really stayed huge in arcades. I just dont agree with the idea that Mortal Kombat was this great significant fighting game. Sure the deaths were creative but there were games just as violent if not more that came out before the first Mortal Kombat.

With that said, I liked Mortal Kombat 2 and dont mind Trilogy. It isnt a series I really enjoy though. Each to their own however.

Tekken certainly is fun, Tekken 3 was the one I played most and I have been meaning to play the newest one to see if its any good. Just like Mortal Kombat, Tekken feels to me like a series thats kind of just going nowhere. There is sequel after sequel but not enough is changed, and it just doesnt feel that special. That is the main problem I have had with Mortal Kombat for a while, there are so many sequels, and although none of them are terrible, they all just feel like average games.

To be honest the same can be argued with Virtua Fighter, their are the next gen differences between Evolution and 5, the graphics are alot better and the gameplay is slightly faster. But in the end there are I think 2 new characters, a half assed arcade mode and an online function that barely anyone plays. However I just find the difference between Virtua Fighters gameplay and MK or Tekken to be incredible. One has to play Virtua Fighter 5 for some time to understand, button mashing is impossible, it all comes down to perfect timing. Just like Street Fighter does. There was a professional SF player who said something like "When you know every combo off by heart, the game no longer becomes about trying to get the right combos, it becomes a game of chess, trying to outwit your opponent and find the right place at the right time". Virtua Fighter is just like that, though to a higher level.

 

[Blade]

I actually agree that a Mortal Kombat game should be on there. Maybe it is only because it was so controversial that it was so successful, but it did help put fighting games on the map almost as much as Street Fighter. And it brought Fatalities and interactive environments into the world of fighting games, so yes, I do think Mortal Kombat 2 or 3 should be on the list.

But if there's one game that I truly think shouldn't ever be on the list, it's Tekken. The game did absolutely nothing for fighting games. The only reason it sold well was that it was really the only 3D fighting game on the PS1. Sega had Virtua Fighter and Soul Calibur, Nintendo had Smash Bros., Fighter's Destiny and Killer Instinct. The Playstation only had Tekken and an equally average Dead or Alive. Tekken is slow, blocky, boring, rips off the tournament-storyline idea from Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat and did absolutely nothing innovative.

 

[MasterShakeIz4Real]

Nice thread. I too, love fighting games and easily can choose an "Elite Four". You gotta good list yourself first off, the inclusion of SSBM and Killer Instinct as an honorable mention = Damn good. Now onto mine.

4. Guilty Gear XX
A game I originally only got because it was so cheap for Xbox, turned out to be one of my favorite fighting games. From the heavy metal referances to the fighting system itself; which is probably one of the fastest paced fighting systems I've ever seen, Guilty Gear XX is one of the most underrated games ever. My favorite characters are Chipp, Sol, an' Axl. Chipp being the fastest, Axl being most technical, and Sol being the strongest. Not only is the game fun btw, it also has some of the hardest challenges in the history of video games (IMO). Try beating Golden Sol Badguy. It is NOT easy. The story's really confusing, but the gameplay makes up for it.

3. King of Fighters XI
To hell with KOF XII, XI kicked so much ass for a "B- Class fighting game" as some would call it. It had all the best characters, and my favorite, K'. The story gets pretty intense as Iori gets his powers taken from him, and the gameplay modes are a lasting flavor. I still haven't beaten all the challenges and unlocked ALL the characters, but I unlocked favorites like Mai Shiranui and Geese Howard, so I'm content with it. No other KOF has entertained me like this one.

2. Tekken Dark Resurrection
Probably the best Tekken game I've ever played, on PSP at that. Back in 07-08, I used to play this constantly, all the time. It was pretty much the same as Tekken 5, except with new music, new stages, and new combos and moves. The stages weren't all that better, nor was the music but it was still all good. They had win/loss records for your profile and character so that made it funner, and also the inclusion of Ghost Data, where you could fight your friends characters anytime you wished. And the ghost would play JUST like your friend, so it was like fighting someone each time you fought a Ghost, rather then fighting a CPU. So Tekken DR for 2.

1. Capcom VS SNK 2
Favorite Fighting Game Ever. Why? Rock Howard, Terry Bogard, and Ken Masters. The End. The gameplay was great, the modes were great, the arcade modes on the Hardest Difficulty and fighting either Shin Akuma or Ultimate Rugal were the best experiences, because if you can beat them; well, you can beat anyone. Boss Mode was also a perk. Play Arcade mode, except every character is a boss character, Geese Howard, M.Bison, Blood Riot Iori, Evil Ryu, Akuma, Rugal, and finally either Shin Akuma or Ult. Rugal. The memories in this game are also what make the game number 1 for me. If you haven't played this game, you are missing out.

(HONORABLE MENTIONS)

Super Street Fighter IV
MVC2
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
Soul Calibur 2 for Xbox (Spawn as a character)

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Hey Yo!

Well right now i can only think of three

3) Dead or Alive 4- it was my first game on xbox30 and i loved it

2) Street Fighter IV- It was just an awesome way to bring the game back onto the next gen of consoles

1) The best fighting game of all time has to be Mortal Kombat Trilogy it just kicked ass, i loved the combos and not forget to mention the most awesome fatalities and was very challenging.