The Greatest Fighting Game – Part 2

And we’re back with Part 2 taking us one step closer to the greatest fighting game prize giveaway ever seen. I’d love to tell you more but then I’d have to kill you. This time we’re a join by our good friends Dan Maher of Explosive Alan Productions and Dave Cook of VG247. Don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you missed it and keep your eyes peeled for the competition that will be open shortly.


Dan Maher Director, Explosive Alan
What is the greatest fighting game of all time?

Super Street Fighter IV – Like a young bottle of wine with all the qualities of a vintage.

The Jin Kazama tattoo on my left arm suggests otherwise (it’s a tribute to many hours spent in Tekken 3’s company at university), but my heart has always belonged to Street Fighter. But which one to claim as my favourite?

Street Fighter II in its various forms for the many sleepless nights it caused teenage me and my friends? Street Fighter Alpha 3 for its extensive roster and game-changing -ISMs? Street Fighter III for its beauty, bravery and rookie-spiting technicality? Street Fighter EX for Skullomania?

It had to be Street Fighter IV (I’ve opted for Super Street Fighter IV purely for the bolstered roster and tweaks) because it takes everything I’ve ever loved about Street Fighter – except Skullomania – and mushes it together into a game that’s at once reassuringly familiar and refreshingly vital.

[youtube width=”300″ height=”181″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbPy8tRA0Gk[/youtube] [youtube width=”300″ height=”181″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y85MKqUkurw[/youtube]

I was tempted to produce a dull list that outlines why it’s such a perfect competitive fighter from a purely mechanical standpoint, but it really boils down to one simple fact: it gives me the shakes. Proper, nervous tension-induced, my-fingers-aren’t-quite-doing-what-they’re-supposed-to-do-shakes. When I’m pitched against a worthy adversary and we’re down to the final round, both fighters’ energy levels nearly depleted and Ultra bars blazing away, the hand tremors kick in because at that point victory means everything. I can’t think of anything, game or otherwise, that’s caused me such involuntary, psychologically-triggered physical difficulty.

I honestly believe that a major contributing factor to my condition is knowing just how satisfying victory is. It’s an art that some fighters just don’t appreciate. If the KO moment doesn’t make you leap to your feet, pump your fists and scream “YESSSFUCKINYESSS”, you’re doing it wrong. Street Fighter IV does it better than anything else. Nothing can beat the moment that you nail that Metsu Shoryuken, time slowing down to grant you the pleasure of dwelling on your opponent’s grimacing, distended face as Ryu’s fist momentarily rearranges it at an atomic level before launching them skyward over a fit-inducing sunburst strobe and the scream of a jet engine. Nothing.

Also, Hakan.

Fighting Game Snog/Marry/Avoid
Snog: Taki (I’m shallow) – Marry: Mai Shiranui (See previous)
Avoid: Kasumi (On account of snogging her shortly before Taki)


Dave Cook UK News Editor, VG247
What is the greatest fighting game of all time?

tekken3Tekken 3 – A technical wonder that has immense nostalgia attached. Also, “CHICKEN!”.

I like a lot of fighting games but I’d never say I’m great at them. That said I probably invested the most time into Tekken 3 back in the day as it was hugely popular in my high school. We all got it day-one and started practicing like mad and then came up with this weird competition where our group of mates would meet up and try to earn the title of ‘Grand Champion’. To claim that title you had to win a best of five match and never lose a round. Needless to say it resulted in some truly tense match-ups.

So yeah, there’s been a lot of fond memories and broken friendships as a result of Tekken 3, but as a game it was technically stunning for its day. The visuals just pushed the original PlayStation so far and it was such a deep fighter. Perhaps it wasn’t as dense as Virtua Fighter, but the command lists had grown vast since the first Tekken game.

It also saw the debut of my favourite Tekken characters Ling Xiayou and Hwoarang. It also had Eddy Gordo who annoyed us as it seemed like any newcomer could wade in, spam both kick buttons and win with a disorientating sense of unpredictability. Of course it made beating an Eddy-spammer much, much sweeter.

[youtube width=”300″ height=”181″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NUHXpYWl-8[/youtube] [youtube width=”300″ height=”181″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1oXp10xVVQ[/youtube]

The game’s soundtrack was also banging, the fight roster was big but not insanely so, and of course Tekken Ball and Force mode were neat little extras. I love Streets of Rage 2 so the inclusion of a scrolling beat-em-up take on Tekken was pretty neat, and I always laughed whenever I picked up a chicken to hear the announcer shout “Chicken!” like some crazed foul-fancier.

It was a deep, graphically impressive brawler with a great sense of fun and technical fighting mechanic that rewarded practice and an eye for reading your opponent well. There have been many more Tekken entries to date but the third game will always hold a special place in my heart.

Fighting Game Snog/Marry/Avoid
Snog: Lili de Rochefort – Marry: Sakura – Avoid: Tira



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