The Top 10 GREATEST Fighting Games Of All Time

[@Aramane]

As someone born in the late 70s who experienced all of these as they happened, this list is pretty damn accurate from a legacy position.

[@jamalcharles9533]

As someone born in the late 80s who experienced most of these as they happened, this list is pretty damn accurate from a legacy position.

[@DIOBrando-ij2bp]

As someone born in the late ‘20s who experienced all of these as they happened, I don’t really remember much of these now, but I did always appreciate the Hard Times ‘30s aesthetic of by youth Street Fighter 2 had. While I don’t remember most of these anymore, I do still remember being a spry 65 and beating kids at Street Fighter 2 at the local roller rink.

[@DarkSalmonz]

I was born in 1981 and couldn't agree more. I'm sure plenty of newer players wonder wtf MK2 is doing on this list at all, let alone #3, but it was such a huge leap forward from everything else back in the early 90s. Also SF2 had to be #1. It came out in 1991 and we're still today playing the exact same base template as SF2.

[@that_5.7_jonathan99]

No offense but every fighting game fan is older than 25 or something?

[@Aramane]

@@that_5.7_jonathan99 the kids/teenagers I teach who are just getting into Street Fighter, Motral Kombat and Tekken etc would vehemently disagree with you.

[@kingofthesharks]

Melee, from a casual perspective, was also great for being essentially the largest package in the genre at the time. It had basically everything and more, from trophies to mini-games to wacky settings to hidden depth. It made Smash 64 look like a concept prototype in comparison. It was the highest selling Gamecube game and therefore it helped that basically everyone knew how to control/play it at a basic level at parties. It's easy to forget that if you weren't a Nintendo console owner in the 2000s or just know it from competitive stuff.

[@JoseHernandez-ve8ym]

🤢🤮

[@LelouchRika]

Classic, Adventure, All-Star, Events, Home-Run Contest, Break the Targets, Multi-Man Smash and all the weird versus modes were all super fun to play. Even when you didn't have anyone to play with the game could easily be played alone for dozens of hours.

[@kingofthesharks]

@@LelouchRika Yea melee was a prime example of how to keep casuals busy in a fighting game, way back in 2001. But I was disappointed that the genre at large (aside from Namco) never took note...kept trying to appeal to casuals via dumbing down controls/mechanics during the PS3 era, which hardly worked. It's like they only thought Smash's success was based on its Nintendo cast and not cuz it was a bottomless package of fun.

[@MyxeQ]

It is also singlehandedly kept alive support for and play-a-like- copies of the Gamecube controller.

[@SHlNRlKlARU]

Also the only reason the west started getting Fire Emblem games.

[@MartynAndStuff]

I'll give Max his dues- he gives Smash credit where some people would stick their nose up at it or dismiss it. Like, he plays the series casually and still appreciate its nuances and its gameplay. He treats it like a third pillar of the fighting game temple alongside 2D and 3D fighters

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

But disrespects the series that inspire Sakurai to make Smash Bros… Smash is dream crossover fan service but without KOF series

[@dnmstarsi]

@@nestorgonzalez8021 Well, that's nice and all but KOF despite being a great series isn't quite Top 10 material for a lot of players. So what if it inspired Smash Bros? That's a nice mark but it doesn't mean that much especially when games like 95 and 98 (aka Sakurai's recommended games) don't even hold a candle to almost every game Max mentioned in this list. And even if you bring up the best ones like 2002 UM and 13, they probably won't make it in over others that deserve as much praise as KOF.

[@illford]

@@nestorgonzalez8021 it inspired smash and yet it has been heavily eclipsed by it Sales wise, even then i'd argue Smash is a lot more innovative of a game in terms of how it works than KOF, which isn't crazy considering it did start an entire genre

[@TheDarkfilipe]

I particularly miss at least one KoF on this list. I think KoF is the first crossover fighting game franchise, and the idea of a playing with a team of characters starts here too.

[@keennickolas8575]

yeah, maybe replace SF3rdStrike with KoF96 or KoF97 :3

[@Grapevin]

he had KOF 98 as 11th, just barely didn't make the cut

[@jbriggs06]

@@keennickolas8575 no way!

[@Nick-up5wv]

No Alpha series?🤷‍♂️

[@atlascarpio3163]

KOF 98 in the same placer of SFIII 3rd ando KOF Is the first game yo introduce 3vs3 characters and from other games of snk. And Is one of the games to inspírate sakurai yo.create smash.

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken will forever be the Holy Trinity of fighting games.

[@justevolve]

Yep

[@MKF30]

Can't argue with that. SF and MK are like the DC and Marvel of FG imo especially in the 90s. The one, two punch no doubt.

[@jakuth99]

Honestly, I’m actually kind of pissed a SFxMK crossover was never discussed

[@pandsanthi9072]

Well, if you are american, Yes. But people from other countries would put SNK games (most likely KoF) over MK and Tekken. SNK games are by far most played than anything and they are still the most popular ones in online emulators and in number of tournament all over the world

[@timaragon]

@@pandsanthi9072 SNK games are definitely not more popular than Tekken all over the world. Tekken is more popular outside of America if anything. MK, I'll give you.

[@MasterSartorius]

This feels like a fighting game hall of fame

[@icannotthinkofaname6248]

I mean it is basically what max is going for

[@LOLFLUSHDRAW]

yeah thats what the video basically is???

[@johnholmgrenmusic1042]

So happy to see Soul Calibur II here. So many great memories of playing that when it came out.

[@ladynikkie]

I remember being subscribed to one of the PlayStation magazines back in the day and it came with a demo disc. One of the demo games was sc2 and I was hooked I remember playing this game with my dad and sister

[@TheStickCollector]

I need to still boot it up but I used to play it as recently as a year ago or so

[@johnholmgrenmusic1042]

@@TheStickCollector “Welcome to the new stage of history!”

[@TheStickCollector]

@@johnholmgrenmusic1042 is it new? Because canonically the story always repeats, just with different personalities at the helm.

[@arvinsim]

I remember loving that game so much because juggles are not a thing(like in Tekken) and reflexes(counters) are everything

[@DagothSil]

If you are from Latin America, you really know how gigantic is The King of Fighters... hell, I would even say that they used to be bigger around here than Street Fighter!

[@thisaintnoparty]

Yes. Street Fighter 2 was huge, but the popularity kinda faded away after that. That's when KOF took the spot I think.

[@cruhstin]

Looks like KOF 98 Ult barely missed Top 10 at #11. There is a shot of the entire list near the end of the video.

[@behindel]

But Kof exist cause of street fighter ! And all the basics come from streetfighter

[@Charlymander]

Yeah I think Kof 98 was robbed a spot! Back at the arcades where I played I never saw people playing SF or pretty much any other fighting game it was rare. They only played Kof and I think in general Kof has more mass appeal and better gameplay than some that made top 10. Still a good list it was clearly hard making this list. Also, KOF was first introducing 3v3 matches way before MvC 2 did it. And it is also a crossover of different fighting games.

[@АртурМилкович]

mm

[@Ryotsu2112]

57 year old me recalling my younger self seeing Virtua Fighter in an arcade in the 90’s and being absolutely blown away at 3D graphics. And agreed, SFII is the ultimate, most important fighting game of all time. It wrote the script.

[@cyclone927]

Virtua Fighter!!!!!!!! OMG yessss!!!! I was REALLY good on VF2 cus I had a Saturn and I played that game all the time.

[@the_33rd]

The original killer instinct, mortal kombat 2/3, street fighter 2, alpha 3 and tekken 3 shaped my 90s.

[@KenMasters.]

The biggest mistake both Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat did in the 90s was porting their games onto 16-bit consoles instead of waiting for the N64. Wolfenstein 1 & 2 and DᵒᵒM 1 & 2 also made that same mistake.

[@kordelas2514]

@@KenMasters. Nonsense.

[@SirGenesis206]

I thought KI deserved a spot for evolving the “combo” for fighting games.

[@omarlopes5762]

King Of Fighters over Tekken

[@panaberto7896]

Fun fact, Ryu is playable in 5 of this 10 games

[@CTBD09]

Ryu is the fighting game character.

[@n124ajdx]

not surprising, since Ryu is literally the face of the Fighting genre, he represents the genre like Mario represent the platforming genre.

[@elbardo5778]

Even funnier, Link is playable in 3 out of the 10 games and he isn't even a FG character!

[@mrnobody6609]

I had a Saturn and Virtua Fighter 2 growing up. It definitely deserves its spot. You really had to play it when it came out to understand how insane it was.

[@AH20XX]

SOLID list. I'm old enough to remember the release of all of these games and the impact they had globally and in pop culture!!

[@kuuko7242]

a mi me suena los que tuvieron impacto en estados unidos y europa

[@oldman2324]

So many people saying “I was old enough to remember “. So why didn’t either Fatal Fury 2, Art of fighting or a KoF make the top 10? Instead we have 3 Street Fighter games, and 2 Smash games. I love Max, but definitely a bias view from what I saw growing up. And I’m now 50, so I wasn’t a 12 year old fan boy that only liked certain games. Also, KI was massive in my area. Personally I’d also have KI ( original ) in my top 10. The impact of KI should never be underestimated. It was huge.

[@kuuko7242]

@@oldman2324 KI si fue un gran furor todos querian un KI, pero antes de las consolas en lo que más se consumía era en los arcades y sf3 no fue tan bien recibida como otras entregas, no se muy bien si son los que él cree que fueron los más grandes por su impacto o si es su top personal es que no se inglés y el traductor nones tan bueno, si son su gusto no se puede debatir pero si es creencia si se puede debatir

[@pious83]

@@oldman2324 This list in on the impact these games had on the genre as a whole. _"KI was massive in my area"_ That doesn't mean anything, globally. By the same token, the SNK fighters have traditionally largely existed within their own bubble. That bubble which was shaped by SF 2. They were influenced, not the influencers.

[@oldman2324]

@@pious83 well, KI basically created the whole 2.5D genre, not SF4. So I would class that as a massive impact on the genre as a whole. As far as I’m concerned KI is absolutely top 10. KI also made fighting game music its own sub genre. But, like everything, we will all have our own opinions and things we find as impactful will be different for everyone.

[@LoaRicardo]

As someone from Brazil (heck, as someone from LatAm), it kinda sads me to see how much SNK is underappreciated in the US. I trully believed that Samsho and KoF are very influential games and one of them deserves a spot. Anyway, great list, the VF 2 spot is well deserved

[@jakuth99]

I think the argument could be made that all of the fighting games that are considered top 10 either served as a launching off point for the genre or a zenith of the genre. KOF, while amazing, started out as an attempt to build off SF1 that launched right in time to get upstaged by SF2, and, even now the series hasn’t really reached the momentum and cultural influence of Smash Melee or Tekken 3

[@industria340]

Es una lista para gringos, no te afliges.

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

@@jakuth99 Your confusing Fatal Fury and Art of fighting that more depth than Street Fighter II who had to subsequently release upgrade ports to add supers etc while Fatal Fury had them… KoF is the birth of crossover fighters

[@LoaRicardo]

@@jakuth99 I do think that Tekken 3 and Melee deserves a spot, if I was would take any game of the list it would be SF33S actually.. It's a great game, but moment 37 aside, I don't think it was that impactful when released, the 2d fighting game after and before it was kinda the same. Samsho would be my SNK pick, i guess, because of the weapon focused mechanics... If I was to choose any kof it would be 95 (edit team, the focus on story, influence on Smash) And I disagree that we can say the same for any old fighting game... The SNK games were really big outside US

[@truelovewontwait]

As someone from Indonesia, I share the same sentiment. SNK is hugely influential here.

[@icedcapplord710]

Why Bengus hasn't been hired to draw a run on Marvel Comics (particularly X-Men) will always elude me. MvC2 is not only my favorite fighting game ever made but one of the undisputed best crossovers in history. I have it and the Fox X-Men/Spider-Man/Iron Man shows to thank for even getting me into Marvel well before the MCU

[@deanbrooks7297]

After seeing what he did on sfv endings I could understand why marvel would pass.

[@daviddennie4086]

Your right when it comes to the roster but mvc2 gameplay can be out of control and street fighter alpha 3 has it beat with world tour dramatic battle and multiple modes alpha 3 deserve more respect than third strike and mvc2 two fighting games with no content in my opinion!

[@thirdstrike000000]

Cause he's based in Japan. Unfortunate we never got collab comics.

[@polarnasu]

His art has grown really lazy in recent years

[@АртурМилкович]

mm

[@MrReef2323]

I just want you all to know ,the impact street fighter 2 had when it released..in 1992 on the Super Nintendo this game was 74.99 plus tax with a grand total of 81.82 I will never forget my mom took me to like 5 toys r us because it was sold out everywhere

[@alexcleland4411]

You have an awesome mother

[@brobocops]

THIS, I remember it being very expensive back in the day, I played the hell out of it on SNES.

[@brandonb404]

Street Fighter 2 isn't just one of my greatest gaming memories, its one of the greatest memories of my life period. Being a kid staying up all night at grandma's learning how SF2 works and getting dank meals cooked by grandma.. oh yeah those were the days.

[@bigboy0494]

That’s a solid list Max! Growing up in the 90’s and witnessing the evolution of those games was truly special

[@danielpagan2848]

Most influential fighting games top 3 should be Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Virtua Fighter. Without those 3 the rest of the games on the list just would've never happened. Edit: Ok wrote that after watching the first 7 picks. Coming back after watching the whole video. Max is the GOAT and the top 3 on this list is 100% correct! Everything else can be debated 😂

[@Macaco_Laser]

I really think fatal Fury or kof should have been on this list, You have no idea how huge snk is outside the us and Japan, to the point that it is more popular than street fighter in south america and mexico, like c'mon max there should be a kof on the top 5 man this is a crime!

[@NarrowPathSign]

Lol only south america, rest of the world, sf is more popular than kof 😂

[@chancethrash]

Personally I feel kof should be top 10 -Biggest roster at the time -First 3 on 3 game -Smash bros was influenced by it (even taking the invitation cards)

[@Crovax]

the true first cross over game. first fighting game with a movie style story and truly cinematic endings. max is absolutely biased because kof was never great on the west coast. but in all of latin america we bleed snk

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

Straight Hard Facts this list is just too “Americanized” doesn’t see how SNK games like Fatal Fury had supers etc before Street Fighter did hence why have so many editions 😅

[@mylorddio8272]

@Crovax but then with VF2 he regnoized that it wasn't big over here but still put it at number 2 like if that's not disrespectful of KOF idk what is

[@koruoshouji9960]

@@Crovax if we really bleed SNK then why the company has been on a lot of problems and bankrupcys? Yeah we love KoF but thanks to pirated copies

[@dnmstarsi]

Yeah but while it was influencial, it doesn't automatically make it the best. Heck, Art of Fighting was pretty influencial but it's nowhere near one of the best fighting games in the series and even then, KOF is arguably more Top 20 or 15 material than 10 when you're pitting any of these games against the likes of SF2, SC2, MvC2, SSBM and even MK2 (damn, so many "second" games)

[@mrcauduro]

2 Smash games and 3 SF games, I dont know about that....plus no KOF or SNK at all really shows this is a North America Top 10 Greatest Fighting Games Of All Time

[@HugxoMartinez]

I’m glad Virtua Fighter is finally getting the respect it deserves

[@NRobbi42]

Without VF2, not just fighting games, but the course of gaming in general would be vastly different. It only makes sense that it would be #2 behind the one that basically started it all.

[@fightfannerd2078]

First 3d fighting game baby

[@clementnunes5070]

I can’t believe how many lists dare to not even mention it, and in the same time acknowledge SF2 for it’s impact.

[@MidnightBikerHostility]

Hell yeah

[@GranMaese]

@@clementnunes5070 That's one way to differentiate the actual FFC veterans and fans from the posers that only like it 'cause trends, or those who are just too new and naive to know better.

[@chev9632]

I don't know, this is a personal list obviously, but not having any SNK games is a little weird, I know SNK isn't that big in the USA, but if there's a strong reason for Capcom to create and expand a lot of their series it was the competition with SNK and their King Of Fighters.

[@truelovewontwait]

Yeah, putting two smash bros game and no SNK games is wild.

[@KenMasters.]

KOF sure is big enough to have a sh!tty live-action movie.

[@clarencegutsy7309]

Because if the Terry legacy from years ago proved anything, Max knows fuck-all about SNK fighting games. :)

[@lenasilva9169]

Fatal fury was the beginning of kof, right?

[@Aramane]

@@lenasilva9169 I believe so. Preety sure the full title of the first game was Fatal Fury: King of Fighters

[@BMOsGrandma]

Soulcaliber 2 one of the first and most memorable fighting games I’ve ever played.

[@KenMasters.]

Especially the fact that it had crossover guest fighters in the non-DLC era. · Cloud Strife for PS2 · Heihachi Mishima for Arcade · Link for GameCube · Master Chief for XBOX · Spawn for PC (The list isn't accurate, but it sounds better.)

[@Nick_Harrell80]

Playing as spawn was awesome

[@mrthanos8140]

@@KenMasters.this introduced me to spawn I’ll take it how I got it and I had the game cube version as well so I got link I never played heihachi until hd remaster I think he’s playable on the Xbox I forget I haven’t been on in awhile. Master chef was in dead or alive 4. Marcus fenix was a joke in mk9 but he really should’ve been the exclusive if ps got kratos it wasn’t fair he would’ve been a great pic for the graphics at the time to

[@Mind_Crimes]

@user-sk5hb2ld9x Your recollection is a little off. Heihachi was the PS2 guest, Spawn was the Xbox guest. Cloud & Chief wouldn't grace fighting games until Eghrez & DoA4 (well, in spirit) respectively.

[@kaceejones2282]

@@Mind_Crimes Link was a guest too in the GC version of SC2

[@jbivphotography]

Solid list. Totally agree with all of the choices as well. I had the honor or growing up in the 90s and everything is SPOT on. For VF2 you JUST HAD TO BE THERE. I remember a friend of mine booting that thing up on the Saturn and just being MIND BLOWN at how good it looked and how well it played. Hats off to stepping outside of your own biases and making such an amazing list.

[@thisaintnoparty]

I have only one disagreement with the list. The not inclusion of KOF 98 or 2002. KOF isn't big in the US, but it's a COLOSSAL franchise in Latin America and some parts of Asia. The impact of this game was not only about the game itself, it was cultural. It was the poor people game, because of the direct interference of SNK on this topic. You walk around in a lower class neighborhood or a favela in Brazil and you most likely will see a KOF cabinet somewhere.

[@BoyBlaze2002]

VF2 was THEE game that made me fall in love with 3-D games. It was hard to believe that VF1 and VF2 were only a year apart. VF2 on the arcade was FLUID and beautiful at a 60 frame rate that never wavered. I however must admit I was disappointed in the Saturn version as the graphics had to take a hit being on Saturn. I must admit though I still had fun playing it. I was just so astonished at how visually STUNNING VF2 was on the arcade for a 1994 release. I was 10 in 1994, and I just drooled at the sight of the attract mode on that game, because I’ve never seen anything like it. Very unprecedented at that time.

[@NaikaVideo]

As someone who was born in the early 80s, this is a list that really speaks to me. Y'all had to have been there because every month or every year, there were strides in this genre and so many developers were just taking risks, left and right. Great list Max!

[@Archt1cStreams]

You hit the mark on SF4. I think it’s honestly why I’m on your channel to begin with. Love you all and appreciate being in this community.

[@orlanzo2621]

Love the respect shown to VF2 Max! I was worried a VF game wouldn’t make this list. That game was amazing and completely blew away every other 3-D fighter out at the time graphically and gameplay wise. It was head and shoulders above everything else.

[@curranatorproductions]

"Greatest" leans more into personal taste, which is where Max's personal list makes sense to me. But a list like this is more focused on impact, legacy, sales and iconic status, so a more apt title is "the most INFLUENTIAL" fighting games of all time.

[@rajangeta8334]

Ok for real the lack of recognition Fatal Fury and Art of fighting gets is astounding. You want an actual story in game not just lore text? FF1 did it first and AOF built up on that. AOF did super meters first in the form of their spirit meter, the taunt was an actual thing that would decrease the spirit meter so taunting as a game mechanic and not just a thing you can do was in AOF first ,had supers first with the ranbus at max gauge and low life, had visible damage on characters, dynamic camera effect that zoomed in and out and the first game to have a dash all this in 92 while street fighter didn't have anything like that yet. Not to mention that Ryu and Ken had the initial shoto set of fireball/uppercut/tasumaki but alot of the stuff that would later be added to the various shotos Ryo and Robert did first: Haoh Shokoken was before the Shinku Hadouken, air fire ball was on Ryo first albeit just before akuma's debut is super turbo, one handed fireballs was in AOF first, Robert had a divekick first and Ryo had a more punchy moveset than Ryu and robert had a more identifiable kicking moveset than Ken starting from AOF 2 not to mention in AOF 2 yuri did the whole copy the fighting style thing before sakura. And then Fatal Fury Special did the first crossover in fighting game history with Ryo as the special hidden boss which was so successful that it spawned KOF and maybe even inspired smash and Garou is held as third strikes rival and arguably the best fighting game on the Neo Geo.

[@hotnuggets155]

Everyone complaining that the list is bad...this is Max's own list & if you don't like it make your own

[@moradomusic2823]

Playing mvc2 at the arcade was such an awesome memory.

[@alexherrington9142]

I never liked MvC, but my fondest arcade memory has to be randomly seeing a big line at Universal Studios and it was a pair of MvC2 machines and a CvS2 machine, just randomly outside. I put in 2 quarters and stayed on that CvS2 machine for 2-3 hours until my parents came back and made me leave. Being a teen and having grown men with families get in my face over Going my Way/Fence painting still gives me chills.

[@zovni]

I feel like KoF should have a spot here. I get how it's a non-entity in the US, but you should see the following it has in the rest of the world. Plus it did directly influence the team fighting genre in MVC. Good call on VF2, another case of a game ignored in the US, but really a watershed moment. More so than SF2, it really was a game that "came from the stars"

[@koruoshouji9960]

SNK on the rest in the world is popular but it was thanks to pirated copies and not because the real hardware made by SNK

[@zovni]

@@koruoshouji9960 And what would be the point you are making? The ranking is precisely about influential and significant games and series. Not sales. If that were the case remember SF2 was pirated to way more than any SNK game ever was.

[@dnmstarsi]

Same although it had more of a following in Latin America as opposed to the rest of the world. However, there is plenty of argument to be made in terms of the others that made it into this list. And as much as I love KOF, some of the best games in that series would probably make it into a Top 20 list than a Top 10 arguably. Even with games like 98 UM, 2002 UM, 13 and 15 under its belt.

[@GrahamChapman]

Still sad the indie games don't get more recognition. Skullgirls is a great game, probably the most triumphant example as of now, and the launch party is still going strong, even after 10 years, so picking it up right now is still totally viable (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) but many games never get to stand in the spotlight... Melty Blood, for example, which single-handedly pretty much founded the indie fighting game genre. And following in MB's footsteps we had the Touhou fighting games (Immaterial and Missing Power, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, Hisoutensoku) which are still a sorely overlooked outside of the Touhou fandom... Indie fighting games are niche titles in a genre that is already pretty niche by itself, and I just kinda feel that it would be nice if we at least gave them a bit more recognition.

[@pillowtalk7460]

KoF did so much for other games. Brought: 3v3 Fighting, Crossover Worlds, Guard Canceling, ISM’s (yeah, before SF did it), dynamic music changing. KoF did/does everything other fighting games barely even consider.

[@endrof1264]

Tekken 3 also came with the Demo disc when you bought PS1. It was huge in terms of getting people to play it, and basically infinite replayability as long you liked the few characters

[@chimpana]

Max is a real best-in-class creator... truly passionate about his craft, has created a supportive community and seems to be a genuinely cool guy. A breath of fresh air.

[@aimfuldrifter]

Aaand an astonishing player in the fighting genre.

[@Amc825]

Sf2 rightly at number 1. I remember the hype around the first MK game. Saved up my allowance and payed $50 for it on launch day for my snes. I have never been so disappointed with a game in my entire life. Took me only a day to finish the game with every character. The game so so bad I didn’t buy or play another MK game for about eight years.

[@kurizu1510]

I have absolutely no complaints about this list. Even the Top 20 is on point. WatchMojo needs to take notes.

[@huevonesunltd]

Now we need a top 10 fighting games of the 90s, 00's ,10's and 20's (so far)

[@FuruHataNinzaburo-w8z]

The one big issue is not having Gundam Versus series in there. The biggest arcade game ever and longest reign of arcade. Nothing even come close. It's weird to dismiss that franchise like that just because Western players don't play it. I don't think people realize the sheer number of fans for those games.

[@myrigatoni]

So glad to see Smash Ultimate on the list. Many people tend to leave out newer games on these type of lists but I’m glad you were able to notice what a true gem that game is. Thanks dood

[@gamedeuschronus8796]

No Killer Instinct or CVS2, I'm shocked. Not even a single KOF game. But in all honesty whether it's a tier list or comprehensive top 10, these are games that most likely impacted you growing up, and not just something that singlehandedly changed or impacted the entire FGC. That being said, I've also found a plethora of fighting games that I didn't even know existed, simply through watching your channel. It's difficult to compartmentalize a list of so many great fighting games. I grew up playing Mortal Kombat and Eternal Champions on SEGA. It wasn't until I got my first PS1 that I got into Tekken. And Soul Calibur 2 and Melee were the only fighting games I had for my GameCube. It wasn't until a few years ago when I first started watching your channel, that I really started playing and getting into all of the Street Fighter, Killer Instinct, SamSho, KOF, CVS2, Darkstalkers, and MVC games.

[@TheSoulCrisis]

Great analysis and list Max! Enjoyed the overview and impact of these titles over the ages.

[@Dxtuned]

90s kids rise up. We lived through the golden age of fighting games

[@gaminginstilllife9429]

I thought King of Fighters had 3 man tag team first?

[@mylorddio8272]

It had 3 but not tag

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

He had to justify MVC2 and not acknowledge the birthplace of crossover fighting games KoF 95

[@illford]

@@nestorgonzalez8021 in fairness MVC2 is also the one that more games were influenced by, this is like the Smash argument where it doesn't work because it's not the actual big point of influence. every modern era 3v3 game is heavily influenced by MVC2, it's not even about KOF not being important it just has the unfortunate position of inspiring things that eclipse it

[@wingzero2348]

That VF2 take is absolutely correct. How can anyone of seen such a masterpiece in 1994, the only game that was litterly mind blowing. It took years for the competition to even catch up to VF2, the combat is fantastic, difficulty was something I appreciated and no game changed the 3d fighting genre like VF2. Having said that the 1996 VF3 on arcade is absolutely mind blowing, to have those graphics also was ridiculous and set so many standards for future fighting games that you really didn't see till Soul calibre 1 and onwards into the 2000s. To say VF1 to 3 were innovators is one thing but to make games that blew out the 3d competition for nearly all thr 90s says everything and VF2 deserves to be on this list. I can only imagine if this had debuted on a successful console, also the port was excellent, one of the best ports in the 90s till soul calibur came on the dreamcast.

[@T1J]

melee too low but otherwise i agree fully. I remember when virtua fighter first came to my arcade and I thought it looked so cool, but i had never played a 3d fighter before so I had no idea what i was doing and just got bodied over and over

[@dumbmoveguy]

Eddie was a HUGE part of why Tekken 3 was so popular. At my local movie theatre I would see random non-gamers playing as Gordo, holding down and mashing both kicks to win. That move annihilated the cpu and other players and that word got around fast. Basically, people that didn't even like games were willing to give it a shot when they heard this making it more and more accessible

[@viniciusmaidana2159]

Awesome pick for number 2. Only those who lived the era know how huge VF2 was, it's definitely one of the most important fighting games ever, it's crazy how widespread its influency is in the industry.

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

Oh I was there for Virtua Fighter 2 and I still have it for my Sega Saturn. I can remember it clearly, it was Christmas of 1995 and I’m in my PJs opening presents on Christmas eve and I got a lot of new Saturn games. Nights into Dreams, Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter 2, Virtual On, Fighting Vipers, and I even remember the shitty game I got I could never get past the first stage (Machine Head). Virtua Fighter 2 was incredible all around.

[@ganeshaadiguna]

Kof should be top 10. It pioneered team battle. It pioneered cross franchise characters.

[@dnmstarsi]

But it wasn't as great as others. Plus Art of Fighting pioneered battle damage and Super Meters yet it's hardly one of the best fighters. Having influential ideas doesn't automatically make you one of the best especially where's multiple games like it but made more of an impact.

[@ganeshaadiguna]

@@dnmstarsi kof also had a massive impact in Asia and Latin America for sure. I would argue that kof has more right to be in the top ten than say soul calibur or I would prefer move one of the Smash Bros out to the top 20. Max has put a pretty solid list though.

[@dnmstarsi]

@@ganeshaadiguna I disagree and I say that as a huge KOF fan. Both Melee and Ultimate took notes from KOF but had arguably better presentation (even for a game that lacked story), fast and addicting gameplay along with a roster that shattered more expectations than KOF ever did and Soul Calibur 2 is easily one of the greatest fighting games of all time. More so than almost any of the greatest KOF games we've gotten so far with its improved gameplay, new and improved characters (including the console exclusive guest stars) and additional content like Weapon Master Mode. KOF is one of the greatest fighting games but it's debatable whether or not, it's top 10 material when you factor in several fighting games including ones from the same franchise despite the fact that ones like Street Fighter have multiple games that still hold up immensely to this day. Top 20 definitely but not Top 10 for plenty of fighting game fans.

[@radio_j3787]

I feel like KOF 95 deserved spot instead of Smash Brothers melee.

[@larsvercelli1015]

Amazing list - as a kid in the 90s, I picked up a Saturn when it was bundled with 3 free games, Virtua Fighter among them. VF2 was incredible, especially for the time! Im not a hardcore fighting fan but it struck me that I own almost all of the titles on here! Well done

[@ranma36]

Virtua Fighter 2 Virtua Cop 2 Daytona USA (if I remember correctly) 🔥 package!

[@nat20crafts]

No one ever remembers Bushido Blade...... Weapon selection, stance changes, location damage.... game was ahead of its time.

[@angelosavioti4627]

this game is amazing

[@julianhardy4777]

Solid list!👍 I also think Killer Instinct, Guilty Gear, Dead Or Alive, and The King Of Fighter franchise deserves some recognition.

[@law244]

they were on the list took him 8 hours to get down to ten

[@fernandomartinez4486]

They are good games. But none of them represent a big significative milestone in terms of not only videogames, but even pop culture. This list is not about good ot even great games. Is about games that made history, made a path for other games to come. Games that are just part of the gaming culture. And frankly, none of those games, as super awesome and fun as they are, none of them helped paved the road. All those games you mentioned walked on the path these 10 games made.

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

KoF deserves top ten, it kept 2D fighting games alive when everyone chase 3D even SNK…

[@mylorddio8272]

@Fernando Martinez KOF started the 3 tag system with its 3 person team foundation and huge roaster and started the crossover fighting game That's huge enough to be at the top ten

[@MrBoxreviews]

@@nestorgonzalez8021 as much as I love KOF. I don’t think it should be in top 10.

[@_highmonkey]

I’m surprised KoF didn’t make it to the list

[@tokyobassist]

KoF '94 deserved a spot instead of 3rd Strike to be deadass. We wouldn't have crossover or tag games the way we know them without that game. I know 3rd Strike made more of an impression because of EVO Moment #37 but it doesn't feel as important as what KoF brought to the table despite it not being as popular. I feel like Capcom and other game designers like Sakurai have much more respect and reverence for SNK than gamers do. It's hard to ignore the innovations they brought and the effort they put into fighting game presentation was unmatched especially the backgrounds and the full length songs they composed.

[@gishathosaurus6828]

Man, those 6 hours of stream were home to some crazy brainstorming... easily the best and most objective top 10 I've ever seen

[@mychaeljones7526]

More objective top 10 lists streams please

[@Charlymander]

Not without an SNK game. There really was no reason to put 2 Smash games up there. Also 3 SF games felt excesive, as much as I love SFIV, nobody plays that anymore. The online is empty and didnt exactly reinvent the wheel gameplay wise.

[@piedfirecrest]

@Charlymander absolutely agreed. The fact snk is absent is just tragic, its clear this is from a very closed minded perspective without any consideration for anything other than what he knows.

[@scottjameson5358]

@@Charlymander The reply section of this comment thread proves that you will never be able to please everyone. The fact that KOF didn't even make it in a top 10 list does not prove that the list is instantly subjectively bad. If you ACTUALLY watch the stream (or just looked at 10:40), KOF made it in number 11. Just because it wasn't talked about does not mean that it's instantly ignored. Sure, putting multiple games in the same franchise CAN be too much but surely the reasoning for how influential the game could be talked about as well, and yes that goes with every single fighting game that came out. Like he said, you can't just focus on what happened after but also on what happened at the time. Third Strike finally getting that recognition years after while as SFIV literally put Street Fighter back in the map when it was released.

[@scottjameson5358]

@@piedfirecrest That's why it took him 7 hours just to compile a decent looking tier list that is not fully subjective and based on a few high opinions. Sure, everyone would not agree but just because it wasn't talked about, does not mean it's ignored.

[@JG_AVELINO]

Thanks Max! All the good arcade memories were successfully unlocked. I’m from Amazon, Brazil (Videorama was huge here in Manaus).. and I know how latAmericans are pissed because there is no KOF on the list, but man.. all my good memories goes to SFII and SoulCaliburII.

[@wizzalamaru8794]

Being a Die Hard Melee Fan, I'm glad you see what an impact the game had on the world. People learned how to mod Wiis and mess with code just to play the game on a even playing field despite the company that handed it to us stepping in the way of the community's growth. We still, till this day, continue to push the meta and there's no telling what's next. Yoshi winning Super Majors now

[@Psx806]

That just tells me how crap that game is if you gotta look at the code to play it competitively. Melee is best played as a casual game like all other smash games are

[@strotherpt]

Thank you for showing love to VF2. Y’all must of forgot!

[@guidoblok]

I also would enjoy to see a top 10 worst fighting games of all time (its okay if its opinion-based)

[@TheDapperCat]

"if" it's opinion based? Any "Best/Worst" list is opinion based, that's how this works lol

[@f5673-t1h]

Probably the hardest list to make. If a game is bad, most people won't know it. You'll hear about DISAPPOINTING games being called the worst, sure, but not the ACTUALLY worst games. You see tons and tons of people analyzing the best games and games from the best franchises... but the actual worst games aren't talked about. You'd have to wade through tons of games to find them.

[@phabiorules]

Honestly, I think Matt Mcmuscles’ “worst fighting game of all time” series is better than a top ten list. It goes into the history of a game before describing how it plays, and putting it in a tier list of awfulness. I don’t know if Max would ever do a top ten worst fighting game, because he knows Matt’s the expert on that topic (Though I could maybe see a triple KO episode about it if they haven’t already.)

[@Monafide3305]

I think most disappointing may be easier. There are just too many crappy shovelware games to pick out bad ones, but games that were expected to be good and fell flat are much more notable.

[@maxspecs]

You’re looking for MattMcMuscles channel then lol

[@phoenixtempleeviltruth8074]

as a melee player, i am thankful for the recognition of that game. it is one of a kind

[@aubreysmith386]

Awesome list but why no love for the KOF series? I know you gotta have one in your personal list.

[@METR0lD]

I agree with the vast majority of this list! Especially Virtua Fighter 2's placement. That game was megaton when it released.

[@Gresdak]

VirtuaFighter 2 was big enough to make it into an episode of X-files that guest starred a very young Jack Black .

[@MidnightBikerHostility]

WOW! That's amazing!

[@COBOL]

I was there and I can assure you this list is 100% correct. What a list, it's flawless!

[@gamecrazymatt]

Besides SSB Melee, Dead or Alive for the Xbox was a smash hit in my parts - we would grab my Xbox, grab my friend's tv and take it out to the porch, extension cords and all, and play for hours. This was where we got into the 2v2 tag team matches that were SO much fun. I haven't been into fighting games as much lately, but boy does my nostalgia kick in when I see them. We continued this trend for years, through the Soul Calibur games. So many good times.

[@ASDisastersama]

This is why this is an objective list and not personal opinions rooted on good memories. Im sure Max will have his favorite games when he does that list.

[@SonnyBCreative]

Dead or Alive is an Echo of Virtua Fighter

[@maximillion311]

Back when doa focused more on the fighting

[@АртурМилкович]

mmm

[@yanceyboyz]

Virtua fighter 2 on the "failing hardware" ran at 704x512 (704x480 in US) and a beautiful 60fps. Released on Saturn in 1995........ Tekken 3 ran at 384x480 60fps on ps1 and released in 1997. The Saturn was a powerhouse in the right hands, difficult and awkward, but a powerhouse.

[@sixtycargothefightinggameg569]

Yeah i agree largely but in modern terms I would have put mk9 or mix because those both won huge awards and was played by every youtuber at this point also was a internet favorite

[@SPACECOWBOY705]

MK 2 is just more Iconic imo

[@in4mus85]

MK9 was just an R18 copy of SF4

[@sixtycargothefightinggameg569]

@@in4mus85 ????

[@gocoastal1988]

Agree with a lot of these. Especially MvC2, 3rd Strike, Melee, Tekken 3, and Mortal Kombat 2

[@twelvevoltage]

Same

[@MagodoCaos1]

So, no SNK games huh? I think most people in the US really only consider what was successful there, not in the rest of the world.

[@lonewolf9325]

He kept KOF98 at number 11, and said I need to place it as close to the Top 10 as possible.

[@arvinsim]

It's just a location thing. In my country, SF4 and Virtua Fighter were meh. King of Fighters on the other hand was huge.

[@MagodoCaos1]

@@arvinsim I guess. Here on Brazil is the same, we even had a Neo Geo Land here, and exactly because of that, we would always hear about how Capcom and SNK were fighting for the market head to head. Maybe it was just in Japan, but still.

[@MagodoCaos1]

@@lonewolf9325 Who knows? Maybe he knew some idiot like me would come with a comment like this. Kkkkkkkk

[@lonewolf9325]

@@MagodoCaos1 Oh Max felt KoF talking to his soul, he mentioned it in "Fighting games are Food". He is a Capcom guy, and guilty of ignoring SNK back then. Also, Max is like a KoF Bitch, he will come to SNK when Capcom is failing hard, and when Cap has redeemed itself he will bounce back, like its a trip, a hoe trip. SNK has to work even harder, and they will hopefully.

[@fevgatos]

I grew up with SF2 (arcades and snes) but I'd do anything to re-live the SF4 era (2008-2013)

[@LittleBigHamm]

I’m sad that there were no SNK games on the list. The games were so huge Back in the day because of the hardware they were built on. In places that couldn’t afford large cabinets, SNK had cartridge based cabinets that made games accessible and included a large portion of fighting games, especially in Latin and South America. I think it would be reasonable to remove Third Strike to add a Fatal Fury or KoF game to the list.

[@dnmstarsi]

It would not be reasonable to replace friggin' Third Strike with some Fatal Fury or KOF game. I get that SNK is a religion in Latin and South America but it doesn't automatically make those games amazing nor better than some of these games. Now if this was a Top 20 list, definitely but Top 10? Yeah, Street Fighter games tend to be better in the gameplay department compared to both Fatal Fury and even KOF.

[@leandrocerencio]

@@dnmstarsi 1st game to introduce parrys: SamSho2. 1st game to introduce hops and jumps: Fatal Fury 3. 1st game to introduce supers moves: AOF. 1st game to introduce special bar: AOF. 1st game to introduce cancel guard mechanic: Fatal Fury 3. 1st game to introduce taunts: AOF. Your 3rd strike actually is more SNK game than Capcom.

[@dnmstarsi]

@@leandrocerencio Just because it introduced ideas, doesn't guarantee a spot on the list. It's how you pull of those feats on the list. Your point involves multiple games that brought us one cool which is great on their own rights but neither really make for Top 10 for most fighting games especially if you count multiple games from the same franchise. 3rd Strike took elements from various games and put it all into one game giving players an experience they'll keep going back to more than most of the games you brought up.

[@leandrocerencio]

@@dnmstarsi Maybe you dont remember, but Fatal Fury 2 and 3 was huge at time. Fatal Fury Franchise create a lot of today mechanics. Your point of view is from moment 37. At time, 3rd Strike was not huge at time, people was playing Marvel or CVS. But, I think you are American. If you live in Brazil, as me, SNK is huge man, they sold well here. Everybody was playing kof here.

[@leandrocerencio]

@@dnmstarsi Capcom copied many SNK mechanics. So, SNK is more influential than Capcom. But, you are seeing with the point of view after moment 37.

[@remyatempest6700]

Good job bro, honestly removing my "personal" favorites, this list is definitely the most comprehensive!

[@kingofthesharks]

I'm glad is a spokesperson for the genre that cares about the hardcore FGC and the casual majority in balanced manner. The prime dood to make a list like this about fighters.

[@RedEarth20XDX]

I dont know what you saud but damnit, i agree!

[@polar6066]

lol id say max caters more to the casual audience if anything. specifically, the united states/canada

[@АртурМилкович]

mmm

[@El_Chuchuca]

@@polar6066 Otherwise KOF would have make it.

[@vdfritzz]

13:49 hell yeah virtual fighter 2 was insane back in the day, even had a pc port which is what i played, i forgot about it

[@kaceejones2282]

I'd put any KOF game on this list over SF3 3rd Strike because it was the first fighting game to introduce the concept of a crossover game between other IPS and introducing the concept of playing a team of characters. As well as having innovative mechanics that changed the way how fighting games can be played. And also being able to edit your team and choosing your characters in which order u want to play as them, who u want to play first, second or third. It focuses more on proper execution of moves and combos and being able to cancel moves into each other or after the other and constantly relying on your meter to do that extra damage. SNK as a whole introduced supers and meters in their respected franchises as well as other mechanics that we know in FGs today. Might as well throw in Samurai Shodown too cuz it introduced the concept of a weapons-based fighting.

[@acetrap]

SNK are responsible for the popular games that max himself plays today 🙄🙄

[@wearegeeks]

It's a shame how USA-centric is that list :( Kof 2002 must be in a Top10. His impact in Latin America was and still is huge. That game, regarding how broken it is (and tbw not that broken as MVC2) was a real thing in latin america (+600M people). The game is deeeeep, and still is played now a days in Mexico and Brazil. Is still captivating new kids that approach the game and it just marked an era. The combo system, infinites, glitches, OMG.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

I liked kof 98 more

[@はゆうめ]

Could swear he would put KI in the top 10, but when I saw SF4 at number 5 I was like... Wait, no KI? It is fun to see how lists would change from people to people. Since I'm not a fan of 3D fighting games, seeing VF2 as number 2 made me drop my jaw, but I can understand his reasoning. Said that, was that in the end a critic to the IGN list since they chose Third Strike instead of SF2? Anyways, I totally agree that not putting SF2 as the best of all times is a hard take.

[@pikespeakaudio8898]

He specifically stated that this was sort of an objective "Top 10 Fighting Games" list in terms of industry impact, not his "personal favorite Top 10".

[@はゆうめ]

@@pikespeakaudio8898 Maybe I'm just confusing things, but I recall watching him talk about how KI's netcode was super influential to the following games. That and some personal bias were the reasons I thought he would put KI in top 10.

[@АртурМилкович]

mm

[@in4mus85]

@@juicifercoppinson1570 sorry but you're insane. SF4 literally created a market for KI and MK9. Fighting games were dead

[@cloverraven]

Big props to Virtua fighter 2. You had to be there. Tekken was there one day, and I was like oh it’s kinda like virtua fighter. Ok. I got this.

[@ShadowBlade79]

I was initially scratching my head as to why not a single KOF title showed up on this list (particularly when you mentioned Sakurai taking influence from 90s fighting games, specifically KOF, for his design for Smash Bros.), but if we're talking overall global impact, then it does make sense that KOF never really hit that same upper echelon as these other franchises. And I admit this while cherishing the King of Fighters franchise to death.

[@goranisacson2502]

Has Sakurai really said he was inspired by KoF in an interview? I can't remember that, but he's made so many over the years it's likely he has and I just forgot. Was it around the time he dropped Terry for Smash Ultimate?

[@ShadowBlade79]

@Göran Isacson Yep. He said so during one of his game design videos. He was playing a match in KOF against a couple in an arcade, and decided after that that he wanted to make a fighting game with a lower barrier of entry.

[@FLAWlessFelixgames]

Soul Calibur on Dreamcast made a whole much more impact than SC2

[@veeetox]

Man i LOVE having Virtua Fighter 2 so high on the list, it's one of the best, most important, and more influential fighting games of all time

[@georgekitchen7046]

I disagree with the pick only when speaking for myself, which he said he didn't do. Virtua Fighter Remix was my first experience with a 3d fighter and left a bigger impact on me. 2d to 3d in any genre, was the biggest leap in gaming history. Whatever our first 3d game was, it was the one of the most amazing experiences we ever had.

[@АртурМилкович]

mmm

[@MidnightBikerHostility]

Definetly

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

@@georgekitchen7046 This is not a personal impact list, this is a historical, industrial impact list. My first 3D game is Zero Divide 2, that doesn't mean it should ever be on a top 10 list.

[@georgekitchen7046]

@@GuyWithAnAmazingHat "only when speaking for myself, which he said he didn't do." I prefaced my statement that I only disagreed with the pick if we were talking about our personal list. Perhaps I worded it poorly.

[@vintageswiss9096]

Sega Saturn had so many games that went on to ultimately define entire genres... Daytona USA... VF 2... Panzer Dragoon... So sad to see what happened with the Saturn.

[@leandrocerencio]

People forgot but Sega Saturn also had Street Fighter Zero 3, Xmen VS Street, Marvel vs Street, KOF 97, SamSho 4, Vampire Savior, Fatal Fury 3 and Real Bout Special.

[@SonateSonate]

​@@leandrocerencioand Last Bronx!

[@doris3026]

"TOP 10 GREATEST FIGHTING GAMES in United State" would be more accurate

[@bluesheepwolfie307]

Honestly I agree with Max's #1. I don't play fighting games, but I worked at a clothing store and the ONLY video game merch we sold there in the year i worked, was Street Fighter 2 merch.

[@Kahrdis]

Virtua Fighter was huge here in europe. I remember playing it for years at my friends house. we used to have little tournaments with like 5 or 6 people. Saturn was some of the greatest fun i ever had. Sega Rallye, Virtua Cop, Dragoon, Nights were amazing too

[@TheHarDeOne]

Personally I think Melee should just be one spot up. It and 3rd Strike are on here for mainly the same reason, but Melee has continued to grow and grow because its players only play Melee and even new players are getting into the game via Slippi and pushing their way into high places at big events, while 3rd Strike has seen many of its players move onto other games over time and hasn't seen the same rate of player resurgence. Not to mention the amount of content Melee had outside of arcade offerings. They both belong in top 10, but that one placement order feels iffy. Regardless, this top 10 was HARD! Max looking at this objectively is an impossible undertaking and I respect you for torturing yourself over it for us!

[@nestorgonzalez8021]

No KOF or even fatal fury is showing that Capcom simping is real thing… SNK fighting games revolutionized mechanics and birth of what a crossover can be within fighting community… just because it didn’t have major impact here in the USA but the rest of world it’s a different story

[@samurotting22]

VF2 is NUTS! *Shows Akira punching Jacky in the nuts* I see what you did there!

[@sam7bam]

100% agree with VF2 and placing it in 2nd. That game was truly stunning.

[@xxnike0629xx]

Street Fighter II is definitely the greatest. I remember playing it in the arcades at my local roller rink and then playing it on the SNES. Although the SNES version wasn't the best and didn't really come close to the quality of the arcade version, it was still very fun.

[@SamwiseTheNotSoBrave]

I would swap out Melee for Virtua Fighter 4, but I can't complain about anything else on the list.

[@Monoo-X]

Doesn't Terry's inclusion in Ultimate talk about the influence of SNK games on the industry (FF/AoF/KoF)? Supers, taunts, intro speeches, crossover, 3v3, main history, assists, all of this were pioneered by these games. I guess a top 10 RPGs would not have Dragon Quest cause its not big in the US amirite?

[@plutoburn]

I remember when Tekken 3 came out, I was impressed with how fast the game loads. A lot of fighting game on PS1 was plagued by how long it takes to load the game, it really takes out the arcade-like experience that Namco was able to achieve with Tekken 3 on PS1.