411 Top 5 Games Edition 08.10.06: Week 3
Posted by Steve McHugh on 08.11.2006
Top 5 One on One Beat Em Ups
Hello and welcome to this week's column, the TOP 5 One on One Beat Em Ups.
Steve McHugh
5. Fighting Megamix (Saturn)
You get all of the Virtua Fighter characters and fighting Vipers too, as well as a few extras. It's a wonderful game and the best fighter on the Saturn. Oh and being the Daytona car is just about the greatest and most bizarre character in any fighting game.
4. DOA 3 (Xbox)
It looks beautiful, moves like a dream and has masses of stuff to do. Also some of the end sequences are fantastic and worth playing through with every character. And more then anything else this game is just fun to play.
3. Marvel Vs Capcom 2 (Dreamcast)
Well I know it was in last week's column but it's just that good of a game. It's mad, looks stunning and with 52 characters or so will keep you occupied forever. And smashing one of your friends with a meteor when you play against them never gets old.
2. Soul Calibur 2 (Xbox)
Yes Spawn sucked very very badly, but other then that this is a fantastic game. It's the best in the series, although the first is a bloody close second. I played this game for months on end and never once got bored. In fact if I ever go back to play it I can guarantee I'll still love it.
1. Virtua Fighter 4 Evo (PS2)
It's Virtua Fighter and I love Virtua Fighter. It's the most complex and technical fighting game in the world. And it will last you forever. Add in a wonderful quest mode and great graphics and this is the best fighting game in the world. And something everyone should play at least once.
Honourable mentions
Street Fighter 3 – Third Strike (Dreamcast).
This was hard to leave out but it just doesn't make me as happy as the other 5. It's still a wonderful game though.
Eternal Champions (Megadrive/ Mega CD).
Some will prefer Mortal Kombat but I loved this game. It was just as violent, just as insane but the characters were actually interesting and the death scenes actually impressive.
Steven Masters
5. Kill Instinct Gold (Dreamcast)
Rounding out my list was a game I had on Dreamcast...and got blisters from. I played this damn game for three days STRAIGHT. The only other game that has that honour was the original Mario Party.
4. Tekken 5 (PS2)
Tekken 5 is another one of those games I couldn't put down when I first got it. The subtle and not-so-subtle additions you could give people was awesome. I love Jin's mini-game and Grampa Mishima is, despite the stupid design, an awesome boss.
3. Ehrgeiz (PS1)
Ehgreiz is a difficult game to play at times, but the cast is all stars. It was beautifully designed when it came out on the original PS and I still pop it in every now and then.
2. Soul Calibur 3 (PS2)
Soul Calibur 3...My personal favorite in the series. Edge, SoulCal and SoulCal2 were good, but the CaC mode was pretty awesome in the game, which tips it a bit for me.
1. Mortal Kombat (Full series, every imaginable system)
Epic storylines spanning almost any console available. I love the engines for the gameplay and face it, Scorpion and SubZero are pimps.
Frank 'Odd' Mohr
HONORABLE MENTION: Rage of the Dragons, Capcom vs SNK 2, Last Blade 2, Garou:MOTW
5. Guilty Gear XX #Reload
Simply put, the GG series is one of the most highly stylish and original 2D fighters ever. Characters are extremely balanced; there are few exceptions where one character is markedly more powerful than another. Graphics are extremely well done, with fluid animation, larger sprites than commonly seen, and spectacular special moves.
4. Dead or Alive 4
Avoiding the issue of the titular appeal of the game, the graphical power of this title, coupled with the style of its characters, make for a fun casual play. Granted, balance is nowhere to be seen in this game, with Hayabusa and Kokoro utterly dominating higher level play, but with few exceptions (Zack, any ninja, and La Mariposa), the martial arts represented by the characters are extremely authentic and powerful. Online play keeps it constantly fresh, and the utterly huge costume selection will keep anyone looking for aesthetic changes happy.
3. Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike
The game that got me started playing 2D again. The very first time I played this on my old Dreamcast, I was blown away. The level of animation is superb, the parry system eliminated the cheap strategies of the past, and the single special move selection made strategy a paramount part of gameplay. Truly, this was the thinking man's fighting game, and it showed. IF there is any fault I can find with the game, it is the single cheapest boss I have ever fought. Cheaper than Sissy from Power Instinct Matrimelee, and that's sayings something. Oh yeah, there wasn't any Sagat either. That made me sad.
2. The King of Fighters 2002
The smoothest, deepest, and most utterly addictive 2D fighter EVER. Like any KOF, the character roster is very extensive, and the three person teams allowed for any number of different strategies. The game has style, substance, and technicality like you wouldn't believe. Another great example of the 'easy-to-play, hard-to-master' formula that has made so many great games in the past. 2002 was also a 'dream match' installment, bringing in characters that canonically may be dead or retired, much to my joy. Ralf, Shermie, and Angel? Why, it seems my prayer for the perfect team has come true!
1. Soul Calibur II
It isn't very often you get a fighting game with as deep a storyline as Soul Calibur. Even rarer is one that has such an amazing engine behind it. Easily the most technical, smoothest, and fun 3D fighter ever. No questions asked. Also, please ignore the console exclusive characters. They are altogether horrid, in my opinion.
Jordan 'Ogre' Williams
HM: Def Jam Vendetta: Fight for New York, Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike, Dead or Alive 2
5 - Tekken 3 (PSone)
This game holds a small place in my heart because it is the game that gave me my name. Despite fans panning it as a cheap Virtua Fighter, Tekken 3 was a very good fighter in its own right with a mix of decent characters and good action.
4 - Rival Schools (ARC)
I have YET to see a fighting game with such a simple idea yet such a BRILLIANT execution. Let's take some schools, make them all focus all around one stereotype...and let them FIGHT! Where else can you see someone from the 'bad' school take on a jock with a human sized baseball bat?
3 - Super Smash Brothers Melee (GC)
it's a fighting game. I don't care if you say otherwise. Sure, it's not 1 on 1, but who NEEDS it to be? It was the first game I have seen in a LONG time to seamlessly mix party and fighting styles into one and make it WORK.
2 - Fighters Destiny and Flying Dragon (Both on N64)
I couldn't decide between the two games no one ever heard of. Fighters Destiny is a traditional fighting game based on not a round system, but a POINT system. Knocking an opponent down yields three points, slamming them gives you two, and so on. It was one of the first (and only) games to use such a system, and the characters were quite varied (C'mon, you got to play as a COW)
Flying Dragon was a traditional fighter with two modes, a normal 'adult' mode, and an RPG based SD (Super Deformed) mode. While the adult mode was nothing to talk about, the SD mode was FUN. The RPG elements mixed in nice, and the game was one of the few good fighters for the N64 (Fighters Destiny being the other)
1 - Street Fighter 2(all versions) and Soul Calibur II (GC/PS2/Xbox)
what else can you say? This is the game that pretty much revolutionized the genre. Creative characters? Check. Nice assortment of moves? Check. Lots of revisions? Check Alpha Turbo. It's always looked back as one of the best and it's well deserved.
Soul Calibur II has one of the best stories now just in a fighting game, in any game of ANY genre. Weapon based fighters tend to fall flat, but the Soul Blade/Calibur series turned them around, with Soul Calibur II being the one that REALLY jump started it. Add in a GREAT assortment of characters and styles, and you have one of the best fighting games ever made. Period.
Sean Garmer
5. Primal Rage (SNES)
The game was pretty simple but the thing that made it great was that you could fight with Dinosaurs and Pre-historic monkeys. Seriously, how do you beat that? It had blood, it had weird moves, but I thought it was an original concept for its time to let us fight with a Raptor, T-Rex, and Big Monkeys that shoot ice.
4. Mortal Kombat series (A Bunch of systems)
I wasn't really a fan of these games when I was a kid because I have never really been into the whole blood and guts thing with video games. However, that doesn't take away that the Mortal Kombat series was innovative and was one of the games that gave us the ESRB so that is something to be happy about. I'm just kidding, honestly though they had a lot of memorable characters, insane fatalities, and the cool "whooptie" uppercut. I have to say I laughed almost every time that guy came on screen to say that. Even though, I didn't really play these games a whole lot, I give respect where it's due and MK definitely deserves it.
3. Street Fighter series (A Bunch of systems)
Oh where would we be without Street Fighter? This is the series of games that put fighting games on the map as far as I'm concerned. Sure the story was pretty linear but who cares? All that really matters is using that Hadoken with Ryu or showing your friends how fast you can make E. Honda's hands move. Damn, you want to talk about memorable characters; these are probably the most memorable ones in fighting game history. They all even have some kind of back story to them. This is one of those games that you picked one character and mastered all of their moves just so you could beat the tar out of your friends when they came over. Glory be to Street Fighter because these games are great, hands down.
2. Soul Calibur 2 & 3 (Gamecube/PS2)
If it wasn't for this series of games I probably wouldn't be playing fighting games right now. It's arguably the best fighting game series that comes out with new games. The fighting system is simple and complex at the same time and it has lots of memorable characters and locales. The stories are somewhat compelling and make you want to play through them to the end. The best part is that they try to make it seem like a story (especially SC 2) instead of just having you fight a bunch of fighters in a row and then a big boss. The damn thing even has branching off points for each character that could literally take you hours to beat the whole story mode with one character. I prefer using swords and weapons instead of just the hand to hand stuff. These games give you plenty of that and more. I really loved the edition of that strategy story mode "Chronicles of the Sword." Finally, I have to disagree with Frank Mohr, Link being an exclusive character (in SC 2) made me buy the Gamecube version and I loved his inclusion. I could see your reasoning for not liking the guy from Tekken and Spawn because they seemed like extras. Link to me fit right in, and that made me love the 2nd one even more. Seriously, if you have a chance play one of these games, I guarantee you will have some fun.
1. Dead Or Alive Series (XBOX/XBOX 360)
Look people DOA is not all about girls with big boobs ok! Well hey it doesn't hurt to have something to look at while your kicking ass, but still, sex is not the point. This is really a fun and great fighting game series here. You have your ninjas, kung-fu fighters, and wrestlers (oh can't forget the Hulk Hogan look a like, Bass.) There are literally tons of moves that can be done, destructible environments, and, DOA 3 and DOA 2 remake for XBOX have a four player tag team mode that kicks ass. I haven't played DOA 4 yet because I don't own an XBOX 360 but still, this series was one of the reasons I bought an XBOX in the first place and it turned out the graphics were just icing on the cake.
Mathew Sforcina
5. Street Fighter 2
I'm here to fill the 'casual/non-hardcore gamer' quota in these things. Hence, while this series and game in particular are very important in the long run, I find it a bit boring, but it gets in on sheer importance.
4. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
the best version of the bloodiest game. While I like the series a fair bit, I understand the criticisms. But still, this is a fun game, even if I totally suck at it. The newer ones on the other hand, while I still suck at them, I suck on a better level.
3. Soul Calibur 2
Oh screw you, Spawn kicks ass in the game. Him and Ivy. God I love Ivy. Ahem, I mean, that is, it's a beautiful and well made game. What more do you want?
2. DOA Series
Please don't make me choose one over the other. 3 was the first one I was ever good at, Ultimate was the first and thus far only game I 100% unlocked in one long period from buying, and 4 is nagging on my mind. Plus there's Volleyball, but we are getting a bit off track. My personal choice for control system, great look, overall package.
1. Super Smash Bros Melee.
Yes, this counts, I don't give a damn what you say. Single funniest fighter game ever, best party fighter game, most unusual and diverse, everything you could want or need. Plus, you never get bored beating on Picachu.
Armando Rodriguez
5. Mortal Kombat 4(N64)
It was another of those "fever" games that we played over and over for months and then forgot about. But it has to be here for those months.
4. Saturday Night Slammasters (SNES)
Yeah a wrestling game that is not a wrestling game. It was a fighter in a ring with the unique need to pin opponents at the end. At its chore, it was street fighter quarter-circle motions and fast paced gameplay.
3. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (N64)
This was like all the MK's in one and also ate up days of me and my friend's lives. Nothing like a good fighter to get the gang together...well that and Golden Eye...
2. Street Fighter II (all versions)
This was the best game I had ever played as a kid. I was lucky enough that my parents spend $100 to buy it for me when it came out for the Super NES and those are the best $100 they ever spent!
1. Virtua Fighter 4/Evolution
I wasted hours upon hours on this game with my friends. Everyone played a different character and each was a master with that character, so we used to do 8 man tournaments and the like. The game was so well balanced that each character was equally strong on their own right.
Tommy Coloma
Honourable Mention (no particular order)
The King of Fighters 2002
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
Tekken 5
Samurai Showdown
Dead or Alive 4
Mortal Kombat II
Soul Calibur
Vampire Savior
Guilty Gear XX Slash
Garou: Mark Of The Wolves
Keep in mind that I am not really into 3D and/or flashy fighting games. This preference for 2D and more methodical fighters played heavily on the construction of this list.
5. Super Street Fighter II Turbo
This version of Street Fighter II made it to the top five because it is one of the most balanced fighters out there. One can pretty much defeat any opponent with any character if he or she is good enough. The only problems that I have with it are the audio changes that were made after Street Fighter II Turbo. I never really liked the remixed music and the new announcer.
4. The King of Fighters '98
I like the roster, music, and the fighting system.
3. Street Fighter Alpha 2
There is a lot less BS in this game than in Alpha 3. The only problem I have with it is the fact that one can win using an alpha counter. That is very annoying.
2. Street Fighter III: Third Strike
This is one of the only games where when I lose I know it's because I suck and not because of bad design.
1. Capcom vs. SNK 2
Even though it is extremely unbalanced, I would still rather play this game than any other one on this list. The roster is great and I actually like messing around with the different grooves (not just C and N). It is simply fun to play. I prefer the presentation that was used in CVS1 though.
Yes - I realize that there are four Street Fighter games in my top five list. My reasoning is simple - they all play differently enough for me to consider them separate entities.
Well as per usual if you have any comments or if you think we're wrong then let us know.
