Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu 1994
Why it still holds upA set of Goku's biggest fights told by his family still makes the story easy to follow.
Fighting games that still hold up
Read the other player, then punish the mistake
Games
Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu 1994
Why it still holds upA set of Goku's biggest fights told by his family still makes the story easy to follow.
King of Fighters R-2 1999
Why it still holds upShort fights and a mode for building your own fighter still give a portable game plenty to try.
In a bundle
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors 1994
Why it still holds upA super meter that drains if you hold it still pushes every fight toward spending it.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 2004
Why it still holds upA fighter who can power up mid-fight still keeps every round lively.
Bushido Blade 1997
Why it still holds upOne strike that can end a fight still makes every exchange a risk.
SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium 1999
Why it still holds upTwo companies' fighters in one pocket game still make it easy to start a match.
SoulCalibur III 2005
Why it still holds upCreating a fighter of your own and sending it on a story is still a good reason to pick it up today.
The Way of the Exploding Fist 1985
Why it still holds upA match decided by two clean strikes is still a simple contest to follow today.
Tekken Tag Tournament 1999
Why it still holds upSwitching fighters mid-combo is still a good reason to pick up two characters.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars 2008
Why it still holds upThree buttons still keep a deep crossover welcoming.
On sale
SoulCalibur VI 2018
Why it still holds upToday, a defense that turns into a slow motion exchange gives each fight a moment of reading your opponent.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 2006
Why it still holds upA fighter who powers up behind the camera is still a good reason to pick it up.
Jump Ultimate Stars 2006
Why it still holds upBuilding a deck of manga panels is still a puzzle in itself.
On sale
Garou: Mark of the Wolves 1999
Why it still holds upJust Defend and a life bar that unlocks moves still give each round its own decisions.
On sale
Tumblestone 2016
Why it still holds upEvery board still makes it worth playing now, since each has a solution and one wrong pick ruins it.
Death Sword 1987
Also known as Barbarian
Why it still holds upA duel to the last life point is still a quick contest to try today.
Street Fighter IV 2008
Why it still holds upA six-button fighter is a good place to learn the series, and it still is.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 2007
Why it still holds upSpecial forms that count as their own fighters are still a reason to pick it up.
Super Punch-Out!! 1994
Why it still holds upEach opponent has a style and weaknesses you learn by watching, so patience still pays off today.
The King of Fighters '98 1998
Why it still holds upTwo styles of meter still give each team a choice of how to fight.
Virtua Fighter 4 2001
Why it still holds upFlat arenas with walls still keep the fights about position more than luck.
On sale
Barony 2015
Why it still holds upA dungeon laid out anew on every descent still means no party knows what the next floor holds.
Dead or Alive 3 2001
Why it still holds upToday, a tutorial that shows commands while you practice them makes the roster easy to learn.
Skullgirls 2012
Why it still holds upSimpler inputs and a way out of long combos still make it a friendly place to learn fighting games.
On sale
Mortal Kombat X 2015
Why it still holds upThree variations per fighter still make the roster feel three times its size.
On sale
BlazBlue: Central Fiction 2015
Why it still holds upA story mode of around forty hours and a roster of 37 characters still give it plenty to play today.
On sale
Tekken 7 2015
Why it still holds upToday, a move that absorbs hits and one that spends your Rage make every round a question of when to use them.
Tekken Advance 2001
Why it still holds upTwo buttons and a side step still keep its fights quick to learn.
On sale
Nidhogg 2014
Why it still holds upA way forward that passes to whoever killed last still makes each match a tug of war to the last screen.
On sale
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 2011
Why it still holds upSimple controls still make a big cast easy to start with.
On sale
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 2016
Why it still holds upSwitching between three fighters still keeps each duel moving.
Street Fighter X Tekken 2012
Why it still holds upMixing two casts into a tag game still gives every team a different shape.
Tekken 2 1995
Why it still holds upFour buttons for four limbs make a system that is easy to learn, which is still true today.
SoulCalibur IV 2008
Why it still holds upArmor that breaks still keeps a defensive player from hiding behind a guard.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 2014
Why it still holds upSmash Run is still the one Smash mode where the fight starts after five minutes of scavenging, which is its draw today.
In a bundle
Mortal Kombat II 1994
Why it still holds upA fight that ends with a finishing move still gives two players a reason to rematch.
On sale
Mortal Kombat 4 1997
Why it still holds upThe weapons still put something sharp in every fighter's hands, in a fight that stays on a line.