Fists Up, Quarters Down: The Next Wave of Fighting Games

Our quick guide to the next year of kickpunch games.

By: Jose Otero
June 22, 2011

The fighting game genre has seen it all: The highest of highs and in some cases, the lowest of lows (do you remember Fighter’s History from Data East?). But the genre continues to thrive. There’s a bunch of fighting games currently in development for consoles right now — each bringing their own set of distinct mechanics and visual flair to the age old stage of the head-to-head match. Here’s an impromptu list of the ones to watch out for throughout the next year.

• Dragon Ball Game Project Age 2011

  

  With each installment the Dragon Ball games from Namco Bandai closes in on fulfilling the promise of properly emulating the stylish look of the popular manga and anime fighting series. While the look continues to get closer and closer, up until this point the concept of maintaining a balanced Dragon Ball fighter has been a difficult task. The TGS 2010 trailer showed another impressive looking game, but revealed few details outside of a confirmation that the game is coming to the U.S.

• King of Fighters XIII

  

  Originally published and developed for Japanese arcades by SNK Playmore, Atlus has stepped in as the publishing partner for the home console port. The new publisher hopes to reignite interest in the online portion of KOF, and redeem the franchise after the terrible reception to King of Fighters XII‘s performance online. The home console port is being based on the latest revision of the game in Japan (ver 1.1), and Atlus and SNK are taking a serious look at providing console extras and a dozen play modes as well.

• Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generation

  

  Cyberconnect2’s next Naruto game, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generation (or Naruto Shippuden Narutimate Storm Generation in Japan) was recently announced so specific details are scarce. According to Andriasang, producer Yusuke Sasaki has said to expect a greater focus on combat compared to the last title. The new game crosses over characters spanning the entire Naruto generational timeline.

• Skullgirls

  

  A downloadable tag team-based six-button fighter from Autumn Games and Verge Labs, Skullgirls aims to be both a tournament-caliber fighting experience and an accessible game for amateur players at the same time — an ambitious goal, considering the range between those skill levels. However daunting the task may seem, the developers have embraced this challenge and are introducing gameplay systems built around limiting the types of issues that novices experience in most fighting games — think easier to perform controller motions and counters for infinite combos. Using unique 2D animation techniques that are hand-drawn, and music by Castlevania series composer Michiru Yamane, Skullgirls can potentially be one of the bigger surprises in the genre if the team’s ambitious goals are met.

• Soul Calibur V

  

  Taking place 17 years after the events of the previous game, the announcement of Soul Calibur V was met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Aside from the confirmation of Mitsurugi, Siegfried, Pyrrha (inheritor of Sophita’s moveset) and Patroklos (Cassandra’s moveset) as featured characters, few details on the game have escaped Namco Japan. A recent EGM cover story has managed to shed some light, and points out that the team at Project Soul is focused on crafting a more “elegant” fighting game than previous installments. As one of the few fighting games left that uses a full three-dimensional plane as part of the game’s core mechanics, the team is currently examining several aspects of their new Soul Calibur game. The controversial Critical Finish move (a one-hit kill mechanic that could be used against foes whose Soul Gauge was depleted) has been tweaked; it’s now a “Special Move” that inflicts a lot of damage, but not enough to be an “I Win” move. The team is still working out the exact balance, but the basic idea is to have a move that is still powerful from skilled players, but not match-ending. Director Daishi Odashima said that feedback after SCIII and IV points to controls feeling a little heavy, and that the team wants to make them feel swift and responsive again (one tweak is shortening the input window). Series producer Hisaharu Tago adds that the story of the new game will expand beyond the usual hunt for Nightmare and the Soul Edge, hinting at a parallel-world aspect.

• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition

  

  The release and positive reception for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix two years ago opened the door for more classic fighting game re-releases in high definition, and an iteration of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike that could be played online was the one most requested by the community. Considered the most hardcore title in the franchise, 3rd Strike Online incorporates online play through GGPO (the efficient netcode that powers SSSF2HD Remix), new visual filters for modern televisions, optional in-game mini-goals with credits that can be used to buy unlockable art, and the inclusion of instant sharing to YouTube have primed Street Fighter III to be another strong arcade game contender this year.

• Street Fighter X Tekken

  

  Originally revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 to a cheering room of fighting game enthusiasts, Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced “Street Fighter Cross Tekken”) is a dream matchup between two highly respected brands of the genre. A tag-team affair in the heart of the Versus series, Capcom’s stable of world warriors clash with Tekken’s fighters through the distinct, inky visual art style of SFIV and its six-button attack layout. But don’t get confused; while SFXT looks similar to SFIV, what we’ve seen of the gameplay indicates a fighting experience that blends mechanics of both franchises. Fourteen characters are confirmed for the game (fifteen if you count the inclusion of InFamous series protagonist Cole MacGrath — but which side is he really on?), and weak to heavy attack combinations lead into launchers which set up larger, more advanced combos. Although the project is currently in development at Capcom, Tekken characters are being crafted with the utmost regard to their source material — right down to the movesets.