The 1990's were an incredible time for video games. Numerous genres were defined by the games developed throughout the '90s, and they had laid the ground work for the entire video game industry moving forward. This couldn't be more apparent than with the fighting game genre. Across the '90s, the fighting game genre exploded in popularity, with countless developers releasing games of the genre that had begun to dominate arcades.
So today, we're going to examine the best of the best when it comes to fighting games of the '90s, and look at the most iconic and influential fighters of the era!
10 SoulCalibur
When it comes to weapon-based fighting games, one can't help but immediately think of the SoulCalibur franchise. While the series started with the release of Soul Edge in 1995, the series really started to set itself apart and get off the ground with the release of SoulCalibur in 1998. While series like Tekken and Virtua Fighter are often viewed as some of the most genre defining 3D fighters, SoulCalibur is by far the most iconic weapon-based 3D fighter.
9 Killer Instinct
The original Killer Instinct is a game that takes various aspects of other fighting games of the era and utilizes them to create an product that is simultaneously familiar yet possessing its own distinct identity. Controlling similarly to Street Fighter yet containing Mortal Kombat-esque fatalities, the series was often noted for its combo system and iconic "combo breakers."
Additionally, Killer Instinct's distinct and memorable cast contains a ninja, an alien, a skeleton, a werewolf, a killer robot, and a professional boxer, yet manages to maintain a sense of cohesion.
8 Samurai Shodown IV
A weapon-based fighter developed by iconic fighting game developer, SNK, Samurai Showdown IV marks the pinnacle of the Samurai Showdown Series.
Samurai Showdown is a series characterized by its high damage that keeps tension high between rounds, as each hit landed by a player could swing the game in one's favor. Samurai Shodown IV built upon everything the series had established by that point, tightening up gameplay, expanding the size of the roster, and incorporating the violent finishing moves the series was known for.
7 Garou: Mark Of The Wolves
Released in 1999, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is the final installment of the Fatal Fury series. Set in the distant future of the Fatal Fury timeline, the game's roster is made up entirely of newcomers to the series save for series protagonist, Terry Bogard.
The game puts a major focus on refined and tight gameplay and beautiful animation, and it is one of the most polished fighters released by SNK within the '90s.
6 The King of Fighters ‘98
Another game developed by SNK, The King of Fighters '98 is often lauded as the strongest entry in the King of Fighters franchise. While in many fighting games players choose a single character they play as, within the King of Fighters series, players construct a team of characters that they control between rounds. This gves players a significant amount of flexibility and freedom that allow them to express themselves through the team they play. This is accented in King of Fighters '98 due to its sizable cast that contains an all-star lineup that includes characters from every entry in the series!
5 X-Men Vs. Street Fighter
While the Marvel Ss. Capcom series has become synonymous with the topic of fighting game crossovers, it all started with X-Men Vs. Street Fighter in 1996.
Using assets from the Street Fighter Alpha series and X-Men: Children of the Atom, the games allows players to form tag teams of two characters and features a slew of huge and impactful combos that the Capcom Vs. series would become known for.
4 Tekken 3
In the realm of three-dimensional fighting games, no franchise is as dominant or recognizable as Tekken. Released in 1997, Tekken 3 took everything that made the previous two entries successful, and developed them further, providing gameplay innovations that have impacted even the most recent installments in the series.
Introducing series mainstay, Jin Kazama, the game also was the first to feature numerous series favorites such as the capoeira fighter, Eddy Goro. At the time of its release, Tekken 3 was the ultimate Tekken experience, nearly invalidating any other 3D fighter of the era.
3 Mortal Kombat I-III
Few fighting games have been able to impact the cultural zeitgeist quite like Mortal Kombat. The first three games in the Mortal Kombat series helped to define the generation of 90's fighting games, inspiring countless games that attempted to recreate the magic of Mortal Kombat's over the top fatalities.
In addition to influencing the fighting game genre, Mortal Kombat left its mark on the entire video game medium, resulting in the creation of the ESRB rating system that is still used to this day.
2 Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II is easily the most influential and important fighting game of all time, and it serves as the progenitor of the modern fighting game. Street Fighter II was the first fighting game that allowed players to select one of many unique characters that possessed their own unique movesets. The home to numerous characters who've become synonymous with the fighting game genre such as Chun Li and Guile, if it weren't for Street Fighter II, it's likely that we never would've seen any of the other entries on this list.
1 Street Fighter III: Third Strike
When it comes to competitive fighting games, few games have left as much of a lasting impression on the fighting game genre as Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Possessing the revolutionary parring system, to this day, Third Strike is viewed as one of the most well designed and fine-tuned fighting games of all time. While the game did not receive much love upon its release in 1999, the game's competitive scene exploded in the years following, resulting in one of the most iconic and recognizable fighting game moments of all time: "Evo Moment #37."