Fighting games have had a recent uptick in and popularity, with Mortal Kombat XII all but certain to be announced soon.
Fighting games in general can be some of the hardest video games to master, with complicated movesets, interactive environments, and multiple different ways to attack targets and fend off attacks. Obviously, some fighting games are going to be much harder to master than others. Here are just some of the most difficult fighting games to master, ranked by how difficult they are.
Marvel Vs Capcom
Though not the highest rated of the games on the list, Marvel Vs Capcom certainly has some decently hard moves to master. The game, which features characters from the Marvel Universe and from Capcom, has some difficult features to figure out, such as the tag team feature that allows characters to be swapped in and out of combat from a preselected list.
However, compared to other games, Marvel vs Capcom is by far one of the tamest and easiest games to master, as the moves and functions, while somewhat difficult, are still easy to figure out, over time.
Mortal Kombat
Known as one of the Mortal Kombat may seem easy, but for the novice gamer, it can be a grind to figure things out.
With each character having different movesets and abilities, it can be hard for players to get a grip on the mechanics of this famous game. There are multiple combos to memorize, and gamers have to be fast to pull off epic moves, including the fatality moves. But compared to other games with even crazier movesets and mechanics, Mortal Kombat looks like a cakewalk.
Dead Or Alive
While not as well known to the average gamer, Dead Or Alive features a simple fighting style, but several extra features that make it slightly harder than the average fighting game.
The countering system in the game is more unique compared to other fighting games, allowing gamers to grab opponents rather than block their attacks. Adding to this, the game focuses more on quick combos and efficient strikes, giving players less time to calculate strategy and attack. However, with only a small amount of buttons needed to throw punches and kicks, it becomes a little easier to fight in this game.
Street Fighter
Street Fighter 6 was one of the biggest game announcements in June, with fans excited about the next installment in the franchise.
Though popular, Street Fighter still can be difficult to master. There are multiple different characters to play as, and, like most fighting games, each different fighter have different combos to figure out. What makes the game harder than others is that it seems more intense to play, with more emphasis on timing and perfect execution of combos at the exact right time.
Virtua Fighter
Virtua Fighter seems like a walk in the park compared to other fighter games, but those who play this game may be in for a surprise.
The game is known for only having a limited amount of buttons used to control characters in the game. However, only having three buttons to use to fight with can get overly complicated. Add that to the massive amount of moves and combos that players can utilize in their fights, and this game quickly gets harder and harder without practice.
The King Of Fighters
Though dropped from popularity for a while, The King of Fighters still remains one of the best fighting games of the '90s, and its difficulty is nothing to sneeze at either.
The complexity of the moves in The King of Fighters can catch players by surprise, and the toughness of the bosses is not to be overstated. The game also has the 3v3 combat rounds, where new fighters from a selected trio of fighters jump in when the fighter before them is knocked out. Having new fighters quickly jump in and take over forces players to adapt to that new character's play style on the fly, often without warning.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
One of the more recent fighting games, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger seems to copy the regular mechanics of fighting games - but still ends up being harder than many others.
Unlike most fighting games, BlazBlue consists of up to five rounds rather than the usual three. There is also a special blocking mechanic known as the Barrier Gage, which, should it be depleted, will cause the player to take increased damage before it recharges again. Add that to the various character abilities and BlazBlue becomes a taxing game of endurance and skill.
Super Smash Bros Melee
Most games in the Super Smash Bros series are considered pretty easy in comparison to more traditional fighting games. However, one game stands out above the rest of them as not only hard, but one of the hardest fighting games out there.
That game is, of course, Super Smash Bros Melee. The game itself is more technically demanding than other installments in the franchise despite its smaller roster in comparison. It requires better timing and learning of the gameplay mechanics and movesets to fully take advantage of the game. Even the game's creator, Masahiro Sakurai, itted in an interview in 2010 that Melee was "too difficult."
Guilty Gear
Guilty Gear is a rich fighting game filled with plenty of powerful characters to play as. And while gameplay is similar to many other fighting games, it's the range of experience that players have in the game that make it really hard to master.
Each character requires a different play style to fully master their abilities and movesets. Some characters might take a few hours to master, but others may take hundreds if not thousands of hours to figure out. This kind of dedication means that new players could wind up fighting seasoned players that pull off insane moves that they don't have a chance of blocking with extensive time practicing
Tekken
Time and time again, Tekken has proven itself to be not only one of the more unique fighting games, but also the absolute hardest one out there.
The big thing with Tekken is that, while most fighting games dedicate buttons to controlling the strength of attacks, this game dedicates one button per limb, making it difficult to execute combos. Add that to dozens upon dozens of possible combo attacks that the characters have access to, and mastering this game becomes a lifelong mission for anyone but the most elite gamers.
