In recent times, Capcom has had a rocky track record in terms of fighting games.Street Fighter 5had a bare-bones launch, although it did get better over time, andMarvel vs. Capcom: Infinitewasn’t up to the series standard. However, withStreet Fighter 6, Capcom has returned to form.
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Issues like the art style and input lag from the previous installment are massively improved here, plus there’s so much content at launch. It’s a great titleto get you into fighting games, and afterward, you’ll likely want to explore more of what this genre has to offer.
10Yakuza
While not a fighting game but a beat-‘em-up or JRPG, Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode takes a lot of cues from theYakuzatitles. Its phone messaging system feels similar to later Yakuza entries in how characterization is done. The side activities and side missions are in the same vein as Yakuza too.
After completing a chapter, you’ll look at your map and find new markers on it that you urgently want to clear before doing anything else. Games likeLike a Dragon: Ishinhas that same exact completionist feel. Some might not love World Tour mode, but you should check out at least one Yakuza game if you do.
9WWE 2K23
Another aspect of World Tour is the very sports game-esque story. You start training under Luke along with your friend Bosch. It goes smoothly until Bosch takes a bit of a diverting turn. This is similar to many career or story modes in wrestling games, and out of the ones available on modern platforms,WWE 2K23is the best.
You get two career storylines, one for a male superstar and another for a female. It feels a lot like World Tour mode with the texting system and story, plus it’s a very fun game to play. There’s plenty of content too, so like Street Fighter 6, 2K23 can keep you occupied for a while.
8Mortal Kombat X
Street Fighter 6 is the first game in the series to have a lot of content and material for single-player. You can probably get your money’s worth off that content alone, but before this,Mortal Kombatalso did a great job at its single-player offering. Out of the MKs available on modern platforms, Mortal Kombat X is the best, but just by a hair.
MK11is missing Test Your Might, and Test Your Luck is only available in the online towers, which gives MKX a slight edge. You’ve got the quality Story mode, The Krypt, Arcade, Endless, Survivor, Test Your Luck, and the button-mashing favorite, Test Your Might. With the online towers as well, that’s a lot of single-player content to chew on.
7Devil May Cry
A big part of fighting games is the inputs for moves, as that’s a large priority for the controls. Street Fighter 6 added the modern control scheme, but this next series is more for users of the classic variety.Devil May Cryis one of few action games that controls a bit like a fighter, particularly in entries 3 through 5.
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Sure, standard moves are simple to pull off, but more complex ones require the timing and skill needed, similar to that of Street Fighter. For example, Nero’s Exceed system can be fully charged if you precisely time your right trigger press after an attack. Your Street Fighter skills can translate to DMC and vice versa.
6Darkstalkers
Some of thebest Capcom fighting gameshave been from the Darkstalkers series. Although its last main entry was back in the 90s, the titles are still held in high regard, especially in terms of game animation. For a long time, it remained unavailable on modern platforms, that is, until 2022.
Capcom Fighting Collection brings every Darkstalkers game, plus additional Capcom gems like Red Earth. These titles still hold up and are referenced quite a bit in Street Fighter 6. Capcom Fighting Collection tends to go on sale rather often, and the Darkstalkers games are a must-play for fighting game fans.
5Tekken 7
Most fighting games have three ways they can control. One is the classic Street Fighter style that requires motion inputs, including the awkward Shoryuken one that was clearly made with an arcade joystick in mind. The second is directional attacks, which make you press a direction followed by a punch, kick, or another equivalent.
Then some games mix the two, likeDead or AliveorTekken. Tekken has both styles, but more focus is put on the latter. This makes it great to play if you’re used to Street Fighter 6’s modern controls.Tekken 7first released in 2015 and received years of support behind it, making the game today rather content-rich.
4Final Fight Trilogy
With the release of Street Fighter 6, it appears that the Final Fight games might as well be classified as Street Fighter spin-offs. Sure, Final Fight has always taken place within the Street Fighter universe, but before, it was a distinct series similar to howJudgmentis distinct from Yakuza. However, due to the number of nods and returning characters, Final Fight is inside the Street Fighter franchise at this point.
This makes playing the original Final Fight trilogy a must for those interested in the story and lore. You can actually play Final Fight 1 within SF6, and it’s one ofthe best beat-em-ups ever, but the sequels are harder to play since they’re stuck to the SNES.
Dead or Alive has a good mix of both fighting game control styles. Some moves are directional attacks, but many special throws are motion inputs. Thankfully these motions are controller friendly, and even the hardest move to pull off in the game, Hayate’s Raijin, is easier on a controller due to the ability to use both sticks.
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What makes DOA refreshing compared to many other fighters, Street Fighter 6 included, is that it’s so fast-paced. The action goes by so fast that you really have to focus harder to come out on top. If you liked Street Fighter 6 but thought it was a little too slow, DOA is what you need, with DOA5 being the most content-rich entry on most modern platforms.
2Killer Instinct
The best early eighth-gen fighting game by far was Killer Instinct. Thepremier fighting game on Xbox, it was ahead of its time in terms of online play and input lag reduction, far surpassing its competition. With years of support, it’s content-rich at this point, and it’s a shame this appears to be the final first-party Xbox fighting game.
Killer Instinct is amazing, and if you play Street Fighter 6 on Xbox, you have to try out KI since it’s on Game Pass. With it being a first-party Xbox Game Studios title, it’s more or less a permanent game on the service.
1Super Smash Bros.
Right next to Street Fighter,Super Smash Brosis the other biggest fighting game. Intended as a party game, the vast community found a way to make it competitive, and the series has remained strong ever since. Street Fighter 6 introduced Extreme Battles, which are very Smash Bros-esque. You’re given interesting win conditions, and luck factors like bulls get brought into the fight.
It’s enjoyable but doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. If you feel that way, why don’t you just pick up the real deal and play Smash Bros? It’s still the best fighting game to play as a party game when items are brought in. Plus, all the entries, minus the original, have a bunch of single-player content that’ll keep you occupied.
