The 20 Best '90s Fighting Games, Ranked

Capcom released the Street Fighter game way back in 1987. But in the few years between the first game to the release of Street Fighter II Turbo, the series was essentially upgraded and updated in every possible way. While Street Fighter 2 was already a classic, the Turbo edition took all of the great elements and made them even greater.

By the time this game came out (which honestly wasn't much after the original Street Fighter II was released), there were several new combo moves to use and new characters to play as. Yup, there's a reason Street Fighter II Turbo is still regarded as one of the best games of the entire franchise and is still played competitively to this day. 

Basically the all-star matchup every gamer wished for, X-Men vs Street Fighter was an insanely popular arcade game that was first ported to the Sega Saturn and later released on the PS1 (though the reviews weren't nearly as generous). While the gameplay was similar to the original Street Fighter games, it included a new tag-team format where players could pick characters from different franchises, meaning you could have Wolverine pop in and help Ken out.

Featuring 17 playable characters, it offered way more variety than your typical run-of-the-mill fighter. It’s fast, it’s frantic, and the graphics are still surprisingly tight. As one of the greatest and most popular fighters of the time, it’s no wonder it started such a huge movement.

Tekken 3 is what franchises should look to emulate when making a sequel. This game improved on the original two games in nearly every area, and they weren't even bad! Combat was refined by limiting jump heights and creating new maneuvers.

Successfully executing a 10-hit combo felt like more of an accomplishment in this game, and as a result, it felt more rewarding. This game wasn't just a button masher like so many other fighting games at the time; it required a high level of skill. 

If there's a competitor that can match Street Fighter in terms of sheer popularity, it's Mortal Kombat. While the first MK release was worthy in its own right, it was Mortal Kombat II that essentially started the legacy. The game's hyper-realistic graphics and over-the-top gore were so brash and outrageous that there was simply no way it wouldn't become an instant hit.

In addition to bringing a new attitude to the fighting arena, the combat mechanics were also upgraded (while still keeping the high level of violence of the first game). This way the game stayed unique but was still able to compete mechanically with other fighters. 

A classic series outside the States, the King of Fighters franchise is as vast and diverse enough to give Street Fighter a run for its money. King of Fighters '98 was the game that basically took everything that was great about the previous titles and combined it all into one.

The roster was huge, the gameplay was fluid, and the graphics — like always — were cartoony and tight.

Technically the second Soulcalibur game (the first being Soul Edge, which was released in 1995), Soulcalibur was an arcade game first that was later ported to the Sega Dreamcast. Unlike other fighters at the time, Soulcalibur took advantage of 3D gaming mechanics, which, when coupled with sharp graphics, smooth controls, and an engaging storyline, made for one great fighting game.

Soulcalibur basically improved upon the original game in every conceivable way, which definitely helped solidify it as one of the most popular games to ever grace the Dreamcast. It also featured all the same characters (plus a whole lot more), which helped solidify its status as a diverse fighting game.