There are a lot of fighting games. Think there’s only 7Tekkengames becauseTekken 7is the latest one? It’s actually more like 14 altogether. 5Virtua Fightergames? There are 4 different versions ofVirtua Fighter 5alone. Then there’sStreet Fighter 2, which is probably the most updated, retweaked, and remade fighting game around.
Related:Street Fighter: Most Iconic Moments in the Series
Compilations became a popular feature during the 2000s, so some companies put their top fighting games together in various collections since then. Though many of them have left something to be desired. Luckily, there’s still somefighting game compilationsout there that are worth players’ time.
6Marvel Vs Capcom Origins
Iron Galaxy, the company behind the beloved PS3/360 port ofStreet Fighter 3: Third Strike, did the same forMarvel Super Heroesand the firstMarvel Vs Capcomin this collection. Both games were upgraded to HD, given GGPO online modes, and various display options. Like theirThird Strikeport, it also offered challenges the player could complete to earn points and unlock extra content in the vault. Still, there was room for improvement.
Where wasMarvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter? AndMarvel Vs Capcom 2?X-Men: Children of the AtomandX-Men Vs Street Fighterweren’t included either, despite those games starting off Capcom’sMarvelboom in the first place. Not that it matters too much. Sadly, the game was delisted 2 years after its release at the end of 2014 when Capcom’s Marvel license ran out. If they everrenegotiate with Marvel, remaking this compilation with every crossover would be a cash cow for both companies.
Luckily, this Xbox classic can still be played on modern machines.It’s backwards compatiblewith the Xbox One and Series X/S. Though with the compilation being nearly 20 years old, its online mode isn’t too functional nowadays. Not unless it can connect to a private server. If it can, players can take each other on in the first twoDead or Alivegames.
The first game was the Sega Saturn port, which creator Tomonobu Itagaki cited as the definitive edition of the game. It’s hard to argue against him as, despite it lacking characters like Bass and Ayane, it’s a very sturdy port. While its version ofDOA2was remade to featureDOA3’s upgrades like free movement, altered Hold commands, and more. It even had an extra character withDOA3’s Hitomi, alongside remixed music, and a new intro for fancy frills.
4Tekken 5
Tekken 5is the closest the series has had to a compilation thus far. Unless one countsTekken Tag Tournament HDcoming with a demo forTekken Tag Tournament 2. On top of offering what was the latestTekkengame at the time, it came with the arcade versions of the first threeTekkensvia the Arcade History Mode. Plus 3D shooterStarblade, andDevil Within, a third person beat ‘em up with Jin Kazama, for fun.
Related:Tekken: Characters Who Have Immortalized the Franchise
The arcade editions lack the extras their console equivalents had, like endings, certain characters, etc. However, they still played the same as they did in their golden years. This meansTekken 1is still avery stiff experience, andTekken 2is a little better than that. ButTekken 3is a fun, fast, and smooth time. For an extra treat, all of their hidden characters were unlocked by default. So, players could leap straight in and pick whoever they like.
3Street Fighter Alpha Anthology
TheStreet Fighter 30th Anniversary Collectionhas all the keyStreet Fightergames up toThird Strike. But it was considered somewhat disappointing. Only 4 of the 12 games had online modes, and they suffered from input lag and other issues. It also used the arcade ROMs, which would’ve been fine, but some entries likeStreet Fighter Alpha 3were arguably better on consoles due to its additional characters and modes.
By contrast, the PS2-exclusiveAlpha Anthologyhad both the arcade and console versions ofAlpha 3, alongsideAlpha 2 GoldandSuper Gem Fighter Mini Mix. It also featuredHyper Street Fighter Alpha, where players could play as differentAlphaversions of characters. This mode also offered custom ISMs where characters could play withDarkstalkersorMarvel-style features. That is if they didn’t go to the Secret Options to customize their own play. Its only drawbacks were a lack of modern perks like save/load states and an online mode.
2Capcom Fighting Collection
Still, Digital Eclipse managed to bounce back from the30th Anniversary Collectionwith theCapcom Fighting Collection. While it wasn’t as rich in features as theAlpha Anthology, it did come with a few bonuses.Hyper Street Fighter 2let players test characters from different versions ofSF2against each other. The chibi brawlerSuper Gem Fighter Mini Mixfinally reached modern machines alongside its puzzle-based predecessorSuper Puzzle Fighter 2.
Cyberbotsgot its first console release in 20 years, while the RPG-fighter comboRed Earthgot its first home release ever. Though what attracted people the most was that it had everyDarkstalkersgame, including Japan-only updatesVampire Hunter 2andVampire Savior 2. Every game had online modes too. It’s made fans wonder if Digital Eclipse will bring back other Capcom fighters likePower StoneorRival Schoolsin another collection someday. Or give another company’s fighting games a shot.
1Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection
Some of SNK’s compilations, likeKing of Fighters: Orochi Saga, left something to be desired. Its original PS2 release suffered from long load times, and its release on modern machines have input lag. TheSamurai Shodown Anthologywas also quite ho-hum. But unlikeOrochi Saga, it didn’t get a PS4, Switch, Xbox One, etc., re-release. Instead, Digital Eclipse remade it with theSamurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection. It gathered together the first 5Samurai Shodowngames, including the 5th game’sSpecialupdate.
Each game was silky smooth with no input lag and could be played online. Die-hard fans also got a Museum Mode to check out classic concept art and music from the series. As a cherry on top, it came with a previously unreleasedPerfectedition ofSamurai Shodown 5. It was an unauthorized update made bySamSho 5’s director Kōji Takaya, and thus was shelved before it could be tested. So, Digital Eclipse dusted it off, completed its localization, and made it one of many reasons to buy this collection. Maybe they could do the same forFatal Furysomeday.
Both theSamurai Shodown NeoGeo CollectionandCapcom Fighting Collectionare available on the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
