by SupaSlick

(Note: This is the second part of a 3 part series. To see part 1 click HERE.)

A lot has changed in the world of fighting games since their heyday in the early to mid 90’s. The biggest difference you’ll notice today is the switch from 2d to 3d. Unfortunately, this transition hasn’t worked for most of the 2d classics. The kings of the genre, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat, both had their shot and in my opinion, failed.The Street Fighter Series failed miserably in the late 90’s with a SF EX version for the PS1. Thankfully, the creators stuck with 2d after that and continued to make some great, if not overdone, revisions. Mortal Kombat fared much better in its 3d changes, however most die-hard fans will refuse to play them, claiming that the old school versions still rule.

Fighting games today are graphic powerhouses. The eye-popping visuals and spot-on controls drastically changed what can be done in a 3d ring. Look at the Dead or Alive, Soul Calibur, and Virtua Fighter series. These three are still popular, with current versions still around.

Apparently, they’re just not popular enough.

(Cue hulk-like rage!)

So what’s the deal?! Why aren’t you playing them? I guess the fighter just isn’t good enough for you. Screw the tight controls, accurate hit detection, and awesome chainable combos! Screw the different selection of cool characters with their intricate and unique playstyles! Screw the fun of beating your buddy to a pulp in a non-stop chain of ass-kickery and getting a perfect! It’s all Master Chief this and Master Chief that…. Well ya know what *explicative deleted* Master Chief! You can take a rising dragon punch right up your green armored ass!

Ok, I’m enhancing my calm.

The trouble is, as great as those series are, the excitement and popularity over them is nothing compared to 2d fighters in their prime. With more games becoming popular because of their multiplayer features, where does that leave the fighter that, by definition is built for two? The real problem is, no matter what fighter you play, the single player is short lived. You can add all the unlockables and modes you want, but the bottom line is you only want to play the computer for so long.Going online against a friend certainly threw a spark into the mix, but in the end it’s hard to find people who still like them. I was psyched to play Street Fighter: Anniversary Edition against other people on the original Xbox, at first. (I still play it if you ever want a whoopin!) However, even though playing a stranger online is better, it’s still lacking that rush.

The best solution so far has come from Dead or Alive: Ultimate with its “quarter match” mode. This is a mode where a group of people get to talk and watch while waiting their turn to fight. I really hope VF5 has this feature. I think this is the closest a fighter can get to the “community” feel of a popular FPS. You get a couple of other decent fighter fans, good game with a good quarter mode, and maybe, just maybe, we can recapture that feeling from the good old arcade days.

So are fighting games dead? Do you still play them? Is it worth a SarcasticGamer night if there’s a good tournament mode? Tell us on the forums!

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