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The Street Fighter franchise is hailed as one of the best. From its arcade roots to now, Street Fighter has gone on to inspire many titles because of its unique approach to the fighting genre. This franchise went on to change lives and gave people a space where they can express their love for action.
It’s one of Capcom’s proudest creations. Based on the positive reactions Street Fighter 6 (its latest installment) is receiving, it looks like it won’t be thrown in a vault anytime soon.
If you’ve finished playing any of the Street Fighter games and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 8 picks.
Of course, for all the games we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 8 games to check out if you’re looking for a game like Street Fighter.
Ultimate: Marvel Vs Capcom 3
Ultimate: Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (MVC 3) is the enhanced version of Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. It offers all the DLC from the original title and adds in many neat extras. Like Street Fighter, it offers engaging combat, stellar and highly stylized visuals, and a roster filled with iconic characters from the Capcom and Marvel universes.
Street Fighter and Marvel Vs Capcom developed some bad reputations with their follow-ups to MVC 3 and Ultra Street Fighter 4. Those games lacked in the character design department and included features many weren’t fans of. However, like Street Fighter’s gems, Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is regarded as one of the franchise’s best as many content creators still make a video covering their title today.
Keep in mind that Ultimate MVC 3 feels looser in comparison to many Street Fighter games. This is because you can perform an outrageous amount of attacks while controlling up to three characters in a fight. If you’re looking for another balanced yet looser fighting game, try out Ultimate MVC 3.
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Skullgirls 2nd Encore is a 2D fighting game that features a cast of whimsical characters. Each character has a unique design and personality tailored to their aesthetic. Like Street Fighter, Skullgirls contains a deep learning curve due to its approach to gameplay and controls.
As with most fighting games, players must master different button and control stick inputs to deal precise damage to their opponents. Mastering said inputs and movement options will allow you to develop incredible combos. Performing combos will allow you to deal immense damage to your opponent. Thereby, helping you achieve victory in battle.
Outside of combat, Skullgirls 2nd Encore offers a variety of well-designed stages. Each stage is accompanied by an impressive soundtrack that’s based on your chosen stage. The game modes themselves are identical to what you’d expect from Street Fighter.
Lethal League Blaze
Lethal League Blaze is a creative and energetic 2D fighting game. It blends sports and activities in an entirely unique manner by featuring characters going head-to-head in a fast-paced intense dodgeball-like mini-game.
Your goal is to simply defeat your opponents by utilizing a ball. Players can manipulate the ball at will and use their character’s special moves to deliver a devastating surprise attack. The ball can grow in speed, so it’s best for players to hit the ball when the time is right.
The game offers a plethora of single-player and multiplier modes that can be played online with friends. Lethal League Blaze is a great game for those looking for alternatives.
The King of Fighters XV
The King of Fighters franchise offers immersive gameplay, wonderful characters, and exhilarating visuals. Its latest installment excels in pushing those boundaries further. With stronger hardware in mind, the King of Fighters XV delivers greater content than before.
Like newer Street Fighter games, the King of Fighter XV introduces a brand-new mechanic to help shake up its intense 3 vs 3 match-ups. This mechanic is called “Shatter Strike.” This allows for characters to undergo hyper-like states that increase their power and speed for a short time.
This brand-new mechanic allows for newer players to have a way of making a comeback whenever they’re in a tight bind. This works similarly with Street Fighter 5’s approach to abandoning its traditional charged inputs in favor of more casual controls. The game’s visuals are also on par with the visual scheme of Street Fighter’s more rebellious hip-hop-like roots.
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid and Street Fighter 5 ended up suffering similar backlash when they were released. Both games were released feeling incomplete and rushed. In time, the developers for both titles ended up transforming the games into better products with enough charm to warrant their price tags.
This game features the Power Rangers and their enemies fighting in intense one vs one combat. Like Street Fighter, this game gives each a unique fighting style and an array of special moves.
The stages in the game aren’t as pretty as some maps you’d find in newer Street Fighter games. However, they serve their purpose well enough and are accompanied by wonderful soundtracks. The control scheme for these games is a lot easier to learn. At the same time, they’re difficult to master to allow players to be at equal odds with each other.
Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown is an underrated classic fighting game from the early 90s’ that recently had it’s comeuppance in 2021. Now rebooted, Samurai Shodown aims to capture an entirely new audience who’s willing to give its exhilarating samurai combat a shot.
This new game still retains some of its classical roots. It features gameplay that’s on par with Street Fighter’s regarding intense and strategic forms of action. However, it also introduces something entirely new. This new feature involves its AI being able to properly adapt to players’ tactics. This is a huge deal for competitive fighting game fans who want to improve their skills.
Like Street Fighter, this game introduces many new characters. Each with its own unique backgrounds, personalities, attack patterns, and fighting styles. They’re as whimsical and grounded as the fighters you’d find in the Street Fighter universe. So if you’re looking for something that sticks to its traditional gameplay, but introduces some new things to spice things up, check out Samurai Shodown.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ replicates the traditional approach to fighting games like Street Fighter. However, it does so in a manner that feels more akin to the anime it’s based on. It’s a wonderful 2D fighting game with over-the-top graphics coupled together with exhilarating action.
Dragon Ball FighterZ’s gameplay feels faster than Street Fighter’s by a large margin. This is because of the fights in the game range from one versus one to three versus three combat. It’s fairly similar to games like Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and the King of Fighters in form. As with those games, players can swap between characters seamlessly or use them to dish out strong assist damage.
Akin to Street Fighter, Dragon Ball FighterZ’s special attacks can be used many times while it’s more powerful supers and ultimately require players to fill up a gauge of some kind. The supers and ultimate in this title are wonderfully balanced along with the game’s roster of characters. Nothing feels broken or lacks polish.
The stages are iconic and full of life. Like Street Fighter, Dragon Ball FighterZ’s environments are wonderfully designed, too. There are little details thrown in some areas to capture the same bombastic energy as its source material. If you’re looking for another incredible fighting game full of passion, check out Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Guilty Gear Strive
Guilty Gear Strive is just as energetic and charismatic as Street Fighter. This game sought to fill in the void that separated casual and competitive fighting game enthusiasts with its easy-to-learn mechanics. It offers wonderful gameplay, gorgeous visuals and animation, and a catchy and memorable soundtrack.
Developed by Arc System Works, Guilty Gear Strive went for the same approach as Street Fighter V and opted for more simple controls than its older titles. In this game, your focus is more on mastering your movement, attacks, and specials, instead of trying to learn a highly-technical combo. Where it loses technical gameplay, it makes up for with flashier attack animations and well-designed character reactions.
Like Street Fighter, Guilty Gear Strive’s cast is full of personality. Each of them exhibits different win or loss animations that’ll leave you feeling giddy or depressed. The stages offer a more animation-like aesthetic than Street Fighter’s more semi-realistic designs.
Guilty Gear Strive set the groundwork for future fighting games to come. Considering how masterful the animations are now in Street Fighter 6, it’s obvious that this franchise may have given Capcom some neat ideas.
So there we have it, our 8 video game picks to keep you busy after playing Street Fighter.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!