The 10 BEST Nintendo Fighting Games

The 10 Best Nintendo Fighting Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 best fighting games across Nintendo platforms! Whether they were first-party, only available on a Nintendo console, or had unique features exclusive to the platform, they count!

“Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars” (2008)

In the years prior, the “Capcom Vs.” series was largely known for pitting Capcom’s characters against Marvel superheroes and SNK’s vast roster of fighters. So, it was odd, but cool to see something like “Tatsunoko” enter the fray with its own niche roster of characters. As for the game itself, it was the same frenetic gameplay we’d expect from a “Capcom Vs.” tag fighter, and it felt surprisingly really good to play on the Wii! On top of that, the cel-shaded artstyle and detailed environments looked really slick and helped the game stand out visually from other fighting games at the time. We only wish it came to other platforms, but we get the attempt in trying to give the Wii more hardcore fighting games.

“Joy Mech Fight” (1993)

Before “Joy Mech Fight”, Nintendo’s only attempt at making a fighting game was “Urban Champion”, which…isn’t spectacular by any means. But “Urban Champion” walked so that “Joy Mech Fight” could run nine years later. You and your opponent will have to utilize moves to knock each other down until one of you runs out of hearts. For its time, “Joy Mech Fight” was a bit deeper than most fighting games typically were. While rudimentary by today’s standards, it still holds up in mechanics and replay value. If you’re interested in playing this yourself, it is commercially available via Switch Online’s NES app.

“Super Smash Bros.” (1999)

It’s the game that launched what would become Nintendo’s flagship fighting game franchise. In an attempt to make a generic fighting game prototype more marketable, Nintendo pivoted from the simple “Dragon King” project to a crossover fighter for the masses that would appeal to literally anyone who played video games. But it wasn’t just the crossover concept that won people over. Platform fighters simply were not a thing prior to 1999. What creator Masahiro Sakurai and his team came up with here was truly revolutionary for the genre, and to this day, even modern “Smash” fans will go back and revisit this N64 classic.

“Kirby Fighters 2” (2020)

Speaking of platform fighters, the “Kirby Fighters” spin-offs have gone largely unnoticed by Nintendo fans. In all honesty, we can see the similarities between these games and “Smash”. But “Kirby Fighters 2” took things a step further to distinguish itself from the bigger brother. Not only did we get more copy abilities to play with, the roster also included some regular characters like Bandana Dee, Gooey, and Meta Knight, each wielding special abilities of their own. Plus, the meaty story mode was enough to keep us busy while we ranked up to unlock all of the different copy abilities. For twenty bucks, you do get your money’s worth here!

“Dead Or Alive Dimensions” (2011)

Of all the fighting games that came out on 3DS, both first-party and third-party, “Dead Or Alive Dimensions” still lives rent-free in our heads today. Whereas many fighting games struggled to maintain quality in visuals, audio, and performance, “Dead Or Alive Dimensions” achieved all three. Zero input latency, excellent visual detail in every aspect even with 3D functionality turned on, and smooth frame rate when 3D functionality is turned off. You even had a unique touch screen function where you could execute combos by tapping the combo you wanted to use. It was up to your opponent to know how to break out of it! In other words, it was the perfect title for both hardcore and casual DOA fans and fighting game fans.

“Flying Dragon” (1997)

Before “Smash” dominated the N64’s legacy alongside some other non-fighting game titles, “Flying Dragon” was one gem that was frequently overlooked by the masses. Developed by Culture Brain, “Flying Dragon” was essentially two fighting games crammed into one cartridge. One half of the game was made for casuals with simplified controls while the other half adhered to hardcore fans with more complex inputs and even RPG elements to strengthen your fighter in other modes. It was such a neat approach to fighting games, but most folks placed their focus elsewhere in 1997, which was a stacked year of awesome games on both PS1 and N64.

“Super Smash Bros. Melee” (2001)

Despite the GameCube selling a measly twenty million units, almost everyone has the nostalgia for “Super Smash Bros. Melee”. But that nostalgia comes up for a very good reason! In addition to boasting some impressive visual fidelity on a notoriously underpowered console, “Melee” ran at a pretty fast pace while making just about every character feel good to play as. Even more exciting were the litany of different game modes for you and your friends to mess around with outside of the typical score- and stock-type matches. And do we even need to mention that epic odyssey that was Adventure Mode?

“Punch-Out!!” (2009)

Everyone has their own preferred “Punch-Out” game for what few of them there are. However, the 2009 reboot has long been the very best of the franchise. This was “Punch-Out” fully realized thanks to the advancements in technology at the time. Characters were able to be much more expressive than they ever had before, opening the door for new ways to telegraph attacks and convey their colorful personalities. Plus, there was an entire second campaign after becoming champ where you had to defend your title from all of your rivals, each of which came with new mechanics to change things up. This was, indeed, “Punch-Out” at its very best!

“Soulcalibur II” (2002)

Though published by Namco before their merger with Bandai, this iteration of SC2 is regarded as the best for the sole reason of Link being the token guest fighter. However, the love for SC2 goes deeper than that in general. There was a ton of replay value to be had here between standard Arcade ladders, finding new ways to play with each characters’ extra weapons, and of course, the meaty campaign known as Conquest Mode. There just hasn’t been another “Soulcalibur” quite like this one let alone a fighting game on a Nintendo console like this. Even then, we all know which fighting game has long been the king of Nintendo fighting games, and that is…

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” (2018)

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about “Smash Ultimate”? This truly is the ultimate love letter to not just Nintendo, not just fighting games, but video games as a whole. This is the fighting game that is every nerd’s dream between the ludicrously huge roster of both Nintendo and licensed guest characters and the wealth of different game modes to indulge in. And even if a character wasn’t explicitly in the game, they made an appearance in the form of the unique Spirit Battles. When Nintendo said “Everyone Is Here” in the reveal trailer, they truly meant “Everyone Is Here”! And as the years wane on, it gets harder and harder to imagine another “Smash” game or another fighting game ever outdoing what “Smash Ultimate” accomplishes in mechanics and replayability.

What’s the best fighting game you’ve played on a Nintendo console? “Dead Or Alive Dimensions” was one of my all-time favorite games on the 3DS, and it helped me get a lot better at fighting games. Having immediate access to the move list in the middle of fights went a long way for me. Really, “Dimensions” doesn’t get enough love as it should. But let us know what your favorite is down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!