The 10 BEST PS2 Fighting Games
“War of the Monsters” (2003)
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Developed by Incognito Entertainment, the studio behind “Twisted Metal: Black”, “War of the Monsters” was a multiplayer brawler unlike any other fighting game we had seen. Control a colossal monster and fight your friends as you demolish the battleground. In addition to the destructible environments, “War of the Monsters” honored kaiju movies greatly with its diverse roster of monsters ranging from animals, lab experiments, aliens, and even mechas. Why Sony hasn’t had one of its studios make a sequel is beyond us, but we’re glad to be able to relive this classic on PlayStation 4 today.
“Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution” (2003)
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Even in the early to mid-2000’s, fighting games were having some difficulty in the 3D space, some getting too complicated while others were trying to be cute with stages that had slopes and the like. “Virtua Fighter 3” fell under those categories, but “Virtua Fighter 4”, specifically “Evolution”, remains the best in the franchise. After “3’s” shortcomings, “Evolution” brought us back to basics with tighter controls, better visuals, and an extensive selection of cosmetics for your character. The focus on playing against arcade players was a neat shift in atmosphere, and the different gameplay modes like See-Saw and Hyper Fighter were great additions to check out with friends. “Virtua Fighter”, unfortunately, has not been the same since.
“Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes” (2002)
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Admittedly, there isn’t anything special about MvC2’s PS2 port, but did it really need more bells and whistles? MvC2 is already a fantastic game and still holds up well today, what with its massive roster of characters that allow players to experiment with different playstyles and discover combos. Between the controls, music, and sprite work, “Marvel vs. Capcom 2” truly was a masterclass in the tag-fighting formula hence why so many people have been demanding the game be ported to modern hardware. Alas, it remains stranded on Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 as the HD versions made for Xbox 360 and PS3 were delisted long, long ago.
“Neo Geo Battle Coliseum” (2007)
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Unlike MvC2, “Neo Geo Battle Coliseum” has managed to keep itself commercially available on modern platforms, and it’s easy to see why folks fell in love with this game. This was essentially SNK’s own crossover fantasy, pitting characters from “King of Fighters”, “Samurai Shodown”, “Metal Slug”, “The Last Blade”, and more against each other. As with most of their other games, SNK’s skills in sprite animation and textures were on full display here. Yeah, there wasn’t really anything new that we hadn’t already seen from SNK’s countless fighting games, but we didn’t need anything shiny and new to enjoy this simple 2v2 fighter.
“Bloody Roar 3” (2001)
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While it may not have been the best in the franchise, “Bloody Roar 3” was much more impressive than most 3D fighters around the time of its launch. Not only did it throw in a few new characters for us to try out, it also showcased the power of the PlayStation 2 with detailed character models, environments, and visual effects. Our only gripe is in the shoddy audio quality. Other than that, we really wish Konami would bring the franchise forward to modern hardware.
“Def Jam: Fight For NY” (2004)
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You want a fighting game with a serious attitude problem? Look no further than “Def Jam: Fight for NY”! This classic was way ahead of its time with a fantastic story mode, kickass soundtrack of licensed music from various hip-hop and rap artists, and a massive roster of celebrities like Carmen Electra, Snoop Dogg, and Ice-T. Adding to the presentation was the inclusion of brutal “Blazin’ Moves” and how characters would trash talk each other before and after matches. Simply put, “Def Jam: Fight for NY” will always give you a good time.
“Mortal Kombat: Deception” (2004)
“Mortal Kombat” did have a small ounce of success in the 3D fighting space, most notably with “Deception”. This was the step forward that “Deadly Alliance” failed to make. How so? Well, “Deception” had more responsive controls, brought back Stage Fatalities through the use of deathtraps, and featured a more engaging Konquest mode. Plus, you had the new Combo Breaker mechanic, which would become a series staple, as well as special modes to break up the bloodthirsty fury like Chess Kombat and Puzzle Kombat. And we couldn’t forget about the new Hara-kiri mechanic, which allowed the losing player to beat the winner to the punch by offing themselves.
“Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike” (2004)
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“Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike” remains one of the best games in the franchise, and for good reason. For starters, the different parries you could pull off added a ton of depth, making combos feel much more risky when going against harder AI or more adept players. But what makes the PS2 port so special? Well, it included the System Direction feature from the Dreamcast version, allowing you to tinker with the mechanics to your own liking. The only real asset that made it the better version was the ability to choose between the Arcade soundtrack or the Dreamcast soundtrack. Hey, the more choice, the better!
“Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millenium” (2001)
Two massive game companies go head-to-head in this crossover fighter! Create a team of three from a wide selection of Capcom and SNK characters in a game many consider to be one of the most complex fighting games ever made. Indeed, “Capcom vs. SNK 2” is a very complicated game, but the learning curve is what birthed its hardcore fanbase. From the forty-eight playable characters, players could find countless playstyles to pull off crazy attacks. As expected, there is some nonsense used by the AI like input-reading. And unfortunately, the art style is pretty inconsistent due to Capcom reusing sprites, but for the most part, CvSNK2 was a remarkable title that encouraged experimentation, which is something not a lot of fighting games achieve.
“Tekken 5” (2004)
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“Tekken 5” is hands-down the best fighting game that ever graced the PlayStation 2. For fans, this was the ultimate package that reminded everyone why “Tekken” was so great. Gone was the weird stage geometry from “Tekken 4”, and in its place, we got walls that could make your attacks even more devastating. Sweetening the deal even further, “Tekken 5” came with a Story mode for every character, an Arcade mode, and the Arcade versions of the first three games. In other words, you virtually had five whole games in one package for a price that almost felt like you were stealing. It’s the best “Tekken” game, it’s the best 3D fighting game, and it is the best fighting game that came out on PS2. Fight me.
