There's a different name for each port, but every one includes fantastic characters, special moves, combos, and crisp gameplay. The fighting genre burst onto the world stage with Street Fighter II, and this sequel allowed you to play as the bosses for the first time. Each port has its own strengths. While I grew up playing the Genesis version, I must give a shout-out for the TG-16 one. Seriously? Did you think that this game could fit on one hucard? Feature better voice samples than the SNES? Out-perform the SNK-developed arcade CD fighters that would follow? To this day, SFII: Champion Edition stands out as a masterpiece that pushed TG-16 hardware beyond the limits. SFII also just happens to be one of the best fighters in the history video games.

Maybe this should be #1. Maybe I'm biased. Maybe I've pumped way too many quarters into Street Fighter II. Aside from the gigantic mechs, what makes this game awesome is the focus on aerial combat, where you can both boost, hover, and air block. Stages have the unusual capability to scroll vertically, and certain characters even possess aerial special moves and throws. Each character can also attack at distance with a shooting "vulcan" attack. Beyond this, you'll find a fighting engine at least as refined and precise as any other game in this list. If anything, it's even better because it's so unknown and underappreciated.

Starring 11 characters come from the like-named anime and manga series, this is easily one of the deepest fighters in this list—dash, evade, double jump, change planes, taunt, and charge your ki to victory. Ever brawled with four players at once? As long as you have a multi-tap, you can do just that in a free-for-all. Most impressive at all, you will not experience ANY slowdown. Thought the music is merely good, the graphics, animation, and atmosphere all represent the brilliance for which Treasure is renowned.

Take the insane graphics engine behind Donkey Kong Country, the same brilliant developer, and Street Fighter II mechanics, then turbo-charge the combo system, sprinkle in some combo-breakers for good measure, and you have a ridiculously good time. Granted, any noob is going to get schooled by a 12+ hit combo, but it's surprisingly how you can stumble into some decent-sized combos and put up a half-decent fight even without knowing the game's intricacies. The tone is also notable: very serious, grim, even bloody. Thankfully, the detailed graphics and excellent gameplay have aged very well, in stark contrast to the likes of Mortal Kombat.

This was a tough race, and I'm loathe to include two games from the same franchise in the top 10 at all. While it lacks the large sprites and speed of Street Fighter II Turbo, what you do find here is a huge cast of characters and amazingly deep gameplay. You've got a very impressive 18 characters along with three-level of super combos, alpha counters, air-blocking, and fall breaking. Indeed, there's so much in this cart that only the S-DD1 chip made it possible to compress all the necessary data. You won't find a more complex fighter in this list, yet at the same time surprisingly little has changed in the original Street Fighter II that appeared in 1991. This is better but far from original.

The SNES has a port, too, but the sprites for the characters are pathetically small to the point that it's hard to play.While the Sega CD version is the most complete port, expect load times galore. It also has a bug that causes the one-player game to crash at the final boss! Whatever, fighting games are all about vs. mode. What makes this game stand out is the emphasis on timing over combos. Button mashers will not get far. You must learn to move akin to a samurai or ninja. Some of the best art ever in a fighting game, too!

Though the Genesis original was mediocre, EC:CftDS is more of a new game than any Street Fighter II sequel ever was. Fifteen new characters (including the five animal ones), three new finishing moves (sudden death kills, vendettas, and cinekills), as well as CD-quality music and a color palette that appeared to defy hardware limitations. This is the most underrated reason to own the Sega CD system. Only the music disappoints, which can be hit-or-miss, depending on the stage. Oh, and the combo engine is a bit broken...

As one of the most unapproachable fighter ever, I hated this game when I first played it. The gameplay is as complicated and deep as default difficulty setting is merciless. Give it a little more time, though, and you'll find a game that was prescient. Here, you'll find an aggressive thrust-blocking system that would be popularized two years later in Street Fighter III's parry mechanism. While the SNES version looks and sounds better, you'll find faster gameplay and smoother animation in the Genesis version.

The very well-executed double jump mechanic is crazy fun, and stages that expand when the objects in corners are broken add quite a bit in the gameplay department. Power Instinct also features one of the most memorable projectile attacks ever. The granny, pictured to the left, actually throws her dentures across the screen, which return to her like a boomerang. As you might expect, Power Instinct finds its own niche thanks to its humorous approach to the genre. Some of the characters also possess the ability to transform by executing rather simple moves. Very cool and quite under-utilized. Don't bother with the Genesis port. The screen doesn't even scroll upwards during double jumps.

The name is confusing but what we have here is an update to Fatal Fury 2 with additional characters (now 16) and some gameplay tweaks (the addition of real combos). Although the SNES port does an admirable job of bringing the arcade original to your home, the TurboGrafx version—in Arcade CD-ROM format—raises the bar much higher. With the latter, you have nearly arcade perfect music and larger sprites. These days, Fatal Fury Special feels a little loose, overall, in terms of responsiveness and combo sensitivity. However, back in the day it pioneered the concept of multi-plane fighting and prevented Capcom from attaining an early monopoly on the genre. There's still quite a bit of game to play here.

With a fully intact Street Fighter II-style system of blocking and special moves, plus silky smooth animation, this achieves the impossible on Nintendo's venerable hardware. Not impressed? Well, JMF also holds the record for 8-bit and 16-bit fighting games in terms of playable characters, boasting an insane 36! The floating limb art style makes for one of the most unique looking fighters ever created. While this artistic style sometimes make it hard to follow the on-screen action and aim your attacks, it eases the burden on the NES's hardware. JMF had a major historical impact, despite never being released outside of Japan. Nintendo would later use the fighting mechanics as a blueprint for a little title called Super Smash Bros.

I'll be upfront about my bias. I've never been an MK fan. The button-block defense system is cumbersome and awkward. The gameplay is also pretty shallow. Many years later, it's patent that the digitized graphics haven't aged nearly as well as their sprit-based brethren. Nevertheless, the very stylized characters and the over-the-top violence manage to make this game quite fun, and frankly, the fighter genre was so young during this era that there wasn't much competition on non-NEO GEO home consoles, so MKII manages to make the cut. MKIII may feature more characters, but many are little more than palette swaps, and the gameplay only gets more glitchy.

Konami was seemingly omnipotent during the 8- and 16-bit eras, so naturally it created a fighting game that can hold its own in the big leagues. The characters and story may be kind of lame, but the combo system and crisp gameplay more than compensate. Unlike Street Fighter II, here you have a four-button control scheme, featuring weak and strong attacks for punches and kicks, but you won't be disappointed by the gameplay. Each character is distinct, has fluid controls, and can unleash super special attacks. A like-named game was also released for the Genesis, but it it's pretty terrible. Note the year above: 1993! Early for the genre and all the more impressive.

TG-CD

SNK, Hudson Soft

1994

SNES

Capcom

1994

SNES

Capcom

1994

Genesis

Capcom

1994

TG-CD

SNK, Hudson Soft

1994