Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 904 critic lists from 141 publications.

Updated: February 3, 2026

Most Acclaimed Fighting Games of All Time

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35 of 35

#1 Street Fighter II (1991) (#23)

Capcom | ARC, SNES | Fighting | ~1h | 81 lists

#2 Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) (#75)

HAL Laboratory | GC | Fighting | ~10h | 39 lists

#3 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) (#99)

Bandai Namco Studios, Sora | SW | Fighting | ~24h | 55 lists

#4 Street Fighter IV (2008) (#160)

Dimps | ARC, WIN, X360, PS3 | Fighting | ~2h | 31 lists

#5 Soulcalibur (1998) (#192)

Project Soul | ARC, DC | Fighting | ~54m | 23 lists

#6 Tekken 3 (1997) (#205)

Namco | ARC, PS | Beat 'em Up / Fighting | ~2h | 25 lists

#7 Soulcalibur II (2002) (#261)

Project Soul | ARC, PS2, GC, Xbox | Fighting | ~3h | 18 lists

#8 Street Fighter III (1997) (#281)

Capcom | ARC, DC | Fighting | ~42m | 11 lists

#9 Mortal Kombat II (1993) (#282)

Midway | ARC, DOS, AMI, GEN, GG, SNES | Fighting | ~2h | 22 lists

#10 Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) (#327)

Sora | Wii | Fighting | ~12h | 15 lists

#11 Virtua Fighter 2 (1994) (#356)

Sega AM2 | ARC, WIN, GEN, SAT | Fighting | ~48m | 15 lists

#12 Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000) (#394)

Capcom Production Studio 1 | ARC, DC, PS2, Xbox | Fighting | ~1h | 12 lists

#13 Tekken 2 (1995) (#428)

Namco | ARC, PS | Fighting | ~1h | 10 lists

#14 Mortal Kombat (1992) (#484)

Midway, Midway Games | ARC, GEN, SNES | Fighting | ~1h | 12 lists

#15 Virtua Fighter 5 (2006) (#490)

Sega AM2 | ARC, X360, PS3 | Fighting | ~1h | 8 lists

#16 Super Smash Bros. (1999) (#498)

HAL Laboratory | N64 | Fighting | ~4h | 11 lists

#17 Nidhogg (2014) (#507)

Messhof | MAC, WIN, PSV, PS4 | Fighting | ~48m | 11 lists

#18 Virtua Fighter (1993) (#514)

Sega AM2 | ARC, WIN, SAT | Fighting | ~36m | 9 lists

#19 Virtua Fighter 4 (2001) (#557)

Sega AM2 | ARC, PS2 | Fighting | ~42m | 8 lists

#20 Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits (1993) (#602)

SNK | ARC, GEN, SNES, NG, 3DO | Fighting | ~1h | 9 lists

#21 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS (2014) (#620)

Bandai Namco Studios, Sora | 3DS, WiiU | Fighting | ~5h | 24 lists

#22 Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) (#649)

Capcom Production Studio 1 | ARC, SAT, DC, PS | Fighting | ~1h | 5 lists

#23 Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds / Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011) (#684)

Eighting | X360, PS3, PSV | Fighting | ~1h | 10 lists

#24 Power Stone 2 (2000) (#687)

Capcom | ARC, DC | Fighting | ~1h | 6 lists

#25 Killer Instinct (1994) (#717)

Rare | ARC, SNES | Fighting | ~1h | 9 lists

#26 Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits: Haōmaru Jigokuhen (1994) (#732)

SNK | ARC, NG | Fighting | ~1h | 5 lists

#27 Mortal Kombat (2011) (#738)

NetherRealm Studios | X360, PS3, PSV | Fighting | ~9h | 10 lists

#28 Tekken (1994) (#748)

Namco | ARC, PS | Fighting | ~1h | 5 lists

#29 Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) (#765)

NetherRealm Studios | WIN, XB1, PS4, SW | Fighting | ~6h | 16 lists

#30 WWF No Mercy (2000) (#791)

AKI Corporation, Asmik Ace Entertainment | N64 | Fighting / Sports | ~6h | 8 lists

#31 Street Fighter 6 (2023) (#794)

Capcom | WIN, PS4, PS5, XBXS | Fighting | ~17h | 28 lists

#32 International Karate + (1987) (#844)

System 3 Software | 5 | Fighting | ~48m | 6 lists

#33 Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999) (#859)

SNK | ARC, NG | Fighting | ~1h | 3 lists

#34 Tekken 5 (2004) (#944)

Namco | ARC, PS2 | Beat 'em Up / Fighting | ~2h | 5 lists

#35 Dead or Alive 4 (2005) (#961)

Team NINJA | X360 | Fighting | ~4h | 4 lists

#23

Capcom

ARC, SNES

Fighting

~1h

81 lists

Street Fighter II 1991

#75

HAL Laboratory

Fighting

~10h

39 lists

Super Smash Bros. Melee 2001

#99

Bandai Namco Studios, Sora

Fighting

~24h

55 lists

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2018

#160

Dimps

ARC, PS3, WIN, X360

Fighting

~2h

31 lists

Street Fighter IV 2008

#192

Project Soul

ARC, DC

Fighting

~54m

23 lists

Soulcalibur 1998

#205

Namco

ARC, PS

Beat 'em Up / Fighting

~2h

25 lists

Tekken 3 1997

#261

Project Soul

ARC, GC, PS2, Xbox

Fighting

~3h

18 lists

Soulcalibur II 2002

#281

Capcom

ARC, DC

Fighting

~42m

11 lists

Street Fighter III 1997

#282

Midway

AMI, ARC, DOS, GG, GEN, SNES

Fighting

~2h

22 lists

Mortal Kombat II 1993

#10

#327

Sora

Wii

Fighting

~12h

15 lists

Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2008

#11

#356

Sega AM2

ARC, GEN, SAT, WIN

Fighting

~48m

15 lists

Virtua Fighter 2 1994

#12

#394

Capcom Production Studio 1

ARC, PS2, DC, Xbox

Fighting

~1h

12 lists

Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes 2000

#13

#428

Namco

ARC, PS

Fighting

~1h

10 lists

Tekken 2 1995

#14

#484

Midway, Midway Games

ARC, GEN, SNES

Fighting

~1h

12 lists

Mortal Kombat 1992

#15

#490

Sega AM2

ARC, PS3, X360

Fighting

~1h

8 lists

Virtua Fighter 5 2006

#16

#498

HAL Laboratory

N64

Fighting

~4h

11 lists

Super Smash Bros. 1999

#17

#507

Messhof

MAC, PS4, PSV, WIN

Fighting

~48m

11 lists

Nidhogg 2014

#18

#514

Sega AM2

ARC, SAT, WIN

Fighting

~36m

9 lists

Virtua Fighter 1993

#19

#557

Sega AM2

ARC, PS2

Fighting

~42m

8 lists

Virtua Fighter 4 2001

#20

#602

SNK

3DO, ARC, GEN, NG, SNES

Fighting

~1h

9 lists

Samurai Shodown / Samurai Spirits 1993

#21

#620

Bandai Namco Studios, Sora

3DS, WiiU

Fighting

~5h

24 lists

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS 2014

#22

#649

Capcom Production Studio 1

ARC, PS, DC, SAT

Fighting

~1h

5 lists

Street Fighter Alpha 3 1998

#23

#684

Eighting

PS3, PSV, X360

Fighting

~1h

10 lists

Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds / Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 2011

#24

#687

Capcom

ARC, DC

Fighting

~1h

6 lists

Power Stone 2 2000

#25

#717

Rare

ARC, SNES

Fighting

~1h

9 lists

Killer Instinct 1994

#26

#732

SNK

ARC, NG

Fighting

~1h

5 lists

Samurai Shodown II / Shin Samurai Spirits: Haōmaru Jigokuhen 1994

#27

#738

NetherRealm Studios

PS3, PSV, X360

Fighting

~9h

10 lists

Mortal Kombat 2011

#28

#748

Namco

ARC, PS

Fighting

~1h

5 lists

Tekken 1994

#29

#765

NetherRealm Studios

SW, PS4, WIN, XB1

Fighting

~6h

16 lists

Mortal Kombat 11 2019

#30

#791

AKI Corporation, Asmik Ace Entertainment

N64

Fighting / Sports

~6h

8 lists

WWF No Mercy 2000

#31

#794

Capcom

PS4, PS5, WIN, XBXS

Fighting

~17h

28 lists

Street Fighter 6 2023

#32

#844

System 3 Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, ZXS

Fighting

~48m

6 lists

International Karate + 1987

#33

#859

SNK

ARC, NG

Fighting

~1h

3 lists

Garou: Mark of the Wolves 1999

#34

#944

Namco

ARC, PS2

Beat 'em Up / Fighting

~2h

5 lists

Tekken 5 2004

#35

#961

Team NINJA

X360

Fighting

~4h

4 lists

Dead or Alive 4 2005

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