When it comes to , t🍰he characters are the main focus. As a result, internet forums get crammed with discourse about who will be in the next Street Fighter game or which characters are at ꧅the top tier in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Roster size is a critical hot topic, with gamers hoping for larger rosters of more diverse contenders.
But are large rosters always best? For instance, some of the most critically acclaimed fighting games, like Street Fighter 3 Third Strike, have twenty playable characters or fewer. Therefore, we wanted to recognize some of the smallest rosters in fighting games. While most of these games are retro classics, you'll also discover new indie treasures that will make you question whether bigger is truly better.
Updated November 30th, 2022, by Chris Sanfilippo: Several recent launches prove that great fighting games can have compact rosters. For instance, Capcom Fighting Collection introduced Red Earth to consoles. In addition, the indie gem, Them's Fightin' Herds displayed furious quadruped action. However, we discovered several games from the past, including The Black Heart, SNK Gals' Fighters, and the historic Virtua Fighter 1, all with meager rosters.
16 SNK Gals' Fighters
11 Characters
The NeoGeo Pocket Color launched numerous handheld fighting games, including the famous crossover title SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match Of The Millenium. However, this title was not SNK's only dream match. On the contrary, the company launched a unique fighting game featuring its most iconic female characters.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:SNK Gals' Fighters has an unfortunately small roster, which may indicate the fighting game genre's underrepresentation at the time. However, the title also included some neat quirks, including a battle item system and a charmingly comedic story mode. However, this title's notoriety likely comes from one of its secret characters, Miss X, who happens to be Iori Yagami in drag.
15 ꧟ ꧒ One Strike
10 Characters
If you're the person who always lands the first attack, is the game for you! One Strike's control system is deceptively simple, with one attack button, one defend button, and two dashes. However, the stakes in each match are high since the fighter who gets hit first dies!
One Strike has a small yet diverse number of fighters. The base game contains seven characters. However, the Rise Of The Dragon DLC adds three new fighters. The current version of One Strike has ten fighters, each based on the history 🦂a🎃nd mythology of Medieval Japan.
14 Pixel ꩲGame Maker Series: Dan Dan Z
10 Characters
If you came across Dan Dan Z online, it would look like any other retro fighting game. For instance, this title has pixelated monochrome graphics and an anime aesthetic. These traits make sense since Dan Dan Z was a game for the Game Buddy, a handheld console from the 90s. Wait. Game Buddy? That doesn't sound right. Surprise! The Game Buddy is a fictional console, and Dan Dan Z is a fictional retro-game series.
In reality, Dan Dan Z is a title developed by Gotcha Gotcha Games. Its foundation is Pixel Game Maker MV, allowing anyone to develop 2D action games without programming. This ode to retro-fighting boasts ten characters inspired by genre titans like and . If you look closely, this game resembles the NEOGEO Pocket Color title, SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match Of The Millenium.
13 Darkstalkers: Theꦜ Night Warriors
10 Characters (2 NPCs)
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors launched at a time when 2D fighting games were trendy. However, all the titles launched at this point based themselves on martial arts movies and motifs. Darkstalkers broke the mold by introducing ten playable fighters based on movie monsters and mythical lore.
The Darkstalkers series had a short but successful run, producing five games. However, the series' characters, especially Morrigan Aensland, became synonymous with the Capcom brand. As a result, it's standard to see at least one Darkstalkers character appear in Capcom's various crossover fighting games and spinoffs. This inclusion is a testament to the detailed work of the various character designers that contributed to this series.
12 ﷺ Virtuꦐa Fighter
9 Characters
In the modern landscape, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Virtua Fighter series has taken a back seat in the🍌 FGC. Its latest title, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown, is the definitive remaster of an over-fifteen-year-old game. However, when the first Virtua Fighter launched in 1993, it became a pioneer in the gaming industry.
Virtua Fighter 1 is the first arcade fighting game with fully 3D polygonal graphics. Therefore, its meager nine-character roster was a considerable accomplishment back then. However, there was almost a tenth fighter in this game's cast. Siba, an Arab character, was planned but did not make it to the game's final cut. However, he would appear in Fighters Megamix three years later.
11 🍌 Street Fighter 2: Th🐭e World Warriors
8 Characters (4 NPCs)
is one of the most significant video games in history. One reason for its significance is that it was the first VS fighting game that let players choose their character. However, the game's roster seems minuscule compared to 's forty-five-character lineup.
The original Street Fighter 2: The World Warriors features eight playable characters: Ryu, Ken, Chun-li, Blanka, E Honda, Dhalsim, Guile, and Zangief. The four grandmasters, Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and M Bison, were not playable until SF2: Champion Edition. Super SF2 added Cammy, Fei Long, T Hawk, and Deejay. And the secret boss character, Akuma, was introduced in Super SF2 Turbo. Ultra SF2: the Final challengers is the latest iteration, adding Evil Ryu,ꩲ Violent Ken, and Shin Akuma for 𝔍a total roster of twenty.
10 The Blac༺k Heart
8 Characters
In most cases, fighting game fans use the MUGEN engine to rip existing fighting game sprites into their own game, creating the matchups of their dreams. However, The Black Heart is the first original MUGEN title published on Steam.
The Black Heart is a gorgeously macabre 2D fighter that plays as fast and furious as any Marvel Vs. Capcom title. Players will battle in grim stages, including bloody death columns and haunted hospital floors. And among the game's small but terrifying cast are a masked killer, a sadistic scarecrow, and a fatal spider woman. It's a great indie fighter to play when you're feeling spooky!
9 Them's Fightin' Herds
7 Characters (Additional Planned DLC)
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Them's Fightin' Herds has an intriguing story behind its development. Mane6 initially planned the game as a spinoff of the TV series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. However, as the unreleased Fighting Is Magic title gained notice from fans, Hasbro sent the indie studio a cease and desist notice. Fortunately, the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Lauren Faust, stepped in to help Mane6 develop characters for an original fight🧸ing game featuring hooved combatants.
You'll encounter all sorts of ungulates in Them's Fightin' Herds! For instance, there's Oleander, a unicorn sorcerer that summons the powers of her book of spells, the Uninornomicon. Another prominent protagonist is Arizona, a headstrong cow with a scrappy attitude. And did we mention there is an alpaca!? Each🤡 animal plays distinctly, making this meager roster feel mighty!
8 𓂃 Bushido B🐬lade
7 Characters (5 NPCs)
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Bushido Blade was one of the most distinctive fighting games of the nineties. Unlike other titles of the era that tasked players with depleting their opponent's HP gauge, Bushido Blade battles could end with one well-targeted stab. As far as sword fighters go, this game felt even more suspenseful than its 2D peer, SNK's Samurai Shodown. Furthermore, while the game had an intimate roster, its gameplay warranted a tight and distinct cast.
Six playable characters are available in Bushido Blade to start. Addition🌱ally, your character could choose one of eight weapons. However, each character had a higher proficiency with one weapon from the group. A seventh hidden character, a hitman that fought with a gun, was unlockable after completing the 100-battle Slash Mode on the Hard difficulty setting🐟.
7 Mortal Kombat 🌠
7 Characters (3 NPCs)
The original was an innovation in many ways. On a technical level, the game introduced the concept of juggling opponents. Furthermore, the game's most notable invention, the Fatality finishing move, spurred a massive debate about violence in video games. So the game's roster size was not much of a talking point back in the 90s.
Still, Mortal Kombat 1's roster is noticeably minor, with only seven playable characters. Still, every character in this game became a series favorite. The most influential faces in the series, Johnny Cage, Kan𝓰o, Sonya Blade, 👍Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, and Raiden, are all present. Furthermore, the game introduced two of the most challenging bosses in fighting game history: Goro and Shang Tsung.