10 Great Fighting Games That Are Fun from the Start

It feels like the last few years have brought with it a new renaissance in the fighting game community. As the popularity of events like EVO grows, so does the desire for long-running series and new contenders to be brought into the fold. As such, more and more fighting games are trying new strategies to get players who may be intimidated by what they perceive to be a sharp learning curve to give them a shot by offering more simplistic control options.

It seems to be working great, and those games are experiencing a renewal in popularity. But, there’s always been fun fighting games out there that are easy to jump into and start having a good time with that don’t take hours of training to get good at.

In fact, I’d say the further back you go and the more rudimentary a fighting game’s mechanics get, the more likely you are to be able to wrap your head around what’s going on. Throughout all the generations of fighting games, there have been ones ready to be enjoyed even if you’re a total noob.

10 Primal Rage

Kaiju Kerfuffles

I’m starting this list off with an oldie, but a goodie. While the fighting in Primal Rage isn’t the most polished, it’s hard not to have fun when two giant dinosaurs are battling for godlike supremacy. What the game lacked in depth, it made up for with whimsy, which honestly gave the whole playing experience some balance. And it was fun to play, even if it wasn’t as deep as other fighters out there.

I’m honestly not sure why Primal Rage only got one game because I could see this franchise doing really well if a new version came out today. Unfortunately, this insanely over-the-top fighter isn’t available on any modern consoles or PC.

9 Power Stone

Shining Bright

Unlike all the other games on this list, Power Stone is a 3D fighter that lets players duke it out in a larger arena. It also throws random weapons your way, like rocket launchers and the titular power stones. If you managed to collect three stones, you could turn your character into an overpowered beast for a short time.

Power Stone’s style of chaotic fighting gameplay is still a rare find and underrated to this day, despite a large cult following. Although fans were finally rewarded with a re-release recently, as both Power Stone and its sequel were included in Capcom Fighting Collection Vol. 2.

8 Virtua Fighter 5

Sega Gets Serious About Fighters

While the series has always been an approachable one, in my opinion, Virtua Fighter 5 streamlined a lot of its features and brought them into the modern lexicon of fighting games. Unlike many other titles on this list, its combat is grounded in more realistic combat moves and a strategic approach to fighting. Its core mechanics are easy to pick up but tough to master.

I feel like the Virtua Fighter games fly under a lot of people’s radars, and I’m not entirely sure why. It may not be as flashy as other fighting games, but as far as I know, it’s the only one with a character that you can get drunk to make him more powerful, and that is always fun.

7 Street Fighter 2

A Game with Guile

You don’t become one of the most popular fighting game series of all time without being a blast to play from start to finish. Whether you could only jump and kick your way through a match or just spammed fireballs, Street Fighter 2 was pure joy. So many iconic characters and special moves made their first appearance in the many iterations of SF2.

It didn’t matter how many “Supers” or “Turbos” they added to the name; every iteration and expansion was just a treat. You really can’t go wrong with the OG fighting game that started gamers’ obsession with the genre.

6 Tekken 8

A New Chapter

Where Tekken 8 separates itself from previous entries in the series is that there’s a much stronger focus on cinematic events within the fights themselves as well, making the controls more approachable. While folks who have been playing Tekken for a while can still use the classic control scheme, new players can even the odds with the Special Style control setup, which allows for one-button combos and special moves.

For a fighting game as technical as Tekken, it’s a bold move, but one I can’t help but agree with. Especially after playing through the story mode and being forced to play as characters that aren’t my mains. I’ve just never been that good with Jin. Thankfully, the special style controls had my back.

5 Mortal Kombat 11

A Very Bloody Good Time

I honestly wasn’t sure which iteration of Mortal Kombat I wanted to put on this list, since I feel like, with very few exceptions, there have been a ton of enjoyable entries. I ended up going with Mortal Kombat 11 since I think it’s sort of the peak of the current generation of MK games. The series has a legacy of being the bloodiest, gore-filled fighter ever, and this installment is no different.

While there’s a lot to the combo system, and you can always try to pull off a fatal blow if you’re desperate, I’ve never been too worried about winning or losing when I play any MK games. I’m more into seeing how brutal things are going to get and to check out all the cool finishing moves. I’ve also found myself more invested in the story since it got its first soft reboot.

4 Street Fighter 6

Here Comes A New Challenger

I know we already had SF2 on this list, but Street Fighter 6 deserves a nod here too for being one of the most approachable, playable fighting games on the market today. In many ways, the FGC has become somewhat gated, and most titles have a high threshold for skill. For those of us who grew up wiggling the joystick and mashing the attack buttons, modern fighting games have become too intimidating.

Street Fighter 6 recognized that it needed to even the playing field, so everyone could have fun playing. And that’s what it’s done by letting players choose between its modern, dynamic, and classic control schemes. Whether you’re still learning how to sonic boom or have mastered Ryu’s Shoryuken uppercut already, you can jump into SF6 immediately, and it feels like home.

3 Dragon Ball FighterZ

That's What I'm Super Saiyan

Arc System Works makes some of the best Japanese fighting games on the market, but most of them are extremely tough. Fortunately, they knew that they had to make Dragon Ball FighterZ a more accessible experience. As a major fan of the anime series, I was delighted the first time I played the game, and it felt like I was in the middle of an episode.

The game has several very rudimentary combos that let you kick butt with Goku, Vegeta, and even Yamcha without having to know much of anything. Heck, you can even summon the dragon and make a wish in the middle of a fight. All the massive overpowered super moves and ki blasts are in the mix as well. Overall, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a super Saiyan good time.

2 Super Smash Bros.

The Party People's Fighter

Of all the fighting games out there, Super Smash Bros was probably made to be the easiest one to dive right into. With a roster that consists of a veritable who’s who of Nintendo characters and everyone’s favorite electric rat, Pikachu, it’s the kind of game that puts more of an emphasis on making them accessible rather than relying on complex special moves. The fact that more than two people can beat each other up also makes it an ideal party game.

Super Smash Bros has basically become its own genre of fighting game and spawned a number of Smash-like titles as a result. But you really can’t go wrong with the original that started it all.

This is What it’s Like When Worlds Collide

With a roster that includes classic comic book characters like Spider-Man and Wolverine and gives them a chance to team up with Ryu and Captain Commando, there was a lot to like about Marvel vs Capcom 2 right off the bat. There weren’t a lot of fighting games that let you squad up with three characters, and really, there still aren’t many that do.

With a simplified button setup and a cavalcade of amazing super moves, MvC 2 is one of the most fun fighting experiences to ever exist, and extremely easy to jump right into. If you only played one game on this list, make it this one.