This year is going to be a special year for gamers who love their fighting games as we are getting two of the most recognizable fighting games of all time. Street Fighter 6 releases on June 2nd, 2023 and Mortal Kombat 1 (remake) releases on September 19th, 2023. These two franchises are responsible for taking the fighting genre to new heights, and they have been popular for thirty-plus years now.
I have been playing Street Fighter 6 open beta on my PS5 and I am having a great time myself. The movement, fighting mechanics, and color animations you get for a powerful counter or a super move in SF6 are beautiful and very satisfying. Street Fighter as a franchise was never my favorite when it comes to fighting games as I never really enjoyed its gameplay mechanics up until SF6, but besides the very first Street Fighter, I have played every single one of them. I know for sure that I will be spending hundreds of hours in SF6 until we are done with 2023. I'm sure most fans of Street Fighter have already tried out the demo or open beta, but if you haven't, try it out and see how amazing this game is.
In Mortal Kombat games, still to this day, I have never figured out how to do a fatality finish when the announcer says 'finish him' right after your character has won the match. I am pretty sure it is easy to do but I unfortunately don't know what buttons to press to execute it. I'll look it up later. Anyhow, so the remake of the very first Mortal Kombat is coming out. The most recent entry Mortal Kombat 11 was released in 2019, and it was a very solid game. The gameplay was very satisfying and the story was phenomenal. NetherRealm Studios are one of the best if not the best when it comes to delivering amazing stories for fighting games. I haven't played all the games from the MK franchise, but I did play the last two (Mortal Kombat X and 11). Super excited to see where the story will go in MK 1.
There were rumors that Tekken 8 might be releasing this year, but it seems like it will most likely come out in 2024. It would have been crazy to have all three major fighting game franchises to release in the same year, but it's all good. We have seen bits of Tekken 8 gameplay and it looks very promising. As much as I'm enjoying Street Fighter 6 beta right now, I think Tekken 8 just might be a better overall fighting game. I have always liked Tekken more than Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, as it is my second favorite fighting game franchise only behind The King of Fighters. Other than Tekken 6 I have played all the Tekken games, including Tekken Tag Tournament 1 and 2. It has been eight years now since we got Tekken 7, and it was an excellent game. I liked the story but didn't like the pacing. Hopefully, Tekken 8 offers the same good story as Tekken 7 but with better pacing.
We have three excellent fighting games to look forward to, but two really solid fighting games came out in the last two years. Guilty Gear Strive in 2021 and The King of Fighters XV in 2022. Prior to Guilty Gear Strive, I had never played a Guilty Gear game. Glad I tried this latest entry from the series as it is fun to play. Though I'm struggling to figure out combos with most characters, but overall gameplay is pretty sweet. I adore the game's graphics and animation, especially when you do a perfect counter and/or send the opponent crashing through the glass to the other side of the arena. The glass-breaking feature is really awesome. Now I really wanna play this game at this moment but I know as soon as I turn on my Xbox, I will end up playing The King of Fighters XV.
In my opinion, KOF XV is the best fighting game in recent years. It is not my favorite game in the series as that honor would go to KOF 97, with KOF 98 being a close second. Everything about KOF XV (except for the boss fights and the final stage) is pretty much perfect. The characters look amazing, especially Kyo Kusanagi (my favorite), Iori Yagami, Mai Shiranui, Blue Mary, and Terry Bogard. Gameplay is top-notch. I never get tired of delivering a super-move in this game as it does a lot of damage and the animation looks so good as your character is executing it. I really enjoy the interactions between characters who are arch rivals or close friends. I would definitely recommend every gamer who loves competitive gaming to try out KOF XV, but please also try out KOF 97! Boss fights in KOF 97 offered great intro, music, and overall fighting experience. I wish KOF XV did something similar for its final bosses as older KOFs did.
Since the 90s, we have been blessed with lots of incredible fighting games. While there are so many awesome fighting games to play, there are about eight of them that have given me everlasting memories. The King of Fighters 97 & 98, Marvel vs Capcom 2 & 3, Tekken 3 & 4, and Injustice 1 & 2 are my all-timers and I can play them on any given day. KOF 15 is still a relatively new game, but in time, I'm going to adore it even more. Can't wait for Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Tekken 8. I hope they all deliver.
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