Capcom is known for making great games, but they are probably best known for their fighting games. Furthermore, Capcom has released 83 fighting games, and nearly all are fantastic. Their popularity likely comes from their anime-inspired character designs, on-the-nose sound effects and music, and super responsive controls.
With so many titles to choose from, it's hard to single out a group for this list; so there will be many great titles, like Red Earth and Marvel Super Heroes, which will, unfortunately, be left out. However, we think you'll agree that even if these games are not on your top list, they're still fun to play!
Updated April 5, 2022, by Christopher Sanfilippo: This year, Street Fighter, the game many consider the granddaddy of 2D fighters, celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary. In turn, we've decided to look back at Capcom's fighting game legacy. You may even recognize some of these titles from the upcoming Capcom Fighting Collection, launching on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
15 Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo
Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo is technically not a fighting game. But it merged puzzle gameplay with fighting game mechanics flawlessly. For example, each character's attack power would increase based on how big a gem they smashed or how long a chain combo they could create. Furthermore, nailing a super combo in Puzzle Fighter was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of the 90s!
Still, Puzzle Fighter is most recognizable from its peers due to the inclusion of chibi variations on some of Capcom's most famous characters.
14 Pocket Fighter
Speaking of chibi fighters, Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo's success led to an authentic fighting game sequel, Pocket Fighter (also known as Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix). This title had Capcom's fighting game superstars face off in over-the-top cartoonish battles to humorous effect.
Pocket Fighter had a unique fighting system compared to its peers. For instance, fighters could increase the power of their special moves by collecting corresponding gems. Additionally, the flash combo system was pretty similar to the auto combo system seen in many games today.
13 Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom was an exciting exclusive game for the Nintendo Wii. In addition to Capcom favorites like Ryu and Chun-Li, there are also newcomers to Capcom fighting games like Frank West and the PTX-40A mech from the Lost Planet series.
The roster of Tatsunoko characters includes Gold Lightan and the cast of the Gatchaman – both popular anime shows. All characters fight in tag teams, except PTX-40A and Gold Lightan, who must fight without a partner. Many Wii owners purchased the console to play this game. They were not disappointed.
12 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Based on the manga of the same name by Hirohiko Araki, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a great fighting game from the development team that made Street Fighter III. However, the mechanics in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure work a little differently than other Capcom fighters.
As in the manga, characters can summon guardian spirits called "Stands" to deliver powerful attacks. A character's move set is changed when the Stand get summoned. It doesn't take that long to learn if you are familiar with fighting games. And if you're interested in checking out a Capcom classic, you should give it a play.
11 Darkstalkers Chronicles: The Chaos Tower
Chaos Tower is the fourth of the Darkstalkers/Night Warriors games and is considered their best. The Darkstalkers series (known as Vampire in Japan) is like Street Fighter with monster movie creatures instead of martial artists. This roster includes the werewolf Jon Talbain, the vampire Demitri Maximoff, and the succubus Morrigan Aensland.
Many gamers prefer the Darkstalkers series to the Street Fighter series because of the more significant variation between fighters. Furthermore, the series introduced fighting game mechanics later adapted to the Street Fighter series, such as EX moves. If you still have your PS3 or a PS Now subscription, you can download Darkstalkers: Resurrection, a compilation title featuring Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, and Darkstalkers 3.
10 Hyper Street Fighter 2: Anniversary Edition
If you think about it, the Street Fighter 2 series is the franchise's longest-running, with its latest edition, Ultra Street Fighter 2, launching in 2017. However, Hyper Street Fighter 2, launched to commemorate the franchise's fifteenth anniversary in 2003, is one of the most inventive versions of the game.
In Hyper Street Fighter 2, one could choose from up to five variations of each character based on the previous titles. So, for example, you could match up the original Street Fighter 2 Dhalsim against the Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo Sagat. With 65 variations among seventeen characters, the possibilities were endless!
9 Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike
3rd Strike was the third and last variation of Street Fighter III. Compared to the previous two titles, New Generation and 2nd Impact, 3rd Strike expanded the roster to twenty characters, added new backgrounds, and improved the controls and audio. Unfortunately, many of 3rd Strike's characters have yet to appear in any of the game's sequels.
The play-control in 3rd Strike is just about perfect, and the characters are balanced very well – except for Makoto, Chun Li, and Yun, who are slightly over-powered. Of course, everyone has their own opinion, but many fighting game fans consider 3rd Strike the best of the Street Fighter series.
8 Rival Schools: Project Justice
Project Justice is the sequel to Rival Schools: United by Fate, one of the few 3D fighting games from Capcom. Despite its 3D graphics, matches are still presented in the traditional 2D side view that Capcom uses for the bulk of their fighting games.
Project Justice is a three-on-three team fighter; with Team-Up and Party-Up attacks. The game looks a bit dated, but the gameplay is fast-paced, and the Party-Up attacks are fun to watch – even when you're on the receiving end.
7 X-Men: Children Of The Atom
Children of the Atom launched when the X-Men comics were at the top of their popularity. Furthermore, certain characters, like Omega Red and Spiral, would never be featured in an X-Men (or Marvel) game today with Marvel's focus on commercially popular characters. For instance, Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite's roster of characters comprised almost exclusively of characters from the MCU.
Many Capcom fighting game mechanics, like super jumps, air combos, and recovery rolls, were first introduced in Children of the Atom. However, for the best experience of this title, you should stick to the Sega Saturn and arcade versions. The Playstation version, published by Acclaim, pales in comparison.
6 Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition
Street Fighter 5 is a polarizing title. It launched with minimal features and a thin roster. In addition, it was hard to acquire in-game currency. Therefore, most players would need to purchase new fighters as DLC.
However, the final version of the game, Champion Edition, was much more complete. It had a cinematic story mode, in-depth arcade mode, new challenge modes, and a total roster of forty fighters.
Plus, SF5 introduced the V system, an innovative mechanic that gave each character two distinct variations of skills. While not as flashy as SF4's Ultra Combos, the mechanic did add a new technical component to the series.
5 Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is a three-on-three tag-team fighter with a whopping 56 playable characters. Furthermore, like Marrow and Servbot, many of the characters would never be seen in a fighting game again as playable characters.
Capcom simplified the control scheme for this sequel, reducing the number of attack buttons from six to four. This change didn't sit too well with purists who felt the control change adversely affected the experience. On some level, the purists have a point. Still, the simplified controls did make the game more accessible to newcomers to fighting games.
4 Street Fighter Alpha 3
This game features characters from Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Super Street Fighter 2, adding up to thirty-four fighters. Like 3rd Strike, the responsive controls in Alpha 3 are near perfect. In addition, the animated backgrounds in Alpha 3 are probably the best in the Street Fighter franchise.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 touted two significant features. One was the guard meter, which disabled a fighter's blocks if they got too defensive. Another was the three fighting styles: A, V, and X. The different styles changed a characters' speed, power, and damage resistance.
3 Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
This game was a follow-up to Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and added 12 new characters. The roster of characters in Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is maybe the best out of any Capcom fighting game. Have you ever wanted to pit Phoenix Wright against Ghost Rider? Or see Rocket Raccoon fight Ryu? This game lets you do that.
Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is a three-on-three tag-team fighter that focuses on combo attacks. The action is fast-paced, and the graphics have a nice cell-shaded look. The only complaint usually leveled at Ultimate Vs. Capcom 3 is that they changed the attacks of some characters from the first game.
2 Capcom Vs. SNK 2: Mark Of The Millennium 2001
Capcom Vs. SNK 2: Mark Of The Millennium 2001 is an incredible 2D fighting game featuring characters from the Street Fighter games and many SNK fighters – like Fatal Fury and Samurai Showdown. There are an impressive forty-eight playable characters. And, like many of the games on this list, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 is a three-on-three team fighter.
The animation of the characters is excellent, and the game runs faster than most Capcom fighting games. And the backgrounds are some of the best out of any 2D fighting game. Unfortunately, this title's last outing was on the PS3 through PSN.
1 Ultra Street Fighter 4
In the mid-2000s, 2D fighting games became less frequent, and the idea of a new Street Fighter title seemed highly unlikely. Thankfully, producer Yoshinori Ono pitched a sequel that maintained the series' charm while catching up with the advancements of modern gaming. Therefore, Street Fighter 4 is one of the most vital games in Capcom's history and fighting game history overall due to its revival of the 2D-fighting genre.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is the definitive version of this classic game. Its roster is massive, with forty-four fighters in total, each with their own animated story mode movies. Plus, the game ramped up the action with new features like Ultra Combo Doubles, Red Focus Attacks, and OMEGA mode.