Street Fighter 6 has turned out to be better than anyone could have possibly imagined. This series has always been great in the eyes of fans, although the debacle that was Street Fighter 5’s launch could have soured some expectations. This will surely be a tournament-ready game for years to come.
The story won’t take long, but there is a hefty amount here. What about the games that fans should tackle after this one? Well, these four fighting games and these four brawlers should feel right at home next to Street Fighter 6. None of them are Street Fighter games, or pure Capcom titles either to give fans more variety in their choices.
8 Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the most intense fighting games in recent history. It is also one of the best games in the Dragon Ball franchise. Few games have done the anime justice visually, and the game is indeed a treat for the eyes.
There are tons of characters to choose from like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and so many more iconic heroes and villains. There is also a story mode that goes through familiar anime arcs like with the Saiyans and the Namekians.
7 Mortal Kombat (2011)
The Mortal Kombat game in 2011 was a reboot of the franchise just like the next game will be. It was also the first game to fully integrate a more focused story mode into the franchise. It’s truly a wonder why more fighting games haven’t directly copied this formula yet.
With Street Fighter 6, it was better late than never. It may be hard to play now since it was a game from two generations ago, but backwards compatibility is a thing. For those wishing to gear up for Mortal Kombat 1, this game is a must-play along with the other two games in the trilogy.
6 River City Girls 2
Don’t worry, one does not need to play the previous installment to get into River City Girls 2. The plot is simple as it follows Kyoko and Misako around the titular city on a quest to demolish a crime organization so that they can get their lives back.
Players can command either of the two girls as well as other characters that join later. Some sub-characters can jump in for assist moves. There are RPG elements in this brawler along with co-op action to get a party started with four on the couch or two online.
5 Sifu
Sifu is one of the most challenging roguelike games in recent memory. Players are a martial arts master who is tasked with seeking revenge for the death of their previous mentor. Players can die, and get injured, but if they do, they start to age.
Once players reach a critical peak in their life, they have to start over again. The goal is to finish the job before dying out, and again, that is no easy task. From killer combos to slick counter moves, this is one brawler that fighting game enthusiasts will surely latch onto.
4 Streets Of Rage 4
Streets of Rage was like Sega’s answer to Capcom’s Final Fight brawler series. Since there has not been a new game in that franchise since the PS2, Streets of Rage 4 is the next best thing. Rarely do long-awaited sequels live up to the hype especially sequels from the 16-bit era.
These indie developers proved that they knew how to deal with this classic franchise with some street justice. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of RPG-infused brawlers like River City Girls 2, but the punching still feels good in Streets of Rage 4 alone or with a friend.
3 Tekken 7
Like Mortal Kombat, this franchise also has a new game in the works aka Tekken 8. Since that game may still take a while, Tekken 7 will have to do for now. Even though it’s not a PlayStation exclusive, this series felt like THE fighting game to get on consoles like the PS1 and PS2.
Unlike Street Fighter which emphasizes a lot of wild powers, Tekken has always been more about the art of fighting from punches to grapples. They are like the Yin and Yang of fighting game franchises and it is a shame the crossover game Tekken X Street Fighter never came out but at least Street Fighter X Tekken did.
2 Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is developed by Capcom, true, but it is more than a fighting game starring characters from its franchises. Marvel heroes and villains are here for the experience as well like Wolverine and Rocket Raccoon. It’s one of those rare fighting games that can be enjoyable even for non-fighting game or non-video game fans.
That’s because there are so many characters to choose from and the mechanics are easy enough to mash through. Of the many crossover titles in the franchise, this has to be one of the best rosters available that pays homage to both sides.
1 Yakuza 0
There are a plethora of Yakuza games to choose from, but Yakuza 0 seems the most appropriate. It takes place in the 80s when the Yen was booming in Japan. It’s a dramatic crime story that is equal parts hilarious as well as brutal.
The melee combat is equally brutal from knocking teeth out with your fists or picking up a couch and smashing someone with it. Everyone should play at least one of these games before they die. So, why not start at the very beginning of the story instead of trying to parse through the latest entries?
Street Fighter 6 was released on June 2, 2023 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
