Soul Calibur III

Soul Calibur III

The absence of an online mode and the unbalanced A.I detract a bit from the experience, but there is a wealth of single player modes and features to keep you coming back for more. With impressive graphics and a large roster of characters Soul Calibur III remains one of the best fighting games on the system. Patience is definitely required however.

Gameplay: The CPU can be cheap as dirt in single player mode, but the game remains addictive and feature packed.

Graphics: Without a doubt some of the best on the system.

Sound: The music is good, but the announcer and English voice acting starts to grate very quickly

Battle Fantasia -Revised Edition-

Battle Fantasia -Revised Edition-

The varied roster of interesting characters alone makes it hard to dislike Battle Fantasia –Revised Edition- and the newcomer friendly gameplay is also a plus. It doesn’t quite have the depth demanded by veterans and the pace is also considerably slower than other titles by Arc System Works, but it still has plenty to offer. It is a very accessible beat ‘em up and offers a great way for newcomers to dip their toes in the genre.

Gameplay: The character roster is small, but the game is accessible enough for newcomers to jump in and have fun.

Graphics: Although improved the visuals still show their age compared to more modern fighting games.

Sound: The over the top Japanese voice acting fits the game perfectly and the background tunes are quite good too

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

If you want a ton of fighters and don’t mind the recycling of past games, then Armageddon will keep you busy for ages. It’s certainly not a bad game and you get value for money, but it feels more like a compilation disc than anything new for the franchise. Hopefully the next generation will breathe some new life into the series.

Gameplay: If you’ve played any of the previous titles, then you’ve played this.

Graphics: Not bad, but not a step up from past games.

Sound: Typical Mortal Kombat fare

Arcana Heart

Arcana Heart

A 2D fighter with an all female cast places Arcana Heart in a somewhat niche genre but don’t let that deter you. Beneath the cute visuals lies a good fighting game that should appeal to anime and fighting fans. The mixing and matching of Arcana and characters also set the game apart.

Gameplay: Nothing groundbreaking, but still fun.

Graphics: An interesting cast of characters.

Sound: Better than I expected

The Bouncer

The Bouncer

There was a lot of hype around The Bouncer and sadly it just does not deliver. The story is nice, but the gameplay versus cut-scene ratio is just out of hand. The actual fighting can feel a bit clunky until you get used to it and by then the game is probably over. There is some replay value, but this is definitely not the game it could have been.

Gameplay: Very little actual gameplay mixed in with all the cut-scenes.

Graphics: Pretty darn impressive for a launch title.

Sound: Nice music and bearable voice acting

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds

Even after completing all of the modes in the game a few times I’m still not tired of it and will probably end up maxing out the levels of all the characters while waiting for the DLC to (hopefully) arrive. Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds has a beautiful and unique art style, rocking soundtrack and polished gameplay. If you are a fan of the genre and don’t already own this on Xbox or Playstation Vita this is your chance to add another great side scrolling beat ‘em up to your collection.

Gameplay: Polished, entertaining and with a bit more depth than your typical side scrolling beat ‘em up.

Graphics: Beautiful retro style visuals with huge sprites and excellent character designs.

Sound: The game features a rocking chiptune inspired soundtrack

Devil’s Dare 悪魔の挑戦

Devil’s Dare 悪魔の挑戦

Devil’s Dare isn’t afraid to challenge you and mock you for your pitiful skills, but it is also very rewarding and surprisingly addictive. The pixel art visuals are very stylish, although a little on the monochrome side, and packs a lot of charm. The lack of online co-op is obviously a bummer, but understandable for a game like this. To get the most out of Devil’s Dare you are going to have to actually play it enough to become good at it, which is something that can’t be said for many games these days.

Graphics: Charming and detailed pixel art visuals, but not a lot of color.

Sound: The music sounds like something straight out of the Arcade era.

Gameplay. Unforgiving, but very rewarding and addictive

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

While most fans would have loved to see a PC port of Guilty Gear Xrd, the latest installment in the series, appear on PC instead of #Reload, it doesn’t mean that it should be dismissed. This game still has just as much to offer as it did ten years ago and fighting game fans that somehow missed out on it are in for a treat. There are a ton of modes that will keep you busy for ages and the huge cast of crazy characters offer something for every fighting style. Considering its age the game has held up extremely well and hopefully garners enough interest to prove that there is a market for more of these games on PC.

Gameplay: A huge character roster to select from and fast paced fights makes for an adrenaline pumping experience.

Graphics: The visuals might be old and 2D, but they still look very impressive and the game is not afraid to take things over the top.

Sound: Some of the character voices can become annoying after extended playing sessions, but the soundtrack is still great