Fighting Games
Humankind and Physical Contests
Fighting has been around for as long as there have been people on the Earth. You could say itâs the ultimate form of competitionâthat all other forms of contest are just more-or-less refined versions of physical combat.
After thousands of years, youâd think people might have tired of watching fights. One glance at modern entertainment shows you that we have not. From the gladiatorial bouts of the Roman empire to the often-lethal violence of early American Football and on to the present-day phenomenon that is mixed martial arts fighting, our appetite for violent contest has drawn huge crowds to the Colosseum and the octagon alike. The appeal is lasting and visceralânothing quite gets the adrenaline flowing like a good fight.
The simplest fight, the one-v-one, has existed across time and cultures as far back as anybody can remember. Itâs likely a part of who we are as human individuals. We all find ourselves in interpersonal conflict at some point in our lives and most of us find the conflict of others fascinating. Whether a duel or a debate, there is something compelling about two people struggling against each other, unsure which will prevail.
Fighting in Video Games
This most ancient of spectator sports was introduced into the world of video games as soon as we had enough pixels to begin to render fighters.
Sega released the first boxing game back in 1976 in the form of Heavyweight Champ. Despite being a black-and-white arcade game with an unusual boxing-glove controller, Heavyweight Champ introduced some features of the genre that we still see now, such as a side-on view of the two fighters and high and low attacks.
The game was a huge success in Japan, ranking third among arcade cabinets that year, and spawned a series of sequels and adaptations that lasted well into the home console era.
Fighting Games Come of Age
It wasnât until the following decade, with the launch of Karate Champ by Technos Japan, that the one-on-one fighting game became truly popular worldwide. This 1984 arcade fighting game was a true fighting game and shared much of its DNA with the fighting games you can play today. It used a pair of joysticks to give players a choice of 24 moves and saw two karate fighters face off against one another. One fighter wore a red gi and other a white gi. It was a visual language that laid the foundations for the iconic titles to follow.
Enter the Street Fighter
You probably already know the name Street Fighter. Itâs a franchise famous the world over and has had huge cultural impact. For many players, Street Fighter is synonymous with fighting games. Itâs certainly one of the originals.
The first Street Fighter was released by Capcom in 1987. In its original form it wasnât a commercial success, but it did introduce a slew of features that revolutionized the genre; button-based attacks, special attacks, the three-round fight and the energy barâall innovations that became the bedrock of fighting games today.
Landing the Combo
The impact of Streetfighter II, launched as an arcade in 1991, was utterly staggering. It is one of the highest grossing games of all time, still to this day. The arcade versions alone generated $1.5 billion in gross revenue in just two years. Thatâs over $4 billion today, adjusted for inflation.
The gameplay was improved in the sequel too, with the introduction of combination attacks or âcomboâ attacks, which couldnât be blocked if executed properly. It also introduced a plethora of new charactersâsix, along with the original Ryu and Kenâeach with a distinctive visual and fighting style. These iconic characters resonated with fans and are still much-loved today.
The original Street Fighter may have established many of the rules of the fighting game, but it was this second entry that cemented the genre weâre now so familiar with, and it did it in a way that was wildly popular.
At the time, arcade gaming had hit a slump, with home consoles posing a threat. Street Fighter II massively reinvigorated the arcade gaming world by pushing person-to-person competitive play. The game fostered grassroots tournaments, which in turn drew crowds. Video gaming moved away from being a mostly solo activity where you pitted yourself against an arcade cabinet, to being like a sport. Suddenly there were video game spectators in groups. Suddenly you had a fandom. You can trace the origin of e-sports today back to those early days of arcade competition.
The Counterattack
Throughout the nineties, a series of games provided their own takes on the fighting game formula. There were 2D games like Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct and 3D titles like Tekken and Soulcalibur. All of them were classic fighting games, pitting players against a single opponent, computer or human controlled. While many were very well-received and became franchises in their own right, none could match the remarkable success of the game they were following.
The Legacy
Today there are more games on consoles owing their existence to those early fighting games than you could possibly count. There are the obvious, direct descendants that feature two opponents slugging it out, but there are also huge sub-genresâthe platform fighter, the beat âem up, the party game and the brawler, to name a few. You could say that all of them are responses to Street Fighter II.
Fighting Games On Gamepix
Like all of our games here on Gamepix, our range of online fighting games are completely free, with nothing to download or update. Our free browser fighting games come in every flavor that the genre has to offer, from rigorous sports simulators to silly party games with physics to match.
Our fighting games are set in every environment you can imagineâsome you may recognize, others you definitely wonât! Whether you want to spend a minute or a year, our browser-based fighting games will work on any device that has a web browser and are completely free for as long as you want to play.
Whatever type of fighting game you like, you will find something to interest you among the browser fighting games on offer here. So what are you waiting for? Pick a game, take your stance and face your opponent! Round One! Fight!
FAQs
Are fighting games the hardest?
While many gamers say the dexterity and timing needed for complex button sequences makes fighting games the hardest, the reality is that all types of games can take a long time to master. With our free online browser games, you can try one of each and see for yourself.
Are fighting games popular?
Yes! Fighting games remain one of the most popular types of video game and we have a wide range of fighting games here on Gamepix.
What are the most popular fighting games?
- Hero 5: Katana Slice
- Hero 4: Slice Enemies
- Ultimate Hero Clash 2
- Narrow One
- Stickman Warriors
- Super Dino Fighter
What are the best online games?
- Hero 5: Katana Slice
- Hero 4: Slice Enemies
- Ultimate Hero Clash 2
- Narrow One
- Stickman Warriors
- Super Dino Fighter
- Pro Wrestling Action
- Ben 10: World Rescue
- Hero: Telekinesis
- Gang Fall Party
- Ultimate Robo Duel 3d
- Draw Fighter 3d
- Zombs Royale
- Stickman Street Fighting 3d
- Drunken Boxing 2
- Dexomon
- Stickman Warrior Fatality
- Hero Masters
- Pixel On Titan
- Super Stickman Duelist
- Stick War: Infinity Duel
- Super Drive Ahead
- Merge Master: Dinosaur Fusion
- Wrestle Jump
- Stick War Adventure
- Super Stickman Fight
- City Of Gang Street Fighting
- Stickman Boxing Ko Champion
- Stickman Fighter: Mega Brawl
- Slap Kings
- Rocket Punch 2 Online
- Island Of Pirates
- Heroes Inc!
- Sift Renegade Brawl
- Stickman Hero Fight
- Dragon Battles Multiplayer
- Samurai Fighter
- Stick Warriors Hero Battle
- Stickman Fighting 2 Player
- Mr Fight Online
- Stickman Archero Fight
- Boxing Fighter: Super Punch
- Street Mayhem - Beat Em Up
- Ragdoll Gangs
- Dark Lands
- Stickman Killing Zombie 3d
- Dinosaur Fusion Simulator
- Shadow Fighters: Hero Duel
- Super Boxing
- Fight Arena Online
- Brawlhalla Grand Slam
- Stickman Ghost Online
- Fist Punch 2
- Stick Shadow Fighter Legacy
- Stickman Ultimate Street Fighter 3d
- Ragdoll Fighter
- Ropeman 3d
- Merge Master
- Oil Wrestling
- Ice Man 3d
- Football Killer
- Boxing Stars
- Ultra Mech Fights
- Swords And Sandals: Champion Sprint
- Battle Cars
- Stickman Fighter: Space War
- Kung Fu Fight: Beat 'em Up
- Russian Taz Driving 3
- Crazy Slap
- Ant-man And The Wasp: Attack Of The Robots
- Undisputed Mma
- Tabs
- Rainbow Friends Vs Skibidi Toilet
- Stickman Fighter: Epic Battles
- Ant Colony
- Stickman Fighter Mega--brawl
- Food Pusher Challenge
- Knife Io Dx
- Superfighters
- Hajime No Ippo
- Stickman Fighting
- Curvy Punch 3d
- Mortal Cage Fighter
- Body Builder Ring Fighting Arena : Wrestling Games
- Boxing Superstar Ko Champion
- Roar Of City
- Granny Street Rage Skibidi Toilet
- Dark War
- Devil Cry
- Zombie Massacre
- Wrestle Jump 2
- Nubik Vs Herobrin's Army
- Star Smash
- Blades Battle
- Brutal Defender
- Towers: Card Battles
- Duelers
- Streets Rage Fight
- Telekinesis Attack!
- Ninja Robo Hero
- Hero Knight
- Gladiators Merge And Fight
- Martial Arts: Fighter Duel
- Bitcoin Vs Ethereum Dash Iota
- Ultimate Boxing
- Huggy Wuggy Pixel Nights
- Squid Escape Bloody Revenge
- Dino: Merge And Fight
- Stickman Punch
- Knight 360
- Homeless Battle Royale
- Stick It Battle
- Fighter Manager
- Stickman Fighter 3d: Fists Of Rage
- Battle Of The Red And Blue Agents
- Poppy Office Nightmare
- Hopeless Island Survival Hero
- Merge Battler
- Knights Vs Dragons Battle Simulator
- Mini Fighters : Quest & Battle
- Warriors Vs Evil Spirits
- Robot Ring Fighting
- Stick Hero Tower Defense
- Street Fight King Of The Gang
- Fighter Legends Duo
- Dinosaurs Merge Master
- Extreme Hand Slap
- Samurai Brawling
- Stick Fight Combo
- Funny Ragdoll Wrestlers
- Black Knight
- Punch Boxing For Dummy
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