What makes a good fighting game?

[Egann]

I seldom play fighting games PVP, but I play Smash, Soul Calibur, and Dissidia. Of those, Dissidia is actually my favorite. Go figure.

I would also loosely categorize the Souls games as an interesting fighting game experiment. Even if the emphasis on the game is a PVE Action RPG, PVP is certainly a spin on fighting games.

A GOOD Fighting game must do three things:

1. Have gameplay which is simple to grasp and difficult to master.
2. Have a set roster of characters who feel different in play than others.
3. A good tutorial.

A GREAT Fighting game must go beyond those:

1. Focus on character balance. Rock-Paper-Scissor works, but match-strength is better.
2. Know if you intend to tell a story or just connect stages BEFORE writing the script.
3. Have ways that high-skill and low(er)-skill players can meaningfully play side-by-side and feel fun for both players.

The last one is particularly important. Very few games balance for player skill, and while rewarding players for mastering the game is important, it also means fighting game communities tend to shrink as gamers drop out of the series. This is one of the things Smash does brilliantly.