Fighting Games

In fighting games you face a rival with punches, kicks and special moves until their energy runs out. There are more than 400 on the site, with classic fighters and very well-known characters.

Two ways to fight

The first is the classic one, popularized by Street Fighter II (Capcom, 1991): two fighters face to face, a health bar for each, and matches played in rounds. Whoever empties the other's bar first wins. Street Fighter 2, Pocket Fighter, Mr Fight, Dragon Ball Z Tournament and Marvel Tribute belong here, with normal attacks and special moves you pull off with a combination of keys.

The second is the platform fighter, the style tied to Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Flash and Super Smash Flash 2 take up that idea with characters from different franchises. The goal isn't to drain a bar but to knock your rival off the stage: the more hits they take, the farther they fly. Sonic vs Mario Fight and Goku vs Mario Bros play on the crossover of characters, and Stick Fight Webgl, BattleDudes.io and Cats Arena take the brawl into an arena with stick figures or animals. Swords and Sandals 4 goes for slower gladiator duels with swords.

Solo or with someone next to you

Most of the list is played against the computer, with a run of back-to-back fights or a tournament. Those with a two-player mode usually split the keyboard: one player uses WASD and the other the arrow keys, each with their own attack keys. BattleDudes.io, going by the .io in the name, is built for playing against other people. If it's your first fighting game, Street Fighter 2 is a good place to pick up the rhythm of blocking, waiting and countering.

Getting better

Learn a couple of combos first and use them at the end of a dodge. Mashing buttons usually works out worse than waiting for the moment your rival drops their guard. In platform fighters, the most common mistake is leaping off the stage while trying to finish someone off: make sure you can get back.

And spend a few minutes with each character. Some are faster and others hit harder, and finding which one suits you changes the result a lot.