For me it’s the first Tekken Tag on PS2 hands down no question. Personally it was the reason why I wanted a PS2 so bad. I spent countless hours playing it at the arcade and was bummed when it wasn’t coming out on the PS1 (obviously the RAM couldn’t handle loading 4 movesets) As a kid MK Trilogy on the N64 was probably the most I’ve ever anticipated a game because I thought it was going to be arcade quality while bringing all the missing characters back as well as adding new ones. The sound was ass but the game itself was still fun as hell. Melee on the GameCube was incredible, an absolute classic.
@@blackmanwhitesuit honestly I don’t understand the hate Tag 2 gets. It’s my favorite in the series. I enjoy it far more than Tekken 7 but that’s because I prefer 2v2.
@@Jose-se9pu Arcades weren't dead in the 90s. So yeah, it was much cheaper when you could play fighting games in your local arcade rather than needing to buy an entire console to play them 😆
For anyone wondering how much that would be today, a correction; the NeoGeo actually released with a price of $649.99 in 1990, which today would be $1294.95. You could literally buy a XSX and a PS5, new consoles that came out literally this week with cutting edge tech, and still would be less than the NeoGeo. You could build a pretty decent pc for the cost. Hell, with tax itd be $1385.60
@@Jose-se9pu The NeoGeo was a massive outlier as it was sold as a luxury console - its specs were leagues above everything else and the games were arcade perfect ports, and it lost miserably to the SNES and Genesis in sales. Why? Because no one was gonna pay an arm and a leg for arcade quality hardware when the arcades were still kicking (Genesis and SNES sold for $189-199). Whether $650 was worth way more in the 90s is besides the point. The point is the average Joe didn't HAVE to shell out a fortune for a NeoGeo when you could go to the arcade and play much of the same games locally for 25-50 cents a game. Nobody was buying a whole new fighting game everytime a new version came out or a season pass - these are a consequence of arcades being largely dead, and even in Asia they're on life support.
Fighting Game wise, Dreamcast was the greatest console ever (I agree with MAx, pulling the Neo Geo card is kinda cheap lol). No only it got Soul Calibur, but also other great gems like Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Capcom vs SNK, Project Justice, Guilty Gear X...
@@ahok1937 And the PS2 versions are considered inferior (and in some cases are objectively inferior), outside of fighting games even ports like Skies of Arcadia Legends and Sonic Collection DX are either worse or at the bare minimum similar enough.
@@SageSimulant I will be honest I have 6 I play it a lot but it’s down hill from 3 I the type of person I need unlockables in my games and they push DLC so much it’s unattractive
@@SageSimulant I've been a huge fan of the series since the DOA2HC, the 'xbox era' of DOA is definitely its peak. DoA2U, DOA3, and 4. Koei has gotten really greedy lately and has plagued the series with DLC, and there's been identity crisis on the development side because of a desire to have the game be esportsy and a potential event at EVO, and EVO's endless disdain for the series for daring to be sexy. If Koei would let them actually have decent amount of modes and unlockables without locking everything behind absurd DLC, and if Shimbori would stop putting so much effort into trying to appease the EVO gods, the series could really shine again
SoulCalibur, DOA3, and Melee were all mind-blowing showcases for their consoles. Even unlocking Mewtwo overnight was a showcase for my Gamecube that the fans were working!
@@smashmaster521 Yoshi's dash grab doesn't have an active hitbox on the same z axis the characters fight on. For example, Yoshi can't dash grab Marth because Yoshi moves his head to his right of Marth in a space Marth cannot occupy.
Curious how a dash grab automatically means it's a 3d fighter. There are 2.5d fighters as well and I think Smash is more in that category. Even though the game is made in 3d it is still presented as a 2d fighter. The way I see it, if you can't sidestep, it's not 3d.
@@Maggot39967 As I mentioned before, there is a z axis in Melee that characters and moves can occupy. Yoshi's dash grab is an example of this as it always misses against characters with thin 3D models like Marth.
Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast all day every day. It went beyond everything at the time and it still plays like a dream to this day. Game is as close to perfect as you can get.
You got it. The game was amazing and the best dark stalkers game because it was basically all of them in one package. I also liked the tower mode, it had a world tour mode feel in Street fighter alpha 3.
Soul Calibur and Melee no contest. I think Soul Calibur was the most fully realized and technically impressive fighting game of its time, while Melee is the most influential and unique fighting game ever made. I think it all comes down to preference with these two, absolutely stellar games!
Man, I miss Dead or alive 3 so much. I remember getting a Xbox for christmas present and my first game was DOA3. It is not my favourite fighting game of all time... but it is sure the game I spent most time playing of all fighting games every existed.
MK Armageddon was my first intro into MK and I remember when MK9 released and it finally realized my true love for fighting games and I remember the whole hype around it
Ahhh sf4 for the 3ds is honestly underrated, sure the mechanics were a little cheesy of just tapping on a screen for a command input but it was sure as hell fun taking it on the go
As a filthy casual, I'm glad SSFIV 3D Edition mapped command inputs to the bottom screen. It's my favorite SF because of how accessible it is as a result.
Dreamcast and Powerstone. 9/9/99. I remember that distinctly. My mom bought it for me from Sears. She also got me Sonic Adventure. Jesus I was a spoiled brat.
Gotta be Super Smash Bros. Melee for me. It was such a massive improvement over the first game and just blew my mind at the time. To this day it remains one of my top 10 favorite video games.
@@reisjames1 we can hem and haw about which madden improved more over its predecessor better but... can we just agree that Madden is the benchmark for video game iteration?
Great breakdown and perspective of all the games. It was a great time growing up in the 90s and 2000s when fighting games started to get more and more people’s attention and what they can do. Souls and Smash still have a big impact with me today.
DOA gave me flashbacks to perfecting my little brother with bayman's knee that frame traps into itself and spending 7 days in a row trying to do a 360 motion to do hayabusa drop.
I choose Super Smash Bros in general. Especially Melee. It’s considered the best crossover fighting game in general because of its massive inclusive of characters from popular franchises😊👊🏾🌏
Some of the most fun I've ever had playing video games is in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Ultimate is a good game for sure, but the crazy and cool stuff you can pull off in Melee to just style and flex on your friends makes it just such a blast to play. The space animals, Captain Falcon, Marth, Samus, Ganondorf, Luigi, there are just so many characters in that game that can be played in such incredibly flashy ways, and everyone finds their own style with their favorite characters. 10/10, my favorite fighting game easily.
Tekken Tag Tournament was definitely one of the first dope fighting games on the PS2. I remember picking it up @ KB Toys back when that company was still active.
DOA 2 for the Dreamcast is a underrated gem. The best looking game on there and it was one of the first fighting game to have stage transitions on a 3D field
Although not launch games, here are reasonably early release games that impressed me the most for their time. Saturn - Fighters Megamix Playstation - Street Fighter Alpha 3 PS2 - Street Fighter EX3; Tekken Tag Tournament 2; Soul Calibur 3
Spot on. Fighters megamix is still one of my favorite 3d fighting game along with Soulcalibur 2 and now tekken 7. Street fighter alpha 3 is a beast of a game and EX3 is underrated. Soul calibur 3 is almost as good as soul calibur 2 and tekken tag tournament 2 was the best tekken game until 7 came out
Watching Max talk about Tekken Tag 1 saying how it was a marvel of a launch title was great to see. I'm glad my nostalgic memories of Tekken Tag are right in saying that it was a amazing fighting game. Even I played it mostly alone there was soo much content in that game. Score attack, Time trial, Tag Mode, freaking Bowling and all those characters. I made an honest attempt at unlocking every character ending, even the alternate costume character endings too. Even though I don't play Tekken much anymore due to being bad at it I still hold those memories close and check out every update to Tekken 7. I'm still so fond of the Tekken world and it's characters.
Dreamcast with Soul Calibur hands down.. loads of content, great visuals and sound..absolutely iconic, and the mechanics were next level at the time.. ~pso lobby music 🎶 👌
I remember Soul Calibur being one of the reasons I wanted a Dreamcast, though I never got one. Tekken Tag 1 started me on my path to being a Tekken guy, even though I didn't get to play it that much and I was complete garbage at all fighting games. Tag 1 did start off an interesting era for Tekken as there were four games during that generation with Tag 1, T4, T5, and T5:DR. I detest Melee now, but I played *so much* of it when I was younger and thought I was good at it. Then I got to college and realized I was utter trash.
How true you are Max. I fondly remember seeing VF3 for the first time at Putt-Putt Golf in Newport News and my eyes dropped. But when I saw what Soul Calibur and DOA looked like on Dreamcast, I knew Arcades were done. Shout out to Arcades of the past in Hatcher Square, Lynnhaven and Coliseum Mall. Also shout out to Flipper Mc'Coys, Family Fun Center/Boomer's and Nickel City. They all have given my children and I some great times and fun in the past. 🎮🕹️🎮
I still maintain that Soul Blade/Edge on PS1 and Soul Calibur on Dreamcast were the pinnacle of the series. The best characters, best music (3 music modes for Soul Blade!), the most compelling individual stories, oodles of secrets and unlockable content, and with everything still feeling fresh. I enjoyed SCII for my GameCube and being able to play as Link, but not being able to play as Hwang and Seung Mina out of the gate was a big disappointment and the plot was starting to get cheesy.
As a person who was all about Tekken in 3D fighting games, Soul Calibur 2 really surprised me with how much fun it was! The universal parry mechanic really had me and my friends on our toes all the time.
I feel so sad with nostalgia now Especially with all these comments I feel a strong connection with all of you now because we were there at different places and times Playing the same games in different lifes And though their time has passed We retained a strong love for these games That In our hearts will forever last
Soul Calibur on Dreamcast was my first thought after reading the title. The fluid animating katas for each character was the selling point for me. Maxi's nunchaku kata was the most impressive in my opinion. There was no fighting game more fluidly animated before that.
I really appreciate how Max acknowledges his personal bias, and recognizes the reality. I love the Soulcalibur series myself, but the impact of smash (especially as we see it today) is a monumental thing. I do want to add one thing. I think part of this is also how later entries in each respective series affected the former. For instance, while Soulcalibur is INCREDIBLY well regarded, I feel that SCII is an even better game, that for the most part overtakes the former. Just about everything that was great in SC, SCII does even better, and also because of the exclusive characters that came with each version, cemented the game in the hearts and minds of the community (FGC and beyond). After that there a lot of ups and down. SCIII, while well liked (even beloved by many) was a PS2 exclusive, so Nintendo and Xbox players lost touch that generation, and SCIII sadly has a myriad of technical flaws. SCIV had its fair share of critics as well. Hell, SC V nearly killed the franchise. I am so glad that SCVI has really brought the franchise back to forefront of the FGC. Now looking at Melee, when it came out, BOOM! Crazy hype! People love it, and the game becomes immensely popular, regarded by many as one of if not the best game on the Gamecube. Now the sequel, BRAWL is on the horizon. It has more characters, new stages, and is one the Wii, so in player base will be HUGE. Then it comes out, and the community is not happy. It is much slower, has tripping, and the online (something other systems have kinda figured out at this point) is just . . . the worst. I think it is safe to assume, brawl is probably the least talked about game in the series, at least fondly. Then Smash Bros (4) comes out, and the game IS actually very competent, has an even bigger roster, and supports numerous controllers so EVERYONE can get in on it, but there's one big problem, its on the WIIU. Yes it came out on the 3ds too, but let's be real, the console version was the big deal, and that console struggled from day 1. Finally Smash Ultimate comes out, and I feel like that was the game that finally took the mantel as best smash game. So in short, Soulcalibur, good game, but sequel comes out and steals the show. 4 more entries come out, and the most recent is the most well received since 2. Melee comes out, good game, but sequel comes out and community rejects it. Next entry comes out and struggles because of the system it releases on, so Melee is more or less uncontested "Best game" in series til Ultimate comes out. That's roughly 17 years of being the most well regarded, as Soulcalibur to Soulcalibur 2 was only roughly 4. This is not to take away from ANY of the games in either respective series (I really like Smash Bros in all its iterations, and LOVE Soulcalibur and its later entries), I just think that the sequels had a big impact on how these games are viewed in the grand legacy. If SCII was a dud, who knows where the franchise would be, and SC would probably even more mythic today. If Brawl was embraced by the community Melee might not be the juggernaut it became.
I think another factor to consider is whether other games take notes from the impact that the game laid out. It is bit unfair to compare the best selling GameCube game to other Smash games at times, but I didn't see the same kind of ripple as a casual observer of SoulCal. Cases of more weapon fighter alternatives from other companies, other games from Namco taking influence and fan game projects. Melee has led to popular mods (the one for Ultimate isn't publically downloadable but search Project NX) to bring all sequels in line. It has been kept alive by the fanbase with modded training tools and Rollback Netcode and the GameCube (and other 6th gen platforms) were sprinkled with platform fighting alternatives besides the last decade having a healthy line up which doesn't need to depend on multitaps. Again, I'm only a casual observer of SC but I only see similar things for Street Fighter maybe but I'm more into that I guess. Traditional 3D fighters are a blind spot for me.
Smash Melee is up there for the greatest video game of all time. Top 50. The best part is that it was kind of a mistake. It was rushed. There's so many unintended mechanics. Yet through the glitches and bugs we get the coolest techniques used by pro players. L cancelling, wave dashing etc. I often think to myself "what is the best game of all time? And what's the best game of each genre of games of all time?" Very fun question to try and answer and can spark interesting conversations amongst friends.
Soul Caliber on Dreamcast for sure. I was a senior in high school and that game brought so many non gamer's attention in and I have only seen that with the Wii since. I remember my friend's mom just destroying people with spam and it was great. Amazing game.
So happy to see Max talk about Melee's influence on the FGC. Truly birthed some of the most passionate fans of a game ever, and for good reason. Soul Caliber is damn good tho. But MELEE IS TOO SICK
I vividly remember hooking up my Dreamcast to my computer monitor with a VGA adapter back in December 1999 and being completely blown away by Soul Calibur. All my friends couldn't believe it either. It was definitely the end of the arcade. On Psone you got arcade perfect versions of Street Fighter Alpha but on Dreamcast you finally had a game that was better than the arcade. All the fighting game aficionados that I was friends with were buying the Dreamcast and we would just play against each other at each other houses for hours on end. The short lived Dreamcast era was the golden age of fighting games imo
Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast, Tekken Tag for the PS2, and Super Smath Bros. Melee for the Gamecube has some the best fighting games launch with the consoles.
I was very confused about this discussion until I realized that Max was talking about US release. In Japan, all the Dreamcast had was Virtua Fighter 3TB. (The meh port). One of our video game rental stores (You rent out the console instore and play games per hour) on release Toshinden might have looked rough, but 3D looked SO REALISTIC at the time! They are breathing when they are down! OMG! =P In a more serious note, I feel like the Dreamcast got their best games one year after the Japanese release because it has all the fighting games that I loved. And its mostly made by Capcom.
Soul Calibur was one of the reasons my brothers and I rented a Dreamcast back in the day. Was the only game we played more than Sonic and whatever else we rented. And I'll always remember getting my GameCube with Melee and playing that religiously with my friends in high school and college. So yeah, Soul Calibur and Melee get my votes
For me tekken tag it’s just nostalgia for me I remember playing it with my dad when I was a kid and that fucking intro theme is god tier still gives me chills
KI was SUPER influential in terms of business model though. They were super early on the season pass bandwagon which like every fighting game has adopted now.
Forgot Power Stone, Mortal Kombat Gold and if you want to count it, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing came out at launch for the Dreamcast along with Soul Cali on the Dreamcast.
Wish they would make a Capcom vs SNK sequel. The last one with Ultimate Rugal and Shin Akuma was so dope. The roster was on par with Marvel vs Capcom 2.
I'm biased because I played a lot of Melee, but I remember seeing footage of Soul Calibur and thinking to myself, "this is the future of gaming". My mind was blown
I knew early in the livestream that Melee should be counted for this discussion. It was the one game I can think back to where I was so hyped and was preparing for next-gen at the time. It really did stood the test of time many years later.
I agree. Soul Calibur's DC release is definitely around the time when arcades were antiquated. I remember back in the day playing at arcades at roller rinks. Tekken Tag Tournament and Street Fighter EX3 being launch fighting games for PS2 were great. I wish we had a Street Fighter EX collection. Tekken Tag Tournament on the PS2 definitely added a ton of improvements to the PS2 version. Oh right~ Itagaki...What happened to that guy? Super Smash Bro Melee on GameCube definitely was a huge influence in the FGC. I never had the GameCube but I did play it every now and then. Wow. Did Killer Instinct on X1 really launch with 6 characters? Let's hope we get more fighting games on PS5.
I thought I was tripping when I played Tekken Tag in the Arcades. I was like, "this don't look like a new game" It looked pretty bad, but I still wanted and eventually got it on ps2 and was blown away.
People bought Gamecubes to play Melee. Dreamcast had a lot more going for it at launch, so people might have bought, say, Sonic Adventure instead, but at launch, you bought a Gamecube because it was the game that had Smash Melee on it. Melee remained the lone system seller for a while.
For me it’s the first Tekken Tag on PS2 hands down no question. Personally it was the reason why I wanted a PS2 so bad. I spent countless hours playing it at the arcade and was bummed when it wasn’t coming out on the PS1 (obviously the RAM couldn’t handle loading 4 movesets)
As a kid MK Trilogy on the N64 was probably the most I’ve ever anticipated a game because I thought it was going to be arcade quality while bringing all the missing characters back as well as adding new ones. The sound was ass but the game itself was still fun as hell.
Melee on the GameCube was incredible, an absolute classic.
@@666slateran666 oh absolutely, great soundtrack. I use a lot of themes from that game in Tekken Tag 2 and Tekken 7.
Wasn't DOA2 launch game for the PS2? Or was it only in Europe?
Tekken bowling!
TT was such a banger. I'm glad they made a TT2.
@@blackmanwhitesuit honestly I don’t understand the hate Tag 2 gets. It’s my favorite in the series. I enjoy it far more than Tekken 7 but that’s because I prefer 2v2.
“It launched at $500. In the 90’s that cost as much as your children.” Haha speaking truth right there
And people think gaming today is expensive, lol
@@Jose-se9pu Arcades weren't dead in the 90s. So yeah, it was much cheaper when you could play fighting games in your local arcade rather than needing to buy an entire console to play them 😆
@@GIR177 Dude, $500 in the '90s was...a lot of money. A LOT.
And games were a lot cheaper to make.
For anyone wondering how much that would be today, a correction; the NeoGeo actually released with a price of $649.99 in 1990, which today would be $1294.95. You could literally buy a XSX and a PS5, new consoles that came out literally this week with cutting edge tech, and still would be less than the NeoGeo. You could build a pretty decent pc for the cost. Hell, with tax itd be $1385.60
@@Jose-se9pu The NeoGeo was a massive outlier as it was sold as a luxury console - its specs were leagues above everything else and the games were arcade perfect ports, and it lost miserably to the SNES and Genesis in sales. Why? Because no one was gonna pay an arm and a leg for arcade quality hardware when the arcades were still kicking (Genesis and SNES sold for $189-199).
Whether $650 was worth way more in the 90s is besides the point. The point is the average Joe didn't HAVE to shell out a fortune for a NeoGeo when you could go to the arcade and play much of the same games locally for 25-50 cents a game. Nobody was buying a whole new fighting game everytime a new version came out or a season pass - these are a consequence of arcades being largely dead, and even in Asia they're on life support.
Fighting Game wise, Dreamcast was the greatest console ever (I agree with MAx, pulling the Neo Geo card is kinda cheap lol). No only it got Soul Calibur, but also other great gems like Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Capcom vs SNK, Project Justice, Guilty Gear X...
Nearly all of theses games are on ps2
@@ahok1937 And the PS2 versions are considered inferior (and in some cases are objectively inferior), outside of fighting games even ports like Skies of Arcadia Legends and Sonic Collection DX are either worse or at the bare minimum similar enough.
Dreamcast is still THE video game console if you like fighting games...as Max once said, "the Dreamcast is the only console I ever loved"
Street Fighter 3
Shenmue 1 and 2 is still possibly the only story based fighting game. I cant find any others
DoA 3 was impressive AF, to see a game with that image fidelity was something else
It’s so good I still can play it now
DoA3 has probably given me a lasting misunderstanding of how good that series is. I loved that game. I am not familiar with the recent titles though.
The game has aged well graphically.
@@SageSimulant I will be honest I have 6 I play it a lot but it’s down hill from 3 I the type of person I need unlockables in my games and they push DLC so much it’s unattractive
@@SageSimulant I've been a huge fan of the series since the DOA2HC, the 'xbox era' of DOA is definitely its peak. DoA2U, DOA3, and 4. Koei has gotten really greedy lately and has plagued the series with DLC, and there's been identity crisis on the development side because of a desire to have the game be esportsy and a potential event at EVO, and EVO's endless disdain for the series for daring to be sexy.
If Koei would let them actually have decent amount of modes and unlockables without locking everything behind absurd DLC, and if Shimbori would stop putting so much effort into trying to appease the EVO gods, the series could really shine again
The graphical jump for Tekken tag tournament was ridiculous it still looks good now it really helped PS2.
SoulCalibur, DOA3, and Melee were all mind-blowing showcases for their consoles. Even unlocking Mewtwo overnight was a showcase for my Gamecube that the fans were working!
I remember unlocking Mewtwo and Marth for the first time, mainly because the game chose to have me unlock them. Good times.
As much as I love Killer Instinct the best launch fighting game is Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast. 60 fps no load times arcade perfect!
Better than the arcade
Way better than arcade. Go back and play that arcade port, then play on Dreamcast, night n day but definitely no1 in my book another 1A is Tekken Tag
Real chads know that it was Dong Dong Never die
Not a launch game.
Real Chad's know it was shrek super slam remastered for Nintendo series 5
Wait, that was an actual game?
Dreamcast started off so strong Soul Calibur, DOA 2, and NFL 2k Sonic... Man that was all I needed for a while.
Best launch line-up in history.
Yoshi’s dash grab confirms that yes Melee is indeed a 3D fighting game.
Marth's grab is better.
@@smashmaster521 Yoshi's dash grab doesn't have an active hitbox on the same z axis the characters fight on.
For example, Yoshi can't dash grab Marth because Yoshi moves his head to his right of Marth in a space Marth cannot occupy.
@@Boltizar49 I was poking fun at the disgustingly good range of Marth's grab in Melee. Seriously, Marth's grab range is Melee is longer than Yoshi's.
Curious how a dash grab automatically means it's a 3d fighter. There are 2.5d fighters as well and I think Smash is more in that category. Even though the game is made in 3d it is still presented as a 2d fighter. The way I see it, if you can't sidestep, it's not 3d.
@@Maggot39967 As I mentioned before, there is a z axis in Melee that characters and moves can occupy. Yoshi's dash grab is an example of this as it always misses against characters with thin 3D models like Marth.
Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast all day every day. It went beyond everything at the time and it still plays like a dream to this day. Game is as close to perfect as you can get.
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower is probably the PSP game he was referring to.
You got it. The game was amazing and the best dark stalkers game because it was basically all of them in one package. I also liked the tower mode, it had a world tour mode feel in Street fighter alpha 3.
Soul Calibur and Melee no contest. I think Soul Calibur was the most fully realized and technically impressive fighting game of its time, while Melee is the most influential and unique fighting game ever made. I think it all comes down to preference with these two, absolutely stellar games!
It is definitely between those 2 because in every comment I see soul calibur and melee
Man, how could you forget *Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii Edition!*
"Melee is the most influential and unique fighting game"
>street fighter 2
Max started crying when he realized KI Gold came out 2 months later.
Man, I miss Dead or alive 3 so much. I remember getting a Xbox for christmas present and my first game was DOA3. It is not my favourite fighting game of all time... but it is sure the game I spent most time playing of all fighting games every existed.
Amazing soundtrack too
Holy shit I actually forgot how stunning DOA3 is, like it still holds up today, it’s insane
DOA Holds A Special Place For Me Since Dreamcast ❤
I can't believe it'll be 20 years old next year.
Indeed, it's easy to get into. So much fun during my college days
MK Armageddon was my first intro into MK and I remember when MK9 released and it finally realized my true love for fighting games and I remember the whole hype around it
I played so much Soul Calibur single player. I wanted to unlock EVERYTHING
Same with SC3, no amatter how many times the memory card bug occured, it wasn't enough to stop me unlocking everything again and again xD
Ahhh sf4 for the 3ds is honestly underrated, sure the mechanics were a little cheesy of just tapping on a screen for a command input but it was sure as hell fun taking it on the go
As a filthy casual, I'm glad SSFIV 3D Edition mapped command inputs to the bottom screen. It's my favorite SF because of how accessible it is as a result.
Dreamcast and Powerstone. 9/9/99. I remember that distinctly. My mom bought it for me from Sears. She also got me Sonic Adventure. Jesus I was a spoiled brat.
That sounds awesome. I would count your blessings back then!
It's weird that the only fight game I actually play is Super Smash Bros., but I love watching you talk about all fighting games
Gotta be Super Smash Bros. Melee for me. It was such a massive improvement over the first game and just blew my mind at the time. To this day it remains one of my top 10 favorite video games.
#1 for me
I don't think any game sequel has improved as much over it's predecessor as Melee did over Smash 64.
@@TakumiJoyconBoyz madden 17 from madden 16 imo
Ludzig bruh you’re insane. The jump from Madden 13 to 14 is by far the biggest leap in terms of quality, no contest.
@@reisjames1 we can hem and haw about which madden improved more over its predecessor better but... can we just agree that Madden is the benchmark for video game iteration?
That Johnny-5 shirt is so sick, that movie only popped into my head about two days ago! CLASSIC
Was just about to comment on that. Short Circuit was a classic indeed
Chats like this make me wish Max still made more of his longform 'Fighting History' type videos.
Great breakdown and perspective of all the games. It was a great time growing up in the 90s and 2000s when fighting games started to get more and more people’s attention and what they can do. Souls and Smash still have a big impact with me today.
Smash Melee is my vote. I just remember playing it at Target being blown away how much more incredible it was than the original game.
DOA gave me flashbacks to perfecting my little brother with bayman's knee that frame traps into itself and spending 7 days in a row trying to do a 360 motion to do hayabusa drop.
DOA3 was the so much fun, Hayate and many other characters had my mind in a warp.
Phantasy Star Online music in the background got me vibin'
Missed that DOA2 Hardcore which was a remaster of the Dreamcast port was also a PS2 launch game
1999-2001 was an insane time for fighting games
And then they suddenly died in 2004
Bruh powerstone has on dreamcast was ELITE
Obviously the real answer is Street Fighter EX3
Sfex3 is the first launch fighter to have a custom fighter?
@@aspreedacore I think so
I choose Super Smash Bros in general. Especially Melee. It’s considered the best crossover fighting game in general because of its massive inclusive of characters from popular franchises😊👊🏾🌏
(jotaro's theme plays in max's head again)
@@666slateran666 There are actually some really old videos of EX3 tourneys you can find. They are kinda cool. Also SRKade just put online in SFEX3.
Some of the most fun I've ever had playing video games is in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Ultimate is a good game for sure, but the crazy and cool stuff you can pull off in Melee to just style and flex on your friends makes it just such a blast to play. The space animals, Captain Falcon, Marth, Samus, Ganondorf, Luigi, there are just so many characters in that game that can be played in such incredibly flashy ways, and everyone finds their own style with their favorite characters. 10/10, my favorite fighting game easily.
Tekken Tag Tournament was definitely one of the first dope fighting games on the PS2. I remember picking it up @ KB Toys back when that company was still active.
DOA 2 for the Dreamcast is a underrated gem. The best looking game on there and it was one of the first fighting game to have stage transitions on a 3D field
I’m glad you highlighted street fighter 4 3DS, it was my first proper introduction to fighting games and was honestly a great entry point.
Although not launch games, here are reasonably early release games that impressed me the most for their time.
Saturn - Fighters Megamix
Playstation - Street Fighter Alpha 3
PS2 - Street Fighter EX3; Tekken Tag Tournament 2; Soul Calibur 3
Spot on. Fighters megamix is still one of my favorite 3d fighting game along with Soulcalibur 2 and now tekken 7. Street fighter alpha 3 is a beast of a game and EX3 is underrated. Soul calibur 3 is almost as good as soul calibur 2 and tekken tag tournament 2 was the best tekken game until 7 came out
I’m just so happy to know Max has a Short Circuit shirt
Bring it back! Johny 5 is CGI
Watching Max talk about Tekken Tag 1 saying how it was a marvel of a launch title was great to see. I'm glad my nostalgic memories of Tekken Tag are right in saying that it was a amazing fighting game. Even I played it mostly alone there was soo much content in that game. Score attack, Time trial, Tag Mode, freaking Bowling and all those characters. I made an honest attempt at unlocking every character ending, even the alternate costume character endings too. Even though I don't play Tekken much anymore due to being bad at it I still hold those memories close and check out every update to Tekken 7. I'm still so fond of the Tekken world and it's characters.
Dreamcast with Soul Calibur hands down.. loads of content, great visuals and sound..absolutely iconic, and the mechanics were next level at the time..
~pso lobby music 🎶 👌
8:47- Jojo music!
20:50- More like 3D Stereoscope.
23:17- The Voltron thing! LOL
Tekken Tag for PS2 was everything to me. It was the first game I got for my PS2 when my mom bought it for Christmas. I was so excited!
I get that n DOA2 hardcore as my very first ps2 game 😂
@@hoathim2573 DOA2 Hardcore is still iconic. I always wanted that game when I first had my PS2.
I remember Soul Calibur being one of the reasons I wanted a Dreamcast, though I never got one. Tekken Tag 1 started me on my path to being a Tekken guy, even though I didn't get to play it that much and I was complete garbage at all fighting games. Tag 1 did start off an interesting era for Tekken as there were four games during that generation with Tag 1, T4, T5, and T5:DR. I detest Melee now, but I played *so much* of it when I was younger and thought I was good at it. Then I got to college and realized I was utter trash.
How true you are Max. I fondly remember seeing VF3 for the first time at Putt-Putt Golf in Newport News and my eyes dropped.
But when I saw what Soul Calibur and DOA looked like on Dreamcast, I knew Arcades were done.
Shout out to Arcades of the past in Hatcher Square, Lynnhaven and Coliseum Mall. Also shout out to Flipper Mc'Coys, Family Fun Center/Boomer's and Nickel City.
They all have given my children and I some great times and fun in the past. 🎮🕹️🎮
I still maintain that Soul Blade/Edge on PS1 and Soul Calibur on Dreamcast were the pinnacle of the series. The best characters, best music (3 music modes for Soul Blade!), the most compelling individual stories, oodles of secrets and unlockable content, and with everything still feeling fresh. I enjoyed SCII for my GameCube and being able to play as Link, but not being able to play as Hwang and Seung Mina out of the gate was a big disappointment and the plot was starting to get cheesy.
Bro, I fucking love that shirt so much.. Short Circuit was my favorite growing up
Tekken Tag Tournament holds a special place in my heart.
As a person who was all about Tekken in 3D fighting games, Soul Calibur 2 really surprised me with how much fun it was!
The universal parry mechanic really had me and my friends on our toes all the time.
I feel so sad with nostalgia now
Especially with all these comments
I feel a strong connection with all of you now because we were there at different places and times
Playing the same games in different lifes
And though their time has passed
We retained a strong love for these games
That In our hearts will forever last
Soul Calibur on Dreamcast was my first thought after reading the title. The fluid animating katas for each character was the selling point for me. Maxi's nunchaku kata was the most impressive in my opinion. There was no fighting game more fluidly animated before that.
You didn't mention how SF4 3DS had one button Sonic Booms
I really appreciate how Max acknowledges his personal bias, and recognizes the reality. I love the Soulcalibur series myself, but the impact of smash (especially as we see it today) is a monumental thing.
I do want to add one thing. I think part of this is also how later entries in each respective series affected the former.
For instance, while Soulcalibur is INCREDIBLY well regarded, I feel that SCII is an even better game, that for the most part overtakes the former. Just about everything that was great in SC, SCII does even better, and also because of the exclusive characters that came with each version, cemented the game in the hearts and minds of the community (FGC and beyond). After that there a lot of ups and down. SCIII, while well liked (even beloved by many) was a PS2 exclusive, so Nintendo and Xbox players lost touch that generation, and SCIII sadly has a myriad of technical flaws. SCIV had its fair share of critics as well. Hell, SC V nearly killed the franchise. I am so glad that SCVI has really brought the franchise back to forefront of the FGC.
Now looking at Melee, when it came out, BOOM! Crazy hype! People love it, and the game becomes immensely popular, regarded by many as one of if not the best game on the Gamecube. Now the sequel, BRAWL is on the horizon. It has more characters, new stages, and is one the Wii, so in player base will be HUGE. Then it comes out, and the community is not happy. It is much slower, has tripping, and the online (something other systems have kinda figured out at this point) is just . . . the worst. I think it is safe to assume, brawl is probably the least talked about game in the series, at least fondly. Then Smash Bros (4) comes out, and the game IS actually very competent, has an even bigger roster, and supports numerous controllers so EVERYONE can get in on it, but there's one big problem, its on the WIIU. Yes it came out on the 3ds too, but let's be real, the console version was the big deal, and that console struggled from day 1. Finally Smash Ultimate comes out, and I feel like that was the game that finally took the mantel as best smash game.
So in short, Soulcalibur, good game, but sequel comes out and steals the show. 4 more entries come out, and the most recent is the most well received since 2. Melee comes out, good game, but sequel comes out and community rejects it. Next entry comes out and struggles because of the system it releases on, so Melee is more or less uncontested "Best game" in series til Ultimate comes out. That's roughly 17 years of being the most well regarded, as Soulcalibur to Soulcalibur 2 was only roughly 4.
This is not to take away from ANY of the games in either respective series (I really like Smash Bros in all its iterations, and LOVE Soulcalibur and its later entries), I just think that the sequels had a big impact on how these games are viewed in the grand legacy. If SCII was a dud, who knows where the franchise would be, and SC would probably even more mythic today. If Brawl was embraced by the community Melee might not be the juggernaut it became.
I think another factor to consider is whether other games take notes from the impact that the game laid out. It is bit unfair to compare the best selling GameCube game to other Smash games at times, but I didn't see the same kind of ripple as a casual observer of SoulCal.
Cases of more weapon fighter alternatives from other companies, other games from Namco taking influence and fan game projects.
Melee has led to popular mods (the one for Ultimate isn't publically downloadable but search Project NX) to bring all sequels in line. It has been kept alive by the fanbase with modded training tools and Rollback Netcode and the GameCube (and other 6th gen platforms) were sprinkled with platform fighting alternatives besides the last decade having a healthy line up which doesn't need to depend on multitaps.
Again, I'm only a casual observer of SC but I only see similar things for Street Fighter maybe but I'm more into that I guess. Traditional 3D fighters are a blind spot for me.
But it's not even a fighting game.... 🙄
I definitely agree that Soul Calibur 2 was one of the best fighting games ever. And this is coming from a guy who was all about Tekken back then.
Smash Melee is up there for the greatest video game of all time. Top 50. The best part is that it was kind of a mistake. It was rushed. There's so many unintended mechanics. Yet through the glitches and bugs we get the coolest techniques used by pro players. L cancelling, wave dashing etc.
I often think to myself "what is the best game of all time? And what's the best game of each genre of games of all time?" Very fun question to try and answer and can spark interesting conversations amongst friends.
Max you forgot the masterpiece for the Dreamcast.......Powerstone. It was a launch title.
You're absolutely right, my dude. I got Powerstone with my Dreamcast at launch and I fell in love instantly.
@@DrMcMoist So did I bro. That game was ahead of everything at the time. Everything
Tekken Tag Tournament, DMC 1 & 3, Soul Calibur 2, and CVS2. With these games and a PS2 I could live on an island with just these and never get bored.
Soul Caliber on Dreamcast for sure. I was a senior in high school and that game brought so many non gamer's attention in and I have only seen that with the Wii since. I remember my friend's mom just destroying people with spam and it was great. Amazing game.
So happy to see Max talk about Melee's influence on the FGC. Truly birthed some of the most passionate fans of a game ever, and for good reason. Soul Caliber is damn good tho. But MELEE IS TOO SICK
I fucking love the short circuit shirt dude. Fuckin Johnny Five is ALIVE
I vividly remember hooking up my Dreamcast to my computer monitor with a VGA adapter back in December 1999 and being completely blown away by Soul Calibur. All my friends couldn't believe it either. It was definitely the end of the arcade. On Psone you got arcade perfect versions of Street Fighter Alpha but on Dreamcast you finally had a game that was better than the arcade. All the fighting game aficionados that I was friends with were buying the Dreamcast and we would just play against each other at each other houses for hours on end. The short lived Dreamcast era was the golden age of fighting games imo
I love listening to Max talk he is so nice and always has a lot of valid important logical things to say.
It's crazy how good Soul Caliber for Dreamcast still looks today.
Dreamcast's Soul Calibur was one of the main reasons people wanted that console. The game even appeared in some TV shows in my country.
Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast, Tekken Tag for the PS2, and Super Smath Bros. Melee for the Gamecube has some the best fighting games launch with the consoles.
some of the first fighting game tournaments shown on G4 were actually DOA4 so I’d say that’s pretty impactful.
Don't forget that DOA 2 Hardcore was a launch title for PS2. Played the hell out of that game.
Soul Calibur definitely gets my vote, even though the competition is brutal
Also KI Gold on N64 was really good. It had some features that were awesome if you unlocked all the content in the options
I was very confused about this discussion until I realized that Max was talking about US release. In Japan, all the Dreamcast had was Virtua Fighter 3TB. (The meh port).
One of our video game rental stores (You rent out the console instore and play games per hour) on release Toshinden might have looked rough, but 3D looked SO REALISTIC at the time! They are breathing when they are down! OMG! =P
In a more serious note, I feel like the Dreamcast got their best games one year after the Japanese release because it has all the fighting games that I loved. And its mostly made by Capcom.
Soul Calibur was one of the reasons my brothers and I rented a Dreamcast back in the day. Was the only game we played more than Sonic and whatever else we rented. And I'll always remember getting my GameCube with Melee and playing that religiously with my friends in high school and college.
So yeah, Soul Calibur and Melee get my votes
I love the Johnny 5 shirt. Short circuit was my jam
For me tekken tag it’s just nostalgia for me I remember playing it with my dad when I was a kid and that fucking intro theme is god tier still gives me chills
KI was SUPER influential in terms of business model though. They were super early on the season pass bandwagon which like every fighting game has adopted now.
Forgot Power Stone, Mortal Kombat Gold and if you want to count it, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing came out at launch for the Dreamcast along with Soul Cali on the Dreamcast.
Definitely Melee, especially in the long-term.
Indeed. Even as a filthy casual, I can still go back to Melee for a good time as Kirby and Marth.
Love that Short Circuit Johnny 5 shirt
5 ALIVE!
Wish they would make a Capcom vs SNK sequel. The last one with Ultimate Rugal and Shin Akuma was so dope. The roster was on par with Marvel vs Capcom 2.
I'm 19 years old and just bought a dreamcast along with virtua tennis and a few fighting games. Soulcalibur slaps so hard.
The fact that the Dreamcast is literally older than you makes me feel old...thanks, kid
@@Jose-se9pu Sorry about that.
Who tf had the money for a NeoGeo back then!? That shit was like a mythological creature to me as a kid lol
Rich kids, Single Adults. If you were middle class or below or married than you didn’t own one at the time.
I'm biased because I played a lot of Melee, but I remember seeing footage of Soul Calibur and thinking to myself, "this is the future of gaming". My mind was blown
Melee is so fucking sick. Even today. It never gets old.
I knew early in the livestream that Melee should be counted for this discussion. It was the one game I can think back to where I was so hyped and was preparing for next-gen at the time. It really did stood the test of time many years later.
I sank so many hours into the bowling minigame in Tekken Tag Tournament.
So many hours...
Soul Caliber and Dead or Alive 2 were my most vivid launch fighting games. I remember thinking how realistic DoA2 looked on launch.
it was all cool and smooth until I noticed Max´s Evil Johnny 5 T-Shirt, I cant unsee it now.
I agree.
Soul Calibur's DC release is definitely around the time when arcades were antiquated.
I remember back in the day playing at arcades at roller rinks.
Tekken Tag Tournament and Street Fighter EX3 being launch fighting games for PS2 were great.
I wish we had a Street Fighter EX collection.
Tekken Tag Tournament on the PS2 definitely added a ton of improvements to the PS2 version.
Oh right~
Itagaki...What happened to that guy?
Super Smash Bro Melee on GameCube definitely was a huge influence in the FGC.
I never had the GameCube but I did play it every now and then.
Wow. Did Killer Instinct on X1 really launch with 6 characters?
Let's hope we get more fighting games on PS5.
love the great background music you using in your videos max
Soul Calibur on Dreamcast, it was art
I thought I was tripping when I played Tekken Tag in the Arcades. I was like, "this don't look like a new game" It looked pretty bad, but I still wanted and eventually got it on ps2 and was blown away.
That Short Circuit Shirt 🙃
Edit. Soulcalibur #1 Hands Down.
I got my XBOX 360 at launch with ‘Fight Night Round 3’ .......that was pretty awesome and a turning point with the series.
Played Soul Edge in arcades and had Soul Caliber for dreamcast. Very nostalgic
People bought Gamecubes to play Melee. Dreamcast had a lot more going for it at launch, so people might have bought, say, Sonic Adventure instead, but at launch, you bought a Gamecube because it was the game that had Smash Melee on it. Melee remained the lone system seller for a while.
That flashback to when Max fell in love with Street Fighter EX 3 😂
I feel like Darkstalkers on the psp getting left out of this conversation is highway robbery
Did Part 2 of the Alien Playthrough get taken down last night? I saw it got uploaded but I can't find it anymore.
Yep, i started watching it last night, and it's gone now.
I just checked his Twitter yes it got nuked along with UA-cam’s servers last night
he said it should be up soon he had to start reuploading it last night
Soul Calibur on the Sega Dreamcast. The first console fighting game to be a significant improvement over the Arcade version, and it was a launch game.
It took me years to have your notifications on because you pump out so many vids
But im so glad i did 👌
That BGM is so soothing
Did we mention Virtua Fighter was a launch title for Saturn?