Most Realistic Fighting Video Game

[The BB of C]

This is for the fighting game enthusiasts of this forum like myself.

Some games I can name off the top of my head:

The Street Fighter series

The King of Fighters series

Def Jam: Fight For New York

The Tekken series

The Mortal Kombat series

Jet Li: Rise to Honor

Mirror's Edge

Dragonball Z Budokai 1 through 3

Dragonball Z Tenkaichi series

Soul Caliber series

Virtua Fighter series

Marvel crossover games

The Street Fighter series started out as very simple and brutal. It was rare that people could land more than three hit combos until Alpha came along and then combos up to fifteen including super specials were possible. Fights in Street Fighter never last very long as you would expect them to last in real life. Aggressive fighters are dominant in the series but turtle strategies operate just as well. In more recent years, it has been diving into a more and more long-chain-combo-based "Boxing" strategy that will be explained more in the King of Fighters paragraph. In addition, the writer in me is begging to talk about the story lines behind the characters in Street Fighter once they all developed. It really dives into the internal man vs. self as well as man vs. man conflicts that most devout martial artists face at some point in their lives or face throughout their lives.

The King of Fighters series, though often over the top in giving their characters ridiculous styles, making their characters look ridiculous in general, and making them able to blow up buildings with their powers. However, strategy guides for the games often show that it's best to plan your attacks and use disorienting jabs and light combos to set up the ultra-powerful super specials that can take half an opponents' life away. Most boxers and kickboxers I've talked to will preach a similar strategy.

Def Jam: Fight For New York doesn't give its characters 'styles' per-se. They are moreso strategies. Wrestling, Submissions, Street Fighting, Martial Arts, Kickboxing. Some characters can mix up to three (unless you're Henry Rollins - the main character's fighting teacher - who has four). The strategies that are given to characters practically speak for themselves and hold very true to real life in gameplay. Anything can be blocked and countered at any time and weapons can be disarmed if the player knows what they're doing. The most realistic thing about this game is it's implementation of improvised weapons in a street fight scenario. I'll never stop laughing at the time I KO'ed an opponent with a brick that I had picked up off the side of the ring. Also, one cannot simply knock out an opponent by getting rid of their health bar. The health bar has to be driven to a critically low level, stun or fatigue the opponent, and then knock them out with a brutal finishing technique or weapon.

The Tekken series (I feel) is the most accurate to whatever the characters' respective fighting styles are. Jin Kazama is seen in opening cut scenes doing Shinto, Naihanchi and Sanchin. Asuka Kazama is a very accurate depiction of Aikido. Hwarang and Baek Do San's Tae Kwon Do is very accurate. That's just to name a few. I also admire that the game's very accurate to Capoeira (especially at the third game) and very successfully made Mishima Style Self Defense into it's own style. The game's fighting engine has parrys, high and low blocking, counter strikes, counter throws, and combos that look like an exchange of perfect technique for each style.

I'm not sure how deeply I should get into Soul Caliber and Mortal Kombat. I don't know that much about either series. But I felt they needed mention because they are very popular and well known. All I know is that Mortal Kombat is about being as ridiculously brutal to your opponent as possible and Soul Caliber is a weapon fighting game where player using good strategy is rewarded with victory.

I played a little in Jet Li: Rise to Honor. The fighting system in that is very unique. You have to slap the analog sticks on the controller to do techniques. If I remember correctly (I could be wrong) the right analog was for punches and the left for kicks. Slapping low meant attacking low and same applies to slapping high. Blocks had to be timed perfectly in order to work. Strategy, quick thinking were required because you had to find and hit your opponent's open targets while they were open while blocking and countering. Sometimes you had to face several (up to a dozen) opponents at once and rapidly block/attack in different directions or at the same time in different directions. I also remember that if you did not randomize your attacks, the computer would start predicting (and countering) your attacks.

Mirror's Edge is the only first person fighting game that I know of. It's largely a free running game but there are parts where you have to run up on a guard and disarm them of their weapon while simultaneously disabling them from attacking you. It requires quick thinking and good timing of certain movements. However - though I don't doubt a human's ability to sneak up on an armed opponent and disarm/disable them, I do doubt a human being's ability to run up to an opponent who is armed (with an assault rifle) and ready AND THEN disarm/disable them. Both are possible in the game as well as an option to use the assault rifle against other oncoming enemies.

Some people are laughing at me right now for bringing up Dragonball Z but hear me out. I believe that the Budokai series requires a lot of understanding of yourself as well as your character. None of the characters have fighting styles that exist in real life, but some of them have certain combos that (I believe) coincide with what someone might do if it was physically possible. For example, I can fight really well with Goku in the first Budokai. However, I do best with Android 16, Uub and Broly in the third. Android 16 and Broly are the biggest characters in the game and Uub is the smallest. But all three require you to get in close to do damage. In real life - I operate best in long range and short range. Thus, I do best with long and short range fighters in Dragonball Z.

But that's just talking about the Budokai series. The Tenkaichi series is a different monster. I'm not even sure how to describe it. It's kind of like a three-dimensional sandbox arena version of King of Fighters where you need to use melee combos like boxing jabs to distract and strategically set up your devastating power attacks. That's all I can say for it though I believe there may be more. Maybe (on the off chance) someone who would vouch for this game can help me out on this.

Virtua Fighter, like Tekken, I believe holds true to its characters' fighting styles. That's about all I can say for it. That it is basically Tekken with different characters. Or maybe Tekken is Virtua Fighter with different characters. Which ever series came first. I haven't played it personally since it was on Sega Saturn. However I have seen it played out in a number of places. Everything looks pretty accurate to me. However, I'm not sure how likely I would be to see a ninja use a Spinning Drill Kick torn from Street Fighter's Cammy's bag-o-tricks. But again, I don't know much about the game anymore and that's the only thing I saw wrong with it.

Marvel crossover games, mainly Marvel vs Capcom, stress brutal strings of combos from on the ground (standing), to airborne, and back to the ground (low attacks). The idea behind the game is "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T STOP ATTACKING YOUR OPPONENT ONCE YOU START HITTING HIM AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD RANDOMIZE YOUR ATTACKS OR ELSE YOU'LL GET FOUND OUT." In addition to that, I have YET to see a turtle strategy pay off in that series.

That's my take on the fighting games that I know about. My question to you (if you've bothered reading it this far) is what do you think is the most true-to-life fighting/martial arts video game?

More recently, competition based games have been getting into mainstream. I begin to hear more and more about the Fight Night series, Mixed Martial Arts games, and have seen PC games for WTF and ISKA tournaments.

As for myself, I am torn between Tekken and Def Jam for the reasons listed above.

If you haven't some of the above listed games, I HIGHLY recommend them all.

P.S.

I know I'm a nerd for even bringing this up. So you all be quiet!

[isshinryu5toforever]

Haha, I love fighting games. I just bought Street Fighter IV for the PS3, and it's a beautiful game. It has gotten less realistic over the years, but it's definitely become something you must have a solid strategy for. Framerate has become important, as has cancelling, etc. All the tweeks, and little things in the game matter now.

Anyways, I want to touch on a game you missed. I can't remember the exact title, but the early UFC games, maybe the second one, had a great controller layout. It wasn't as intuitive as the simpler fighting games people were used to, so a lot of critics killed it. Here's the deal though, you controlled the fighters kicks and punches with the buttons, but if memory serves you controlled their arms individually with the analog sticks once you were in the clinch or on the ground. This was genius, because it meant you could to things like Kimura locks, armbars, GNP if you could manouver into a sidemount or full mount. It was pretty cool once you really figured out the control system, because you could actually pull off the locks and control moves. You could also end the fight with one of these if it was in deep, no matter how much life your opponent had left. Makes a lot of sense. It was actually pretty realistic.

I'll also mention Taekwondo World Champion, which I've really just heard things about, but I haven't been able to play much, because I have a Mac. It allows you to make a fighter, and take them from small tournaments to international competition, and customize their favored techniques based on practice and repetition. They use actual Taekwondo techniques, try to get the results to be as accurate as possible, and there are high risk high reward knockout techniques like the spinning hook kick in the game.

As far as Jet Li's game, it was ok, but the coolest stuff was in the cut scenes. It was stuff you couldn't do in game. They did do a lot though. You could pick up most things as weapons, including roasted chickens in the kitchen. The battle system though was really interesting. The right analog stick controlled everything. On the PS2 the R1 button was block. He would parry until his stamina ran out, then he would start getting hit. What took a lot of tactics was the fact that you're getting attacked by between 2 and 20 people at the same time. You had to use spaces, limit their movement, take one at a time, and try not to get surrounded. You also had to know when to run, fight, pick away at one or two people, and then take care of the rest quickly. Basically, it was like playing through a Jet Li movie. Not realistic, but still pretty cool haha.

[bushido_man96]

I always liked the Tekken series, and how they portrayed the different styles in a fairly accurate way, at least in physical performance.

Street Fighter was also a great one, but not quite as good as Tekken, in my mind.

Thanks for starting this thread; very nice!

[DWx]

I'll also mention Taekwondo World Champion, which I've really just heard things about, but I haven't been able to play much, because I have a Mac. It allows you to make a fighter, and take them from small tournaments to international competition, and customize their favored techniques based on practice and repetition. They use actual Taekwondo techniques, try to get the results to be as accurate as possible, and there are high risk high reward knockout techniques like the spinning hook kick in the game.

Don't bother with it. I made the mistake of buying it after I played the demo and got bored very quickly. All of the gimmicks like making your fighter and working up through the tournament rankings do little for the gameplay and it just gets very repetitive very quickly. Also very glitchy and hard to chain techniques into a combo. Was a thread about it here.

I'm not sure how deeply I should get into Soul Caliber and Mortal Kombat. I don't know that much about either series. But I felt they needed mention because they are very popular and well known. All I know is that Mortal Kombat is about being as ridiculously brutal to your opponent as possible and Soul Caliber is a weapon fighting game where player using good strategy is rewarded with victory.

I have Soul Caliber II on the GCN. It is pretty good and from my rather limited weapon knowledge it looks pretty authentic. Even has these

you can unlock where the character performs a "kata" with their weapon.

[The BB of C]

Haha, I love fighting games. I just bought Street Fighter IV for the PS3, and it's a beautiful game. It has gotten less realistic over the years, but it's definitely become something you must have a solid strategy for. Framerate has become important, as has cancelling, etc. All the tweeks, and little things in the game matter now.

Anyways, I want to touch on a game you missed. I can't remember the exact title, but the early UFC games, maybe the second one, had a great controller layout. It wasn't as intuitive as the simpler fighting games people were used to, so a lot of critics killed it. Here's the deal though, you controlled the fighters kicks and punches with the buttons, but if memory serves you controlled their arms individually with the analog sticks once you were in the clinch or on the ground. This was genius, because it meant you could to things like Kimura locks, armbars, GNP if you could manouver into a sidemount or full mount. It was pretty cool once you really figured out the control system, because you could actually pull off the locks and control moves. You could also end the fight with one of these if it was in deep, no matter how much life your opponent had left. Makes a lot of sense. It was actually pretty realistic.

I'll also mention Taekwondo World Champion, which I've really just heard things about, but I haven't been able to play much, because I have a Mac. It allows you to make a fighter, and take them from small tournaments to international competition, and customize their favored techniques based on practice and repetition. They use actual Taekwondo techniques, try to get the results to be as accurate as possible, and there are high risk high reward knockout techniques like the spinning hook kick in the game.

As far as Jet Li's game, it was ok, but the coolest stuff was in the cut scenes. It was stuff you couldn't do in game. They did do a lot though. You could pick up most things as weapons, including roasted chickens in the kitchen. The battle system though was really interesting. The right analog stick controlled everything. On the PS2 the R1 button was block. He would parry until his stamina ran out, then he would start getting hit. What took a lot of tactics was the fact that you're getting attacked by between 2 and 20 people at the same time. You had to use spaces, limit their movement, take one at a time, and try not to get surrounded. You also had to know when to run, fight, pick away at one or two people, and then take care of the rest quickly. Basically, it was like playing through a Jet Li movie. Not realistic, but still pretty cool haha.

Thanks for correcting me on those points of Jet Li's game. Also, I did mention TKD and UFC games for the PC but I didn't go into detail because I've never played them. There's also one for Capoeira - but it royally stinks.

DWx, those were some cool cut scenes but the forms don't look like anything I've ever seen before.

[DWx]

DWx, those were some cool cut scenes but the forms don't look like anything I've ever seen before.

Think they were probably just made up for the game. although all the moves the characters do in the forms are moves you can actually do in the game.