Even though it’s not really considered a major holiday around these parts, there are a lot of ways for you to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chances are that there is a pub in your area that will be serving green beer in celebration of the Irish holiday. Maybe you want to go hunting for four-leaf clovers and pots of gold. Maybe you just want to wear a little more green than usual. Then again, you may prefer to take on the spirit of the fighting Irish.
No, I’m not talking directly about the folks over at Notre Dame, but the mascot is in line with my current suggestion. As you sip back on that green ale, perhaps it is appropriate to enjoy the spirit of the fighting Irish through a myriad of fighting games. It’s much more acceptable for you to let out that aggression through a video game than it is for you to go picking a bar fight. Believe me, there are no ultra combos and special moves at the bar.
Want to enjoy some fighting games? Let’s see what the major consoles have to offer.
Street Fighter IV
For fighting game fans, the release of this highly anticipated sequel can easily trump the releases of Halo 3 or Final Fantasy XIII. Who cares about finishing the fight when Street Fighter IV is here?
This fighting game is positively epic, cashing on the nostalgic value of Street Fighter II, while introducing a few new elements that keep us captivated for hours on end. For example, the parry system that we found in Street Fighter III has been replaced with what are called focus attacks. These can cancel moves and pass through guards. There are also two separate meters for super specials and ultra moves, the latter of which charge up by getting beat up.
The art style in Street Fighter IV is a sharp departure from Street Fighter games in the past. If you check out the opening cinematic, you’ll notice that Capcom went with a much more stylized look for this iteration of the fighting game series. While the graphics take on a 3D appearance, the actual gameplay is still consists of the two-dimensional fireballs and flash kicks that we all know and love.
Street Fighter IV boasts 25 characters in all, including the original eight, the original four bosses, and a few other favorites that you may recognize from the Alpha series. You get the likes of Blanka, Guile, Sagat, Sakura, Dan, and more. Even more impressive are the appearances of Akuma and Gouken. Yes, the fabled “Sheng Long” is finally here.
If you’re looking to bring the Street Fighter experience into your living room but don’t want to bother with the slightly altered gameplay style of Street Fighter IV, you may want to hit up the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live Arcade to find Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. This is basically a “remixed” version of the original Super Street Fighter II Turbo, so the speed and familiarity are totally intact. And yes, it’s got Akuma too.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
One of the best video games for parties has to be Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii. In some respects, it’s far from being a traditional fighting game, but this also means that your more casually-inclined friends don’t have to feel intimidated with complex combos and complicated game mechanics. Realistically, they can get away with just mashing on the A and B buttons, having a ball of a time as you try to be a little more strategic.
Filled with some of the most treasured Nintendo characters of all-time, Smash Bros. Brawl instantly draws on our desires to be nostalgic. Whether you prefer to hurl eggs as Yoshi, relieve some flatulence with Wario, or float around the stage as Princess Peach, there is a character here for you to enjoy. Better still, you can get slightly more hardcore with Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Or how about some Mario versus Sonic action?
The greatest thing about Super Smash Bros. Brawl is that the action always feels incredibly frantic, especially when you have a full slate of four combatants on the screen, all fighting for the coolest items and the most incredible power-ups. Kid Icarus can shoot his arrows and Bowser can come pounding down, all while Samus charges up for a super blast and King Dedede swings his massive hammer. I suppose in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, the green colors of Link and Yoshi will be the most popular.
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Back when I was still playing on my Sony PSP, one of my favorite games had to be Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, a slight upgrade over Tekken 5 which was available on the PlayStation 2. Now, Dark Resurrection is available through the PlayStation Network for the PS3, helping to satiate your appetite for Namco-fueled hand-to-hand combat until Tekken 6 makes its appearance on the console at some point in the future.
Whereas some other fighting games rely largely on fantasy with their fireballs and electrical attacks, the Tekken franchise has always been one of the more technical and “realistic” fighting game series. You know, so long as you’re willing to accept combat with a panda as being realistic.
As expected, you get quite the impressive roster of characters to choose from as well, including some older favorites like Paul Phoenix, Hwoarang, Steve Fox, Craig Marduk, and Kuma. Myself, I prefer to use relative newcomer Raven, mostly because he looks almost the same as Wesley Snipes’ Blade.
While Super Smash Bros. Brawl may be appropriate for the casual crowd, letting them just pick and play, Tekken 5 is not really for the feint of heart. You could try to button-mash your way through this kind of fighting game, but you will ultimately get crushed by anyone who is a little more versed in the game engine. It’s all about dodging, timing, and combos. If you prefer weapons over fists, check out Soul Calibur IV for the Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s got Yoda and Darth Vader to boot.
Virtua Fighter 5 Online
Speaking of games with highly technical and tactical inclinations, Virtua Fighter 5 Online for the Xbox 360 (and Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3) is arguably one of the most complex fighting games of our time, despite only using three main buttons. How hard could it be with just block, punch, and kick, right? Well, it’s not how many buttons you have; it’s how you use them.
When Virtua Fighter 5 was released a couple of years ago, it was easily the best looking fighting game out there and even today, it’s still one of the most visually-stunning brawlers available. The 3D fighter gives you destructible environments, some powerful special moves, and a ranking system. It’s a shame that the PS3 version can’t go online, but the 360 version lets you battle other Virtua Fighter enthusiasts from around the world.
The introduction of El Blaze in Virtua Fighter 5 adds an interesting dynamic, especially when the luchadore faces off against a slower character like Jeffry McWild or Wolf Hawkfield. Again, as with Tekken 5, Virtua Fighter 5 has a steep learning curve and is not for the casual passer-by.
Castlevania: Judgment
One of my all-time favorite games on the Sega Dreamcast was Power Stone. It was a wholly different kind of fighting game, because instead of keeping you within the confines of a two-dimensional environment, you could freely run around the stage as if it were a 3D platformer. The action was fast-paced and beautiful in its simplicity.
Castlevania Judgement for the Nintendo Wii tries to recreate this same kind of fighting dynamic, but it ultimately falls flat on its face. The Castlevania franchise from Konami isn’t quite as popular as it once was, but the action RPGs (like Order of Ecclesia) still hold their own. That’s too bad, because Konami should have never entered the fighting game genre with Judgment.
The camera never seems to be the right place, making it frustratingly difficult to pick up the various items that pop up on the stage. Further still, the graphics leave a lot to be desired. I understand that the Wii isn’t meant to blow us away with its graphics, but Judgment feels like it could be an early title from the PSone.
Being on the Nintendo Wii, Castlevania Judgment gives you the “opportunity” to use Wii waggle controls. Unfortunately, this doesn’t add to the excitement of the game; it just makes it tiring and unwieldly. You’re much better off using a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller (or the Nyko Wing).
The voice acting gets annoying, the camera is frustrating, and the super moves are way too powerful. If you’re planning a fighting game gathering for St. Patty’s Day, I suggest you keep Judgment out of the loop.
Put Up Your Dukes
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, let’s get out there and beat the crap out of each other. But let’s keep the bruises virtual and the weapon-tossing on our TV screens with some fun fighting games. Whether you have the Wii, the Xbox 360, or the PS3, there’s something out there for you to put your gaming buddy in his place. Shoryuken!
Show Your St. Patty’s Day Spirit by Leaving Us a Comment!