25 Best 2 Player Fighting Games

25 Best 2 Player Fighting Games

Injustice 2 is DC’s answer to the Marvel Vs Capcom games, pitting infamous heroes and villains from the DC universe against each other in a brutal fighter. As it’s made by the developers of Mortal Kombat its story mode is beyond obscure, but its multiplayer is where it really shines.

If, like me, you’ve had many arguments along the lines of “Who would win in a fight between…” then Injustice will finally give you the answer you’ve been looking for.

Nidhogg is a game of patience and skill, given just a fencing sword you must battle your opponent in a simple game of tug of war. You’re dropped into an arena and told to escape it, killing your opponent to move further across your side of the screen, however each time you move, your opponent has a chance at fighting his way back. What follows is a game of tactics and chaos as you battle for that glorious prize of being eaten by a giant worm.

When Street Fighter V first launched on PS4 it was met with a lot of criticism, while the core mechanics of the game were just as good as every other entry in the franchise, it was lacking a lot of content. The Arcade Edition fixed that, introducing new character’s and the titular arcade story mode the series is known for. Now, with all this additional content, it’s the perfect time to jump into Street Fighter 5 and Haduken your friend.

Dragonball z is one of the most popular shows in the world right now so it’s unsurprising we’ve seen tons of video games based on the anime. The latest though is the incredibly stylish Dragonball Fighterz. Developed by the people who brought us a large chunk of the Blazblue games it’s a very over the top fighter. But it’s also very faithful to its source material and being able to fight your friends as your favorite DBZ characters is a hell of a lot of fun.

Flying disc games have never been so challenging, you and a friend must battle it out on a beach in an energetic game of a skill. Mixing Air Hockey and Street Fighter Windjammers was title originally released on the NeoGeo but was brought back out for PS4, giving it a second life.
Using a variety of simple throwing moves and super special moves you’ll be throwing discs at your friends battling to get the most points. What You’re left with is an obscure 90’s fighter that’s incredibly addictive and will have your friends begging for that one last fight.

Arms is a fighting game that pits you against an opponent in a full 3D arena, sounds familiar? Well, every fighter has arms that stretch to the other side of the arena. This unique mechanic means Arms is unlike any other fighter on the market and it excels because of that. It’s easy to pick up and it being on the Switch means you can take it anywhere you want, meaning you battle it out with your friends on a train if you so wish.

There are few fighting series that have retained their competitive edge throughout there lifetime but Tekken is one of them. Tekken 7 is the most polished entry in the series to date, with stunning graphics and a fantastic rage system it shakes up the formula just enough to make it one of the best in the series. Tekken requires a lot of skill to truly master and if you and your friends are willing to put in the time you can have some seriously impressive fights.

While news of Soul Calibur 6 is slowly starting to hit the internet, now is the perfect time to polish up your skills in the previous entry Soul Calibur 5. Soul Caliburs vast fantasy style roster, fun 3D arena environments and cameo characters make it an incredibly fun fighter to pick up and play with a friend. Where it shines brightest though is its character customizer, in which you can create your own custom fighter, with their own move set, and battle them to the death (or until they get pushed off the edge of the map). It makes for great personalized gameplay few other fighters offer up.

The Guilty Gear games are some of the most frantic and disorienting games on the market. With crazy combos and even crazier character’s that pull them off, it’s a fighter that struggles to be compared to anything else. Even so Guilty Gear XRD Rev 2 (the latest entry to the franchise) is great fun with a pal, whether you’re an experienced pro or an inexperienced newcomer you’ll still be pulling off huge strung out combos and some of the aforementioned crazy moves.

Marvel vs Capcom infinite changed a lot from the previous entries, removing some fan-favorite characters and the 3 v 3 mechanics. Instead, infinite bought with it a breath of fresh air, adding in some obscure newcomers and a 2 v 2 system streamlining the game down. Once you throw in the special Infinity stones that change up a match Infinite starts to stand out on its own two feet, making this the most interesting game in the series to date.

The world of Pokémon was fully turned on its head upon the release of Pokken tournament. This third person arena fighter saw you control the Pokémon themselves instead of the trainer in charge of them. This meant you were taking part in fights which are much closer to that of anime, attacks are more meaningful, enemies can get worn out and you can tag friends in to help you fight along the way. If you want to recreate some of the classic Pokémon battles of the show then you and a friend can do that anywhere you want on Switch.

If your looking to channel to your inner Connor McGregor then UFC 3 is here for you. Taking one of the most intense sports known to mankind and putting it in video game form UFC 3 is the latest installment of this EA run franchise. You and friend can make an Ultimate team, battle out infamous fights and even create your own fighter to battle it out.

With 14 games under its belt, King of Fighters has secured itself as one of the longest running 2D fighting games of all time. With its 14th entry, the series brought with it a huge total of 57 combatants along with its incredibly polished combat mechanics. It’s the first game to be fully rendered in 3D and it’s all the better for it. King of Fighters a series that’s still a lot of fun to play now and just jumping into a game will make you realize how this fighter has been around for so long.

When Nintendo dropped the news that a new Smash brother was coming to switch the world went into meltdown and while we only have to wait a few months to get our hands on the title if you’re desperate to get your Nintendo brawler fix, then look no further than Smash Brothers Wii U/3Ds. You and a friend can jump into a wide array of Nintendo themed arenas and battle it out with your favorite Nintendo mascots, ranging from Bowser to R.O.B.

If you don’t want to dust off your Wii U to play the last Smash game but are still craving that arena style smash gameplay, then Brawlout might fill that need for you. With a roster of obscure animal-like creatures and indie game cameos, Brawlout is very similar to its arena battle peers, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a lot of fun. It’s a game that’s very focused on the Switches local co-op functionality and its incredibly easy to put down anywhere and have a game with anyone.

Mortal Kombat X is the latest installment in the disgustingly violent Mortal Kombat games in which slicing your opponent into a hundred tiny pieces of flesh is just an average game. Utilizing a crazy cast of characters and exciting gameplay that makes even watching a fight take place fun, Mortal Kombat X excels in the fighting genre.

Whether you’re just coming for the classic gorefest Kombat or just the obscure cameo fighters (like Leatherface and Predator) there’s definitely something that will please any fighting game fanatic.

Fantasy strike is described by its creators as a deceptively simple fighting game and its right to do so. Every attack is assigned to one button and every combo is very easy to pull off. Fantasy strike removes the need for long combos and instead focuses on the concept of using the right combo. If you want to play with someone who’s never picked up a fighting game before Fantasy strike is the perfect entry-level fighting game, but even for the pros, there’s a lot of challenge on offer if you look in the right places.

Skullgirls is a fighter with an all-female cast, set in a world where a mysterious artifact grants the wishes of women with pure hearts. However, those with impure hearts are transformed into violent monsters called Skullgirls. With a stunningly detailed art style that renders any game a joy to watch and gameplay that’s easy to learn but hard to master, it’s a very accessible game to anyone playing and watching. Upon release, Skullgirls was praised for its meticulous design and artwork and it’s easy to see why as even 6 years after its release it holds up beautifully.

Killer Instinct had a triumphant comeback to the fighting scene with the launch of the Xbox One. Bringing back this classic series with a fresh coat of paint and a new roster of characters. Its all about, the big combos, the ultra-combos and the combo breakers. Timing is everything in Killer Instinct and this reboot really puts an emphasis on that. Even though this is the 4th killer instinct game on the market it’s a game that really proves its worth and brings the series back into the spotlight 17 years after the last game.

If you’re looking for a solid fighter on the go then there’s plenty of choices, but none have a rooster as large as Marvel Contest of champions. Spanning every aspect of the Marvel universe from Ant-man, to X-men and even the new Marvel movies like Thor Ragnarok. It’s simple to pick up and play and with such a large roster of character’s at your disposal, you and your friends can fight out hundreds of different scenario’s. Better yet it being on mobile means you can do it anywhere you want, whether it be on the other side of the globe or on the bus next to you.

For Honor may seem slow on the surface but it’s a game of intense tactics. You must approach every battle trying to think exactly how your opponent will act, blocking before they even move or striking just as they let there guard down. One wrong move could cost you the game. Each of the three factions has a wide range of classes to pick from making every match in this historical arena fighter different from the last.

Rising Thunder is a free to play fighter which pits you and your friend against each other as varying robots. Like Fantasy Strike, Rising Thunder focuses heavily on the fact its controls are simple, combos and attacks are all assigned to one button meaning it’s about picking the right move at the right time and not pulling off meticulous combos. Battling robots has never been this easy!

Street Fighter 2 has remained one of the most popular entries in the insanely popular street fighter series, with its dominance still being seen at tournaments now. But when the Switch launched Capcom decided to give the game a fresh coat of paint, updating the graphics and putting in two entirely new characters to the roster. Add in the ability to play it anywhere you want and there’s a whole host of reasons you should jump back into this timeless classic.

Rivals of Aether is a fighting game with a difference, while most fighters set the player solely against another opponent Rivals of Aether adds in a new component, the arena. Every arena in the game can be modified during a fight meaning you have to tactically think about how your moves will affect what’s around you. One wrong move could completely change your environment causing floods or spikes to form, meaning you’ll be fighting not only your friends but the elements around you.

Weapon’s fall from the sky and it’s a race to see who picks up the best and knocks the opponent off the side of the stage. Brawlhalla takes its inspiration from Smash Brothers but its chaotic weapon system is all its own doing. From gauntlets to scythes there loads of potential weapons at your disposal all of which can be used to wreck your opponent. The best thing about Brawlhalla is it’s completely free meaning you and a friend can jump into these intense battles without even spending a penny.