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[KàIRóS]

Yesterday I was discussing the best combat ever in videogames with some friends and we were throwing a bunch of names, you know the typical DMC, Bayonetta, Dark Souls, etc and then halfway we noticed we hadn't mentioned a single 2D game, some friends then mentioned some fighting games but then I wondered well what if we exclude fighting games? are there 2D games with great combat then? I mean we have 8 generations of consoles and 4 were full of 2D games some might even argue 5 instead of 4, not to mention that there are still 2D games coming out today, so there's bound to be lots of 2D games with great combat right? and so I thought it would be a good idea for a thread here at GAF, I'll start with 2 that I absolutely love and sometimes I even replay for the combat alone.

Alien Soldier

One of the hidden gems of the Genesis/Mega Drive and also one that pushed the system to it's limits, this run n' gun game was really ahead of it's time with many mechanics made specifically to avoid taking damage: double jumping, hovering, multi directional firing, multiple weapons, a dash with invincibility frames and even a parry/counter, this may make it sound like it's an easy game but it's actually not it's a really hard game with a big emphasis on boss battles, most of the enemies in the game are bosses actually and all of them add a different challenge.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir

Vanillaware has some really good 2D titles under their name but the Odin Sphere remake has the best combat IMO with various characters that play differently, RPG elements like leveling up, equipment change and usable items, and fighting game mechanics like juggling, comboing and countering, and as an added bonus some of the most beatiful art you'll see in a 2D game.

Any other games in mind?

 

[molasar]

 

[DoctaThompson]

Sundered needs to be on that list!

 

[Nymphae]

 

[KàIRóS]

I was expecting more posts but anyway here's another one I really liked.

CrossCode

This is an Action RPG and it has really good top down combat, it's actually fairly simple, your character has 4 actions: slashing, shooting, dashing and blocking however all of this actions can be charged up to change their properties and there are many charged skills to make combat feel varied, there's also another mechanic the "break" which is basically an stunned state for enemies and it can lead to long powerful combos, many bosses also play like puzzles, you first need to find how to damage them, sometimes you'll need to use some switch in the room or sometimes you'll need to use a specific element to make them vulnerable.

 

[Alexios]

That's like asking to list every single great 2D action (or hybrid like arpg) game ever made... There are hundreds if not thousands, where to even begin?

 

[Fbh]

Despite not having the most complex combat system, Hollow Knight just feels great to play, gives you a number of fun upgrades as well as customization options through the charms you can find and equip, and has some of my absolute favorite boss battles this gen:

 

[cireza]

Not a big fan of Vanillaware games, they rely way too much on juggles and it gets old very fast. Guardian Heroes suffers from the same problem.
Games like Alien Soldier or Gunstar Heroes or Contra Hard Corps are much better picks in my opinion.

Elevator Action Returns on Saturn has great action gameplay.

Both Story of Thor games are awesome as well, even though they are not side-scrollers (still 2D). Seiken Densetsu 3 is good enough, still a shame that the action has to stop for launching spells, but there is only that much that the SNES can handle at once.

Probably many other games that I don't remember right now.

 

[Vawn]

 

[ClanOfNone]

CrossCode was great, hope it gets more exposure when it hits more platforms.

 

[Wonko_C]

Fight 'N Rage got me really addicted a few months back. I feel it has the most satisfying BEU combat in recent history, and it's tough as nails, so that's a plus:





The Ninja Warriors Again remake, while not as flashy as the former, had me playing for about 70 hours too. I played the SNES version afterwards and it really showed me how polished and expanded (moveset, no new levels unfortunately) the remake was.

 

[petran79]

Sengoku 3.it is like playing a beat-em-up with SNK fighting game mechanics. Very difficult too, requiring timed hits and accurate positioning. Enemies has small hit boxes and do big damage too

 

[KOMANI]

Alien Vs Predator and Castlevania SOTN come to mind

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Fight 'N Rage got me really addicted a few months back. I feel it has the most satisfying BEU combat in recent history, and it's tough as nails, so that's a plus:





The Ninja Warriors Again remake, while not as flashy as the former, had me playing for about 70 hours too. I played the SNES version afterwards and it really showed me how polished and expanded (moveset, no new levels unfortunately) the remake was.

Was not aware of either of these, but they look pretty great. Thanks for posting - will check them out asap!

 

[JOEVIAL]

Dust an Elysian Tale has fantastic, chaotic, and ridiculously fun combat! Love this game

 

[trikster40]

One of my favorites: