Support NeoGAF

[ScOULaris]

Fighting game backgrounds can typically be split into two categories, IMO.

Busy with tons of onlookers going ham in the background, evoking the feeling of a street fight that just broke out between two combatants.

Understated with subtler environmental animations to add ambiance to the scene. Few or no onlookers at all.

You don't necessarily have to take a hard stance on which you prefer, but any discussion about the two styles (or others that come to mind) and their merits is welcome.

While I like the serenity of the calmer, environmental stage designs in fighting games like The Last Blade, I think I overall prefer the more hectic backgrounds that depict dozens of onlookers losing their minds at the sight of the epic battle unfolding in the foreground. IMO the last game to do this well was KOF XIII.

_______________

Click here for a one-stop resource for fighting game backgrounds GIFs if you want to use some in this thread.

And here's a thread from 2011 with tons of great backgrounds pics and GIFs.

 

[liquidtmd]

I like all those you've posted OP, damn I don't know!

In Dead Or Alive I like the busy ones.

In the Marvel Vs Capcom games I like the less busy ones

Depends

 

[Voysa Reezun]

Look at all those sick Last Blade 2 screens!

It depends on the game and the character, really. For example, fighting Mukuro in a house that is burning down fits more than fighting him in front of a crowd.

And OH MAN, can I just say that LB2 is a beautiful freakin' game. It's still my favorite 2D fighter in terms of art direction.

 

[Valkyr1983]

Anything but Street Fighter 5's

For a 2016 fighting game they are embarrassing to look at and play in

I always found snk games to be the coolest to look at, although some of the MKX stages are pretty stylized too

 

[One Foul Note]

Well diversity in a single title is always key, but in general I prefer the busier backgrounds. The increase level of detail generally keep them more interesting after the multitude of matches that take part in them.

 

[mao2]

Generally I prefer busy, but it does depend on the game and/or character.

 

[Finaika]

Someone sure loves SNK.

 

[Ceallach]

Someone sure loves SNK.

Everyone loves SNK. They are amazing

 

[Renekton]

Need to find the SF3:NG backgrounds.

 

[TreIII]

Having a good balance between the two is what I consider to be the most important thing. It's why so many of SNK's classical backdrops in their games worked so well, because they usually did well with having both represented.

 

[DrArchon]

Someone sure loves SNK.

SNK's sprite work back in the day was second to none. If you want example of fantastic fighting game backgrounds in sprite form, check out SNK games.

 

[sixteen-bit]

understated imo

they can be quite beautiful without 10 million npcs in the background, lol

 

[Scotia]

Understated, easily. SFV's stages would be 10,000% better if they got rid of the NPCs doing stupid shit in the background. Stages like the Lair of the 4 Kings would probably be one of the best in the game if it wasn't for the 30FPS NPCs clogging up the background.

Someone sure loves SNK.

That's because SNK did the best stages back in the day.

 

[lucebuce12]

When done well, both can be straight up amazing.

When done poorly, both can be straight up garbage.


SF5 has some stages that would be infinitely better without the 30 fps garbage NPCs in the background. Hillside Plaza in particular has such an amazing vista but it's ruined by the stupid idiots dancing and the stupid kid. Shop Keeper and the bird is cool though.

 

[Renekton]

That's because SNK did the best stages back in the day.

Their best games (e.g. KOF98 and Garou) had simpler, more barebones backdrops. The NeoGeo hardware did not have enough horsepower for everything.

 

[ScOULaris]

Anything but Street Fighter 5's

For a 2016 fighting game they are embarrassing to look at and play in

I always found snk games to be the coolest to look at, although some of the MKX stages are pretty stylized too

Yeah. The backgrounds in SFV are just depressing to look at. They are straight-up fugly pretty much across the board.

To think Capcom went from this:

To this...

In general it seems like the major fighting games series don't serve as the graphical showpieces that they once did. There was a time when fighting games set the bar for graphical presentation, especially during their arcade heydays.

I will give props to Killer Instinct (2013), however, for having some vibrant backgrounds with plenty of detail and things happening at all times. It's especially cool how they transform during Ultras.

 

[lucebuce12]

Yeah. The backgrounds in SFV are just depressing to look at. They are straight-up fugly pretty much across the board.

To think Capcom went from this:

To this...

In general it seems like the major fighting games series don't serve as the graphical showpieces that they once did. There was a time when fighting games set the bar for graphical presentation, especially during their arcade heydays.

I will give props to Killer Instinct (2013), however, for having some vibrant backgrounds with plenty of detail and things happening at all times. It's especially cool how they transform during Ultras.

Transition to 3D had quite an impact on that. Also the fact that the online component is something that always needs to be active in fighting games which wasn't the case in the arcade days.

Being multi-platforms is also a factor. Though there are still some great looking fully 3D fighting games like MKX.

 

[Moraizen]

I enjoy both kinds, but I think the more memorable ones are usually the subtle stages. The Australia stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2 is nothing but grass being blown away by wind and a lightning storm brewing in the background, but it feels so damn fantastic. I really love the "less is more" type of stage.

As for the busy stages, they can also be done in very cool ways, as long as the NPCs do not go into hyperactive mode. I think that Ono's work on Street Fighter IV, V and Street Fighter X Tekken is the worst possible example of adding random crap just to look "funny", but it just turns most stages into a circus act (ironically, even the clown stage from Marvel vs Capcom 2 looks relaxed in comparison). Karin's stage in Story Mode (which can't be selected and has no NPCs) is so much better than the normal one with ninjas doing silly things all over the place.

Maybe they are starting to notice it though, Guile's new (old) level has cut back on the usual slapstick comedy from the NPCs, they are just standing there rooting for the fighters without going batshit insane, which gives it a much nicer feel overall.

Also, can someone please hurry and post Freeman's stage from Garou? It never fails to appear in this kind of thread :^) Probably my favorite too, pure visual poetry.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

That's because SNK did the best stages back in the day.

Whoa! First time seeing this gif. That's really nice-looking!

 

[Jawmuncher]

I like my backgrounds nice and serene.
Unless they're fighting in a night club.

 

[DrFunk]

Need to find the SF3:NG backgrounds.

Yup, SF3's backgrounds struck the perfect balance between busy and understated

edit: they changed between rounds - I know other games do that, but maaan

 

[SoundPulse]

No real preference. I like both styles, and SNK's backgrounds were pretty much all beautiful.

This is the GOAT, though:

 

[Bruno_Arrais85]

I don't really mind. Anything but those silly ass NPCs from sfv.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

No, but I do prefer visual clarity among the characters and their abilities as easily distinguishable from the background.

 

[bloodforge]

I love secluded serene stages. Can never go wrong with a waterfall stage.

 

[danmaku]

I prefer the empty backgrounds as they give more the idea of a "win or die" fight. Busy backgrounds make me think of a sport competition, and that's ok for a game like KOF, but not for Last Blade or Samurai Shodown. I love the super busy backgrounds in KOF13, though, they're simply stunning.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

I like busy esp with a cheering crowd. But the serene environment ones are beautiful too

 

[ViciousAnchovy]

I'm glad that this thread exists, as I've always been curious about why people like certain stage in traditional fighting games since most don't seem to have any impact on the fight.

I tend to prefer busier ones, and I actually like the silly stuff in the SFV stages that people seem have a distaste for. My favorite busy stage has to be the SFIV one with hippos. Hippos are great.

 

[PantsuJo]

After I discovered the horror of 3D static backgrounds in SF IV for 3DS I won't accept any other static background.

 

[hwy_61]

I love the dancing man

 

[Fandangox]

I love the dancing man

What about the man on the left making the beat?

 

[KrM DeLorean]

I prefer understated but interactive: throwing your opponent through an obstacle or breaking into another part of the stage.

Those super busy stages are distracting to a point personally, and they get old after a while anyway.

 

[Finaika]

That looks like shit.

 

[Sectorseven]

I prefer some of both.

 

[ScOULaris]

That looks like shit.

Every stage in SFV looks awful.

It's a damn shame.

 

[LeleSocho]

I don't have a preference about the content as long as it's artistically good and offer good contrast with the gameplay characters.

Now that fighting game are all 3d the contrast between background and foreground is fading with SF5 and KI being the more recent and shining example and i really don't like that...

 

[Meccanical]

Every stage in SFV looks awful.

It's a damn shame.

I wonder why that is, considering ,and I hate to compare here,what little we've seen of the stages in Tekken 7 FR look absolutely incredible, and that game maintains 60fps.

 

[raven777]

Every stage in SFV looks awful.

It's a damn shame.

Yea it's shame.. Kanzuki Estate is the only stage I think that is decent...

Capcom really did terrible job with stages in SFV.

 

[Possumowner]

Either really.But people are right to pour scorn on SFV backgrounds,they are boring bland bleugh.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

I definitely prefer the busy looking stages. When I was a kid, I used to love looking at all the strange and unusual individuals in the SF2 backgrounds.

 

[Menitta]

As long as what I'm looking at in the game is distinguishable from background and fighting game. If the game has 2D sprites, or is GGXrd, I'd prefer one with detail.

I don't know why people hate all of SFV stages. The London stage is my favourite England SF stage yet. (aside from Dudley's theme)

 

[hwy_61]

What about the man on the left making the beat?

Shit the longer I look the more I see

 

[ReyVGM]

A mix of the two.

 

[LordBaztion]

wait, did they change the Cristo Redentor for a World Cup cup? WTF

 

[Marvel]

Keep it simple.

 

[pablito]

No preference. Understated or busy, as long as they're good I'm cool with either.

While I'm not loving the SFV stages, they're not thaaaaat bad to me. I like the Kanzuki Estate, the Guile throwback one, the industrial wrestling one with the bear (aside from the music) and the London one is okay. If they gave me a grass field like Alpha and a dojo rooftop, I'll be set.

SNK really is the best though.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Understated, easily. SFV's stages would be 10,000% better if they got rid of the NPCs doing stupid shit in the background. Stages like the Lair of the 4 Kings would probably be one of the best in the game if it wasn't for the 30FPS NPCs clogging up the background.



That's because SNK did the best stages back in the day.

I keep forgetting -- which KOF is that from?



Anyway, I prefer busy backgrounds. Capcom's newer games take the opposite approach, and those stages look boring as fuuuuuuuuuck.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Of those seven initial images in the OP, I much prefer the understated ones. The waterfall and fire ones in particular are gorgeous.

 

[ScOULaris]

I keep forgetting -- which KOF is that from?

KOF 99, if I recall correctly.

 

[oneida]

whatever this is