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What fighting game "feels" the best to play?

MOTW by a hair. It "feels" like a Capcom game, sans Negative Edge (I often spend more time trying to work around that feature than actually using it).
 
Skullgirls deserves a mention. If you've played other fighting games before it doesn't take long before you're doing shit that isn't pure amateur hour.

I've been playing Tekken for more than 10 damn years and I still can't do EWGF intentionally
 
toastyToast said:
Skullgirls deserves a mention. If you've played other fighting games before it doesn't take long before you're doing shit that isn't pure amateur hour.

I've been playing Tekken for more than 10 damn years and I still can't do EWGF intentionally
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Skullgirls requires you to think a lot faster than most other fighting games, which I think is why people are a little intimidated by it. It's not uncommon to see someone completely dominate by using nothing by an extremely aggressive offense that the other player simply cannot mentally or visually keep up with.

I'm still of the mentality that if you can master skullgirls, you can master any fighting game out there.
 
I'd put Guilty Gear: XX: TMC: Accent Core + R and Street Fighter: III: Third Strike at the very top.

Parries for Third Strike is love or hate but it helps break the monotony of projectile spam. Guilty Gear came out at a time where "turtling" was a factor to where "negative penalty" is to make sure someone playing keep-away actually has to go in eventually to prevent a higher-damage bonus from hitting them. Throw in Faultless Defense and the like and it just feels REALLY good to play even at low level.
 
The SF4 series. The footsies, throws, dashes, EX moves, Ultras, focus - it just feels great. Plus Ultra is such a balanced game, that always makes a game feel better.
 
Virtua Fighter 5 FS is probably the stand out in my mind right now. Just feels great to play and no bull shit unnecessary mechanics.
 
toastyToast said:
Skullgirls deserves a mention. If you've played other fighting games before it doesn't take long before you're doing shit that isn't pure amateur hour.

I've been playing Tekken for more than 10 damn years and I still can't do EWGF intentionally
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EWGF is easy on pad. Assign the right punch (RP) key to the L1 button (or Xbox controller equivalent) and it's a lot easier for some reason. Maybe because you're using the same hand to do the input then.
 
Street Fighter 3, Garou and Last Blade 2 are all excellent choices for best feel.

Though I'm reserving a spot at that table for SF V from everything I've seen of it.
 
I've always resonated with Soul Calibur and Tekken. SNK stuff like Last Blade 2 and Garou are up there as well. I love KOF but it still feels a little blocky at times.

I really can't seem to get into Street Fighter IV.
 
Mesoian said:
Skullgirls requires you to think a lot faster than most other fighting games, which I think is why people are a little intimidated by it. It's not uncommon to see someone completely dominate by using nothing by an extremely aggressive offense that the other player simply cannot mentally or visually keep up with.

I'm still of the mentality that if you can master skullgirls, you can master any fighting game out there.
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Yeah definitely, it can get very hectic on the mid-upper end. I was speaking more to the fact that it's still a very enjoyable game even at the lower end. Inputs are fairly easy and the systems are pretty straight forward. Even though there is crazy stuff you can't do, you don't feel bad that you can't do that stuff. A lot of games when you're say 10-20 hours in you just feel like you're playing like shit.
 
Melee/Project M, Marvel 3 (gasp) and Vampire Saviour/Darkstalkers 4 and all for the same reason: freedom of movement and snappy pacing. Sucks what Marvel 3 is sometimes though, it really could have been a lot better but I enjoyed my time playing it and still watch casually here and there.

Edit: I also want to give a shoutout to Accent Core +R and Xrd but I feel like I haven't put enough time into either to do so.
 
toastyToast said:
Yeah definitely, it can get very hectic on the mid-upper end. I was speaking more to the fact that it's still a very enjoyable game even at the lower end. Inputs are fairly easy and the systems are pretty straight forward. Even though there is crazy stuff you can't do, you don't feel bad that you can't do that stuff. A lot of games when you're say 10-20 hours in you just feel like you're playing like shit.
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That I agree with, which is why I think Skullgirls is a great entry into fighting games in general. The inputs are easy and you can understand the mechanics fairly fast, and although it's a bit high on the visual end, it definitely has a great feel to it in general too, even if you are still very amateur at playing it.
 
Street Fighter Alpha 2.

The special moves are easy to perform, the sound effects are suitably meaty, and there are no superfluous moves or modes, resulting in a smooth and streamlined experience. Just an all-round great game to pick up and play.

I guess this also applies to most games in the Street Fighter series (I can't stand 4 though), but Alpha 2 is by far my most played fighting game.
 
I will go with Smash. The animation is fantastic, and the sounds really sell the impact of each hit. I mean a fully charged fsmash from DeDeDe,Ike or Little Mac is so powerful that in all the chaos when they hit you can clearly make out the sound of those moves connecting, while the game freeze-frames (?) to add impact.

Oh and Ryu sounds effects are awesome.

The only problem is:
Geminosity said:
Always surprised at posts that mention SF4 or Smash 4 as out of all the dozens of fighting games I've played over the years they're the two I trust least to actually not screw me over in terms of my inputs.

I don't know what they were doing with the deadzones in smash 4 but apparently the simple act of letting go of the stick is sometimes enough to turn me around and up or down Bs seem to have a good chance of also turning me around so I'm guessing the left and right deadzones in general have been reduced compared to what I'm used to :s I've lost track of how many times I've been 'too close' to grab people too which confuzzles me as it was never a problem in previous entries. I appreciate some of these failings are on me but it just seems strange that these issues are purely localised to smash 4 for me and not any of the others in the series.
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I though my controller was defective, so many fsmashes missed because of that.
 
Soul Calibur 2. Probably the best "feel" for a fighting game ever made. Pity that most of the games since then have been trash.
 
Breakers Revenge is one that I just love picking up and playing. Combos and supers come with ease and it has an overall responsive feeling to the gameplay regardless of which character you choose. Kind of shocking how impressed I was with this generally obscure title.
 
Smash Bros Brawl had some great hit sounds that made the game a lot more fun and feel a lot better than it actually was

also the new Killer Instinct, Double Helix did such a good job with that engine
musical ultras get me hyped all the time
 
UMVC3. I always feel in control and feel like I can do whatever I want. The different playstyles between all of the cast is really great too. Everyone is so distinct and you feel like the character you're playing as. Wolverine is crazy, Wesker is smooth, Hulk is powerful, Storm is graceful, Dante is stylish as heck, and so on. The animations and effects are amazing and the right hits have the right amount of impact. Watching Spencer's Bionic Arm super feels like he just hit someone with a truck.
 
The fighting game that feels the best overall is either Tatsunoko vs Capcom or Skullgirls for me. The animation, the sound, the visuals , the combos, the options, the toolsets per character...all of it just feels wonderful.
 
toastyToast said:
Yeah definitely, it can get very hectic on the mid-upper end. I was speaking more to the fact that it's still a very enjoyable game even at the lower end. Inputs are fairly easy and the systems are pretty straight forward. Even though there is crazy stuff you can't do, you don't feel bad that you can't do that stuff. A lot of games when you're say 10-20 hours in you just feel like you're playing like shit.
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So it's not just me. I can't play Street Fighter IV worth shit, but I love me some Skullgirls (I can't play that worth shit, either, but at least I've beaten story mode with most characters).
 
In terms of feel, no 2D fighting game has ever topped my favorite 3D fighters. Tekken, Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter. It's just a lot more natural to me. No insane amount of leaping into the air. No constraint to a single plane of movement. Attacks that telegraph through hundreds of unique frames of animation, rather than a small handful.

Within those respective series, I'll say Tekken 6, Soul Calibur V (if only for quick step), and Virtua Fighter 5 FS.
 
Tekken has a sense of weight and impact that seems lacking in other 3D fighters, Virtua Fighter in particular. VF's physics and animations have always felt off to me.
 
There has only ever been one fighting game that's ever felt "right" to me. That would be SoulCalibur. Without weapons, fighting games in general fall flat with me.
 
Virtua Fighter has been the one that's stuck with me since I picked up fighters again 6 years ago. Nothing feels as solid by a mile. Even FS, which a lot of the vets don't like, is still the tops nowadays. Only game I've entered tournaments for, and I will support it as long as I still play.

As far as 2D games, 3rd Strike is cool, since they went in an interesting direction with that installment. Shame where they went with SF4, could never get into that one. For a more recent one, KOF XIII is one of the better ones, though learning 3 characters at once is a lot of work, so it was tough for me to learn.
 
Its Garou: Mark of the Wolves for me. The amount of hitstun and screen shake, bassy impact sounds, and snappy animations are all just right to me and it all comes together to form a very satisfying game. The whole package just feels good, even the times where I'm losing.

Runners up for me are MvC2, Vampire Savior, Skullgirls and 3rd Strike.
 
Soul Calibur. There's something about the animations and the game engine where I feel "connected" to it while playing in a way that I don't feel in any other fighting game.
 
Bedameister said:
My favorite was Def Jam: Fight for New York but that's pretty different from most fighting games
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I'd never have thought of this but now that you mention it, the tactile element is amongst the most satisfying, I agree.

oneida said:
yup, best movement in the series. Everything feels great. Strongly dislike other games' sidesteps.
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I love VF but animation is easily one of the series' worst assets. It's weird, floaty and has zero visual flair.
 
I think my top pick has to be Skullgirls. It's easily accessible but difficult to master, inputs are easy to pull off and even the lowliest of scrubs can learn to pull off some pretty good combos. Each animation looks so good and feels so fluid and each character is just generally fun to play.

Honorable mention goes to Third Strike and P4A: Ultimax.
 
Melee does feel excellent, but I don't think it's on the level of MVC2 or 3. Does feel much better and freeform than SF4 or MK though.

The GG series also feels awesome, it's just a bit difficult.
 
Street Fighter II Champion Edition
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Samurai Shodown II

Fast, but not too fast and weight of contact feels good for the power conveyed by attacks in all of these to me. They may not be the best balanced games in their respective series, but they feel great to control at the most basic level.

Virtua Fighter 2 or 3tb
Tobal 2
Last Bronx
Soul Calibur 1

Same reason as above for the 2D games, with the added weightiness that 3D animations and cameras bring. Only the floats and juggles mar what are generally nicely-handled 3D fights.
 
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