The PlayStation 2 is considered both one of Sony's best and one of the finest video game consoles ever made. Part of its success -- besides modern, forward-thinking technology and hardware -- came from the litany of great games available for it across all different genres.
Besides platformers, shooters and JRPGs, the PlayStation 2 was also chock full of fantastic fighting games. These included ports and new versions of the era's greatest brawlers both 2D and 3D. Here's a look at the PlayStation 2's best fighting games from companies like Namco, Capcom and SNK.
Though it's name suggested otherwise, SNK's Garou: Mark of the Wolves was the final entry in that company's iconic Fatal Fury franchise. Taking place several years after the previous game, the game brings back franchise and company mascot Terry Bogard, featuring him alongside newcomers such as Bonne Jenet, Kim Kap-Hwan's twin sons and Rock Howard, the son of series villain Geese Howard.
Garou was known for its beautiful, breathtaking art style, which is compared favorably to Street Fighter III. Its gameplay mechanics were also more refined than ever. Considered one of the finest fighting games of its era, it was eventually ported to the PS2 in Japan, where it became an even bigger hit than on the Dreamcast.
Another SNK-involved title was Capcom vs. SNK 2, which pitted characters from both companies' long list of fighting game franchises against each other. The roster included fighters from Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and Darkstalkers. The gameplay and fighting mechanics combined elements of all of these franchises, making it a true culmination of the Capcom and SNK rivalry. It was also seen as a sort of "last hurrah" for SNK, as the company would fade from the limelight afterward during the brief hiatus of 2D fighting games.
One of the most well-known and well regarded entries in the Tekken franchise is still Tekken Tag Tournament, which launched first in arcades before releasing as a PlayStation home console exclusive. The game is a "dream match" title set outside of the series' main storyline, allowing it to feature every character that had appeared in the franchise theretofore, whether they were dead or alive. The PlayStation 2 version of the game had optimized music and graphics, as well as additional playable characters and modes. One of the launch titles for the consoles, it helped put Sony's sequel system on the map.
Another Namco classic on PlayStation 2 was Soulcalibur II, which perhaps remains the most notable game in the series. The story continued the tale of the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur swords, containing many of the original game's cast and several new characters. The guest character on the PS2 version was none other than Heihachi Mishima from Tekken, which itself is set in the future of Soulcalibur's continuity.
The console version of the game is vastly upgraded from the arcade release, including various new modes such as Weapon Master Mode that allowed players to traverse the game's world to face the fiercest warriors. This gave it more longevity than many other fighting games, promising endless hours of fun. It was not only an improvement over its predecessors, but also a fine fighting game in its own right.
One of the most iconic fighting game crossovers is still Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. The second Marvel vs. Capcom game, it featured a plethora of fighters from both companies that were popular during the era. These included stalwarts like Spider-Man, the X-Men, Hulk, Ryu, Chun-Li, Mega Man and Felicia, plus original characters like Amingo and Ruby Heart.
One of the last major 2D fighters before the genre would be revived a generation later, New Age of Heroes was perhaps the best example of just how hectic, chaotic and fun such games could be. Its large roster and fun modes mean that the game is still the talk of the town at tournament circuits, and (despite its unbalanced nature) it's considered one of Capcom's finest accomplishments.
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