10 Video Game Rivalries That ALWAYS Had Clear Winners
Look away now, Xbox fans.
For consumers in any industry, competition can be a wonderful thing.
Not only does it increase the quantity and choice of options available, but it ensures companies are kept on their toes, pushing themselves to produce innovative and high quality products. This is just as true in the world of video games, where rivalries and competition amongst consoles, companies, games, characters and gimmicks have helped push the boundaries on what is possible.
The gaming industry can be more passionately opinion-based than most of its entertainment contemporaries, so proclaiming a 'winner' for the biggest showdowns can be difficult. Outright sales doesn't always indicate a better or more influential game, and even the very worst received titles will have their staunchest defenders leap in when any competitors show up.
Nevertheless, there are certain rivalries out there that most gamers will unite behind, and agree that the case of a competition between the two has been fairly rounded out, be it through units shipped, influence or overall reception.
Many of the most historic rivalries have some pretty definitive winners, if we're totally honest.
10. Mortal Kombat Vs. Street Fighter
WINNER: MORTAL KOMBAT
The two titans within the fighting game community, both Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have long histories, impressive sales and, unlike other rivalries in this list, a decent level of respect for one another.
The roots of this clash were laid down during the "Console Wars" of the 1990s, where Nintendo's Street Fighter II proved to be an addictive, arcade-like experience on the SNES system and the SEGA Genesis' Mortal Kombat the more intense gory game to go to.
Both franchises have had their huge ups and miserable lows over the years, but always remained influential in the mainstream. Even audiences who aren't keen on fighting games will have heard of at least one of these games, and the continued sales of each franchise shows that interest in the genre overall isn't slowly down anytime soon.
Brutal cinematics and the overall feel of Mortal Kombat has become more like a big blockbuster release over the years, compared to Street Fighter. The ever-increasing array of crossovers and cameos helped it break boundaries and burst into wider markets, while Street Fighter has become laser-focused on the eSports scene over anything else.