Summer Fun With The Best 2011 Video Gaming Fighters

So the summer is here and perhaps now is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some of the games that perhaps you've missed or just had lying on the shelf gathering dust. For a bit of summer time diversion solo or with your mates, beer in hand, it's very easy this year to recommend one of the latest fighters. This year's certainly been a good one for the fighting genre and perhaps now is the perfect time for you to limber up your perfectly timed Hadouken spam or to pick up a rope spear for the very first time. The fighting genre has undertaken a veritable resurgence in the last few years and continuing community and publisher commitment mean that the genre's latest and greatest are perfect fodder for your summer time restlessness. Whether you consider yourself a casual player or a committed gamer there are plenty of reasons to fill the summer drought with one of these high class brawlers...

Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition

Street Fighter 4 was the first franchise to reinvent itself and inject some life back into the genre in 2008. Since that time there have been two updates (available for purchase digitally or in stores). The first being the Super Street Fighter 4 update which bolstered up the already considerable roster of characters, refined the balance and offered a smattering of new modes. The most recent update is the 'Arcade Edition' of the title which adds more support for online play, a handful of new modes and four more characters into the mix. Street Fighter 4 looked and played great back when it was originally released in 2008 but the continuing support from Capcom means that you can purchase a retail copy of SSF4:AE that includes all of the content from the original game and the two updates for the price of any standard retail game and that's really not a package to be sniffed at. The game is flashy, vibrant and frenetic. Moreover it's a game that integrates the arcade mode with it's online matchmaking which is not only a cool feature in and of itself but also one that encourages new players to get into the thriving online community. SSF4:AE is still free to play online, there are still a host of modes both on and offline to get stuck into and huge cast of distinctive characters each with their own play style and signature super moves, not to mention a range of purchasable costumes for each character should you be interested. Street Fighter has always been addictive not least of all for it's power to make you want to master your character and become at one with the Tiger Uppercut. It's a game that you can pick up and play for half an hour or whole day at a time, the characters are varied and exciting enough that you'll want to try them all. The problems from the original Street Fighter 4 still persist however; the training mode, although comprehensive, does a poor job of teaching new players about the strategy involved in the game i.e. although the game will offer you a range of tools to integrate into your play style it does not offer you advice on when, or how best to use them. In a game that is about timing complicated button combinations, the phrase becomes 'easy to pick up but hard(er still) to master'. The other problem with the game being that although the online element of the game is feature rich you will still find yourself being beaten repeatedly without much feedback on how you might improve your game. Capcom try to solve this problem through allowing you to view the matches of top players online through the theatre mode, hoping that you'll learn from the best. Many new players may still find themselves sticking to the friendly, satisfying but ultimately solo experience of the arcade mode however. Though considering how pick up and play this mode is, this isn't all that bad a thing. SSF4:AE is a game that can be enjoyed on your own, online or with friends passing a controller around on a sofa considering how visually dynamic it is. It's cell shaded look is sharp, the gameplay is engaging and considering the amount of content you get after two updates it's not a hard product to recommend. If you're looking for a game that is undeniably fun, weighty and more family friendly than the next game on our list, then this SSF4:AE is for you.

Mortal Kombat (2011)

Mortal Kombat 9 or simply Mortal Kombat, is a series reboot that revisits the same universe and characters that you remember and love whilst retelling the story of the first three instalments with an inspired twist. The gratuitous and visceral nature of the games are represented in beautifully rendered HD for the first time and the weighty, satisfying combat is back. The damage to character models and fatalities are as gory as you could hope for, and considering the recent issue of censorship in the US Supreme Court, it's one of those games you'll be glad you're 'allowed' to own. MK is also a game you want in your disc tray for less controversial reasons. The first being that this new contender in the genre, having been released only a few months ago, is already becoming as feature rich as SSF4:AE. And although the roster of characters is not yet as vast as Capcom's game, NetherRealm studios have already begun releasing new characters available via download. Learning from L.A Noire's 'Rockstar Pass' you can pay a single lump sum and get access to all future DLC as it becomes available, or only purchase the content you want on an individual basis. MK has always been known for it's violence, it's colourful characters and it's somewhat confusing universe, but now, for the first time it's a franchise that can be recognised for it's story telling ability. Mortal Kombat 2011 has by far, the best story of any mainstream fighting game of this or any generation. The narrative uses the events of Mortal Kombat's 1 through 3 but re-purposes them in a way that is as compelling and engaging for new players as it is for fans of the series. Without saying too much the story is very good at teaching new players about the universe and also allowing players to get their hands on a good mix of characters, forcing them to get to grips with the game's mechanics and different play styles. From a presentation perspective also the story mode flows seamlessly from character to character, in and out of fights and all in a load free and fluid experience. Apart from the story mode players are offered a choice of 1-4 player offline versus modes, solo or tag team ladder (read arcade mode), various mini games and the challenge tower. The tower offers 300 challenges that increase in difficulty and absurdity. Gauntlets laid out the player include fighting without arms, fighting upside down, only being able to damage ShaoKahn (the big bad) as the character corresponding to his ever changing colour etc. On the down side, the snag of it all is that you have to pay for an online pass should you wish to take your game online and compete against other players. This can seem rather unfair considering the price of the game out of the box alone. Having said that the online aspect is as competitive and well supported by players and publisher as one would hope. Players can watch fights while they wait and score them on the basis on how much they enjoyed the fight, again hoping to build a community aspect into your experience. MK is a game that offers a different experience from SSF4:AE in that, unlike the former, the training mode in MK is very good and teaches new players about the politics of grabs versus blocking, juggling and managing super meter. It's much more user friendly in this sense than it's competitor, but again from a gameplay perspective the fighting itself is actually easier to get to grips with in MK. Combos are fewer, easier to remember and pull off; specials can be dialled in (removing the need for precise timing) and are equally easy to achieve; the super moves or 'X-Rays', which strip down character models to show bones splintering before your very eyes, are the same dual trigger pull for every character. As such MK is much easier to recommend to anyone new to the genre as it's more about memorising a few inputs and learning about when to use them than the more intimidating nature of Street Fighters gameplay. Couple this with the welcoming story mode and you're set for an introductory experience that has serious longevity. Both games then are very good to look at but arguably the resonant thudding of blows in MK's sound design puts it ahead in terms of presentation. And although most players will have already made decisions about which series they are loyal to, it is worth noting both have a lot to offer to players both new and returning.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Finally a word about another fighter that's doing the rounds this year, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds or MvC3:FoTW if you prefer. Yet another game from Capcom with a title that's as convoluted as anyone could care for. This game, like those already discussed, is a new entry into an already established series, though unfortunately there is decidedly less to say about it. MvC3:FoTW takes characters from various Capcom owned licenses such as Chris Redfield from the Resident Evil series, Dante from the Devil May Cry franchise, the eponymous Viewtiful Joe, etc. and pits them against Marvel comics' X-Men, Spider-Man, The Hulk etc. An although this may sound immediately appealing from a geeky fan boy perspective, seeing your favourite characters duke it out in a three on three mash up, in truth, there are problems. Firstly Marvel vs Capcom 1 & 2 succeeded visually by utilising a 2D art style that seamlessly blended the Street Fighter characters and comic book heroes without fault. The games faithfully recreated a stylized comic book aesthetic, without upsetting the visuals of the Capcom characters. In MvC3:FoTW however the art style is a cell shaded 3D affair that does not seem to capture the characters of either 'World' all too easily. Indeed the look of the game can be described as some what clumsy and also the problem of a fight system that is intricate but ultimately can be beaten with a bit of button mashing is a hard one to overlook. MvC3:FoTW is a game about juggles, visual flair that is likely to bring about an epileptic fit and pleasing the fan boys. It's not a game with a lot of modes. You can play online or off and the options for customising your experience are fairly limited. Though, having said that, don't write MvC3:FoTW off just yet, as there is something to say for how fast and unapologetically lively it all is. There are certainly players out there who will no doubt enjoy this lighter, brighter brawler. All in all then there are many things to consider, but in a year that's seen gaming mature and become more pensive with games like L.A. Noire and given rise to the return of distanced strategy in Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and Civilisation 5 perhaps we can all take a break from thinking, talking and just smack each other in the face for a bit.