Best Fighting Games on the Dreamcast

Fighting Games are one of the things the Sega Dreamcast is genuinely for. The ones worth playing start with SoulCalibur, Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom 2.

The Dreamcast and Fighting Games

Two years of a console that was a generation ahead and then stopped. Small library, almost no filler, and a house style you can recognise instantly.

This is one of its strengths. Arcade ports and stylish one-idea games — Jet Set Radio, Rez, Power Stone, Crazy Taxi. Fighting games too: this is where the genre lived at the turn of the century.

Filtering to fighting means you want a contest with a clear answer — you got it right or you did not. It is the right filter when what you liked was reading an opponent.

The Fighting Games Worth Playing

  1. 1. SoulCalibur

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  2. 2. Power Stone

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  3. 3. Marvel vs Capcom 2

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  4. 4. Dynamite Cop

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

What Makes a Good Fighting Game

A skill ceiling you can actually see yourself climbing, and the shortest feedback loop in games.

A first few hours that can be discouraging alone. Fighting games are far better with someone at your level than against the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best fighting game on the Dreamcast?

SoulCalibur is the usual first answer, and there are 4 in the library we cover.

Was the Dreamcast good at fighting games?

Yes — it is one of the things the machine is known for, and there are 4 in the library we cover.

Are fighting games hard to get into?

Much less than they were. Modern control schemes, rollback netcode and real single-player modes have changed the on-ramp completely in the last few years.

What is the difference between a fighting game and a beat-em-up?

One opponent against one, or one against many. They share ancestry and almost nothing else — the picks below say which each one is.

How is this list put together?

From the games this site covers on the Sega Dreamcast, matched against hand-mapped gameplay categories rather than a storefront's genre tag. A page only exists where there are at least four, which is why some console and genre combinations have no page at all.

Fighting Games on Other Consoles

More From the Dreamcast

Or browse the whole Sega Dreamcast library.