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Best Fighting Games For Portable Consoles

Portable consoles and fighting games aren’t exactly the most logical pairing. For most, a gaming console, arcade, or a... | 30. March 2021

Portable consoles and fighting games aren’t exactly the most logical pairing. For most, a gaming console, arcade, or a full-fledged PC are the only viable options for enjoying this peculiar genre — paired with appropriate controllers or (if you’re really serious about it) mini-arcade sticks. But that didn’t stop developers from trying and, eventually, succeeding. The concept of playing a bit of Street Fighter or Tekken on-the-go has always been endlessly alluring and it eventually resulted in concrete steps being made to bring such a reality into existence.

As things stand, fighting games on portable consoles are like a niche within a niche. And, frankly, we’re glad they exist (in such abundance, too) because they’re an incredibly entertaining way of experiencing this phenomenal, deep genre that has roots that are decades-long.

It’s the IP That Counts

Before we delve any deeper into the list, it’s worth noting that this is just one particular slew of standout examples — this is by no means a definitive, be-all and end-all kind of list. Everyone has their own personal favorites, but it’s still a great “starting point” of sorts. This is just a list, and you can add to it or subtract from it at your own leisure and will! Subjectivity, as always, plays a key role.

So, with that out of the way, let’s begin!

Street Fighter X Tekken | PlayStation Vita

This idiosyncratic fighting game has garnered quite a cult following since its release, and there’s a very good reason why. It’s neither Street Fighter nor Tekken, but something of a compound. Although, to be fair, it veers more towards the former than it ever does to the latter. Still, it’s a highly entertaining experiment and is one heck of a good time, especially if you’re into fast-paced combat games with an eclectic mix of fighters and characters — most of which are beloved across the globe. It is also a 1:1 port meaning you’re basically getting a carbon copy experience on-the-go — impressive, to say the least!

The PS Vita was by no means a behemoth in terms of hardware, but Street Fighter x Tekken runs like an absolute dream.

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition | Nintendo 3DS

As far as the portable Street Fighter experiences go, this is amongst the very best ones. Well, at least if you’re after the whole 2.5D thing — 2D sprite-based Street Fighters have existed long before this peculiar instalment came into existence. It’s basically a 1:1 copy but it is “dumbed down” ever so slightly — a by-product of introducing touch-based controls for easier execution.

Still, you can play the game without ever tapping anything on the 3DS’ lower screen, therefore eliminating that whole gimmick from the equation. The lack of physical buttons necessitated such a solution and, while it’s far from perfect, at least it exists for casuals and newcomers alike. With 35 fighters and near full feature parity, Super Street Fighter IV stands out in all the right ways!

Dragon Ball FighterZ | Nintendo Switch

A list of standout fighting games simply wouldn’t be complete with this gem of a game. Now, FighterZ was initially only released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, but after a lot of fan clamoring, Bandai Namco decided to port the game and release it for the Nintendo Switch as well.

The result? An astonishing love letter to the anime and a spectacular fighting game on one of the most ingenious consoles ever released. The Switch is by no means as powerful as the platforms listed above, but it can definitely hold its own when the right corners have been cut (port-wise). The fact that gamers can enjoy this stellar fighting game on-the-go is nothing short of awe-inspiring and is truly a must-buy for anyone who’s either a fan of the anime or the genre in general. Arc System Works have truly outdone themselves with this one — there’s no doubt about it!

Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX & 3rd Strike | PlayStation Portable

Not everyone’s a fan of 2.5D Street Fighter and sure, we get it — it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. For OG fans of the series, there is, however, a standout instalment, and it’s still insanely popular even to this day: Alpha 3 MAX.

The original was first released all the way back in 1998 for the very first PlayStation, but it also saw multiple ports for consoles like Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, and, finally, the PlayStation Portable. Now, the PSP had its fair share of exceptional fighting games, but Alpha 3 MAX stands out as one of its most revered. And sure, 2D sprites on PSP’s beautiful 4.3″ screen pale in comparison to newer 3D fighters that were released around those years, but it’s still a throwback to one of the very best Street Fighter games in existence. And, as expected, it runs like a dream!

Alternatively, 3rd Strike is yet another option that’s well-worth your time and attention. It’s not that much older than Alpha 3 but it looks and “moves” in a more modern fashion which is what some folks prefer. Plus, the animations are as gorgeous as they were “back in the day!”

Mortal Kombat 11 | Nintendo Switch

Just the thought of playing a full-fledged Mortal Kombat on-the-go is enough to get our mouths to start watering. Is it the best-looking game around? Not by a long shot, but it’s still a darn good time. This is yet another 1:1 port from its home console brethren, but — as expected — some corners had to have been cut. As a result, the game looks considerably worse than on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but at least it runs in a buttery smooth 60 FPS.

The core gameplay is still intact which, in short, is the only thing that matters for a full-blown Mortal Kombat experience. If you don’t mind the downgraded aesthetics and a couple of perplexing design choices, then you’ll feel right at home with this one!

BlazBlue Continuum Shift | PlayStation Vita

A series like BlazBlue needs no introduction. It is much beloved in the fighting game community and there’s a myriad of reasons why that’s the case. Still, its first wholly successful foray into portable consoles came with the PlayStation Vita. Notice how we said “first wholly successful” — there were BlazBlue games on the PSP and even the 3DS, but they didn’t look quite as good nor did they run quite as well as they did on the Vita.

BlazBlue’s art style is a thing of absolute beauty, and when rendered on Vita’s equally stunning 5″ OLED display, it truly gets to shine and shimmer in all the right ways.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 | PlayStation Vita

Yet another staggeringly beautiful and incredibly well-executed port that “sings” on the PS Vita. It’s every bit as fun, quirky, and fast-paced as it should be, and if you’re a fan of this highly idiosyncratic IP — and happen to own a PlayStation Vita — then this rendition of MvC3 simply needs to be at the top of your list of priorities! As always, it doesn’t have quite the same lustre or visual fidelity, but it’s not far off either! The Vita sure was ahead of its time, and unfortunately, only a handful of developers managed to make good use of its (for the period) potent internals.

Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 3DS & Switch

A list without Super Smash Bros. would’ve simply been incomplete. And, frankly, given its status in the fighting game community, any kind of introduction or explainer would be highly redundant. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, that’s a fact, but it has existed for so long and has accrued such a cult following for a reason — it is a sublime fighting game and one that runs exceptionally well on both the Nintendo 3DS and the Switch.

Obviously we’re talking about two vastly different consoles both in terms of hardware and execution, but the core concept — getting some Smash Bros. action on your daily commutes — is nevertheless the same. And boy is it one heck of a good time!

Honorable Mentions

There are many other portable fighting games that deserve to be on this list, although most of them are somewhat niche. Tekken: Dark Resurrection [PSP], SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny [PSP], Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai [PSP], Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team [PSP], Injustice: Gods Among Us [PS Vita], and even some Dead or Alive, Naruto and Bleach titles deserve a mention.

Still, if we were to list them all, this piece would seemingly go on forever! We’ll stop here for the time being, but if you’re interested, this peculiar genre has a lot more to offer, so don’t be afraid of doing a bit of research yourself!