Has the state towed your car recently? Boss constantly on your back? Dreaming of giving him a smooth uppercut but can't for a myriad of legal reasons? Well we've got a much less expensive alternative for you: fighting games!
Fighting games have always been one of America's top stress reliever, rivaled only by actual stress toys, reading, movies, and other kinds of "movies". In honor of that promotion you didn't get and that pink slip that you did, here's a list of 10 of the best fighting games released from 2010 to 2019, according to their rankings over at Metacritic. In order to keep this list fresh, we'll be avoiding some direct sequels that barely change the gameplay of the previous release, and games that came to North America in 2010 are still on the table, even if they were released in another country a few weeks earlier.
10 Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (85)
Despite initially being released in Japan at the end of 2008, North American gamers had to wait until the beginning of 2010 to get their hands on Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. This huge lag, however, did nothing to the level of fun players worldwide had when even more players joined the community. This crossover fighting game gave players the opportunity to play as some of their favorite fighters from some of Capcom's most well-known franchises (characters like Ryu, Mega Man, and Viewtiful Joe) against anime characters from series produced by Tatsunoko Production. From what we've seen of the gameplay, this fighter is pure fun, and although it has a competitive element to it, you'll never find yourself slamming your controller and rage quitting even if you can't get a single hit in against Ryu.
9 UFC Undisputed 2010 (85)
The Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC for short, has been the go-to source for all things MMA-related for fans of combat sports. UFC Undisputed 2010 is the second title in the UFC Undisputed franchise, and it came out in... That's right! 2010! This game received mostly favorable reviews all across the board, with bloody battles, post-fight interviews where players could choose their responses, and training modes to improve their stats. Shaquille O'Neal is also an unlockable character, and let's be honest... Who wouldn't want to bash someone's nose in as Shaq? Be warned that it's not the easiest game to just pick up and play, reflecting the complicated nuances in one of our most dangerous sports.
8 Persona 4 Arena (86)
Tremendous accolades and the Persona series go hand-in-hand, with Persona 5 commonly regarded as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Persona 4 Arena is developed by Arc System Works, a company attributed to making some of the finest competitive fighting games we've seen to date, among them being the Guilty Gear franchise and Dragon Ball FighterZ.
They definitely didn't disappoint with Persona 4 Arena, giving us a cast of memorable characters that fans of the original series can appreciate as they engage in side-scrolling, fast-paced, flashy battles. The story mode is just as in-depth as Persona 4, and is an amazing sequel to the canon story.
7 Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (86)
Perhaps a huge amount of Capcom's success in the gaming community comes from its constant string of Street Fighter releases. Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition was released at the start of the decade, taking everything we loved from the original Street Fighter III released in 1997 and expanding on it. Unlike the original, this remaster features training modes to help new players pick up some skills without just throwing them into the fray to figure it out on their own. Most online games run smoothly, and the enhanced visuals help players feel the individuality in each character during technical battles that put their combo skills to the test.
6 UFC Undisputed 3 (86)
UFC Undisputed 3 is the direct sequel to UFC Undisputed 2010, and manages to expand on everything in the previous title. Not only did Undisputed 3 give players two new weight classes, but it even added an option of allowing players to beat an opponent to the point of unconsciousness, enabling them to batter their begging bodies for a few more seconds after they won the fight. The simplified controls lessen the learning curve from the previous game, but that doesn't mean it's any less difficult.
5 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (87)
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is the sequel to BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, marking the BlazBlue franchise's second title. Players are given the option of playing with 20 fighters, expanding on the initial roster from the first game.
Every character has their own Distortion Drive attack that makes them feel truly different from one another, and players who picked up the game back in 2010 are probably still occupied to this day struggling to master every one of these characters.
4 Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition (88)
After its humble origins in arcades during the '90s across America much like Street Fighter, 2011's Mortal Kombat served as a reboot for the entire franchise to draw in a new generation of gamers. Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition was released the very next year, including all of the DLC that was developed for the game in the meanwhile. Featuring many characters that players had already grown to love over the years like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Raiden, the game also gave us the ability to play as Kratos from the God of War franchise, and we're sure Kratos enjoyed breaking the bones of things that weren't gods for a change. The fatalities in the game are just as brutal, with special "X-ray moves" that zoom in on specific bones being broken and ruptured during some of those iconic finishers.
3 Infinity Blade II (89)
Serving as the sequel to the iOS mobile game Infinity Blade, Infinity Blade II represented what mobile games were capable of. Players take the role of Siris as he travels to reach the Worker of Secrets, the creator of the Infinity Blade. Siris undergoes battle after battle, giving the player the option of wielding a two-handed heavy weapon, a standard sword and shield, or two swords at once, adapting their playstyle to each opponent, all more intimidating than those that came before them. If you enjoyed God of War, we know for a fact you'll definitely want to download this one. Just make sure you find another way to do it besides the App Store, because the game was removed from there last year due to Epic Games' inability to devote the appropriate amount of resources to the game. We still don't get why they couldn't have just let the game up on the store anyway, but we'll stay out of this one...
2 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (92)
Super Smash Bros. is one of the most popular fighting game franchises in history, allowing players to step into the shoes of several classic Nintendo legends like Mario, Kirby, Link, Samus, and the list goes on with each new title.
Unlike past games, Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U opened the floodgates for 8-player battles, and even customized Miis could join in on the fun! Who wouldn't want to Falcon Punch a Mii that you made to look exactly like that boss of yours?
1 Super Street Fighter IV (92)
As if Super Street Fighter III wasn't good enough, Super Street Fighter IV took things up several notches with its enhanced graphics alongside a familiar combat system that allowed players familiar with the previous games to jump right into. There are 35 fighters in total to choose from, meaning there are tons of hours players can squeeze out of each one. Who wouldn't want to demolish a brand new car 35 different times? Each character has their own set of ultimate moves that can be selected before the fight begins, and players can hop online in ranked matches to prove their prowess to the larger Street Fighter community. It's the online modes that truly made this game, so make sure there are still some players who've held onto this one for the entirety of the decade to join you in what're bound to be some lonely multiplayer lobbies.