These fighters need that variety to liven things up.
They give the game personality and build up the universe it takes place in.
With so many games with so many installments, there are so many kickass stages to choose from.
Heres a look at the best of them.
Theres a one-entry-per-game rule, but not one-entry per franchise.
I just cant do that to those sweet, sweetKing of Fighterschoices.
It would break my heart.
Theyre colorful (well, mainly very blue) but just dont have much going on in them.
The one place that rightly embraces the setup is Dr. Wilys fortress.
Various low-level robots are shown milling around as Wilys skull-based attack ship is being worked on in the back.
All the while, the mad scientist is beside himself, screaming at everything with a megaphone.
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14.
Warrior Shrine (Mortal Kombat)
Its a badass use of the games digitized sprites.
The various kombatants are immortalized in statue form, which does raise some questions.
How fast were these made, considering Sonya was an impromptu entrant?
Either way, it looks really cool.
It also helps build up Goros mystique.
Just look at him, towering over all the other MooKs.
San Francisco Bay (Street Fighter Alpha 2)
Capcom just loves Easter eggs, dont they?
What better place to watch martial artist drifters throw down?
Not only does it look nice, but its also filled to the brim with well-dressed cameos.
Seemingly every guest is from a Capcom game, some more obscure than others.
Whether theyre from different continuities or different eras, many of them shouldnt exist in this time and place.
Its such a perfect stage idea.
The art direction really goes to town here, which is the norm withChildren of the Atoms fluid backgrounds.
All the while, the door and window contrast against the illusion in a neat way.
Everything is just rad and larger than life.
Basically, there was a 100-year war between mankind and magical mutants called Gears.
The best of the best comes fromThird Strike, where Akuma gets his own stage.
Usually, Akumas stages are a cave of some sort.
Here, hes off in nature, albeit in a creepy setting befitting his dark aura.
Adding to the eeriness are rows of statues, presumably training dummies fashioned by Akuma himself.
Its inclusion is perfect due to how it relates to the source material.
He only lost in the aftermath by fumbling his power.
Here, you get to succeed where the heroes of canon failed.
Your choice and your skills can overcome what well over a dozen could not.
The best part is that Requiem Dis Irae plays throughout the fight.
Its a prime boss theme, but its also playing in the context of the game!
Fighting Barroom (Street Fighter II)
Vega is a character with a busy character design.
Hes an obsessive narcissist with a hatred for ugly people.
Hes a skilled matador and a highly trained ninja.
The man has a lot going on, and his stage really plays into his persona.
Discrimination against the handsome is what it is!
Its equal parts creepy, kooky, spooky, and altogether ooky.
Tower of Arrogance feels simple, but also does so much.
The fight takes place on the side of a skyscraper, near the top.
Not on the scaffolding or anything like that.
Just two monsters and/or monster hunters inexplicably doing violence to each other on the side of a building.
Theres a real feeling of vertigo, but its okay, because you cant fall to your death.
Spinals Ship (Killer Instinct 2)
Pirate ships make for prime fighting game stages.
It says so in the bible.
), and the various Cervantes stages in theSoul Caliburseries.
Spinal is even captaining an entire slave ship of reanimated skeletons rowing for him in unison.
The stage even bobs and shifts, all while the rain keeps cycling in and out.
With so many potential rounds, its fun when it shows off the passage of time.
During the first round, the sun is shining and various people are just enjoying the day.
During the second round, its starting to get cloudy, and people are starting to move on.
A mother opens her umbrella, while a groundskeeper steps under shelter.
Its a total downpour, and the only ones sticking around to endure it are the remaining fighters.
The first game feels like it dips its toes in otherworldly strangeness.
Each stageexhibits epic worldbuilding.
Always a cool touch.
Fire at the Wadamoya (Last Blade 2)
TheLast Bladegames never really took off like SNKs other fighters.
The pixel art in this game is on another level, but nothing compares to Fire at the Wadamoya.
In this stage, you fight inside a completely inflamed building.
Why is it on fire?
Not only does the endless fire look so good but theres a nice heat shimmer effect over it.
To add to the background, SNK did not give it any music.
All you hear is the crackling and flames, occasionally accompanied by the faint sound of clanging.
Its just a wonderful setup on every level.
None do this better than the finale ofKing of Fighters 96.
Once Chizuru is defeated, Goenitz shows up.
The arena is now torn apart by an apocalyptic storm.
Even the huge monitor, once meant to hype up the tournament finals, is destroyed in the debris.
