10 Awesome Dreamcast Fighting Games You Forgot About

For many, the SEGA Dreamcast was one of the best consoles for fighting games.

The console was powerful for its time, and it had a great mix of innovative 2D, 2.5D, and 3D fighting games that are highly regarded – including titles from iconic series like Street Fighter, Dead or Alive, Guilty Gear, and more!

It’s just a shame that, as awesome as they were, none of them were able to save the Dreamcast.

Whether you’re a shameless button masher or a pro who insists on mastering every character’s combo list, discover our picks for the 10 best Dreamcast fighting games.

1. Power Stone 2

Capcom’s answer to Super Smash Bros – Power Stone 2 – is a quirky arcade brawler where one-on-one or four-player battles occur in a 3D arena. While only shipping with 5 stages (and 3 unlockable bonus stages), each of those stages is packed with items and environmental features that each character can interact with.

Like any good sequel, Power Stone 2 builds and improves upon the original game’s mechanics and quite literally takes things to a whole new level. And by that, we mean this game has incredible multi-stage fights where the environment can change at any moment.

While very different from a traditional fighting game, Power Stone 2 is undoubtedly one of the best fighters available on the SEGA Dreamcast. Just like Super Smash Bros, Power Stone 2 is at its best when played on the couch with friends.

Just make sure you try to keep things civil.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? Apart from the original arcade version, the game was also released on the PSP in 2006’s Power Stone Collection. Good luck with that tiny screen though!

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2. Guilty Gear X

Guilty Gear is a cult-classic franchise beloved in the fighting game community for its fast-paced, combo-heavy gameplay. While countless versions of Guilty Gear have been released worldwide, Guilty Gear X was first released exclusively in Japan on December 14th, 2000, but it also made it to North America in 2001, and to Europe in 2002.

Guilty Gear X introduced the Roman Cancel, allowing players to cancel a move mid-animation to make another attack instead. Guilty Gear X also features the series’ controversial destruction moves that, if executed correctly, will end the match with a single devastating attack.

We recommend you think twice about using these against your buddies if you value your friendship, but chaos calls to all of us eventually.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? The game was ported to the PlayStation 2 for its North American and European release, although the Japanese version is the most feature-complete. There is also a PC version and a – believe it or not – a Game Boy Advance version of the game.

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3. Project Justice

The sequel to 1997’s Rival Schools: United by Fate, Project Justice is one of the more interesting Dreamcast fighting games released by Capcom. This team-based fighter has a distinct style that separates it from most fighting games of the era, with its roster of exaggerated high school archetypes battling each other across Japanese schoolyards, classrooms, and sporting fields. Turns out there’s no time for learning when there are beatdowns to deal out!

Project Justice is just as entertaining to watch as it is to play, with all the special moves being equal parts hilarious and bizarre. For example, one character’s Team Up attack involves them taking photos of their opponent for the school newspaper to confuse them, while another’s is to criticize their opponent until they drop unconscious from shame – which might hit a little too close to home for some.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? Sadly, the game does not exist on any other systems, so the original arcade version is the only other legitimate option.

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4. Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000

Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 is the first in a series of crossover games that put the characters from SNK and Capcom fighting games against each other. In an example of art imitating life, the plot centers around a fighting tournament between two rival corporations.

The game features a massive roster of 33 playable characters from Capcom and SNK franchises, and it has a similar format to other team-based fighting games like Marvel Vs. Capcom. The game implements a ratio system that scores the relative strength of different characters to keep teams balanced, but there’s no accounting for pure skill.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? You can always try to find a copy on PlayStation 2, but no downloadable versions of the game currently exist, unfortunately.

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5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Developed by the team behind Street Fighter III, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is based on Hirohiko Araki’s famous manga of the same name. The roster comprises 22 heroes and villains that appear throughout the series, and they’re all delightfully strange.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has a unique gameplay mechanic where players can activate the series’ signature guardian spirits for each character. Players can activate or deactivate their guardian spirit at any time, effectively giving players two different sets of abilities to master and providing increased complexity for players who want to get deeper into the game’s systems.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? The game was also released on the original PlayStation, and a remastered version was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. Unfortunately, the updated version of the game is no longer available on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, and that’s why digital storefronts are scams. Take care of your physical games, friends!

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6. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Released in 1999, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is the 2nd follow-up to Street Fighter III, and remains as one of the most popular fighting games played in arcades and tournaments to this day. The game has 20 characters overall (with 4 entirely new ones), and it notably brought fan-favorite Chun Li and her powerful kicks back to the fold.

Third Strike features the precision gameplay fighting game enthusiasts have come to expect from Street Fighter games, and its impressively fluid animation is rendered beautifully on the Dreamcast.

While Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike didn’t enjoy much attention when it was first released (primarily due to the excitement over 3D fighting games like the Dead or Alive series), it’s now widely regarded as one of the best fighting games of all time.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? The game was released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and it was eventually made available for download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. More recently, 3rd Strike was featured in 2018’s Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.

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7. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes

The second entry in one of the greatest universe crossovers of all time (not up for debate), Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes, features an immense roster of 56 characters from Capcom fighting games and Marvel franchises like X-Men and The Avengers.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 introduced three-on-three matches, and was made more accessible with a character assist system and streamlined controls. It’s also the first in the series to feature 2.5D graphics, with characters rendered in 2D and stage backgrounds and visual effects rendered in 3D. It’s an iconic look that has become more common over time, but it was more or less revolutionary in its time.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? The game was also ported to the PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox in 2002 and 2003 – several years after its initial March 2000 launch in Japan. Unfortunately, due to licensing issues with Marvel, downloadable versions of the game – including an iOS version – are no longer available. Right now, the only way to play MvC2 today is to buy it second-hand and hope for the best.

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8. Dead or Alive 2

The Dead or Alive series stands alongside titans like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat in gaming history – having been honored with its own terrible movie in 2004.

Seriously, what were they even thinking?!

Dead or Alive 2 (DOA2) expands on the gameplay of its predecessor by introducing stun attacks that can be chained to incapacitate (and frustrate) your opponents. One defining feature that separated DOA2 was the different weight classes of characters, which affected how easy it was to launch and juggle them mid-air. DOA2 also introduced a tag-team fighting system, similar to the Marvel Vs. Capcom series.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? Dead or Alive 2 was also released on the PlayStation 2, and a remastered version, Dead or Alive 2: Ultimate, was released for the original Xbox and is downloadable on Xbox Live.

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9. Garou: Mark Of The Wolves

Originally released on the Neo Geo in 1999, Garou: Mark of the Wolves made its way over to the SEGA Dreamcast in 2001 for both Japan and North America. It quickly earned a reputation as one of the most challenging SNK fighters, which is a crazy distinction to earn in a category that also includes Samurai Shodown.

Garou has an incredible roster of interesting characters who all feel very different, which gives engaged players a ton of replay value if they want to learn everyone’s move set.

The game’s unique strategy mechanic is the “Tactical Offense Position” (T.O.P.) gauge that gives characters life regeneration, increased damage, and access to a special attack. Tactical use of this is what often decides the outcome of a match, but good luck remembering to use it if you’re feverishly mashing buttons.

While Garou: Mark Of The Wolves doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel in terms of gameplay mechanics, it’s a solid title that adds variety to the collection of any fighting game fan.

And its title is so cool it hurts.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? Garou: Mark of the Wolves is available on GOG, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PlayStation 2, 4, and Vita.

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10. Soulcalibur

Most retro gamers will agree that Soulcalibur is one of the best Dreamcast fighting games, if not the best one.

A weapons-based fighting game, Soulcalibur was developed as a launch title for the Dreamcast, and it undoubtedly played a vital role in the system’s early (and short-lived) success.

Soulcalibur’s biggest innovation was introducing an eight-way run, which allowed players to move around the arena in any direction while still facing their opponent. Soulcalibur also has a more forgiving move buffering system than its contemporaries, making it easier to chain combos with less precise timing.

Speaking from experience though, it won’t be enough to prevent you from being stomped out by your cousins.

Can’t find it on Dreamcast? The original Soulcalibur is available through the Xbox Live Arcade. There are also iOS and Android versions of the game you can play on your phone. Just make sure you have one of those clip-on controllers for your phone, because there’s no substitute for tactile buttons!

Was your favorite Dreamcast fighting game covered here? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow Rediscover 90s Toys on Instagram, Pinterest, and all our other social media pages for more 90s gaming content