re-inventing with every installment

[Kyokugen-Hissatsu]

Of the all the fighting games series, what do you think is the most one the keeps inventing itself with every iteration?

[Don Vecta]

In these days? lol, nothing! Most games are the same shit from the past: KOF? XIII returned to the classic 3 on 3 2002/98 style. SF? lol, SFIV = SF2.5D. Tekken? Almost the same from Tekken 4 onwards (probly TTT2 might change that). BlazBlue? lol, hello Guilty Gear, we missed you.

We are in a dark age of creative productions, in gaming, in movies, in books, in everything. Nothing reinvents itself anymore, everything's about remakes, reimaginations, rehashes and using recycled formulas.

[Eddie]

Agreed. They all pretty much stuck on familiar ground, XII tried to make it a little different but was still borrowing elements from lots of other games like clashing from GG, Critical Counter reminded more of the Custom Combos from SF Alpha.

Soul Calibur 4 and 5 though changing things compared to previous games is just copying SF4 with ultra moves and Fighting Vipers with the breakable armor.

[hybridial]

Mortal Kombat probably did the most to reinvent itself lately, but most of it was in style rather in gameplay from which it mostly borrowed ideas from other games.

[Don Vecta]

Mortal Kombat probably did the most to reinvent itself lately, but most of it was in style rather in gameplay from which it mostly borrowed ideas from other games.

As for Mortal Kombat i have a mix of feelings. While indeed its gameplay has evolved completely and made the last MK vs DC engine into a more polished and balanced fighting style, the concept itself of re-imagining the whole MK1, MK2, UMK3 with touches of MKT and a guest from MK4 wasn't. It has to return to the core of the first games to be appealing to the mainstream audiences (which I don't really criticize, I as for one was happy to see the style back).

The thing is that right now it's so difficult to create something new without falling into stupid gimmicks instead of evolving into a different or refreshing fighting style.

[Kyokugen-Hissatsu]

Okay but how about these new games like aquapazza, melty blood, arcana hearts, they have their unique fighting system.
Also I think the new fighting games at least changed or altered some of the standards like the fireball, instead of traveling horizontally, it travels in curves like a character in aquapazza Riannon or like Hazama dragon punch hungry coils, is an extremely fast anti-air attack throw and can be followed with a normal or command move

[Eddie]

Melty Blood, Arcana Heart? Those play in a similar fashion to Guilty Gear the character design isn't well inspired. Only change is that Arcana has the well, arcana, but the main meat of the game is still a poor man's GG.

[Don Vecta]

Okay but how about these new games like aquapazza, melty blood, arcana hearts, they have their unique fighting system.
Also I think the new fighting games at least changed or altered some of the standards like the fireball, instead of traveling horizontally, it travels in curves like a character in aquapazza Riannon or like Hazama dragon punch hungry coils, is an extremely fast anti-air attack throw and can be followed with a normal or command move

lol doujin games

[00Bear00]

I do think KOF is the only game that evolves their characters, Ken in Ryu in SF2 have the same moves in SF4, sure kof 94 and 13 kyo are the same but if you look at everything on the way there he has been through many changes (looks and moves)

But with the internet as it is fanboys and casual gamers companies want to stick with what they know they can sell which is games that are pretty much the same (in capcoms case its comeback gimmicks and too much DLC)

[Kyokugen-Hissatsu]

lol doujin games

Despite being a doujin game or not, they are still fighting games and will be judged accordingly.

Agreed. They all pretty much stuck on familiar ground, XII tried to make it a little different but was still borrowing elements from lots of other games like clashing from GG, Critical Counter reminded more of the Custom Combos from SF Alpha.

As for the critical counter system, in some degree it resembles the custom combo of street fighter alpha but it’s different and to me it’s more flexible and open ended and introduces more properties.

I do think KOF is the only game that evolves their characters, Ken in Ryu in SF2 have the same moves in SF4, sure kof 94 and 13 kyo are the same but if you look at everything on the way there he has been through many changes (looks and moves)

And I do agree that KOF is the most frequent series to change characters moves properties or even alter them entirely as in KOF 94-95 Kyo and KOF 96 Kyo.

But I do agree that modern games don’t introduce that much new concepts but only applying tested formulas with some re-imagining.