Having spent all her life in the rainy PNW, Ashley knows the value of spending time inside with a good game. She developed a passion for the unique... Read more
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
I’ll admit it — I’m pretty new to the fighting game genre. Sure, I’d stare wide-eyed at the arcade screens of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat as a kid, but I was always short a few quarters and never actually got to play them. The first time I picked up a controller for a fighting game was for the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, just a little too late for the soon-to-be e-sports sensation of its predecessor, Melee.
The whole genre was foreign to me at the time, and phrases like “hit stun,” “juggling,” and “c-c-c-combo” continued to sail straight over my head and my button-mashy fingers for several years after the fact. It wasn’t until a new arcade opened in my hometown with wall-to-wall arcade machines that I found the absolute wonder that was Marvel Super Heroes v. Street Fighter that I began to have a vested interest in the genre.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m still far from being good at these games. But there’s something about a successfully-executed combo that hits me directly in the heart, and I can live my fantasy of having perfectly-toned muscles and perfectly-styled hair vicariously through Chun-Li every time I pick up that controller.
The fighting game genre is a difficult one to master, which may make you question whether or not it’s a good investment for someone who doesn’t have the time to spend at traditional arcade machines. Can I get this same experience on the go, you ask?
Shoryuken! For this game roundup, I’ve collected the top 10 fighting games for iOS. Let’s jump right in.
Top 10 Best Fighting Games for iOS
Let’s work out way down the list to find the best fighting game on iOS.
10. Stick Fight 2
The best iOS fighting game for beginners
- Developer: TechNull Software Solutions
- Cost: Free
Sometimes fighting games don’t need insane graphics and incredible character design to be appealing — all it takes are a few lines on a screen. In Stick Fighter 2, players pit stick figures against each other in brutal battles to the death. Fights can be held in an endless survival arcade mode that throws hordes of weapon-wielding stick fighters against the player, or in a competitive multiplayer duel mode where players face off in a fast-paced, one-on-one showdown.
Stick Fight 2 is adaptable and customizable, offering players a range of weapons and weapon types, as well as items and upgrades for character customization. The game also automatically adjusts its difficulty to match players’ skill and reflexes.
9. Injustice 2
The best online fighting game for iOS
- Developer: Warner Bros.
- Cost: Free
If you’ve ever looked at the DC Comics roster and wondered which of your favorite heroes and villains would win in a fight, Injustice 2 is for you. The mobile port delivers console-quality story with gameplay and graphics optimized for the platform, promising players an action-packed fighting experience teeming with power.
Injustice 2 keeps players on their toes with daily challenges and competitive multiplayer, ensuring that there’s always a battle right around the corner. Players can also unlock customizable gear and alternate skins for their characters.
8. Mortal Kombat
The best classic fighting game for iOS
- Developer: Warner Bros.
- Cost: Free
Mortal Kombat combines the fun of fighting games with the strategy of card games in an all-out brawl that rewards players for combos and clever planning alike. Players can collect Mortal Kombat characters from across the franchise, building factions and creating synergistic teams for an added advantage in 3-v-3 battles. True to its roots, Mortal Kombat likewise delivers stunning, over-the-top graphics on its epic moves and fatalities.
Each week offers players new challenges and chances to pit their factions against other players, leveling up their characters and earning rewards that can subsequently be used to further power up their teams.
7. Shadow Fight 3
The best iPad fighting game
- Developer: Nekki Limited
- Cost: Free
In Shadow Fight 3, players harness the dangerous and controversial force known as shadow energy to carve their name into a world on the brink of war. Choose between three independent factions (each with their specific approach to shadow energy), and travel around the game’s enormous map, immersing yourself in the stories and quests of each unique place. Along the way, you can earn upgrades and collect new weapons and equipment to aid you on your journey.
Players can also participate in events and duels, or take advantage of a paid subscription option with added daily challenges and an optional Boss mode.
6. Knight Brawl
The best iPhone fighting game for fantasy fans
- Developer: Colin Lane Games AB
- Cost: Free
Knight Brawl is a furious and fun-filled romp through a land of gladiator battles against monsters and men. Players will quest to storm the fortress of the Evil Wizards, collecting equipment and weapons through tower climb and castle rush modes that offer adventure and rewards alike.
Players can also participate in massive, free-for-all brawls and tense duels, or carry out simple missions over the course of the games. The wide range of unique and colorful environments ensures that each battle feels fresh and engaging. There’s nothing quite like using the booty earned from a fight aboard a pirate ship to purchase a magical weapon with devastating passive skills!
5. EA Sports UFC
The best combat game for iPhone
- Developer: Electronic Arts
- Cost: Free
If a realistic fighting game is more your speed, EA Sports UFC might be the type of action you’re looking for. In EA Sports UFC, players collect their favorite MMA fighters, then begin the arduous process of training and leveling up in preparation for in-game live UFC events.
Each fighter comes equipped with special signature moves to make the high-octane action of the octagon come to life at players’ fingertips. Players can climb the ranks of the UFC roster, unlocking new opponents and other rewards by winning bouts and becoming a master fighter.
4. Real Boxing: KO Fight Club
The best boxing game for iOS
- Developer: Vivid Games S.A.
- Cost: Free
In Real Boxing: KO Fight Club, players create and customize their own boxers to carry to glory. The game offers a chance to pursue the championship in multiple modes, including a comprehensive career mode with a series of increasingly challenging opponents, a multiplayer mode that allows players to face off in winner-takes-all battles, and an arcade mode that offers additional rewards and customization options.
Through a powerhouse combination of Unreal Engine and motion-captured animations, the world of Real Boxing feels…well, real! Punches and combos are based on real-world boxing moves, and responsive controls make the player feel as though they’re really in the moment.
3. Punch Quest
The best arcade fighting game for iPhone
- Developer: Rocketcat LLC
- Cost: Free
Punch Quest combines the fun of boxing-based fighting games with the simplistic controls of arcade-style games, delivering a delightful and engaging experience that requires nothing but two thumbs to play. Players fight their way through complex and branching dungeons, beating back hordes of enemies and uncovering rare events and loot on their adventures.
The game offers several compelling gameplay features, including character customization, special abilities, enemy-launching combos, and much more. If the idea of pure arcade-style fun isn’t enough to lure you in, maybe the promise of a laser-shooting dinosaur will be!
2. Marvel Contest of Champions
The best free fighting games for iPhone
- Developer: Kabam Games, Inc.
- Cost: Free
Returning to the realm of superhero-based fighting games, we find ourselves amidst the Marvel universe in Marvel Contest of Champions. Much like Injustice, the game pits heroes and villains against one another in their efforts to become the ultimate champion. Players can play cooperatively or competitively with friends, building alliances and forming strategies that ensure your team (or fighter) comes out on top.
Proceed through the game’s compelling story mode while fighting across various iconic locations from the MCU, unlocking special moves and abilities that are sure to give your heroes an added advantage in battle.
1. Skullgirls
The best iOS fighting game overall
- Developer: Autumn Games
- Cost: Free
Skullgirls is a visually stunning and beautifully animated fighting RPG that delivers one of the most cohesive gaming experiences on mobile. Collect, customize, and upgrade unique and colorful fighters on their quest to find the Skull Heart and defeat the corrupted monster known as the Skullgirl.
The game invites new and veteran fighters, allowing for customizable gameplay that can cater toward simple, strategic decisions or pristine execution of complex combo moves. Create synergistic teams of 1-3 fighters in both story or online versus mode, enjoying the RPG experience or just competing to unlock new rewards and fighters.
Related Reading
Thanks for checking out our list of the top fighting games for iOS! If you have any thoughts or would like to recommend a few other games for the High Ground team, feel free to leave a comment.
Happy gaming!
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