Episode 610: The Dark Age of Fighting Games (Patreon)

Kevin: Hi folks, Kevin Bunch here! This week I’m excited to talk about a topic near and dear to me: fighting game history. Specifically we’re talking about the “doldrums” of the fighting game genre and the fighting game community in the 00s, when Capcom largely dropped out of the scene, SNK hit some serious speedbumps, and the great arcade die-off really made its mark. But this wasn’t to say that there weren’t any new fighting games, as we delve into over the course of this podcast. Joining me for this endeavor are Diamond Feit, artist Tedbob84 and FGC veteran Jason “RugalB” Harding, and I’m very proud of the range of expertise everyone brought to the table. So sit back and learn just why it was so difficult to play and compete in these games for the better part of a decade, as technology struggled to catch up with a rapidly changing offline experience.

Edits by Greg Leahy; art by John Pading

• 09:43 - Capcom vs. SNK 2: Stimulation (New York Stage)

• 22:51 - Capcom vs. SNK 2: Wipe Out (Osaka Stadium Stage)

• 31:43 - Capcom Fighting Evolution: Training Stage

• 40:01 - SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos: Character Select

• 48:48 - Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX: No More Swingin'

• 56:46 - Capcom Fighting Evolution: Opening | Samurai Shodown VI: Independence Commemoration (Consumer ver.)

• 1:10:12 - The King of Fighters 2001: Hit Me!

• 1:17:41 - Virtua Fighter 4: AKIRA

• 1:26:48 - The Rumble Fish: Character Ending | Super Smash Bros. Melee: Multi-Man Melee 2

• 1:36:21 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Guile Stage

• 1:45:16 - Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars: Uncharted Region of China

• 1:56:39 - Power Instinct Matrimelee: Subarashiki Internet

• Closing - Power Instinct Matrimelee: Tokimeki Overclock