2| Skullgirls: 2^nd Encore

Released: April 10^th, 2012

Definitive Version: PC (All major OSes); Also on: PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, PS4.

I still remember when I first ever found out about Skullgirls. I was enamored by the fact that the developers were making a game with cartoon quality “sprites”. However, I was very distasteful about the game’s art style as well as some of the character’s more…comfortable outfits. I didn’t think much of the game after it released on consoles. It seemed to have waned in popularity. Eventually the game launched a Kickstarter that was funded by fans in order to give the game an updated release on the PC. Wanting to try out another fighting game and being bored of Street Fighter IV I decided to buy Skullgirls on a whim. Little did I know at the time that I would eventually enjoy the game so much and take it so seriously that I would end up actually going to a major fighting game tournament for it.

Why did I end up taking the game so seriously? The answer is because it was worth it. Skullgirls represents everything an ideal fighting game should be. It’s very easy to get into thanks to having one of the most comprehensive tutorials and training modes in a fighting game ever. The characters are all diverse and very balanced so you have a wide array of fighting styles to choose from. Getting skilled at the game is very enjoyable partly due to how smooth the progression is and also partly due to the fact that the more you learn the more you things you can figure out that you can do.

Last but not least, the game contains a small yet very active and friendly community. This is the type of community where players will outright volunteer to help you get better at the game at their own expense for no other reason to want to see you get better at the game. There has been more than one time where players of the game have actively invited me to the game’s training room to show me how to play each character and the game’s fundamentals. Ironically I have done the same with many casual players, I guess it is contagious. This is a huge welcome compared to my previous experience in fighting games where I’d simply get yelled at or made fun of, I’m looking at you Street Fighter.

Skullgirls is a game I went from playing random online matches in my dorm room, to attending online events, to actually attending a tournament because the game is worth it. It is very enjoyable to play, the community is passionate, and the game always offers options to experiment and improve on. Add the fact that the game is balanced to the point where even the highest skill players don’t even look at tiers, and you have the greatest fighting game in existence.

Update: It's been a while since I started this. The tournament was a blast and was so fun that I no regularly go to locals. I've met a lot of people through this game and have had hundreds of hours in playthrough with it. In many ways Skullgirls is a game that has truly affected my life not just in an entertainment aspect, but also a social one as well. This also ignores that this game keeps getting better and better the more I play it and the better I get. I stand by my initial claim that this is the best fighting game of all-time.