4 of the biggest fighting games to ever be part of the EVO championships

The EVO fighting game championships are the biggest event for the fighting game genre. It gathers some of the greatest players from around the world for a few days to celebrate fighting games, as well as compete for world titles and big prizes. But within the history of the prestigious fighting game tournament, there are specific games that have become synonymous with the event. They attracted the biggest audiences and injected unparalleled levels of hype for spectators watching the competition unfold. Some of the craziest moments and memorable times are tied to the ongoing legacy of fighting game releases that have become popular over the years.

For many fighting game fans, these types of fighting games are indisputable staples for an event like EVO. Whenever discussions about the event come up, certain games are always referenced and remembered fondly. And as long as EVO continues to be a mecca for fighting game fans around the world, these games will continue to be tied to it. Here are four of the biggest fighting games to ever be part of the EVO championship series.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

A new kind of fighter enters

When Super Smash Bros. Melee first came out, it was viewed as a fun party game that Nintendo fans could enjoy together. But over time, the perception of the game drastically changed among the competitive crowd. Various techniques and play styles that were discovered to be part of the game helped create a very dedicated base of players that took Super Smash Bros. Melee to another level. Things eventually got so big that the game eventually became part of the lineup of titles included for the EVO championship series. And the competition drew in a lot of players, but even more fans were looking to watch.

What's interesting about Super Smash Bros. Melee was how it was a very different kind of fighting game to become part of the group of titles to see at EVO. Before then, the competition was dominated by the presence of more traditional fighting games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken, which were staples of the genre and the competitive scene for a very long time. But Super Smash Bros. Melee offered something unique and flashy for everyone to watch, especially since Nintendo characters like Mario and Pikachu were duking it out on screens. But the high level of play from competitors was also remarkable to follow, with strategies that took advantage of the game's physics to allow characters to move faster, and hit harder when it mattered the most.

At first, some traditional fighting game fans resisted Super Smash Bros. Melee being seen in the same light as other fighting games, but eventually more people grew to accept it. And since then, whenever Super Smash Bros. Melee is included in the lineup of games for the competition, and there's always a giant crowd for it. Its reception eventually led to other Super Smash Bros. games being included in future EVO series, with one of the biggest being Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Anime and fighting fans unite

There are very few things that are as hype-inducing as an episode of Dragon Ball Z. And many people within the greater fighting game community grew up watching the show while playing many of the classic fighting games we have today. But what happened when the two types of fandom were combined into one? We got Dragon Ball FighterZ from Arc System Works. And anime fans around the world rejoiced. It became one of the best anime-based games around, as well as one of the biggest fighting games ever released.

But things got even more interesting when the game began to show up at competitions and, eventually, the EVO championships. The support for the game was astounding, with hundreds and thousands of people watching the finals of EVO events whenever the game was featured. Some of the crowd reactions to Dragon Ball FighterZ became part of the event, with fans screaming and shouting alongside certain characters that would be chosen for a match. It was a blend of two different types of fan groups that complimented one another for a long time, and finally there was something that they had in common. To this day, Dragon Ball FighterZ is still heavily supported by players and fighting game events, including EVO, with large prize pools and exhibitions.

Street Fighter III: Third Strike

The moment everyone remembers

The Street Fighter series from Capcom has a very long and very relevant history to the EVO champsionships. The series was one of the major cornerstone inclusions for players to compete in, with games like Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and it's previous iterations, being a big reason why the event grew very popular. But one event is synonymous with EVO and has become a thing of legend among the fighting game community, which is still referenced today in many places. The moment comes from Street Fighter III: Third Strike in a bout between two legendary fighting game players, and was dubbed EVO Moment 37. In a clutch instant during the match, fighting champion Diago parries every hit of a super attack combo launched by former champion Justin Wong, hitting every parry and counterattacking with his own super attack to win the match.

This moment was not only shocking in person, but was shared online many times over and gave others a look at the craziness and hype that an event like EVO contained. But even before that legendary moment, Street Fighter III: Third Strike was still a major part of the competition, and only larger in relevance and importance in the years following EVO Moment 37. Many die-hard fighting game players view the game as one of the high points of the series, with many gameplay elements and strategies that push the level of competition to an incredibly high benchmark.

For many years, Street Fighter III: Third Strike was a game that was integral to the spectacle that was EVO, with tons of fighting game players looking to participate, with hopes of seeing their own moment. In later years, other fighting games from Capcom would include many characteristics and gameplay mechanics that were similar to what people loved about Street Fighter III: Third Strike.

Marvel Vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

The hype is still very real

While games like Street Fighter III: Third Strike had legendary moments and attracted many people to events like EVO, it wasn't the craziest game to garner the most reactions from people. The Street Fighter series may have laid the foundation for the event, but it was the Marvel Vs Capcom series that solidified it for most people. The reason is because of games like Marvel Vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, which was incredibly chaotic to watch and very deep and challenging to play at a high level. Anyone that has ever attended EVO in any year will tell you that people lose their minds whenever Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is being shown on stage or during live streams. The game is just that popular among fighting game fans, especially those who grew up playing arcade fighting games in the 90s.

The real appeal of Marvel Vs Capcom 2 as a game is seeing iconic heroes from Marvel Comics team up and clash with Capcom characters from various games. But through the eyes of fighting game comeptitors and champions, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is the pinnacle of aggressive competition. The game has many strategies and techniques that players have discovered and enhanced over the years, which have led others to come up with tons of character combinations and play styles that were competitively viable. And just when you think the ceiling has been reached with it, more people are able to find new ways to tackle match-ups and change the landscape of what Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is capable of showing.

Whenever the game is shown at EVO events, there's always a big crowd who tune in to watch. The spectacle of seeing characters fly across the screen, with beams and projectiles being flung in all directions, and other jumping into the mix is chaotic. There can be so many "blink, and you miss it" moments during a match in Marvel Vs Capcom 2, which can make all the difference between someone losing a set or becoming a new EVO champion. While the majority of high-level matches usually involve the same combination of characters or pairings, the matches themselves are almost never the same all around. For years, people have considered Marvel Vs Capcom 2 to be one of the best games to watch in the finals, as well as one of the biggest titles that players could compete in during EVO. And since then, the hype for Marvel Vs Capcom 2 has never died, because you can always a few people going around to ask people "When's Marvel?" during the event.

Legendary fighters for a legendary event

There is no bigger fighting game event that is more relevant to fighting game fans than EVO. It has a history with players that has resonated for years, giving a place for everyone to view high-level gameplay and crazy, unforgettable moments. The games that have been part of the competition's legacy were some of the biggest games that fighting game fans love to revisit, whether competitively or just for fun. As EVO continues to be hosted each year and attracts more fighting game competitors looking for glory, newer titles will continue to be added to its lineup for everyone to spectate. But nobody will ever forget some of the best times that EVO had with many of the classics that helped make it what it is today.