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Fighting games can be a diverse genre of video games. However, that diversity can often be over shadowed by the same handful of franchises and companies that have much larger presences. Although the tides are turning and new fighting game IP s are now more that ever making their presence known though the indie scene. Today, we're taking a look at a few of the many indie fighting games that are emerging this year. Some games are playable right now while other games plan to use crowd funding later this year. These games, however, provide a healthy alternative and bring (or in some cases could bring) new life into the fighting game genre.

 

Skullgirls Encore

Its almost impossible to talk about the indie fighting game scene without mentioning the seesawing saga of Skullgirls. Even after its near death, re-birth, and near death by desisting, Skullgirls continues its fight which is where its new name comes from (as well as the only way it could return on consoles as well). Encore is based upon the PC port of the game featuring many improvements versus its vastly outdated console counterpart. This video below is great explanation of what the new improvements Encore brings.

While Encore brings a slew of system changes, modes, and even some odd extras (Typing of the Skullgirls?!) the most important change it brings is the new character Squigly. Squigly is the first out of the five crowd funded characters coming to Encore. Premiering in late September on the PC version, Squiggly is an aggressive character who many ways to say on her opponent including singing. That might not sound like much but its one of her many distinguishing qualities that makes her a hard to deal with character given the right team or placement in the stage. On the heals of Squigly, the next character coming soon to Encore is Big Band, the games first male character. Big Band lives up to his name, being the tallest character in the game so far. He lacks speed and agility but makes up for it roughness and damage. On top of that Big Band also features a Street Fighter 3-like parry that can parry pretty much anything beyond grapple attacks. He's still has awhile before he's ready for Encore but is expect to drop in sometime around March.

 

Skullgirls Encore marks a huge improvement over its original game in nearly everyday. Even more surprising is that the game still isn't done with three more characters to turn out. While the game has ran into its fair share of bumps along the way, the team Lab-Zero continue to push on and make strives to make Skullgirls the best it can be. Encore is out right now on Steam and PSN for $15. Xbox 360 owners should be getting word on Encore release soon. Previous owners of Skullgirls do not need to worry about re buying the game, as players who have previously purchased Skullgirls can upgrade to Encore free of charge. Details about the process and character change notes can be read here.

 

Fighting Is Magic

Friends, let me tell you a story. A story featuring triumph, tragedy, and the power of a re-branding of a goofy show and toy line for girls. Once of upon time, a group a friends gathered together, untied by two common loves: Fighting games and the television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This foal-some friendship formed the development team of Mane6 who then birth into this world one of the oddest fighting games in recent memory, My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic.

 

Mane6 seemingly enough mixed the game play mechanics of Marvel Vs. Capcom with MLP visual style to make something unique of their own. Eventually FiM garnered both fan support from MLP fans and fighting game fans to become fairly popular. It even was briefly apart of the 2013 EVO donation drive but was pulled out due to the worry that it would pull too much votes away from the other participants, though it was then give a spot on the indie showcase at EVO. Things were going to great for Mane6...until the big bad wolf of a company Hasbro sent out a cease and desist letter against the game and everything associated with it. As quick as it rose to fame, FiM fell in one dramatic climax to its story...or so it would seem. Despite this set back, Mane6 would continue with the game, making the inspired by MLP and not directly using its characters. The newly named game, Fighting is Magic, also has one more tool up its sleeve. Lauren Frost, one of the original creators of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, not only loved the idea behind the original game but promised to help design original characters for FiM. But the Mane6's luck would strike again in another surprising turn via Skullgirls? Yes, one of the the stretch goals for Skullgirls successful Indie-Go-Go campaign was to allow Mane6 use of their game engine free and which Skullgirls successfully reached. With all of these things in their corner, Mane6 would be able to finally finish Fighting is Magic if not baring for one final barrier: money.

Revealed earlier this year, Mane6 plans to do a Kickstarter campaign to help with development of FiM. While no date issued as to when the Kickstater will happen, Mane6 have stated that more details about it will soon be made available. It will be interesting what type of fighters Mane6 will have now that ponies are out of the picture and hopeful they will show of their full stable of possibilities sometime soon.

 

Legend of Raven/ Yatagarasu and Yatagarasu: Attack on Cataclysm

When people make comparisons to your game with another famous game, it can lead to some very high expectations to live up too. When people compare your fighting game to Street Fighter: 3^rd Strike, those expectations become a very high mountain to cross. However, that's the phase that most people compare indie game Yatagarasu with. Made by the small Japanese company Nicalis, a team made of only three people who formerly worked at SNK, Yatagarasu has been floating around the Japanese arcades and PC for awhile. Yatagarasu's main appeal is its classic styling, both in graphics and game play. Elements of 3^rd Strike and King of Fighters can be seen in its game play and characters. Even the its graphics are purposely low resolution to give it an old school appeal.

The game finally made it to Western shores last year but only through a UK, retitled as Legend of Raven. The game is expected to come to PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One sometime this year with GGPO net code support to West. Beyond just the Western release, Nicalis also had a successful Indie-Go-Go campaign for a sequel/update to the game. Titled Yatagarasu: Attack on Cataclysm, this update expands the roster as well as adds new moves to previous characters and GGPO support. Currently, there is no word on when Attack on Cataclysm will be finished but you can bet will be hearing more about the long lost cousin to 3^rd Strike later on this year.

 

Under Night In-Birth

Many people in the fighting game community mark the years prior to Street Fighter 4 as a dark age for fighters. A term that many might call a serious exaggeration depending on how you view what was widely available at the time, most of which were 2D anime fighters. Melty Blood was one of those fighters but caught an appeal with people both where it was created in Japan and abroad. Developed by Japanese company French Bread and based around a visual novel, the game became a smash at Japanese arcades and birthed many updates. But finally, in 2010, French Bread began development on their own 2D fighter which finally released in 2012.

Under Night In-Birth plays bit like Street Fighter mixed Guilty Gear/Blazblue with its own distinct visual flair. The four button fighter features and interesting feature though. On the bottom of the screen is a shared meter between the two fighters. As the match progress, each fighters fill part of the meter, until set point. Once reach, one fighter can use the meter as sort of X-Factor mode which also allows them to use instant kill-like attacks. While there is no word on a home release, the developers have expressed interested in one on the PS3 as well as Western interest in the game. French Bread is even trying to get Filla from Skullgirls as a guest character in the game. As of right now, Lab-Zero has not agreed on anything but guest art from French Bread can be found in Skullgirls Encore. Still, the game has been around for at least two years. And judging by games like Aquapazza and Chaos Code making the jump to the West last year, there is a very high chance that we can be playing this very stylish fighter soon.

There are a lot of other indie fighters out on market or looking for support via crowd funding campaigns. Here is just a small sample of some other fighters:

Alternative fencing fighting game Nidhogg: out now on Steam.

Divekick (Self explainotory): out now on Steam, PS3, PSV, and coming soon to Xbox One

The Chainsaw Incident, Darkstalkers like game, Kick starter campaign coming soon

EF-12, a Japanese free to use 2.D fighting game engine. Out now on their website with an English Patch.

These are the four indie fighters you should be keeping an eye on for 2014. They may not be popular or tournament headliners but they are definitely worth looking into. Which one of these games are you interested in? Discuss in the comments and I'll see you on Friday for the final part.