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Best Fighting games of 1998

The 10 best Fighting games released in 1998, ranked from 804 critic and player ratings.

The best Fighting game of 1998 is Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, with a critic score of 90/100 — updated October 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1998.
  • 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 804 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 11 October 2026.

Top 10

01 Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes 1998 · 119 ratings Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game by Capcom and the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In contrast to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the game features characters from numerous Capcom franchises such as Mega Man and Strider, rather than just Street Fighter characters. The game takes place within the Marvel comic continuity, as Professor Charles Xavier calls out for heroes to stop him before he merges with the consciousness of Magneto and becomes the being known as Onslaught, the final boss. 90 /100
02 METAL SLUG 2 METAL SLUG 2 1998 · 179 ratings “METAL SLUG 2”, the 2nd entry in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game returns to the battlefield on the Steam gaming platform! 82 /100
03 Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) 1998 · 82 ratings Street Fighter Alpha 3 is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series. It features a complete gameplay overhaul with the addition of three selectable fighting styles, new stages, over seven new and returning characters and an exclusive soundtrack. The game's illustrations, select screens, soundtrack and sound effects all have a similar style to the Final Fight series, unlike the previous games. 80 /100
04 Guilty Gear Guilty Gear 1998 · 32 ratings Guilty Gear is a 2D fighting game, in which you can play as one of 10 very different kind of characters. There is a selection of fighters from Holy Order knights, Armed Air Force soldiers, Mafia members and mad scientists. Each character has his/her own storyline that will be fully revealed during the final showdown. In battles, you can charge up for special attacks, as well as perform Deathblow moves, which would kill the opponent instantly. You can either choose to finish the Arcade mode, challenge your friends to a Versus battle, or either train your skills out in the Training mode. 79 /100
05 Darkstalkers 3 Darkstalkers 3 1998 · 33 ratings Darkstalkers 3 is the second sequel in the Darkstalkers series of fighting games by Capcom, originally released for the arcades in 1997. The game was originally planned to be released as Darkstalkers: Jedah's Damnation in the United States, but this title was only used in the arcade version. New characters added in this version are Donovan, Huitzil (Phobos in Japan), and Pyron, with hidden characters of Dark Talbain and Oboro Bishamon . 78 /100
06 Tekken 3 Tekken 3 1998 · 75 ratings The console version of Tekken 3, which adds more content to the original arcade game, such as new characters and additional game modes. With hidden features, faster gameplay, and new characters, the PlayStation version of Tekken 3 seeks to give you the fight of your life. 75 /100
07 Twisted Metal III Twisted Metal III 1998 · 36 ratings Twisted Metal III is a vehicular combat game released in 1998 for the PlayStation. Players control weaponized vehicles in arena-based battles, aiming to destroy opponents and survive each round. The game features new characters, levels, and a redesigned physics engine. It introduced a new developer, 989 Studios, following the departure of the original creators. Reception was mixed, with criticism focused on controls and design changes. 72 /100
08 Bloody Roar 2 Bloody Roar 2 1998 · 40 ratings Bloody Roar 2, is a brawler arcade game developed by Eighting/Raizing in 1999. (Also known as Bloody Roar 2: Bringer of the New Age in Japan/Europe and Bloody Roar II: The New Breed in the United States.) Bloody Roar series differs from other fighting games as every character has a beast mode that can be used to use new attacks, recover some of lost health and generally to be faster and/or more powerful with their attacks. 61 /100
09 SoulCalibur SoulCalibur 1998 · 131 ratings SoulCalibur is a weapon-based 3D fighting game developed by Project Soul and produced by Namco. It is the second game in the Soul series, preceded by Soul Edge (1996). Originally released in arcades in 1998, it ran on the Namco System 12 hardware. In 1999 it was ported to the Dreamcast with improved graphics and new features. The North American version was released in September 1999 as a launch title for the Dreamcast and was part of the successful launch of the new console. It became available as a downloadable title on Xbox 360's Xbox Live Marketplace in 2008. The title brought many innovations to the fighting game genre that include a heavy emphasis on weapons and a unique eight-way movement system. Soulcalibur is widely regarded as one of the best Dreamcast titles and is one of the most critically acclaimed fighting games of all time. 60 /100
10 THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98 THE KING OF FIGHTERS '98 1998 · 77 ratings The All-Star dream battle is here at last: It's King of Fighters '98! Here come 38 of your favorite characters from the King of Fighters series. Your favorite characters and teams are back! Filled with new surprises like the Roulette Team Edit and Advantage System, King '98 will pop your cork with unrelenting excitement! The King of Fighters '98 is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series by SNK. 60 /100
Browse all Fighting games

Other years

Best Fighting games of 2021Best Fighting games of 2019Best Fighting games of 2018Best Fighting games of 2017Best Fighting games of 2016Best Fighting games of 2015Best Fighting games of 2014Best Fighting games of 2013Best Fighting games of 2012Best Fighting games of 2011Best Fighting games of 2010Best Fighting games of 2008

Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1998Best PlayStation 1 games of 1998Best Dreamcast games of 1998Best Nintendo 64 games of 1998Best Mac games of 1998Best Arcade games of 1998Best Game Boy games of 1998

Nearby rankings

Best Fighting games of 1997Best Fighting games of 1999Best Platformer games of 1998Best Racing games of 1998Best RPG games of 1998

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Fighting game of 1998?

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes currently tops the ranking with a score of 90/100 across 119 ratings. Ranking updated October 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.