Best games
Best Fighting games of 2001
The 8 best Fighting games released in 2001, ranked from 1,519 critic and player ratings.
The best Fighting game of 2001 is Super Smash Bros. Melee, with a critic score of 100/100 — updated September 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: 2001.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,519 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series and the follow-up to the Nintendo 64 title. It includes all playable characters from the first game, and also adds characters from franchises such as Fire Emblem, of which no games had been released outside Japan at the time. Super Smash Bros. Melee builds on the first game by adding new gameplay features and playable characters: it's major focus is the multiplayer mode, while still offering a number of single-player modes.
100
/100
02
Severance: Blade of Darkness
Severance: Blade of Darkness follows the fate of four characters and their quest to defeat an evil Necromancer and retrieve a legendary sword. The player can choose between the characters, who are a Knight, a Barbarian, A Dwarf and a Ranger/ Amazon type female character. All characters have different starting areas but eventually end up in the same levels. Yet, the sequence of the stages can be chosen as a world map in between the stages prompts you to decide where you want to go next, maybe look for help at the Dwarven Mines or go face the Orcs at their dwelling.
90
/100
03
Tekken 4
Tekken 4 marks the return of Namco's premier fighting franchise, Tekken. This version features enhanced graphics, gameplay mechanics, and fearsome fighters. Newcomers engage old favorites in interactive, multileveled arenas. The addition of walls, terrain effects, position changes, and enhanced sidestepping will force you to adjust your fighting strategy. Expanded game modes such as Training, Team Battle and the new Tekken Force provide the player with a deeper gameplay experience.
79
/100
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series and the follow-up to the Nintendo 64 title. It includes all playable characters from the first game, and also adds characters from franchises such as Fire Emblem, of which no games had been released outside Japan at the time. Super Smash Bros. Melee builds on the first game by adding new gameplay features and playable characters: it's major focus is the multiplayer mode, while still offering a number of single-player modes.
100
/100
02
Severance: Blade of Darkness
Severance: Blade of Darkness follows the fate of four characters and their quest to defeat an evil Necromancer and retrieve a legendary sword. The player can choose between the characters, who are a Knight, a Barbarian, A Dwarf and a Ranger/ Amazon type female character. All characters have different starting areas but eventually end up in the same levels. Yet, the sequence of the stages can be chosen as a world map in between the stages prompts you to decide where you want to go next, maybe look for help at the Dwarven Mines or go face the Orcs at their dwelling.
90
/100
03
Tekken 4
Tekken 4 marks the return of Namco's premier fighting franchise, Tekken. This version features enhanced graphics, gameplay mechanics, and fearsome fighters. Newcomers engage old favorites in interactive, multileveled arenas. The addition of walls, terrain effects, position changes, and enhanced sidestepping will force you to adjust your fighting strategy. Expanded game modes such as Training, Team Battle and the new Tekken Force provide the player with a deeper gameplay experience.
79
/100
04
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan) is the sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs SNK, and the sixth game in the Capcom's VS. Series. This game was released on Sega NAOMI hardware in the arcade. It was later released for the Sega Dreamcast (Japan only) PlayStation 2 and Playstation 3 (as a Playstation 2 Classics title in the PlayStation Network), with the GameCube and Xbox receiving an updated version called Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO.
75
/100
05
Oni
An intense action anime thriller comes to life in Oni. As an elite member of the tech crimes task force, Konoko is an agent on a mission to fight the evil Syndicate. But things are not always as they seem... Konoko is haunted by unknown demons of her past, and the truth threatens to send her over the edge.
73
/100
06
Digimon Rumble Arena
Digimon Rumble Arena is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Bandai in association with Hudson Soft for the PlayStation video game console. Players are able to choose from up to 24 characters (fifteen of which need to be unlocked) from the Digimon Adventure and Digimon Tamers seasons of the Digimon anime, such as Terriermon, Agumon, Gatomon, and Renamon.
68
/100
07
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
The game brings back the team play composed by three characters each that was a tradition in previous games. The game has also several important changes in the gameplay, like the "Free Cancel System" or "Max Mode System", the "Quick Emergency Evasion" and "Quick MAX Mode Activation", aside from the countless changes in each character's special moves and their properties.
67
/100
08
The Simpsons Wrestling
The Simpsons Wrestling is a sports video game and the only Simpsons game released for the PlayStation. There are 20 characters in the game, all of whom are voiced by the same actors that provide their voices in the show, and each character executes their own exclusive moves and gestures and power moves in the wrestling ring. The matches take place in detailed 3D locations from Springfield. A round in the game ends when one wrestler pins their opponent for a three count. Two victorious rounds wins a match. Unlike in traditional wrestling rules, the opponent may be pinned belly-down.
32
/100
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan) is the sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs SNK, and the sixth game in the Capcom's VS. Series. This game was released on Sega NAOMI hardware in the arcade. It was later released for the Sega Dreamcast (Japan only) PlayStation 2 and Playstation 3 (as a Playstation 2 Classics title in the PlayStation Network), with the GameCube and Xbox receiving an updated version called Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO.
75
/100
05
Oni
An intense action anime thriller comes to life in Oni. As an elite member of the tech crimes task force, Konoko is an agent on a mission to fight the evil Syndicate. But things are not always as they seem... Konoko is haunted by unknown demons of her past, and the truth threatens to send her over the edge.
73
/100
06
Digimon Rumble Arena
Digimon Rumble Arena is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Bandai in association with Hudson Soft for the PlayStation video game console. Players are able to choose from up to 24 characters (fifteen of which need to be unlocked) from the Digimon Adventure and Digimon Tamers seasons of the Digimon anime, such as Terriermon, Agumon, Gatomon, and Renamon.
68
/100
07
THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
The game brings back the team play composed by three characters each that was a tradition in previous games. The game has also several important changes in the gameplay, like the "Free Cancel System" or "Max Mode System", the "Quick Emergency Evasion" and "Quick MAX Mode Activation", aside from the countless changes in each character's special moves and their properties.
67
/100
08
The Simpsons Wrestling
The Simpsons Wrestling is a sports video game and the only Simpsons game released for the PlayStation. There are 20 characters in the game, all of whom are voiced by the same actors that provide their voices in the show, and each character executes their own exclusive moves and gestures and power moves in the wrestling ring. The matches take place in detailed 3D locations from Springfield. A round in the game ends when one wrestler pins their opponent for a three count. Two victorious rounds wins a match. Unlike in traditional wrestling rules, the opponent may be pinned belly-down.
32
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Fighting game of 2001?
Super Smash Bros. Melee currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 1,071 ratings. Ranking updated September 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.