A List of the best martial arts video games
When it comes to video games, there’s very little coverage of martial arts. However, there are a few stand out games that feature martial arts and cover the differing styles. Of course, you’re likely to find fighting in the UFC games and similar titles, however – the cultural side of martial arts has also been looked at in some other video games that delve into the history and philosophy of fighting styles.
So, if you like your video games and martial arts then you have come to the right place. Ranging from early releases on the NES to modern PS4 games – this has you covered.
Table of Contents
Kung Fu NES
Back in 1984, one of the first ever martial arts video games was released. This was called Kung Fu and was a hit on the NES. Here, you played as a martial artist who had to rescue his girlfriend by literally fighting your way through a dojo. By today’s standards, it may not exactly be exciting, but it was a pioneer in terms of introducing martial arts into the world of video games. By Kung Fu, this mostly meant using Karate kicks and blocks to defeat your enemies.
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International Karate PS1
Another old school video game is International Karate. The storyline involves an international Karate tournament and as you may have gathered, the fight system is solely based on Karate. Sadly, this game hasn’t aged too well but remember, it’s over 20 years old. However, if you’re a Karate fanatic then it may be worth playing. Like Kung Fu, International Karate is also a 2D game so don’t expect too much. Nonetheless, it’s still a piece of history that paved the way for later fighting games.
Jade Empire Xbox
Arguably one of the best martial arts games ever is Jade Empire. Released for the original Xbox, this really did pay attention to detail and was set in the Chinese Shaolin era. Here, you would use Kung Fu to defeat your enemies with a number of weapons that were used at the time. These included fans, qiang spears, jian swords, and many more.
With a solid combat system and an engaging storyline – it made for an overall great game. Sadly, Jade Empire never developed into a series and its era has long gone. Still, if you’re into good games and martial arts, Jade Empire is at the top of the list.
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Sleeping Dogs PS3
Perhaps one of the most interactive martial arts games out there is Sleeping Dogs which was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360. This game is an RPG and is a bit like Grand Theft Auto, but it was set in Hong Kong. As we all know, Hong Kong has a rich history of martial arts and was where Bruce Lee resided.
Anyway, what sets this game apart is the combat system that really feels like you’re doing martial arts. Unlike most video games, it’s not clunky and feels natural. Arguably, Sleeping Dogs is the closest that you will feel to fighting within a video game. This mostly involves kicks and punches, as well as using weapons and gang fights.
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UFC 3 PS3
Although UFC games have been going for some time, it was the third in the series that caught fans’ attention. This game hit all the right notes when it came to a realistic fighting system. Sadly, releases since UFC 3 have changed the controls which was to the dismay of fans. One key thing about this game was its use of grappling. Whilst stand-up fighting has been figured out in video games for years, ground fighting (sweeps, submissions and escapes).
If you’re a fan of grappling in particular, then UFC 3 is probably the best game ever released to involve wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. Furthermore, it’s definitely the best ever MMA game released. Whilst it may not have much competition in this arena, it’s still a positive and it still holds up well today.
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Mortal Kombat PS1
Known for its overly gruesome cinematics and over the top death scenes, Mortal Kombat pulled no punches when it came to fighting. However, it wasn’t just mindless violence and all of the Mortal Kombat PS1 games were great fun without taking them seriously. There is actually a martial arts background within the lore of Mortal Kombat. For instance, the original Scorpion knew Ninjutsu and was a Ninja, whilst other fighters in the series have also bought different disciplines to the series.
The Mortal Kombat series still lives on today and has lasted the test of time. Arguably though, it was the PS1 era that was the best for the Mortal Kombat franchise.
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Street Fighter SNES
Although there are loads of arcade fighter games, there are very few that had an eye for detail like Street Fighter. For instance, each fighter had their own distinct style, with the likes of Ken and Ryu doing Judo throws and Karate kicks. The idea behind Street Fighter was that it was originally an international fighting tournament. So, it makes sense that they took from a variety of styles and disciplines.
What’s more, the control system in Street Fighter was fairly advanced for its time. You could opt to button bash, but more intricate combos would often get you better results, thus resulting in skilled players. Still going strong today, the Street Fighter series continues to add more martial artists and styles as the years go by.
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Yakuza Like A Dragon PS4
Moving on to the modern era, the Yakuza Like A Dragon is a video game that really utilizes martial arts. Here, each character can pick a profession that is directly correlated to a certain discipline of martial arts. As the title suggests, this game is surrounded by the Yakuza world, which is set in Japan. It’s no coincidence that Japan is regarded as one of the founding countries of martial arts so this addition makes sense.
For instance, a character can specialize in weapons, kicks, or other styles. This is a pretty big nod to martial arts which isn’t really seen too much in other video games.
