There’s no better way to settle an argument, however small or petty it might be, than a round in your favourite fighting game.
Assuming both participants are gamers, of course, grabbing a controller and getting ready to square off against your opponent one-on-one is a great way to let off steam and level the playing field.
If you’re lucky enough to own a Nintendo Switch, you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to your preferred way to settle those arguments, too. There are lots of great fighting games available for the system, so choosing one can be a little difficult.
Here are the top 15 Nintendo Switch fighting games you can play right now!
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a tremendous celebration of all things Nintendo. It features tons of characters from across the developer’s storied history, including Mario, Link, Samus, and many more.
Plenty of third-party characters are also featured in the game, especially if you pick up the Fighters’ Pass DLC, which includes surprise additions like Persona 5’s Joker, Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth, and Minecraft’s Steve.
Of course, these characters are also represented with well-crafted stages that reflect their respective franchise’s history and quirks, making Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just as much of an interactive museum as it is a fighting game.
Luckily, the mechanics of this excellent platform fighter hold up as well, so if you’re in the mood for some fast-paced, ultra-fluid battling, make sure to add Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to your list.
2. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
Any fighting game fan worth their salt already knows all about Street Fighter, so it seems almost redundant talking about it, but suffice it to say that Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is the ultimate way to experience the franchise.
It packs in several classic entries from the series’ history, including Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter 3, and Street Fighter Alpha, and even features multiple versions of each title.
That means you’re getting a veritable treasure trove of tight, finely-tuned fighting game action in this collection, and since this is a retro package, the Switch is more than capable of handling things on the technical side.
If you have any interest whatsoever in the history of fighting games, this is an essential purchase.
3. Skullgirls 2nd Encore
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
With a wide range of characters to choose from and an absolutely gorgeous art style, Skullgirls 2nd Encore is a great option for fighting game fans looking for Switch games to check out.
This is perhaps the best fighting game on Switch if you’re looking for something that can truly level the playing field between beginners and those with a little more experience.
That’s thanks to fluid systems that never feel overwhelming, as well as a great tutorial that explains everything to players both old and new.
You’ll also find a bevy of other innovative and intriguing systems in Skullgirls, so make sure to check it out if you’re looking for what is arguably the future of the 2D fighter (outside of games like Guilty Gear, of course).
4. Dragon Ball FighterZ
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
If you’re a fan of the Dragon Ball series, then checking out FighterZ is something of a no-brainer. It’s an excellent 2D fighter developed by legendary studio Arc System Works.
The roster includes plenty of Dragon Ball favourites, including Goku, Frieza, Cell, and many more, and several others are available via DLC if you feel like dropping some extra cash.
Dragon Ball FighterZ does an impressive job of recreating the fast-paced, ridiculously over-the-top combat from the anime and manga series, so if you’ve ever wished you were inside the show, this is a great way to achieve that dream.
Just be aware that Dragon Ball FighterZ has a pretty high skill ceiling, so the gap between new players and practised veterans is going to show itself pretty quickly.
5. Mortal Kombat 11
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: Mature
The Switch port of Mortal Kombat 11 leaves a little to be desired compared to its bigger console brethren, but this is still a full-blooded and solidly playable port of an excellent fighting game.
While it’s fair to say that Mortal Kombat 11 has some rather unpleasant microtransaction practices going on, the core fighting engine is brutal, efficient, and surprisingly welcoming given the series’ hardcore history.
Mortal Kombat 11 isn’t one of those games that makes you spend hours on learning combos and other moves; everything’s pretty simple to pull off, including the franchise’s signature Fatality moves.
Relentlessly gory and violent, Mortal Kombat 11 definitely isn’t one for the faint of heart, but it’s great fun if you’re willing to go along with its almost childish brutality.
6. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
The cast of the Persona series is perfect fodder for fighting games; they’re unique fighters with Personas that lend themselves well to different fighting styles, so a fighting game spinoff was inevitable.
This is a sequel to the original Persona 4 Arena and features a number of enhancements and additions, including a new attack charge system and the ability to further customise play style using Shadows.
The roster features plenty of beloved Persona characters, including Junpei Iori, Rise Kujikawa, and Yosuke Hanamura, so if you’re a Persona fan – especially of the games released prior to Persona 5 – you’ll likely love this.
Again, Arc System Works had a hand in this game’s creation, too. That studio’s name will almost certainly crop up again before this list is through.
7. Pokken Tournament DX
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
A fighting game based on the Pokemon franchise has seemed like a no-brainer ever since the release of the original Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo 64, so Pokken Tournament’s existence makes perfect sense.
This Switch version features all of the fighters from the Wii U original, like Pikachu, Lucario, and Charizard, and adds in new fighters like the ghostly owl sniper Decidueye as well.
If you love Tekken, you’ll find lots to like in Pokken Tournament, which takes that franchise’s basic mechanics and applies them to Pokemon characters.
There’s no better way to feel like you’re really in the middle of a battle between two powerful Pokemon than by playing Pokken Tournament.
8. Arms
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
Okay, sure, so Arms doesn’t really fit the classical definition of a fighting game. After all, it’s more of a 3D arena brawler than a classic 2D one-on-one battler.
Still, we’d argue that Arms earns its place on this list by being a highly technical showcase of the moves of a diverse range of characters, and that it’s just as fun to get stuck into learning Arms’ many nuances as it is for other fighting games.
While the skill ceiling might be pretty lofty on this one, it’s just as fun to grab controllers and play with someone else who has no idea what they’re doing, leading to plenty of hilarious moments in the ring.
Arms continues to enjoy cult popularity even as the Switch is overrun with great fighting games, so check it out if you’re looking for something a little different.
9. Kirby Fighters 2
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
Were you even aware that Kirby Fighters 2 had been released? Honestly, we weren’t, and it’s a shame, because we missed out on a surprise hit.
Kirby Fighters 2 is a simple, stripped-back fighting game that features characters from the Kirby franchise. The pink blob himself is present and correct, of course, alongside erstwhile foes like King Dedede.
Mechanically, the game shares some surface-level similarities with Super Smash Bros., although you’re not going to get the same level of complexity from this game.
If you’re looking for a simpler fighting game that the whole family can enjoy, you could do a lot worse than Kirby Fighters 2, so give it some love and let’s make sure Nintendo makes another one!
10. Rivals of Aether
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
If you love Super Smash Bros. but feel like it can get a little too complex and visually busy for you, then Rivals of Aether is the game you should be checking out.
It’s a sort of pixel-based take on the platform fighter genre, which instantly makes its visuals crisp, clear, and easy to follow. You’re not going to get lost in the noise here, that’s for sure.
The characters are well-rendered and distinct, and each of them will suit a different play style, so it’s not likely anyone in your group is going to feel left out.
While Rivals of Aether doesn’t quite have Super Smash Bros.’ polish or sheer sense of joyful abandon, it’s still a great platform fighter that will slot nicely into any fighting game fan’s collection.
11. Them’s Fightin’ Herds
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
If you’re noticing some visual similarities between the art style of Them’s Fightin’ Herds and the visual aesthetic of My Little Pony, you’re not alone, and you’re on the money, too.
This game is actually a spiritual successor to an earlier title by the name of Fighting is Magic, which was an unreleased My Little Pony fan game. Obviously, the licence wasn’t available for Them’s Fightin’ Herds, but that hasn’t hurt the game.
This is a deep and accomplished fighter with deep and complex mechanics, but it’s also easy for beginners to pick up and play, which is an impressive feat to accomplish.
If you gave this one a miss because of the pony connotations, it’s well worth revisiting, especially if you’re looking for a widely accessible fighting game on Switch.
12. Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: T
Who among us can say they haven’t fantasised about playing an excellent Power Rangers fighting game since they were a child, eagerly consuming the show alongside a bowl of unhealthy cereal?
Well, with Battle for the Grid, that moment has finally come. This is a great fighting game that features plenty of characters from Power Rangers history, mostly focused around the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
This is a three-on-three fighter, so you’ll pick teams of three to do battle against one another, and since this is Power Rangers, Megazords will also show up to assist their associated fighters.
If you love Power Rangers in any of its forms, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
13. Fantasy Strike
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
Fantasy Strike is the perfect fighting game for anyone who feels like traditional fighters are just too complex and difficult to learn.
The game has been built from the ground up with the express purpose of focusing on character depth and play strategy rather than overly complicated button combinations.
This means that you can pick the game up and play it no matter what your skill level happens to be, but it also means that expert players won’t feel like they’re being left behind.
What’s more, Fantasy Strike is free to play, which means there isn’t even a cost barrier if you want to check it out.
14. Guilty Gear 20th Anniversary Edition
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
Guilty Gear is arguably one of the most exciting fighting game franchises of all time, and the studio responsible for it, Arc System Works, has gone on to become hugely influential in the genre.
There’s a good reason for that, as revisiting this Switch rework will show; Guilty Gear is simply a supremely stylish anime fighter with plenty of deep mechanics and systems to wrap your head around.
This is definitely not a fighter for those who like their fighting systems simple; it’s essentially the opposite of Fantasy Strike, delivering an experience that seems insurmountable at first glance.
Once you’re good at Guilty Gear, though, it’ll really sink its hooks into you.
15. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
- Genre: Fighting
- Audience: E
The original Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was a fun but rough fighting game that left a fair amount to be desired in terms of mechanical execution.
This sequel, however, manages to address many of the original’s problems, resulting in a smoother and more agreeable platform fighter experience.
It comes complete with lots of recognisable Nickelodeon faces, including Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Aang and Uncle Iroh, as well as characters from SpongeBob, Invader Zim, and many more.
It’s not going to set the world on fire, but this is a perfectly enjoyable platform fighter that should serve as a suitably anarchic alternative to Super Smash Bros. on your Switch.
