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Versus fighting video games
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===Continued relevance: late 1990s=== In the latter part of the 1990s, the fighting game genre began to decline in popularity, with specific franchises falling into difficulty. ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' awarded the excess of fighting games the "Most Appalling Trend" award of 1995.<ref name="egmbuyersguide1995">{{Citation |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1995 |month= |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide |journal= |volume= |issue= |pages= |id= |url= |accessdate=2009-01-09 |quote= }}</ref> Although the release of ''[[Street Fighter EX]]'' introduced 3D graphics to the series and continued the success of ''Street Fighter II'' and ''Street Fighter Alpha'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198825-street-fighter-ex-plus-alpha/index.html |title=Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha for PlayStation |publisher=GameRankings |date=1997-09-30 |accessdate=2011-06-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/152/152120p1.html |title=Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha - PlayStation Review at IGN |publisher=Uk.psx.ign.com |date=1997-10-26 |accessdate=2011-06-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Imagine+Media%27s+PSM+Names+Top+25+PlayStation+Games+of+All+Time.-a050215867|title=Imagine Media's PSM Names Top 25 PlayStation Games of All Time|date=2011-08-03|accessdate=2011-05-19|publisher=Imagine Media}}</ref> the ''[[Street Fighter: The Movie]]'' arcade game was regarded as a failure. ''Street Fighter: The Movie'' used digitized images from the [[Street Fighter (film)|''Street Fighter'' film]] starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.<ref name="sfhistory" /> While a home video game also titled ''[[Street Fighter: The Movie]]'' was released for the [[PlayStation]] and [[SEGA Saturn]], it is not a port but a separately produced game based on the same premise.<ref name=aac288>''All About Capcom Head-to-Head Fighting Game 1987-2000'', pg. 288</ref> Capcom later released ''Street Fighter III'' in 1997 which featured improved visuals and character depth, but was also unable to match the impact of ''Street Fighter II''.<ref name="sfhistory" /> Despite excitement in Japan over ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' in arcades, the limited hardware capabilities of the [[SEGA Saturn]] led SEGA to delay a console release.<ref name="segahistory" /> SEGA eventually released the game for its [[Dreamcast]] console,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/dreamcast/action/virtuafighter3tb/news.html?sid=2448719 | title = Dreamcast Virtua Fighter 3 Ships | publisher = GameSpot | accessdate = 2008-10-12 }}</ref> but the company became unprofitable and was forced to discontinue the console.<ref>{{Cite news |title=SEGA Scraps the Dreamcast |month=January |publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1145936.stm|accessdate=2008-08-22 | date=2001-01-31}}</ref> [[Data East]] returned to the genre in 1995 with ''[[Avengers in Galactic Storm]]'', the first fighting game to feature assistant characters commonly referred to by gamers either as "helpers" or "strikers". Meanwhile, [[SNK]] released several fighting games on their [[Neo Geo]] platform, including ''[[Samurai Shodown II]]'' in 1994, ''[[Real Bout Fatal Fury]]'' in 1995, ''[[The Last Blade]]'' in 1997, and annual updates to their ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' franchise.<ref name="The History of SNK">{{Cite web | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6089278/index.html | title = The History of SNK | publisher = GameSpot | accessdate = 2009-01-12 }}</ref> ''[[Garou: Mark of the Wolves|Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves]]'' from 1999 was considered one of SNK's last great games,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/dreamcast/action/fatalfurymarkofthewolves/review.html | title = Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves Review | publisher = GameSpot | author = Andrew Seyoon Park | date = 11-05-2001 | accessdate = 2008-11-12 }}</ref> and the company announced that it would close its doors in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2001/p3_16.html | title = The Best and Worst of 2001 - BEST FIGHTING GAME | publisher = GameSpot | year = 2001 | accessdate = 2008-11-12 }}</ref> In retrospect, multiple developers attribute the decline of the fighting genre to its increasing complexity and specialization. This complexity shut out casual players, and the market for fighting games became smaller and more specialized.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/rare-may-do-new-killer-instinct | title = Rare "may do" new Killer Instinct | author = Johnny Minkley | date = 2008-11-26 | accessdate = 2008-11-28 | publisher = EuroGamer }}</ref><ref name = "sf4interview">{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3791/saving_street_fighter_yoshi_ono_.php?page=2 | title = Saving Street Fighter: Yoshi Ono on Building Street Fighter IV | publisher = GamaSutra | accessdate = 2008-10-12 }}</ref> Furthermore, arcades gradually became less profitable throughout the 1990s due to the increased technical power and popularity of home consoles.<ref name="essential50" /><ref name="The History of SNK" /> Even as popularity dwindled, the fighting game genre continued to evolve; several strong 3D fighting games also emerged in the late 1990s. [[Namco]]'s ''[[Tekken]]'' (released in arcades in 1994 and on the PlayStation in 1995) proved critical to the PlayStation's early success, with its [[Tekken series|sequels]] also becoming some of the console's most important titles.<ref>{{Cite web | author = Gerstmann, Jeff | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/action/tekken3/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review | title = Tekken 3 Review | publisher = GameSpot | date = 1998-03-30 | accessdate = 2009-01-11 }}</ref> The [[Soul Calibur (series)|''Soul Calibur'' series]] of weapon-based fighting games also achieved considerable critical success, beginning with 1995's ''[[Soul Edge]]'' (known as ''Soul Blade'' outside of Japan) to ''[[SoulCalibur V]]'' in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web | author = Robertson, Ed | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/action/soulblade/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review | title = Soul Blade Review | publisher = GameSpot | date = 1997-04-03 | accessdate = 2009-01-11 }}</ref><ref name="soul4">{{Cite web | author = Calvert, Justin | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/soulcaliburiv/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review&page=2 | title = Soulcalibur IV Review | publisher = GameSpot | date = 2008-07-31 | accessdate = 2009-01-11 }}</ref> ''Soul Edge'' was also the first [[motion capture]] based video game created by using passive optical system markers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.motioncapturesociety.com/resources/industry-history |title=History of Motion Capture |publisher=Motioncapturesociety.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-10}}</ref> [[Tecmo]] released two new fighting games around the same time, ''[[Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes]]'' (released in 1996 in arcades and 1997 on the PlayStation) and ''[[Dead or Alive]]'' (released in 1996 in arcades and 1998 on the PlayStation). While ''Tōkidenshō Angel Eyes'' wasn't quite successful, ''Dead or Alive'' spawned a [[Dead or Alive series|long running franchise]], known for its fast paced control system and innovative counter attacks. The series again included titles important to the success of their respective consoles, the last released installment being ''[[Dead or Alive 4]]'' for the Xbox 360.<ref name="DOA4" /><ref>{{Cite web | author = Staff | url = http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/152/152306p1.html | title = Dead or Alive (PS) | publisher = IGN | date = 1998-03-27 | accessdate = 2009-01-12 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | author = Rorie, Matthew | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/features/freeplay/index.html?story=6142102&tag=result;title;2 | title = Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves... | publisher = GameSpot | date = 2006-01-09 | accessdate = 2009-01-12 }}</ref> [[Squaresoft]] developed several innovative fighting games in the late 1990's. In 1996, ''[[Tobal No.1]]'' introduced an adventure ([[beat 'em up]] / [[action-adventure]] / [[action RPG]]) mode, which has since appeared in many other fighting games. In 1997, ''[[Bushido Blade]]'', published by [[Square (company)|Square]] and developed by their former subsidiary [[Bergsala Lightweight|Light Weight]], introduced a realistic fighting engine that featured three-dimensional environments while abandoning time limits and health bars in favour of an innovative Body Damage System, where a sword strike to a certain body part can amputate a limb or decapitate the head.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top 25 Beat-'Em-Ups: Part 1|work=Retro Gamer|date=2 October 2009|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/434/top-25-beat-em-ups-pt-1|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110714203743/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/434/top-25-beat-em-ups-pt-1|archivedate=2011-07-14|accessdate=2011-03-17}}</ref> The game was considerably more realistic than any fighting game that had come before.[http://www.1up.com/features/japanese-games-turned-genres-ears] In 1998, Squaresoft released [[Ehrgeiz]], a free-roaming arena-style fighting game, paving the way for later free-roaming fighting games such as ''[[Power Stone]]'' in 1999 and even [[Multi-player online battle arena video games|MOBA]] games such as ''[[League of Legends]]'' in 2009. Video game enthusiasts took an interest in gaming crossovers which feature characters from multiple franchises in a particular game.<ref name="financialexpress" /> An early example of this type of fighting game was the 1998 arcade release ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes]]'', featuring [[comic]] book superheroes as well as ''Street Fighter'' characters.<ref name="sfhistory" /> In 1999, [[Nintendo]] released the [[Super Smash Bros.|first game]] in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. series|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, which allowed match-ups such as [[Pikachu]] versus [[Mario]].<ref name="financialexpress">{{Cite web | url = http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Nintendo-designs-fighting-game-for-its-Wii-console/284337/ | title = Nintendo designs fighting game for its Wii console | publisher = The Financial Express | accessdate = 2008-10-12 }}</ref>
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