Summary
The FGC (Fighting Game Community) has been eating well ever sinceGuilty Gear Strivewas released back in June of 2021, ushering in many new fans to the genre for the first time andmaking them a permanent fans of the genre that will go on to check out all the latest releases.
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WithMortal Kombat 1being one of the latest releases that will surely bring another surge of newcomers into the genre, there will surely be questions of what else they should look into if they enjoyed the gruesomely rewarding nature of NetherRealm Studio’s pride and joy!
Updated July 05, 2025, by Seth Parmer:As Mortal Kombat 1 continues grabbing newcomers to the genre, we’ve decided to update this list to include two more must-play titles for those enjoying their time with the game, bringing us to a smooth ten recommendations!
Street Fighter 6is arguably one of the best releases this year, not only in the fighting game genre but in general, as it features a broad range of modes that can help ease newcomers into the genre before firmly latching onto them and dragging them into its Ranked Play that will have you hooked for life.
While it doesn’t have Assists like Mortal Kombat 1, it has a deep and rewarding Drive System thatallows you to express your favorite character through flashy and devastating combos,making it one of the best offerings for those who love that aspect of the game.
As touched on in the introduction of this list,Guilty Gear Strivereally kicked off what feels like the new age of fighting games and brought in many newcomers to the genre who became fans of the genre and members of the community for life.
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Due to this, it would be a disservice to exclude it from the list despite it not having much in common with Mortal Kombat 1. However,its unique roster and intuitive gameplaywill surely welcome those who want something a bit flashier and faster-paced.
Aside from Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios also has another fighting game series that is worth checking out, especially if you are enamored with your experiences in Mortal Kombat 1 and have a love for DC superheroes.
Injustice 2is an excellent title that offers a similar feel to Mortal Kombat 1 minus the addition of Kameos, making the encounters an actual one-on-one battle.This title is also on Xbox and PC Game Pass,making the player base more populated than expected for a fighting game released in 2017.
When Killer Instinct returned to the scene in 2013, no one expected it to be nearly as revolutionary or immensely fun as it was. And that remains the case to this day, a little over a decade later, making it a must-play title if you like the high-paced action and relentlessness of Mortal Kombat 1.
Not only that but it was announced earlier this year that Killer Instinct would receive a new patch sometime later this year, bringing its resolution to a crystal clear 4K and ushering in better matchmaking. All the more reason for you to give it the fair shake it deserves!
If your love of Mortal Kombat 1 comes from the whacky Assists and you want even more of that intensity, thenDragon Ball FighterZmight be what you’re looking for. However, what makes this a bit different is all three characters on your team are playable, making it a tag fighter rather than a pure assist-based one.
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What this means is that you will create a team of three fighters and can tag any of them into play throughout the match and can even have them assist you in battle in a similar fashion to what’s present in Mortal Kombat 1. Furthermore, you are not out of the battle until all three of your characters fall in battle, making it a much more involved team-based fighter!
To say thatTekken 7is a bit different than Mortal Kombat 1 would be an understatement, as it is the first and only 3D Fighter on this list, making it sort of stand out from the sea of all the phenomenal 2D Fighters. However, its weighty-ish nature and intoxicating Ranked Play make it a solid contender.
Though it will take you quite some time to adjust to it if you’ve never played a 3D Fighting Game before, Tekken has always had a unique way of pulling you in and never letting you go. And, with Tekken 8 on the horizon, you can get some experience under your belt leading up to its release!
Like Dragon Ball FighterZ, we haveSkullgirls 2nd Encore, another tag-based fighter with a twist separating it from all the rest, allowing you to select the size of your team, ranging from a solo character to a team of three, with each choice coming with pros and cons.
Unlike Dragon Ball or Mortal Kombat, your team size is not set in stone in Skullgirls 2nd Encore, allowing you to engage in the tag and assist systems if you want or throw caution to the wind and try overcoming the odds with one ‘super-powerful’ character, rather than two ‘high-powered’ characters or three ‘normal-powered’ ones.
3The King Of Fighters 15
Despite being a team-based fighter,The King of Fighters 15offers no tags or assists. Instead, you will select three characters for your team along with the order in which you want them to enter the battle, making the team composition much more crucial than the others listed.
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Some characters make excellent entry characters, while some serve as tremendous moderators, leaving the rest as potential anchors that excel at putting the match away if your other two characters fall in battle. The systematic nature of The King of Fighters 15 may be a bit daunting to newcomers, but the thrill and feeling of reward when everything clicks is second to none.
2Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
We’d love nothing more than to include Marvel vs. Capcom 2 here, but seeing as there is no real way to play it on modern hardware -legally- we opted to showcaseUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3instead, as it is still an excellent tag-based fighter with a decently active player base—at least, a more active one than Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
Nonetheless, the tag and assist-based featured here are similar to the previously mentioned Dragon Ball FighterZ, having you put together a team of three characters, allowing you to call upon their support or tag them into the battle entirely, making for a hectic and exhilarating experience.
Finally, we havePower Rangers: Battle for the Grid, a tag fighter that is reminiscent of the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 days,offering nonstop action with flashy characters, expressive combos, and a robust tag and assist systemthat acts similarly to Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Selecting your ‘Point’ character is just as important as the other tag-based fighters previously mentioned. Having you rotate in the other two provides a much-needed break for your main fighter to regenerate some of their health and return to the match, raring to go. If the assist-based elements of Mortal Kombat 1 speak to you in any way, give this excellent title a shot!
