Having been exposed to numerous fighting games from different developers, I have a clear sense of what makes a quality fighting game. However, I give little thought towards what is is about fighting games that repeatedly draws me in and makes me want to keep playing. Is it fanservice? Roster size? Multiplayer? Content? Or is it just because I have a strong passion for the genre? Whatever the reason, why we play fighting games is completely subjective, because everyone has different preferences.

The main reason why I play fighting games is for the challenge of having to fully master every nuance the game has to offer. I think of fighting games as art in motion; instead of using a paintbrush and a canvas, you are using every tool at your disposal to create a visually stunning array of combos that not only are a joy to see, but also fun to actually make. Any game can display combos for you, and you just follow suit to "master" your character.

In addition, to those casual gamers who don't truly emmerse yourselves into fighting games because "it's too hard", "the people online are cheating", or "this game sucks!", GROW SOME DAMN BALLS! It's a fighting game! This is one of the most challenging and competitive genres out there, and takes more skill and execution than some certain game I know (*cough* *cough* Call of Duty). It's meant to challenge you, to see who was paying attention during the tutorial. It's not supposed to do everything for you, but give you every tool you need in order to be a true competitive player.

Being born in '96, I am not familiar with playing in arcades, so I cannot truly call myself a tournament-level player, because I'm always learning about new fighting games, so I have more fun in exploring the different titles and the fresh innovations each game has to offer. If I were to sit down with one of you and I were asked to describe my entire experience as a fighting gamer, we would be in the same conversation for hours upon hours. Keep in mind that I am trying to remain as objective as possible, but I am aware that a topic like this is mostly subjective, but there is truth in some of the things I am rambling about. You're not getting the most out of the experience if you don't sit down and take the time to hone your skills, so you can wreck shop as much as you please.

Before I end this blog, I cannot conclude this topic without discussing the main reason why most people buy fighting games: multiplayer! Playing against the CPU can be fun in short bursts and can range from exciting to infuriating on higher difficulties. However, nothing is as exciting as beating the crap out of someone right beside you or over the internet. Games such as BlazBlue and Persona 4 Arena have proven that fighting games can have a vast array of offline modes and simultaneously provide a stellar online experience, lag free, just as any fighting game should be.

In short, we all have different opinions on why fighting games are fun. For those who just love to mash buttons and spam the same safe move just to win, SHAME ON YOU, and actually take the time to improve your game. Now I'm not promising you that you will be invincible when you master a game. This genre is high risk for high reward, because you dedicate yourself to continuously ascend past your limits to achieve something you MIGHT gain. However, do not let that deter you from enjoying these games for all that they work. I mean come on, you spent your hard-earned money on the game, shouldn't you try to get your money's worth?

That's all I have to say. Please leave me some feedback, as this is my first blog on GameSpot and I'd love to hear from you on why you think fighting games are fun. Everything said here is my personal opinion, and I always love to discuss things like this with other people. This is where I bail, so later!

P.S. I'm watchin' you scrubs, PROS>n00bs! :twisted:

Publisher's Comment: EWWWW! I can't believe I wrote like this while in high school!