The font and stylization of the clock timer.

For a casual like me: Fun factor, great characters, gamemodes/content, lore

Oddly enough I always look forward to a fighters backstory, always truly enjoy that,

Good characters, sound design, art style and character options are definitely some things that make me love fighting games. FighterZ, Smash, Skullgirls and MVC are some good examples of this

Max: "I'll give any fighting game a chance" Clay Fighter, SNES: Enters the room ⛄

Characters is the most important part to me.

All I know is, a good, fitting soundtrack is really important in fighting games. If the music is lackluster, the whole experience suffers as a result.

As someone who is just now getting into fighters I would say my favourite part is how labbing breeds discovery and curiosity which then makes you actually want to go into matches to see how well you can execute the things you've been practicing. It's also through that discovery that a person can show their unique playstyle with that character.

Characters, Animations and Art-style, which is why I can't wait for Strive.

its really nice to see "real talk" back, i hope he brings back "boss rage" one day.

For me its how satisfying it feels to hit someone. Whether it's big damage or just a visual thing, the most important thing in fighting games has to be how fun is it to just press buttons and hit them

The presentation. Particularly the artwork, lore, and the soundtrack. I feel like music makes up the majority of any video game, but especially fighting games.

The Experience and self satisfaction from playing

Really loving these Max Talks. His insights on fighting games are always great to listen and understand. Thanks for helping people like me who know almost nothing about fighting games give these games a chance to try them out.

As a wise man once said. "Fighting games are, something, so great."

I love fighting games for lore, unique characters, and obviously gameplay.

My only metric is the round announcer's voice.

Tekken 7, KI, and Dbfz were my favorite fighting games from the last generation of consoles. Back then, I wasn't too big on fighting games until T7 released, that's when i started playing fighting games

I think single player content is vastly overlooked in fighting games personally NetherRealm, ArcSys and Bandai Namco are like the only ones that give a shit as of recently imo

for me it's the fact that i'm the one leveling up instead of the characters, to feel that i'm getting better at it feels great, it's my main reason to love fighting games, now within fighting games, the first things is mechanics, it doens't matter if it's crazy fast or slow combo heavy or not, as long as the mechanics are rich (for lack of a better term) that will make me play the game.

When a friend asked me why I liked fighting games so much two weeks ago, I told him that I did because I love to pass time with people but I am not too good with words. A fighting game is like an alphabet. Fighting is like speaking. It's a language. A form of complex personal interaction that we learn over time. As time passes, we get better at communication, we anticipate each other movements and we respond faster. It makes sense. I really love to communicate using fighting games. Each fighting games offers different ways to communicate and express yourself. It's so amazing.

I absolutely love the fact that many people around the world have a different playstyle and pick and main certain characters because it either suits their playstyle or they just look cool, I also love when a game gives you so many options with each character that you yourself has to discover and master.

Love the use of Makoto's theme in the background.

SINGLE PLAYER CONTENT is so important! Especially to bring in the more casual folks. To KEEP those casual folks you need a broad roster and mechanics that allow for personal expression. Great netcode (rollback) is essential to retain players as well. Frequent updates keep players coming back. Even if they aren't going to play it every day, they'll at least check in after an update. Interactive tutorials to help ppl at least feel like they understand the game at more than a surface level. Those are my thoughts on what fighters need.

My friends used to laugh at me when I was getting into them because I kept on losing end would rematch a person whooping my but over and over. I told them I’m learning and they said the would get mad losing like that. Fighting games takes patience and is humbling in my opinion. No matter how much better o got there was always another who was better than me. Love fighting and the constant learning that goes with it

The competitive aspect along with the thrill of getting a combo off in a match.

I love it when a fighting game is easy and simple enough for me to actually pick up because I suck at fighting games.

I just want cool characters that have unique playstyles and dope combos... which is probably why I'm looking forward to KOFXV so much

Freedom of expression seems to only exist nowadays in obscurity, playing characters that no one ever sees or is not exactly understood since no one attempts to learn them outside the surface level.

Tons of options, quick decisions, expressions of personalities, and charming characters? I hope Max could try kof 13 earlier when there are enough players make the net code not a big issue.

For me, it's always been the visuals and characters that gets me into a Fighting game, especially as a kid. What keeps me playing most is option-filled gameplay, a multitude game modes/content, and tbh nowadays lore. Great sound design/music also helps. As a creator myself now, I _love_ when a fighting game (or any game really) goes in on it's story like Guilty Gear. For example, I never really liked GGs Raven too much, until I read his lore a couple days ago. Now I think he's rad.

Characters are the most important to me. I got into fighting games through Marvel Superheroes. The idea of pitting my favorite characters against each other hooked me.

I just like the thrill of the fight itself. The outcome doesn’t matter. Everything thats in between the “FIGHT” and “KO” is what really matters.

Underrated factor/opinion, but soundtrack can make a huge impact on a fighting game. That’s why 3rd strike is my favorite fighting game I don’t think there’s another fighting game with a great soundtrack aside from tekken 5

Don’t get to catch streams very often but I love these real talk videos and always love seeing different peoples points of view on why they love what they love

The combos and how they can make you feel powerful like when you see a fighter and tell yourself no matter how many prizes you have won, you have never fought against me.

This oughta be good. Long talks from Max are pretty enjoyable

I like characters with personality, a good story, variety of mechanics, good netcode, and just something thats sheer fun really

Variety. I love to experiment and find what fits my playstyle perfectly.

First and foremost badass characters with great design and attacks, GG is the best at creating visually appealing characters imo.

I've been working on the side with the concept for a fighting videogame. It really helps learning a bit from here and there about what the people find amazing in them. We'll see how it comes out in a future.

Honestly vastly different and interesting character identities are what initially draws me in, and then the mechanics themselves being well balanced, and allowing for a decent amount of outplay potential keeps me hooked. I'm also a sucker for fun and interesting combo structures and music that gets you in the mood to mess fellas up.

I really resonated with what you said about combos and expressing yourself. it's funny that you chose that clip of us playing too

Max, it's beautiful hearing you talk about fighting games. That's passion.

I have been WAITING for this!!! Much love Max!!!

The characters & their moves & stories.

What always hooks me is the characters. What keeps me there is finding one thing I can do or have that never gets old. From the mere existence of certain characters like Ryougi in Melty Blood, Akatsuki in UNI/BBTAG, or Ragna and the Terumis in Blazblue, to certain moves like Vegeta Blue's command grab, the Rising Storm, or Cassandra's shield punch from her Angel Step, to mechanical things like movement and positioning in 3D fighters other than Tekken, or hurtling across the screen in airdashers, if there's something I can always have fun experiencing, I will always come back for some games.

For me, fun mechanics are great and I like exploring that, but the thing that pulls me in is the great characters with a back story/personality that they bring with them into each match. That plus each player’s head canon are expressed through the mechanics and that alchemy creates such a pure 1 minute story. I can’t get enough of how effective that simplicity is. (Plus dope art)

I have recently been getting heavily into XRD, and im learning something new about my characters every single day... Playing Sol or Ky or Raven, I feel like theres so much to the game in terms of variety, comboroutes and the neutral is very satisfying and fun. The game just fascinates me on so many levels its crazy, im thinking about the game when not playing it and wondering if i can this or that and so on. It also helps that its one of the most beautiful games out there, and its got hella good music. Probably the fighting game that has grabbed me the most since ive gotten into fighting games, and ill never stop playing it even after strive comes out which im also super stoked about!

I always loved the little details that would be put in fighting games. For example in KOF 94, parts of King's clothes come off after you beat her lol. Other than that, good story and character interactions are a must.

Characters, combos, and good online, easily. The feeling of satisfaction I get when I execute a hype-as-fuck combo, watching my opponent's healthbar just slowly disappear, it's what I live for in fighting games. Especially if I'm using a character I love and especially when playing against someone else.

I want to make video games, it’s my dream, I want make fighting games too, like Max it’s my favourite genre in the industry and I want to make a great wacky, fast and addictive fighting game, creativity is my passion. I can’t wait for my future which will hopefully arrive

The first fighting game I ever played was Tekken 2 and one of the things that grew me was reading each characters story in the manual and seeing their ending cutscenes. Also being I grew up watching anime, first one being DBZ and loving Enter the Dragon, I just loved the idea of fighting game characters attending a tournament. As I got older and understand mechanics more and with the rise of online gaming, I grew to look for good netcode. But in general, I hope for a fighting game to give me cool characters with a possibly interesting back story. MK is amazing for this with it's story mode and I just hope devs in the future will consider better story modes just to give an extra amount of fun along with the base game.

So I feel like characters have always been the reason I want to start a game. With Guilty Gear especially I knew nothing about it and then a friend showed me axl and now Strive is my most anticipated game in a while. Mechanically I’m not the best so games that you can build a bear your combos is always appreciated to help me learn and get comfortable with the more advanced moves in the game. That’s a reason I love tekken and Eddie especially.

As someone who's not into playing fighting games but I love to watch people play fighting games, it's definitely the characters backstory, the way that certain game has a unique gameplay mechanics that's only available in that certain game or series, and of course, how cool looking they are when they are doing combos.

THE MUSIC!! When the soundtrack goes off right at the best time in the round is something else. Third strike did this the best with the best fighting game soundtrack in my opinion.

I personally really love DOA, the combos and gameplay feel so good especially since I grew up with DOA2-4, and I'm quite sad that it's pinned as the sexy fighter that no one takes seriously, and when they tried to go serious in DOA6, it completely flopped (Although them having a lack of content made it flop harder). The others don't really do it for me, like I love Mortal Kombat, but I can only play it for like a few hours, same other fighting games, except Injustice 2, which I constantly played. Hoping VF5US and KOFXV help me break my fighting game limbo where I can't really get into them anymore even though I love them.

Listening to these talks while drawing is great.

You had me with the Thumbnail. Haha! Also love 3rd Strike.

For me, it’s probably the characters more than anything. I enjoy fighting games a lot, and have for many years, but I’m not great at the more technical aspects - even just cancelling! But when it comes to characters, I think that’s what sets most games apart and keeps me coming back. Favourite characters that are fun to play as and that you get to know and enjoy seeing with their unique abilities and personalities. 😊 Mind you, in a fighting game that was kind of early for me like Battle Arena Toshinden on PS1, it’s also other things like the style of the stages (having ring outs be a sheer drop) and the fireball effects which look so cool to me, especially when you can shoot them from very high up above, like Mondo can.

for me it is the rapid chess in place and mind domination going on.

For me it's more simple: Aesthetics/Music, Unique Characters, and Easy to get into but challenging to master gameplay Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, KOF, Battle for the Grid, and Guilty Gear check off most of those boxes for me :) (Also I still love the aesthetics and most characters in MK11, MKX is great too but I don't like the run/stamina inputs and how tight combos are to execute, but KOF essentially made me love figuring out what normals or specials cancel into each other)

I love when moves and blocks have impact. Like Ryu's heavy down punch that he uses to OTG in BftG. You can see the power behind it. I love that shit. I also love fast paced and combo heavy, but not dial-a-kombo heavy. The idea of being able to express myself through *how* I play a character is so fun. And I love characters with surprises. Like Iron Tager. He's always my main in any BlazBlue. I didn't like the "big, heavy" types until I played him and realized how possible it was to take such a huge guy and still zip around the screen in my own way, even though he doesn't have any sort of a dash.

Unga bunga is what makes a fighting game great.

What makes a fighting game great: Street fighter 3 third strike

I think having interesting characters is always going to be the biggest thing for me, but in addition I also love when a fighting game has quality music, character animations, and stages. I spent a lot of time just playing fighting games solo growing up since I didn't go to arcades or have friends over often, so having music I could vibe to accompanied with some visually engaging stages really kept me playing after having the initial interest in the character designs. And then of course having some sick character animations that helped bring the characters and the fight to life aided to that engagement.... that probably applies to more than just fighting games tbh. After that, then it's all the gameplay options, mechanics, and decision making that makes a fight extremely fun (or extremely un-fun depending on implementation) to play/watch. To an extent, those aspects sort of mesh into enjoying characters and their animations. When there's varied options and mechanics in the game, it leads to seeing more actions from a character during the course of a fight. Naturally, the player expresses the character through each action they're able to take. That leads to a flow of battle that's more overall visually enjoyable and engaging since more of the character is able to be shown/expressed via gameplay options. ...as opposed to seeing a 100 hit combo of the same 3 stale moves that the receiving character has no options to do anything about on a bland stagnant atmosphere-less stage... I'd download the ost tho if it hits. Granted that's just how I feel from thinking off the top of my head. If I took time to really consider all the parts of a fighting game, maybe there are some other things that are actually more important to me.

Visuals, creativity of the world and the theming in Fighting games is what I love the most. I may not be good at many games but I love studying them.

We just need capcom vs snk 3 (not counting chaos)

I love fighting games for the interesting characters and their designs, music, and mechanics. If a fighting game doesn’t have good characters and mechanics I’m not gonna like it that much. Some of my favorite fighting games are Skullgirls and Tekken 7

The characters, basically... having them stand out from each other, that feeling of "this one really suits me" that comes and doesn't go away, no matter how shitty they nerf them and what not

For me its the characters and the options the crazy combos and most of all in my personal opinion discovering cool stuff outside of practiceroom

I kinda left SFV after its first year at EVO, I'm considering getting back into it once I move to Japan. The original reason I stopped playing fight games after 7 years of SF4 was that I just stopped enjoying it and I didn't meet as many great people as I would have liked to. With a lot of hobbies I think its the people who bring value to it.

Playing Street Fighter 3rd Strike Got Me Into All Fighting Games !

One thing I think is often underrated is movement. I'm a huge fan of being able to control movement and position freely. If a game feels too rooted and pokey I have trouble getting into it even with great character designs. It's one of the reasons my pet peeve is games that use inputs involving directions like the common quarter-circle/back-forward specials, or holding back to block. We have enough buttons on the controller now to no longer need those.

This video means a lot to me. I’m designing a fighting board game and trying to incorporate everything someone like Max would love and appreciate to offer a different sort of experience. Notes were taken!

it sounds like you describe Skullgirls, why dont you play it more? One character "Squiggly" can do like 2 resets a second and its nuts. You also mention speed and options, Skugs has so damn many, still new combos and routes are discovered after years.

Animation and character design. The characters need to have fun and weird designs and they need to feel like they have weight behind their movements.

I enjoy the characters, the feel and technical level of how the fighting game plays and what you can do, and the competitive nature and hype that comes with one player going against another.

The reason I struggle to stick with a lot of fighting games is because very few have a character that I like from both an aesthetic and gameplay perspective. I typically wouldn't see myself playing Birdie in Street Fighter V, but I love that stupid oaf to bits so I learned how to make him work with my habits and quirks. Conversely, while I like using Celica A. Mercury in BlazBlue, I don't get much out of her character so it's difficult for me to want to improve. Team games I go by a rule I remember you saying a few years back: one character's for aesthetic, one's for gameplay, and (if it's three-on-three) one's for both.

What makes a fighting game great?....Chun Lee's impressive thighs would be a great start 🤔

Fast paced, expressive, and stylish. I don't feel I have to mention fun lol. Started on SF4 and it wasn't my taste. Then I got UMVC3 and I fell in love with fighting games. I'm not great but damn these games are too much fun even if I get my ass beat.

I’m a big fan of of gattlinga and combos, I also like fancy anime visuals and good sound designs, for characters. Anyone with a hit grab you can combo into has my heart

The music and how hardy a hit feels when it lands. CvS2 (Haohmaru Heavy Slash)

The one thing that makes a fighting game, or any multi-player game great, for that matter, is its user base and how well it supports the game, monetarily and participation-wise.

So Max said multiple times he likes fighting games with lots of options and decision making. Therefore we can conclude Max only likes fighting games with long combos and parries and just unjustifiably hates everything else. -Some guy in a forum probably

I think every aspect of a fighting game is important, but I feel the most important for me personally is mechanical hooks that let you do crazy shit with the game. Even if it’s something small like how characters can change the pace of their moves in or the counter mechanics in DoA. Those things make you think about what your opponent is doing more. Or the parry system and being able to build meter with wiffs in Third Stike (and a lot of other old Capcom games) Of course sound design, chasscter variety and modes are all super important too, but personally having fun and interesting options are the most important thing to me.

As someone who only had smash bros under their belt as fighting game experience, 6 months ago I had got BBTAG and DBFZ and playing those games made me realize how much I love just finding the weird things and combos a character can do I then taking it into matches. It makes me want to play way more fighting games too.

“That practice will make you a whole lot better.” .....pfft......pffffft haha haha man that’s funny. 😂

Arcade mode, female characters with personality (like Juri), and that's that.

That third strike OST in the background 🔥

The designs and art direction is what carries games for me. I’ve never played Rival Schools, but became an Akira main in SFV (a game I’m not in love with) and learned everything I could about Rival Schools because she looks so dope!

Creative combo routes/situations and a charming roster of characters. I tried to get into Skullgirls and Arcana Heart but can only play them for a little while cause the characters don't grab me as much as other fighting games. I.e Blazblue or Tekken.

Soul Calibur 6 is severely underrated

Characters are what really grab and hold me in fighting games. I love being Cap and throwing the shield, or throwing haymakers with Winter Soldier. I stay in for the moves. I love seeing the characters looking cool doing their badass moves.

Art style, music, and has to be fun! That's all that matters to me in a fighting game. Im 28, so I'm old enough to remember the last of the arcade days after the fighting game craze, but wasn't old enough to be there in the arcades when SF2 hit. Being at the arcade, the Bezel and cabinet artwork, and sound of the machine is what drew me in games like Marvel Vs Capcom at my local bowling alley, and Soul Calibur and Tekken 5 at the mall. And it still does! And the friendly rivalry is always fun. When playing a fighting game, friendly shit talking is a given lol

@Maximilian Dood can you use your influence to start a petition to bring back Marvel versus Capcom 2 with bug fixes? Or even contact your friends in the industry to let them know we want it back? Asking for a friend.

I love fighting games that aren’t “juggle heavy”( except Tekken). Because they just seem to lean towards hey I got the first hit not let me juggle you for half your hit points and you can’t do nothing about.

For me what grabs me the most, above all is the character roster someone that gets hyped to play as

Right now I really love having a level of expertise in a fighting game that allows for making any sort of decision making that comes after the "basics". It's a very general appeal and possible in most, if not all fighting games. However, when you don't have to think about the (for example) 'when to defend and attack' you can think about more specific reaction and answers to opponent behaviour. For executing on that sort of decision making always makes for the coolest experiences in a fighting game.

I think it’s a combination of things for me: Interesting characters, lots of game modes, great music, plenty of unlockables, and of course it needs to be fun to play. My two favorite fighting games of all time are Smash Bros. Melee and Soul Calibur II, and they nail every single one of those categories.