2D Console Games

• Dozens of fighting games have appeared in 2D form across an array of different gaming consoles. With the advent of more advanced technology, most console fighting games now incorporate 3D elements. 2D fighting games defined the genre, however, with popular titles such as "Street Fighter II" being hailed by the Giant Bomb website as revolutionary. Other well-known franchises include the "Mortal Kombat" series, which depicted battles between sinister ninjas and monstrous fighters. These games allow two players to compete by plugging a second controller into the games console.
  
  

3D Console Games

• These games have appeared since the mid-1990s on gaming consoles, and allow multi-player gaming when two or more controllers are plugged into one console. 3D fighting games tend to offer realistic -- and sometimes interactive -- environments, along with advanced graphics and more gameplay options. The "Tekken" series is one prime example of this genre. It spawned its sixth incarnation in 2007 across multiple gaming platforms and features 41 playable characters.
  
  

Simultaneous Flash Games

• Some multiplayer fighting games are available online and can be played, for free, through a user's web browser. In these games, both players compete at the same time by sharing one keyboard and one monitor; players control their respective characters using different parts of the keyboard, such as the number pad or the directional arrows, to move and attack. "Box 10 Brawl" features street-dressed characters battling it out across both urban and exotic environments; "Bleach Versus" looks similar to "Box 10 Brawl" but contains combatants influenced by Japanese Manga art and offers interactive arenas.
  
  

Turn-based Online Games

• Some online web browser games allow two players to take part in proceedings on one computer, using a single keyboard, but not simultaneously. In these games, players take it in turns to attack or defend. "Soul Fighters" appears to be a traditional 2D fighting game, except that players are asked to select three choices each round, from a menu containing attack, defense and movement options. Once the second player has done the same, the computer shows the result of both players' decisions. In "Bazooka Battle," players aim and fire long-range missiles across the screen, in the hope of knocking their opponent's forces off a hill.