Top 3 Fighting Games of 2017

1) Street Fighter 5

Despite a rocky launch, Street Fighter 5 still holds healthy weight as one of the best competitive fighting games of 2017. Akuma gets a Mufasa hairdo and badass new combos, and all the fan favorites sans Sagat (for some horrible reason) return to the fray. I will admit, this game's online mode is still awful, but the fighting game mechanics still hold up from Street Fighter IV.

2)

Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3

Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3 had shoddy DLC practices, by charging players for content already on the disk, as Angry Joe dutifully exposed (and without Megaman?!?!):

Despite the fact that the absence of Megaman (big mistake Capcom) Marvel VS Capcom 3's game mechanics are still satisfying in their execution and fluidity. Its a shame Capcom's shady DLC tactics took lots of opportunities away from this game. Because the core mechanics that made Marvel VS Capcom 2 amazing as a fighter are still here, it's just this game fails to live up to its massive hype, but this by no means makes it a bad game, just far from its prequel's level of quality. Just don't expect an amazing online mode unless they make you buy another version :( In case you couldn't tell, despite great games in 2017, 2017 was also a year of mediocre to poor releases far exceeding the best games.

3) Tekken 7

And now I present the BEST OF THE BEST!!! Between these three entries, I had no other choice but to name Tekken 7 the fighting game of the year! Everything about Namco's latest entry reeks of polish and perfectionism. This game combines all of the most excellent elements that make both Soul Calibur and Virtual Fighter amazing and throws them into a superhuman blender! Combos execute silky smooth as butter, running at 4K resolution! 

Best of all, Street Fighter's legendarily broken Akuma joins the fray, with all of his signature Dark Hadou powers, including the Raging Demon! But every single fighter in Tekken 7 feels impressive. The combat is simple to learn, profoundly skill gap learning curve with deep mechanics that only the best gamers will master. Every single stage looks incredible; the environments range from ninja warrior temples to snowcapped battlefields and fiery volcanoes! The polish from Namco is off the charts, and the online mode is the best of 2017, with little input lag! Tekken 7 is without a doubt, the fighting game of the year in 2017, and an incredible entry, solidifying Namco as the current king of fighting games.

P.S: Honorable mention to the Super Smash Bros game on the Wii U, which is a fantastic game, better than Super Smash Bros Brawl, but the Wii U sucked and flopped hardcore. Hopefully, the much better Nintendo Switch, and a great Super Smash Bros entry can turn the tide as deserved!