Fighting games are often surprisingly creative. Throughout the years, designers have added some truly strange elements – like the 2D Mr. Game & Watch character in Super Smash Bros. or the Mortal Kombatinspired Shaq-Fu*, which starred the basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. But a few fighting games really go above and beyond with their unique and unusual concepts.
From games featuring claymation fighters inspired by Street Fighter to cars battling characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, the most unusual fighting games often boast the most unforgettable character lineups. One game even playfully disregards copyright restrictions. Here are five of gaming’s strangest fighting game rosters, highlighting the characters that truly make them special.
Clay Fighter
The ClayFighter series, a uniquely quirky set of fighting games from Interplay, was remarkably popular. Four games were released between 1993 and 1998 for the Super Nintendo and Genesis. The games tell a story where a meteor made of alien clay crashes to Earth, transforming circus performers into strange new characters. As a playful take on popular fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, the series gained a dedicated fan base.
The series featured memorable characters like a grumpy snowman, an Elvis impersonator, an opera singer, and a goojitsu master who was just a blob. The original game was followed by two sequels and an exclusive expansion called ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut that was only available at Blockbuster Video. It’s notable that some of the most normal characters in the game were still pretty strange, like when Earthworm Jim joined the fight.
Ballz 3D
Released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, Ballz 3D was a really unusual fighting game. Instead of traditional characters, it featured stacks of balls battling each other, creating a strange, almost 3D look that made it different from other games of the time. However, its unique style was mostly due to its odd character shapes and clumsy animations.
The game featured a diverse cast of characters, from typical ones like bodybuilders and sumo wrestlers to more unusual choices, including a monkey that attacks with gas and a rhino. While reviewers initially praised the game’s creative style, they felt that the basic gameplay didn’t quite live up to its unique potential.
Crab Fighters
Released in 2020, Crab Fight is a unique fighting game that blends elements from several different titles. It features weapon-based combat similar to Soul Calibur, combined with a focus on precise timing and counterattacks reminiscent of Dark Souls. Players choose from 23 different types of giant crustaceans, each equipped with access to nearly 50 weapons, and battle it out to be the last crab standing.
The core of Fight Crab’s gameplay is a surprisingly addictive mechanic: flipping opponents onto their backs to expose their vulnerable underside for a finishing move. The game features a diverse cast of characters and plenty of ways to play. Originally available on Steam, it has since been released on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, and a sequel entered early access in 2024.
Fighters MegaMix
Sega AM2 created Fighters Megamix, a fighting game that combines characters from Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers. While it plays like many other fighting games of the time, such as SNK vs. Capcom, it’s best known for its many strange and hidden characters that players can unlock. It was released on the Sega Saturn.
The game features a surprisingly diverse cast of characters, including Bark and Bean from Sonic the Fighters, the cute, smaller versions of Akira and Sarah from Virtua Fighter Kids, and even Hornet, the car from Daytona USA. The game’s only truly original character is Deku, a green bean with a sombrero and maraca. Most uniquely, players can unlock the AM2 Palm Tree, a playful nod to the game developer’s logo.
Dong Dong Never Die
Perhaps the most unusual fighting game ever created, Dong Dong Never Die was a labor of love from a Chinese development team. It uniquely disregards copyright restrictions, resulting in a roster of incredibly strange and unexpected characters. Instead of using standard animation, the game’s fighters were made by taking thousands of photos and combining them to create the characters you control.
The characters in this game are strangely realistic, with bizarre abilities like summoning Optimus Prime or fighting with spray paint. It borrows heavily from other franchises, casting the Terminator as the main villain and letting players control characters like Mario and Ken from Street Fighter. Intentionally silly and unlike anything else out there, Dong Dong Never Die has even inspired a fan-made remake that makes the game even more absurd while improving how it plays.
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2026-01-03 21:16