Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Gamescom 2025 schedule
  • Gamescom
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Tekken 8 screenshot
Fighting Games The 25 best fighting games you can play right now
Spider-Man, Storm, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man team up in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Fighting Games Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls makes some wild changes from the tag fighting games that have come before, teasing a single health bar per team and 3 assist options for every character
Dreamcast
Games The 25 best Dreamcast games of all time
Ultimate Sonic Smackdown key art
Sonic the Hedgehog Ultimate Sonic Smackdown is the latest banger dropped by the Sonic fan game community, and it's filling the Marvel vs Capcom void
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Fighting Games Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was initially more faithful to the comics, but Marvel encouraged the Guilty Gear Strive and Granblue Fantasy Versus studio to lean into its signature style
Best anime games: Oliver and Drippy looking at a book during the game Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.
Games The 20 best anime games to play in 2025
A screenshot of Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Mortal Kombat After 857 hours spent playing 8 RPGs this year, I'm finding solace from open world burnout in the most curious of genres
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Fighting Games Marvel Tokon devs want to push the whole tag-team fighting game genre forward with 4v4, and insist it's not that overwhelming: "Wait, do I have to practice four characters just to win?"
Best action games - God of War screenshot of Kratos facing off with a giant white dragon, holding a human head in one hand
Action Games 25 Best action games you can play right now
Tenet of the Spark appearing in Future Games Show
Fighting Games This fighting game lets you give your opponents a time-bending beat-down across three timelines at once
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Mortal Kombat "Notoriously obtuse hardware" meant Mortal Kombat 4 has "never accurately" come to home consoles, but Legacy Kollection found a way to preserve NetherRealm's full arcade roots
Street Fighter 6 screenshot on Switch 2 showing Mai going up against a truck on normal difficulty
Fighting Games I've played 200 hours of Street Fighter 6, and the Switch 2 version is a perfectly fine companion piece – even if it could never be the ideal platform
Superman flies up above Metropolis in the Superman Returns game
Games I've been searching for the best Superman games after watching the new James Gunn movie – here are my 7 favorites
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Fighting Games Move over Marvel vs. Capcom, PlayStation invited Arc System Works out for drinks and now we're getting a new tag fighter in the absolutely gorgeous Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Action Games I was already excited for Marvel Cosmic Invasion after the studio's incredible retro TMNT brawler, and 30 minutes of hands-on has me even more confident that the spirit of '90s arcade gaming is alive and well
  1. Games
  2. Fighting

The 27 most amazing fighting game backgrounds (without the fighting)

Features
By David Houghton published 14 February 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Time to clean things up a bit

Time to clean things up a bit

There's pixel art, and then there's pixel art. You might not realise it--understandable given how they're never the player's main focus--but fighting game backgrounds comprise some of the most impressive, most technically accomplished, and flat-out most artistically imaginative work in all of games. But no-one ever gets to appreciate how good they are, because of all the HUD gauges, health bars and actual fighting going on in front of them.

That's the ironic thing. A lot of this stuff is good enough to work as visual art entirely on its own, but the very nature of its existence means that that potential is always buried. Well no more. I've collated a gallery of some of my favourite fighting game background art, completely free of clutter, so click through, take your time over each one, and get a real look and feel for these places for the first time. And for the love of all that's scared and holy, please click on the 'expand' icon in the top-right of each image for the full-screen versions.

Page 1 of 29
Page 1 of 29
Marvel Super Heroes - Shuma Gorath

Marvel Super Heroes - Shuma Gorath

Because apocalyptic, skull-strewn wastelands can be picturesque too.

Page 2 of 29
Page 2 of 29
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift - Halloween

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift - Halloween

Creepy, yet cozy, and altogether, er, rosey? Look, I know they look more like poppies, but I had a contrived Addams Family gag to squeeze in. And I did. So move on.

Page 3 of 29
Page 3 of 29
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift - Rest Time Orient Town

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift - Rest Time Orient Town

Admit it. Wherever you live, Orient Town looks cooler.

Page 4 of 29
Page 4 of 29
Darkstalkers - Bishamon

Darkstalkers - Bishamon

Being on Bishamon's stage is like inhabiting the warmest, most festive Christmas card ever drawn. And then beating monsters' heads in on it.

Page 5 of 29
Page 5 of 29
Darkstalkers - Fetus of God

Darkstalkers - Fetus of God

You think that's nightmarishly vile, just wait 'til you see it move.

Page 6 of 29
Page 6 of 29
Darkstalkers 2 - Red Thirst

Darkstalkers 2 - Red Thirst

"Red desert at night, camel's delight. Until the moon crushes everyone, because they were all too occupied with how pretty it was to notice the impending danger."

Page 7 of 29
Page 7 of 29
Darkstalkers 2 - Vanity Paradise

Darkstalkers 2 - Vanity Paradise

Seven slides in and I'm already losing my ability to write amusing captions. Look, I've got 27 of these to do. But anyway, isn't this one lovely?

Page 8 of 29
Page 8 of 29
Darkstalkers 2 - War Agony

Darkstalkers 2 - War Agony

We have found what war is good for.

Page 9 of 29
Page 9 of 29
Guilty Gear X - Grove

Guilty Gear X - Grove

The municipal park of MC Escher's outdoor survivalist cheese-dreams.

Page 10 of 29
Page 10 of 29
Guilty Gear X - Hell

Guilty Gear X - Hell

The municipal planning meeting of Hieronymus Bosch's k-holes.

Page 11 of 29
Page 11 of 29
Guilty Gear XX - Frasco

Guilty Gear XX - Frasco

This probably took longer to design than the rest of the game. And Guilty Gear is a Hell of a deep game.

Page 12 of 29
Page 12 of 29
Guilty Gear XX - London

Guilty Gear XX - London

I was in the real London twice last week. This is far better than the real London. Far, far better. Real London, look upon this in shame. Think about what you could be if you made the effort.

Page 13 of 29
Page 13 of 29
King of Fighters '99 - Osaka

King of Fighters '99 - Osaka

I presume there's a Japanese journalist making similar comparisons to the real Osaka right now. But alas, I can't do that myself. I have not been to the real Osaka.

Page 14 of 29
Page 14 of 29
King of Fighters '99 - Rainy Park

King of Fighters '99 - Rainy Park

You have to see this animated. You just have to see this animated. You won't be able to die happy until you have.

Page 15 of 29
Page 15 of 29
King of Fighters XIII - London

King of Fighters XIII - London

I'm usually against stereotypical foreign representations of the UK in video games. But this one is so deliriously overloaded with sugar-rushing, cartoon Britishness that it gets a free pass. Also, it is better than the real London.

Page 16 of 29
Page 16 of 29
Marvel vs. Capcom - Moon Base

Marvel vs. Capcom - Moon Base

A spokesperson for NASA said, "This is the one thing we didn't want to happen."

Page 17 of 29
Page 17 of 29
Street Fighter Alpha 2 - Hong Kong Back-Alley

Street Fighter Alpha 2 - Hong Kong Back-Alley

Never has wretched urban decay been so damn beautiful.

Page 18 of 29
Page 18 of 29
Street Fighter Alpha 2 - Metro City

Street Fighter Alpha 2 - Metro City

Oh Mike Haggar. Always consigned to the background in Street Fighter games. It's the same in this year's Ultra Street Fighter IV. Guy and Cody are already in the roster. Get of your pampered local-government arse in gear and join them.

Page 19 of 29
Page 19 of 29
Street Fighter II - Dhalsim

Street Fighter II - Dhalsim

You're hearing the sound of roaring elephants right now, aren't you? Don't worry, I am too.

Page 20 of 29
Page 20 of 29
Street Fighter II - Ryu

Street Fighter II - Ryu

Moody and enigmatic as it is, the design of Ryu's stage has always confused me. Just why is this the only house with a flat roof? It couldn't have been designed just for fighting, could it?

Page 21 of 29
Page 21 of 29
Street Fighter II - Sagat

Street Fighter II - Sagat

However many times I've fought on this stage, I've never noticed how disapprovingly the Buddha seems to be looking down upon the fight. Makes sense though, I suppose.

Page 22 of 29
Page 22 of 29
Street Fighter III: New Generation - Sean

Street Fighter III: New Generation - Sean

I'm going to get this one blown up and put on my wall. I'm not even joking.

Page 23 of 29
Page 23 of 29
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Akuma

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Akuma

Gloomily ethereal, black-skied woodland setting? Ominous. Gloomily ethereal, black-skied woodland setting with subliminally oppressive fisheye-lens effect? You are definitely going to die.

Page 24 of 29
Page 24 of 29
The Last Blade - Kaede

The Last Blade - Kaede

Again, you need to see this one animated

Page 25 of 29
Page 25 of 29
The Last Blade 2 - Large Fire at Wadamoya

The Last Blade 2 - Large Fire at Wadamoya

This one too.

Page 26 of 29
Page 26 of 29
The Last Blade 2 - Cloudy Battlefield

The Last Blade 2 - Cloudy Battlefield

War. It is also good for this.

Page 27 of 29
Page 27 of 29
X-Men vs. Street Fighter - The Temple of Fists

X-Men vs. Street Fighter - The Temple of Fists

This Buddha looks a lot happier. Presumably because it's snowed. The deer look pretty cool with it too. Everyone's happier in the snow. Even people getting punched in the face.

Page 28 of 29
Page 28 of 29
The end?

The end?

Of course not. This is just the tip of what's out there. As follow-up ogling, I'd implore you to check out Slateman.net, for a look at some lovely re-creations of some of the best backgrounds in the business (a far trickier process than you think, when you take parallax art into account). And definitely look at RudeBootie's glorious, 125-slide gallery of fully-animated fighting art GIFs. This feature wouldn't have been possible without either of those sources.

And while you're here, check out some of our related stuff. Try the GamesRadar quiz: Concept or classic art?, and then maybe check out our gallery of the best video game fan art.

Page 29 of 29
Page 29 of 29
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms
PRODUCTS
Ultra Street Fighter IV Street Fighter IV Super Street Fighter IV Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.
See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
Tekken 8 screenshot
The 25 best fighting games you can play right now
Spider-Man, Storm, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man team up in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls makes some wild changes from the tag fighting games that have come before, teasing a single health bar per team and 3 assist options for every character
Dreamcast
The 25 best Dreamcast games of all time
Ultimate Sonic Smackdown key art
Ultimate Sonic Smackdown is the latest banger dropped by the Sonic fan game community, and it's filling the Marvel vs Capcom void
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was initially more faithful to the comics, but Marvel encouraged the Guilty Gear Strive and Granblue Fantasy Versus studio to lean into its signature style
Best anime games: Oliver and Drippy looking at a book during the game Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.
The 20 best anime games to play in 2025
Latest in Fighting
Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is ready to fight in the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer
Mortal Kombat 2 gets a big release date delay, but ends up in a promising spot
Balatro Joker plush
The Balatro hivemind absorbs another victim as Super Smash Bros. modder is compelled to add Joker king Jimbo to Melee, and there hasn't been a new character this scary since 2001
Screenshot from PlayStation All-Stars, showing a side-on view of a BioShock Big Daddy facing off against a gun-wielding soldier.
Ex-Sony boss would consider bringing back PlayStation All-Stars as it's "important" for the brand, even if it didn't live up to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros
Noob Saibot in front of a blurred Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 logo
After 28 years as a legend among Mortal Kombat fans, "the holy grail of MK lost media" has been preserved and made playable for Legacy Kollection
Spider-Man, Storm, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man team up in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Premier fighting game tournament Evo has a new co-owner, but Sony's continuing to invest alongside Saudi Arabia's tourism project and WWE's parent company
Felt That: Boxing screenshot of puppet boxer Ezra "Fuzz-E" Wright, who swings at a punching bag
"There's got to be a game in here somewhere": How Felt That: Boxing quietly became one of the most innovative games in development
Latest in Features
A mech firing a machine gun in the desert in Menace
Menace is an XCOM-Warhammer hybrid that makes turn-based strategy feel like an immersive sim, and for the first time in my life I'm playing a game that seems made for me
Dogtooth
The new Yorgos Lanthimos movie is getting rave first reactions out of Venice Film Festival, but I think it's worth revisiting his breakout feature Dogtooth before Bugonia hits theaters this fall
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Legacy of the Forge DLC showing Henry and two allies standing looking down
I built a home and ran a business in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's next DLC, and the added role-playing guarantees I'll spend another 70 hours in my current game of the year
D&D Player's Handbook laid out on a wooden surface
Will romantasy be the next great crossover for Dungeons & Dragons? Fourth Wing could be the perfect D&D setting, if you ask me
Jurassic Park: Survival
Jurassic Park: Survival has quietly been 35 years in the making, and it's taking us back to where it all began
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era artwork showing a beautiful fantasy city
Playing Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has turned me into a Dungeon devotee, and I can't help but feel like I'm already seeing a strategy classic in the making
  1. The key art for Hell is Us, showing Remi with his equipment - military poncho, laser sword, and drone - in front of a Hollow Walker's milky white face
    1
    Hell is Us review: "The lack of waypoints and explicit objectives is a double-edged magical sword that pulls me deep into its harsh world"
  2. 2
    Shuten Order review: "The Danganronpa creator's new multi-genre mystery feels like a forgotten DS cult classic I would have been obsessed with"
  3. 3
    The Rogue Prince of Persia review: "I roguelike but don't roguelove this freerunner – there's just not enough to stand out"
  4. 4
    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance review: "So close to being to a pitch-perfect revival of a classic series, but just can't quite line up the killing blow"
  5. 5
    Fate of the Fellowship is the most anticipated board game of the year, and it's a thing of absolute genius
  1. Jacob Elordi as the monster in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
    1
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  2. 2
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  3. 3
    The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range"
  4. 4
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  5. 5
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  1. John Cena as Peacemaker holds a gun to the head of a different John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 2.
    1
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  3. 3
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  4. 4
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"
  5. 5
    Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...