Fighting games need impressive destinations for their characters to fight on, and throughout the decades, many have stood the test of time. Some of the prettiest fighting game stages have imaginative backgrounds, simple aesthetics, or an epic landscape that brings you further into the action. They may also have some incredible music to go along with the gorgeous visuals. Here are the 10 prettiest fighting game stages, ranked.
Provence (The King of Fighters XV)
The King of Fighters XV may not be the prettiest fighting game in the world, but the Provence stage looks magnifique! Based on the French region, the streets are filled with gorgeous architecture, stunning streets, and French flags flowing in the background. You’ll also notice the main statue in the middle of the stage with blue, red, and white ribbons over it.
The flowers are also pretty among the decorations of the Provence stage. What makes Provence even better is that in its nighttime version, you’ll see a bunch of cats strolling around in the streets.
The Daily Bugle (Marvel vs. Capcom 3)
The Marvel vs Capcom series succeeds in its stage design when it gets wacky. In this New York-themed stage, we see a festival of floats with the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man at the front, like the Thanksgiving parade. People are celebrating in the background with balloons and other decorations on the stage. You can also see a bot from Mega Man styled as a float if you look close enough.
The stage is very colourful and showcases New York in a wonderful way as the lift rises and heads into a picturesque view of the cityscape.
Castle of the Silver Feet (Guilty Gear Strive)
Castle of the Silver Feet is a magnificent stage for the likes of Ky Kiske and Ramlethal to fight on. You can see a majestic castle in the background with incredible epitaphs of majestic beasts. The windows have amazing art enwrapped on them. The intro also helps showcase the blissful castles all over the map. During the battle, some doves begin to fly in the background, adding to the splendour.
Hillside Plaza (Street Fighter V)
The land of football and the samba dance brings a glorious stage to Street Fighter V. You see Rio de Janeiro in the background with a neat representation of the Favelas. You can see the tile art displayed around the stairs. There’s a market stool on the right side of the stage with the seller interacting with a funny toucan. There is so much personality within the Hillside Plaza, and it’s beautiful to take in.
Snow Town (BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma EXTEND)
There’s something so comfy about a wintry village in a video game, and Snow Town from BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma EXTEND epitomizes that. You have a cute little penguin in a blanket looking over the match. There are snowmen all over the stage. The blue lighting of the architecture and the ice is striking.
And then to top it all off, there’s the beautiful sky showing off a similar effect to our Northern Lights. The hills with cannons in the background are also a neat touch to this anime-inspired world.
Paris Stage (Tekken 8)
Victor should be proud of the Celebration of the Seine stage. Similar to the Olympics ceremony, there’s a boat rolling down the River Seine, witnessing the glory of the Eiffel Tower. The sunset is glimmering in the distance in the night sky. You can notice the wonderful European architecture around the two combatants as you keep moving down the river.
The track “Twilight Party Cruise” is also a banger with sick beats and percussion that will keep your heart racing throughout an intense battle.
Moonlit Wilderness (Tekken 5)
Moonlit Wilderness is a simple stage, but sometimes beauty comes in simplicity. On a dark, moody night, you see the white flowers flowing in the wind. The clouds hang around a mystifying moon, gazing light down on the battle. The ruins in the background also set a mood, adding a magical vibe to the arena. It all comes together to create a wonderful stage in Tekken 5.
Genbu Temple (Street Fighter 6)
Street Fighter 6‘s Genbu Temple is very similar to Tekken 5’s Moonlit Wilderness. It’s simple, but it works so well. Its use of color is masterful. The background is monochrome while the foreground is colorful. You have the pretty pink of the blossom tree, while the strong red gates to the temple look majestic within this natural setting. You can’t beat the solemn beauty of Genbu Temple.
Angads Highlands, Port Breeze Archipelago (Granblue Fantasy Versus)
While Granblue Fantasy Versus isn’t the most mainstream fighting game out there, its visuals are impeccable, and that’s shown in the Angads Highlands, Port Breeze Archipelago stage. At the start, you see a clouded vista among an imaginative fantasy setting with vibrant green hills.
However, as the battle continues, the clouds begin to separate. We see a huge flying ship moving behind the fight, soaring across the sky, and then during the last phase of the fight, a gorgeous town is revealed with wonderful architecture behind it, and birds flying past the action. This progression of time passing is memorable, making this an incredible stage for fighting game fans.
Fountain of Dreams (Super Smash Bros. Melee)
One of the best stages in video game history is also one of the prettiest fighting game stages. The Fountain of Dreams in Super Smash Bros. Melee takes us to the magical world of Kirby. The music begins with a beautiful melody and then gets dramatic in the best way possible. The night sky is filled with stars. The fountain is spectacular, reflecting the action above. The towers are constantly spinning, too, leaving a magical imprint on many GameCube gamers (and now Ultimate fans).
