When you think of fighting games, playing them on smaller screens is something that only sometimes comes to mind. You could wonder which titles are better to play on smaller screens, for example. Despite how uncommon these thoughts might be regarding more recent fighting games, there are still titles that are great on portable screens.

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These fighting games range from older titles (now considered to be retro, with their respective ports into modern consoles) to fighting games exclusive to handheld systems that don't look great on bigger screens and have yet to receive modern adaptations.

8 Dead Or Alive Dimensions

While not typically the type of platform players go to for fighting games, the Nintendo 3DS still had a few notable ones, including Dead Or Alive Dimensions. A unique entry in Koei Tecmo's Dead Or Alive series, Dimensions is considered a compilation game based on the series' first four entries.

Because of its Nintendo 3DS exclusivity, it looks much better on that console's screen and might not look great otherwise, which can be an important factor when playing fighting games. Dimensions also has a stage based on Metroid: Other M and a cameo appearance from Samus Aran herself — although she is not a playable character.

7 Pocket Rumble

Pocket Rumble is an indie fighting game exclusive to PC and Nintendo Switch for players new to the genre. It has the familiar gameplay elements of classic fighting games, but it limits the controls to fewer buttons, making it a more accessible game for players to learn.

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Due to its obvious inspiration from various NeoGeo Pocket Color games and its exclusivity, Pocket Rumble is best played on a smaller screen. All playable characters featured may have different meters and mechanics, but they all have 12 hit points, and every hit only does one point of damage. Pocket Rumble also has local and online multiplayer with GGPO netcode.

6 Bleach: Dark Souls

The Nintendo DS had a good number of anime-based fighting games, and Bleach: Dark Souls, a 2008 Nintendo DS-exclusive title based on Tite Kubo's Bleach manga series and its anime adaptation, was one of the few to see a launch outside of Japan. It's also a game best played on the Nintendo DS as it was originally made for the system, using its double-screen feature to perform different attacks.

The sequel to Bleach: The Blade Of Fate, which launched in 2007, improves the gameplay of its predecessor by adding 17 new faces to the roster, keeping all 26 previously playable characters, giving them new moves, and tweaking previously introduced gameplay mechanics.

5 Dissidia Final Fantasy

A PSP-exclusive title featuring characters from the Final Fantasy series and the first entry in the Dissidia spin-off subseries, Dissidia and its prequel, Dissidia 012, have never been officially ported to any other platform besides PSP. This game is best played on a smaller screen because of this.

Launched for Final Fantasy's 20th anniversary, Dissidia Final Fantasy has heroes and villains from the original Final Fantasy through Final Fantasy 12, duking it out in large three-dimensional spaces. Dissidia is also notable for giving voices to characters from the mainline Final Fantasy titles before Final Fantasy 10, except Final Fantasy 7, as the series did not have in-game voice acting before the tenth main entry.

4 Soul Calibur Broken Destiny

Soul Calibur Broken Destiny is the sole PSP-exclusive title in Bandai Namco's weapon-based fighting game series. As it launched only a year after Soul Calibur 4, it includes all 28 characters from that game, with the exception of the Star Wars guest characters. However, it has Kratos from God Of War as a special bonus, alongside a new character named Dampierre.

Broken Destiny has several modes, including Quick Match, Trials, Versus, Training, and The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet serves as Broken Destiny's story mode, although the game states it's not canon to Soul Calibur's universe. Because of its PSP exclusivity and lack of a proper HD port, Broken Destiny is best played on a smaller screen.

3 BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend

The final revised version of the arcade game BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Blazblue Continuum Shift Extend was originally planned for the PS Vita and launched for it, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in Japan in 2011. It also launched in 2012 in North America and Europe, with a much later PC port via Steam in 2014.

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The PS Vita version of the game has been the most well-received, so it's likely better to play this title on a smaller screen despite all the flashiness Arc System Works is known for. Continuum Shift Extend includes a revamped story mode, Relius clover as a playable character, and an Unlimited Mars mode where players fight ten Unlimited characters in a row.

2 SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match Of The Millennium

A different game from Capcom vs. SNK, SNK vs. Capcom originally launched for the NeoGeo Pocket Color in 1999 and was ported to Nintendo Switch and PC in 2021. Like the title implies, the game features SNK characters and Capcom characters facing off against each other. Due to how small the screen of its original platform was, it's still better to play it on a similar size.

Despite being a formerly handheld-exclusive game, SNK vs. Capcom has more variety than expected, with several game modes, including three versus game modes and an Olympic Mode with mini-games where players can earn points to unlock special moves for each character.

1 Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee is often played on smaller screens than your average LCD or ultra-wide monitor. So much so that its biggest fans seek out old CRT televisions, so they can play it as originally intended. It may not have nearly as many characters as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but players still love it for its solid mechanics.

Super Smash Bros. Melee's legacy is nothing short of impressive, having even been included in the Evolution Championship Series, also known as Evo, alongside other beloved fighting games of the past like Street Fighter 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom. Even though there have been several Super Smash Bros entries since, Super Smash Bros Melee still has a special place in many players' hearts.

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