Skullgirls

Skullgirls is a fun and surprisingly deep fighter with cute audiovisuals and great gameplay. Its only flaw is the lack of a command-list.

Skullgirls offers just as much as other current downloadable fighters and should not to be missed by 2-D fighting fans!

This game was made with tournament play in mind. It may be difficult for new fighting game players to get into, but once you do, it is a very rewarding experience. You get a really impressive fighting game all for 15 bucks. If you're a fighting game fan, you really should pick this game up.

It's a superb fighting experience that's just as hardcore as anything Capcom or the Mortal Kombat team have to offer.

While light on content, the core play in Skullgirls works beautifully on numerous levels. Astounding animation dresses up its solid basics and the roster provides plenty of possibilities for strategies and play styles.

If you are a fighting fan, Skullgirls stands as a terrific homage to classic fighters, and should already be on your harddrive.

Skullgirls uses its personality and a masterful execution of the genre to punch well above its weight as a $15 downloadable upstart. Even if it isn't quite pound-for-pound on par with the giants of the genre, it's bold enough to aim for the top and accomplished enough to put up one heck of a fight.

Watch out Capcom, SNK and Namco: A new challenger has entered the ring. Although you could reduce it to tits and ass at first glance, you'd make a terrible mistake. Skullgirls offers not only outer but also inner values.

Amazing design, solid mechanics and gorgeous presentation. An impressive effort from newcomers Revenge. [July 2012, p.74]

A great range of moves and some pleasantly diverse characters. [Issue#85, p.103]

A fantastical, forward-thinking fighter. [June 2012, p.102]

It's certainly gorgeous for the eyes with stellar anime-inspired graphics and a first-rate capturing of old-school 2-D fighting game charisma. But a short single-player adventure and some overly frustrating controls reveal some of Skullgirls' warts. However, as a budget-priced fighter, those imperfections don't detract too much from what is a solid 2-D fighter with smooth and lag-free online gameplay.

The best thing Skullgirls, a moderately demanding fighting game, has going for a fighting game dilettante like me is the character design, which focuses its considerably creativity and love on a few characters.

Although a bit difficult at first, the game is quite addictive and it has a very attractive visual design, made by and for gamers. Its online mode is great and has plenty of options.

Skullgirls is a joy to play, and the price tag of 1200 is amazing, seeing as it contains just as much as its full-priced counterparts.The only negative point is the lack of characters, which shortens the games longevity, but that doesn't stop it from being amazingly fun. Skullgirls are here to stay.

I have to give props to Reverge Labs for making Skullgirls a really solid fighter that has the potential to rival the bigger fighting franchises. The gameplay is tough, but with the proper willpower, strategy, and in my case a good arcade fightstick, you can have a lot of fun with Skullgirls. The characters are interesting as is the music and atmosphere of the game. If you're looking for a fighter that is truly unique then I definitely recommend downloading Skullgirls for Xbox LIVE Arcade today.

Anyone who has an itch for some 'girl-on-girl' action, fan or not of the genre, should give Skullgirls a shot, it's a bucket load of fun.

Skullgirls has an awesome fighting system and crazy visual style. No movelist? Poor training mode? Who cares, when you're back in '90s at your favourite old arcade!

There is a lot of positives to take from Skullgirls, everything from the art direction, to the game play itself. The game seems to have been made from the ground up by a team who love the genre and wanted to make a game that everyone could share. It is a great title and a wonderful addition to the library, but to get the most out of it, you need to spend out on that fight stick.

A fighting game brimming with passion and care, that every fighting game fan will definitely love, but doesn't have much to offer for everyone else. With more time and resources on their hands the Reverge Labs developers could have created a true masterpiece. We sincerely hope they get there in the future.

The game's focus is on refining classic gameplay that worked rather than attempting something different to attract new fans, and some may be put off by the limited roster. At $15, however, Skullgirls is still a quality experience that deserves time in the spotlight.

What Reverge Labs has done with Skullgirls is prove that even an independent developer can make a slick, fun, and unique fighting game amongst the eight-figure budgets seen in the rest of the genre.

In a genre consistently flooded with sequels and rehashes, Skullgirls is definitely a breath of fresh air. Reverge Labs has listened closely to fans of the game as well as the fighting game community, and has been noticeably meticulous of the development of this game.

Skullgirls is a risque fighter that wraps sex appeal and smooth jazz skintight around a smartly crafted fighting system.

While there aren't a lot of characters or other modes, it's a very deep fighting game that will keep even old hands pleased and occupied. If you don't mind spending more than your share of time in practice mode, Skullgirls could just become one of the better fighters you've played in a while.

As a downloadable title featuring the bells and whistles that many retail fighters are lacking, Skullgirls is an impressive feat.

When you consider what you do get for your $15 - a beautiful, darkly humorous game with one of the most well-made, finely tested fighting engines around, plus great online play - fighting-game aficionados have plenty of reasons to hang out with these dysfunctional damsels.

If you are a hardcore fighting fan, or someone who wants to learn all of the nuances to become better at fighting games, then at least give Skullgirls a look.

Skullgirls is a solid fighting game with a good gameplay full of influences from big names in the genre. Beautiful graphics and elegant BSO. Lack of content.

Skullgirls is an inspired and entertaining fighter game. The problem is that the control isn't always perfect. Overall, it's an excellent combat game for this price range.

Skullgirls is definitely worth a look, even if you're feeling a bit burned out by the fighting game revival.

A storming opener. [Issue#122, p.102]

It's a great stepping stone if you're looking to really improve on your overall fighting game skills, and it's a meticulously well-made effort in its own right. Just like the dominatrixes flaunting and frolicking about on the screen, though, it's just a little too weird and demanding to fall in love with.

Despite these reservations, Skullgirls is a welcome addition to the genre's bustling roster. While Street Fighter 4 has acted as the catalyst of a fighting game revival, for the most part Japan has led that charge, with few Western studios chancing their hand at the genre and next to none of their games featuring on the tournament circuit. So an American-made game that not only understands the fundamentals but is able to build upon them in interesting ways is a welcome sight, even when the execution around the core is lacking.

What this game does really well is appeal to those nostalgic fans of old-school fighters, whilst providing a new, refreshing aesthetic.

The art and character design is likely to put off as many as it attracts, but underneath is one of the most forwarding-thinking new fighting games of the generation.

To conclude, were there even the slightest concessions to moderation in Skullgirls' aesthetics, and a few small but fundamental UI changes, it would be a superb entry-level fighting game which allows a player new to the genre to leap in and through practice become a master. But as it stands, the relentless sexuality on display is ineffective as parody and serves only to reinforce the belief that games are designed for young men who read FHM.