Guilty Gear

Guilty Gear consists primarily of one-on-one competitive battles. Players are tasked with depleting their opponent's life gauge by utilizing attacks unique to each playable character. In the case of timed matches, the player with the most remaining life when time runs out is the victor of that round. The series' emphasis on speed and technicality along with the introduction of unique movement options such as the "air dash" would ultimately become the foundation for the "anime" subgenre of fighting games.

Guilty Gear Isuka prominently allowed up to four simultaneous players in battle, as well as the option to divide the characters into teams. It also eschewed the typical multiple-round format in favor of each player having a limited stock of "souls". Depleting a player's life gauge decreased their stock of souls and temporarily incapacitated them, and each remaining soul allowed a player to return to battle with a full life gauge. They would be defeated for the rest of the match if their life gauge and souls were both exhausted. These features have not returned for subsequent games.

The story is set in a world where magic has replaced almost every aspect of modern-day technology. But through its dire consequences leading up to the creation of a race of magic-infused creatures known as "Gears", the world has nearly become a post-apocalyptic environment due to Crusades' effects on the world. Although the world is still recovering, much work is still needed to be done and the mysteries behind the creation of the Gears have yet to be resolved.

The story mostly focuses on Sol Badguy, a brash bounty hunter and die hard Queen enthusiast who, feeling guilty of his past creations which in turn, results in him becoming a Gear, decides to make up for his own actions through fighting them whilst keeping his own identity a secret. However, his own reluctance to help others, as well as his selfish actions, often attracts the attention of Ky Kiske, his own rival and former comrade, who tries to get into fights with him whenever annoyed. Throughout the story, Sol enacts his own vengeance upon "That Man", who is mainly the cause behind most of the series' conflicts, through killing him.

The Guilty Gear series is thought as cult classic among video game fans. The series has often been remarked upon for its visual elements, fighting engine, soundtrack, and the variety of designs of the characters and attacks. X's Dreamcast version has the highest score of the series as compiled by review aggregator GameRankings (89.33%), while X2 for PlayStation 2 occupies that position according to the other major aggregator, Metacritic (87). On the other hand, the lowest score is given to Guilty Gear 2: Overture from both GameRankings (58.19%) and Metacritic (56/100).

Guilty Gear is considered by several sources to be the greatest 2D fighting game. GameSpot said that "Guilty Gear is one of the few non-Capcom or SNK 2D fighters to make any sort of impact on the genre", while Eurogamer stated: "If 2D beat-em-ups are moving toward extinction, they really are ending on a high note with stuff like this." Its sequels were also well received. GameSpy said "Guilty Gear X is hands-down the best 2D fighting game to date", and Guilty Gear X2 was described by About.com as "easily the best 2D fighter to come around in a long time."