M.U.G.E.N. freeware fighting engine

I really wanted to do an in-class presentation on M.U.G.E.N. but it seems that progressing through the games that are scheduled is a bit more daunting than we had expected. So, I decided that this was just too cool to not show you guys and now I am here posting. M.U.G.E.N. is a freeware 2D fighting engine designed by Elecbyte and released in 1999. Once, you download the game you'll find that it is overly simplistic with only three cloned characters to choose from and you may brush it off immediately. The key to appreciating this is that it is a free 2D fighting game engine and like all engines is just a base to build off of. As you dig deeper into M.U.G.E.N. you'll find that the game is entirely open and customizable. All the folders and files are immediately accessible to modification. Everything in M.U.G.E.N. can be altered and customized from stages to characters to life bars and counters. This was readily embraced by the hardcore fighting game community and the result is epic. Available right now online are screen packs to make M.U.G.E.N. look like almost any other fighting game complete with stages and sound effects. Like we all know, looks aren't what make hype for fighting game; it's the characters that make a fighting game big. Here is where M.U.G.E.N. is absolutely beautiful, people can spend time to create, insert, and use their own characters in the game. It takes quite a large degree of skill to make a good usable character that isn't pathetic or very over powered **cough*cough** Goku Super Saiyan 5.

Now, we all know the hacker and remix culture communities are not the kind of people to go about charging for a free thing, so finding really well made characters online is easy. Furthermore, the plethora of characters available is astronomical. Characters have been made from Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Z, Street Fighter, Dark Stalkers, Nintendo, Sega, and many pop celebrities. Ever want to try to beat up Scorpion with Michael Jackson or take out Homer Simpson with Tiger Woods? Well M.U.G.E.N. makes all of this possible. After lots of searching and modifying M.U.G.E.N. becomes the best crossover game in existence. Finding and collecting characters is addicting and satisfying. Customizing the game to suit your tastes makes it feel very personal and is a tribute to one's gamerness.

The best way for me to truly display the greatness of M.U.G.E.N. is through showing it in action so for your viewing pleasure I have found these youtube videos that show just how cool this can get.

Insane M.U.G.E.N. roster:


Michael Jackson Vs. Ronald McDonald


Homer Simpson Vs. Peter Griffin


Scorpion Vs. Naruto


As you can clearly see every single one of these gamers' M.U.G.E.N. looks like a totally different game... yet they aren't. The game by all means doesn't look like a high quality fighting game but its all these dream fights that make people come back to M.U.G.E.N. and add more modifications and characters.

Bonus - Spongebob Vs. Sonic and Knuckles


Customization = Personalization

- Chris R.