M.U.G.E.N allows users to create their own 2D fighting game using the core gameengine provided. From the playable characters, to the stages, to the backgroundmusic, to the life bars & power bars, text font, and even in-game characterstories.. you can pretty easily create and customize anything you want once you learnthe programming, and it's not incredibly difficult. If you ever had a creative dream of making your very own fighting game, M.U.G.E.N is a good 'practice run' at the least.

Creating an actual 2D character yourself is certainly a time-consuming process (as it is for a real fighting gamedeveloper), as contributors or 'creators'for M.U.G.E.N take the time to rip the 2D sprites themselves, and code itfrom scratch. Various sites where users can download a wide variety of user-created characters also exist. Many use the authentic characters and sprites from official 2D games, while others use existing characters/sprites to create crazy alternate versions of characters. Then there are the die-hards that actuallycreate their own 2D characters and animations from scratch.

A variety of Capcom, SNK, and ArcSystem Works characters, coded by M.U.G.E.N. creators, play nearly exactly the way theyshould from their original games (usually minus the 'balanced' part). Playable characters for M.U.G.E.N aren't limitedto just fighting game characters, as you can see from some of the screenshots. As longas it's a 2D sprite, it can be put it into the M.U.G.E.N. engine. Even 3D-rendered sprites work in M.U.G.E.N.! There'sno limit on how many characters you can put in your game either. It really dependson the size of the selection screen, which users can also create from scratch.

On the downside, many user-creations of real fighting game characters often end up missing moves,missing frames of animation, or generally appear or play glitchy. Thesebelow average creations have undoubtedly given M.U.G.E.N a certain'cheap' stigma overthe years. However, there are a handful of highly skilled creators with a high attention to detail who have created versions of characters that are very well done, and actually rival,if not surpass that of authentic 2D character sprites. Wizards of the M.U.G.E.N.engine have also created some very impressive and some stupidly spectacular (and broken)overpowered versions of iconic fighters (with Super Saiyan 7 God-tier super moves). Yeah, they have fun breaking the game. Check out somegameplay below.

M.U.G.E.N providesa solid, traditional, and somewhat open ended 2D fighting game engine, very similarto classic 2D fighting games we all know and love. You can almost authentically re-createany classic 2D fighting game any way you want it, adding characters or stages new and old (along with adding specific background music for stages), or even having many different versions of the same characterin the same game. The possibilities are pretty much endless. While theengine is set up primarily for fighting game development, several othergame types have actually been created using M.U.G.E.N, including platformersand even shooters.

You can use anyimage for a background, or an already existing fighting game background. Want to put in one of your favorite fighting game tunes for backgroundmusic? How about any song ever created.. M.U.G.E.N supports MP3, ADX,OGG and MIDI as background music during gameplay, the introduction screen, or the selectionscreen.

The gameplay engineuses 7 buttons along with the directional keys consisting of the classiclayout (three punches, three kicks & taunt). However, characters madefor M.U.G.E.N do not necessarily have to use all seven buttons. Specials,super moves, and priority moves included, but don't expect all of theirold combos to work.. you'll most likely have to create new combos that workfor this game engine. M.U.G.E.N characters are also notorious for beingover-powered and having infinite combos (infinite jab combosagainst the wall anyone?).. After seeing some forms of M.U.G.E.N inaction, it almost makes Marvel VS Capcom 2 seem like a balanced game.