Research - Fighting Game UI

Title screen

Loading Screens

Main Menus

Character select

In-game

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Title screens - Tend to be fairly minimal, usually a centered logo with a relatively simple background, sometimes featuring game characters posed in action stances.

Loading screens - Shows off concept art/characters in some way


Main menu - Can look cluttered with lots of text - in my design I will attempt to avoid this.  The graphic design of the menu screens seems to vary the most out of all the game's I have researched so far.

Character select - Icons of characters, usually centre screen, available for the player to select.  Characters, sometimes polished concept art, appear on the respective players' side when selected.

In-game - Health bars top right and left with selected character icon on outer edges, special moves gauge can be below health bar or at the bottom of screen.  Personally from my experience I find having them below the health bar makes them easier to see as all the information I need is in the one location.  Game time is centred at top of the screen.  Visual feedback communicating how well the player is doing etc appears when appropriate on the respective players' side of the screen.

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Though not all of these are fighting games, for inspiration I've also created a mood board consisting of general game title screens I find visually appealing.

References:

+ Blazblue: calamity trigger. 2008. [digital download, disc]. PC, Sony Playstation 3, Sony Playstation Vita, Xbox 360. Arc System Works.
+ Blazblue: continuum shift. 2009. [arcade, disc]. Arcade, Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Arc System Works.

+Darkstakers: resurrection. 2013. [digital download]. Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Iron Galaxy Studios.

+Darkstalkers: the night warrior. 1994. [cartridge, disk]. CP System II, Sony Playstation. Capcom.
+Marvel vs Capcom 2: new age of heroes. 2000. [disc]. Arcade, Dreamcast, iOS, Playstation Network, Sony Playstation 2, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox. Backbone Entertainment, Capcom.
+Marvel vs Capcom 3: fate of two worlds. 2011. [disc]. Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Capcom.
+Persona 4 arena. 2013. [arcade, disc]. Arcade, Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Atlus, Arc System Works.
+ Skullgirls.  2012. [digital download, disc]. Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Lab Zero Games, Reverge Labs.
+Street fighter. 1987. [arcade]. Arcade. Capcom.
+Soulcalibur V. 2012. [disc]. Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360. Project Soul.