History MechanicallyUnusualFighter / FightingGames

** ''Central Fiction'' introduced Izanami who lacks a double jump, instead conjuring a float in midair that allows her to perform her ground attacks while airborn. Aside from that, her Drive is also a StanceSystem which, when activated, disables her ability to block attacks. When coupled with her [[DeflectorShields Shield of Dreams]], which temporary protects her from all attacks except unblockables and throws, she gets a very strange fighting style with some very strange mechanics.

* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', all characters have a "Drive" action that is unique to them, and which would make most of them qualify for this trope if they were in a different game. But even when going by the standards of the series, a few stand out as unusual:

** ''Central Fiction'' introduced Hades Izanami who lacks a double jump, instead conjuring a float in midair that allows her to perform her ground attacks while airborn. Aside from that, her Drive is also a StanceSystem which, when activated, disables her ability to block attacks. When coupled with her [[DeflectorShields Shield of Dreams]], which temporary protects her from all attacks except unblockables and throws, she gets a very strange fighting style with some very strange mechanics.

*** [[MadBomber Mollo]], one of the first complex characters on the workshop, does not have traditional strong attacks, instead throwing a bomb in a direction that explodes after a period of time. These bombs can be hit with attacks to move them around, and can be swapped out with other bombs with Neutral Special. And like Wrastor, she can use Strongs in the air as well.

*** [[AnimateInanimateObject Suitcase]] seems to be a rather simple FightingClown at first... until you land enough attacks and level up, wherein they can use Down Special to gain a random item that alters their moveset slightly a la a Rougelike.

** Jack-O' in ''Xrd'' has one of the most unique mechanics in all of fighting games: her playstyle revolves around summoning Servants that come out of small houses that she places on the stage. Throughout the match, there will be opportunities to level up these Servants (up to a maximum of Level 3), making them faster and more powerful. The game then becomes a mix of a fighting game, an RPG and a ''tower defense game''.

** Jack-O' has one of the most unique mechanics in all of fighting games: her playstyle revolves around summoning Servants that come out of small houses that she places on the stage. Throughout the match, there will be opportunities to level up these Servants (up to a maximum of Level 3), making them faster and more powerful. The game then becomes a mix of a fighting game, an RPG and a ''tower defense game''.

** In ''Xrd'' Sin has an Appetite Gauge which can be filled with a special move, allowing him to eat. If he has the Appetite Gauge filled, he can cancel his special moves into his other specials, but if the meter is empty when he does a special move, he has a much longer recovery period afterwards, making him vulnerable to attack.

** ...he was soundly toppled by Asuka R#: his gameplay mechanics make him less of a fighting game character and more of a guy playing a card game, with his Chant Special essentially "playing" one of four cards in his hand, a Mana meter to spend on using that same Chant Special, and a Special that allows him to swap decks on the fly.

Fighting Games usually follow an established formula: two characters duke it out until one of them gets the K.O and the other one wins the match. Said characters usually have a human (or humanoid) shape, walk on the ground, and have a set of normal (your usual punches and kicks) and special attacks. Most games also feature [[LimitBreak super attacks]] and EXSpecialAttacks for its cast. However, there are some exceptions that, [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter if not outright break the game's ruleset, at least bring their own shenanigans to the fight]]. Needless to say, most of them also tend to double as DifficultButAwesome.

Fighting Games usually follow an established formula: two characters duke it out until one of them goes K.O., and the other wins the match. Said characters usually have a human (or humanoid) shape, walk on the ground, and have a set of normal (your usual punches and kicks) and special attacks. Most games also feature [[LimitBreak super attacks]] for its cast. However, there are some exceptions that [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter if not outright break the game's ruleset, at least bring their own shenanigans to the fight]]. Needless to say, most of them also double as DifficultButAwesome.

** With several characters in ''-STRIVE-'' being heavily toned down from how they were in prior appearances, it was generally a more pleasant surprise when Happy Chaos released. With a Concentration mechanic to fuel two different aiming stances and a limited number of bullets to fuel a revolver he carries, Chaos comes out on top easily as the most unusual in ''-STRIVE-'''s roster of fighters.

** Some characters aren't even characters at all, instead playing like a GameLevel itself with their opponent as the platforming character that has to run through the level. Examples are M-NES Game 1 (1-1 from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''), M-NES Game 2 (the first stage of ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}''), and Gameboy Game 1 (1-1 from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'').

** Also worth mentioning is [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Epyon]]; in a game built around ranged combat, it has absolutely '''no''' guns, instead fighting with a [[WhipItGood segmented whip]] and [[{{BFS}} giant beam sword]]. However, its melee is very fast, damaging, and can be cancelled freely, and the rest of its moveset includes a mobility move that lets it dodge enemy attacks or quickly rush into melee range, and a move that empowers its sword even further at the cost of draining its boost gauge more quickly. Even though it's generally ranked low in the CharacterTiers, in the hands of a skilled player Epyon can be an unholy menace.

* A number of [[OriginalGeneration original characters]] for ''VideoGame/{{MUGEN}}'' can be like this, especially taken to an extreme with many non-fighting game characters who follow the rules of their home game rather than that of ''MUGEN'':
** [[VideoGame/SpaceInvaders Space Invader]] can only fire deadly projectiles that OneHitKill opponents, but also [[OneHitPointWonder dies after one hit.]] Furthermore, it also moves one "step" at a time with a delay in between similar to how it moved in its source game, though this delay decreases as time passes just like how the AscendedGlitch where the aliens got faster as their numbers dwindled.
** [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 STH2 Sonic]] can only attack by jumping and rolling, and loses rings when hit (which periodically spawn around the arena). He can also summon item boxes that grant him a shield or invincibility.
** VideoGame/{{Sheriff}} isn't affected by gravity, and can "walk" through the air indefinitely. However, on top of being ''really'' slow, his only attacks are firing his pistol and changing the angle of his pistol by 15 degrees. Hitting him will cause him to "die" and respawn with a chunk of his health bar missing.
** Omega Tiger Woods can deal heavy damage and can attack the foe with a crosshair that dropped missiles (and a claw arm) on them, in compensation for being unable to block at all.
** [[https://youtu.be/6Zd7T5Don5s The Bestest]] [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ken in the World]] has his ground punches replaced with Shoryukens. [[BackgroundMusicOverride His theme song even plays when you perform your shoryukens]] and cuts off when attacked.
** There's an entire subset of shoot-em-up characters (most notably the Vic Viper from ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'') who operate as they do in their home games, "losing lives" when hit and gaining power-ups through their special attacks.
** [[Website/SCPFoundation SCP-999]] doesn't deal any damage whatsoever, being an ActualPacifist. Instead, opponents get a happiness bar that functions as a separate health bar, which fills up on contact with 999 and even faster when affected by 999's "attacks". Once an opponent's happiness is full, that opponent is forced to do a HappyDance for the rest of the round and is considered [=KOed=].
** Some characters aren't even characters at all, instead playing like a GameLevel itself with their opponent as the platforming character that has to run through the level. Examples are M-NES Game 1 (1-1 from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''), M-NES Game 2 (the first stage of ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}''), and Gameboy Game 1 (1-1 from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'').
* Some of the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' fighting games:
** Suwako Moriya from '' Hisoutensoku''. Her standing is actually crouching, and her crouching is conjuring a lily pad underneath her, making her ''taller''. Her regular walking is slowly hopping like a [[AnimalMotif frog]] (and while hopping she counts as being in the air), and her ground dash is swimming underground, making her invincible to all attacks. Her air movement is her flapping her arms around, and is limited to several directions. Her attacks are relatively normal, though. This lead to a variation on a popular ''Touhou'' meme from the community:
--->"Suwako mains do their best now and are preparing. Please wait warmly while they figure out what the hell they're doing."
** [[EmptyShell Koishi Komeiji]] is the wacky fighter of ''Hopeless Masquerade''. To start, like Suwako, her dash is her ''prancing around'' while invisible, making her immune to all attacks. Unlike Suwako, her main wackiness is in her attacks. For most of her attacks, she ''doesn't instantly perform them when you input the commands''. Instead, she "stocks" them and uses them ''automatically'' when certain conditions are met. For example, her 8B is performed only when she's under the opponent, and Catch and Rose is activated only after you hit the opponent with another attack. Also, she needs about 1-2 seconds before the moves are ready to activate, so you really need to predict the situations beforehand.
*** Koishi is still like this in the sequel, ''Urban Legend in Limbo,'' but a patch has slightly changed how Koishi's automatic attacks work. Now, more of her attacks are performed when the command is put in, but putting her in the right position with a stocked move causes her to use a powered up version of that move. For example, her 6B is normally a slow-moving horizontal polygraph wave without much hitstun, but if she's on the same horizontal plane as the opponent a few seconds after using it, 6B's used again automatically, and it becomes a projectile that crosses the screen absurdly quickly and sends her opponent hurtling into the opposite wall if it hits.
** To a lesser extent, Byakuren, who needs to charge her specials first before being able to actually use them.
* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'':
** [[ShadowArchetype Shadow Labrys]]. Other characters' Personas only appear for a short while to perform attacks, and then disappear. Shabrys' "Persona" Asterius, however, stays on screen the entire time, follows Shabrys around, and can attack concurrently with her. To compensate for being around all the time, Asterius has armor so it can't be broken easily, and Shabrys' heavy Persona attack is actually telling Asterius to block. Playing Shadow Labrys is effectively controlling both her and Asterius at the same time.
** ''Ultimax'' has two versions of new character Sho Minazuki. One version does ''not'' have a Persona, unlike the rest of the cast, and instead fights more like a character from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' in terms of normal attacks. Because of this, not only is he immune to Persona Breaks, he is also not heavily affected by the Silence [[StatusEffects status effect]], which normally disables the affected character's Persona (the only thing it disables for Sho is his ability to [[ComboBreaker Burst]]). He can also cancel most of his special moves into each other (or into a dodge animation in order to bait attacks).
** Junpei, also from ''Ultimax'', has a complicated baseball-themed MagikarpPower system. In simplest terms: he starts off very weak. However, upon reaching 10 or more runs, he gains the permanent Victory Cry buff, which increases his stats by a large amount, gives him HP and SP regeneration, and gives his baseball bat attacks additional properties. Every 10 Runs thereafter give him additional stat increases, up to 55 Runs. He gains bases by hitting opponents or reflecting projectiles with his bat. If Junpei fills up three bases, then every successful bat attack he makes will give him a run. Every time he misses an opponent with his bat he gains a strike; three strikes and he gets an out, resetting everything but his runs and bases. Get three outs and everything but the runs reset. Having his bat attacks blocked by the opponent gives him balls; four balls give him one additional base. In addition, once Victory Cry is active, hitting opponents with the sweet spot of his bat counts as a Clean Hit, which increases the damage and hitstun of the affected attack (and may give it additional properties, like being able to cancel from a special move into another special move). If this is done with a super move (and with the proper followup button), Junpei can get a home run, which increases his Runs by the amount of bases he has filled plus 1, but also resets his loaded bases. Got all that?
* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'':
** Frank West has a MagikarpPower system - his moves aren't so impressive at first, but he can rack up "EXP" by comboing the enemy with enough hits and then takes a snapshot with his camera, in order to "level up." He has 5 levels; higher level means improved moves as well as unlocking certain moves to use.
** Phoenix Wright plays entirely around "evidence" and StanceSystem: Investigation Mode (his weakest form) is mainly to find evidence, the Trial Mode is used to use the evidence as weapons. When he has 3 pieces of evidence ready, during this mode he can pull off an OBJECTION! which, if it hits, will allow him to go to [[SuperMode Turnabout Mode]], with improved normal and special attacks, as well as his Lv 3 hyper, which is the second most powerful attack in the game.
* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'':
** Robo-Ky has to manage two different meters: A thermostat, which builds up as he fights and can only be vented via a certain command or risk a damaging explosion. He also has a power gauge which, unlike everyone else, cannot be charged conventionally and can only be charged via a laid-out power mat. His special and [[LimitBreak Overdrive]] attacks drain from this power gauge.
** In ''Xrd'' Sin has an Appetite Gauge which can be filled with a special move, allowing him to eat. If he has the Appetite Gauge filled, he can cancel his special moves into his other specials, but if the meter is empty when he does a special move, he has a much longer recovery period afterwards, making him vulnerable to attack.
** Since Zappa is basically a hive for ghosts, he has the ability to completely change his moveset mid-match, depending on which ghost is in control at the moment.
** Bedman has the ''Déjà Vu'' mechanic: Upon doing a special move, a seal appears on-stage in its place. If you then input the ''reverse'' of the same special (e.g. quarter-circle forward becomes quarter-circle back), a shadowy duplicate of Bedman will apparate and perform the same move in that spot.
** Jack-O' has one of the most unique mechanics in all of fighting games: her playstyle revolves around summoning Servants that come out of small houses that she places on the stage. Throughout the match, there will be opportunities to level up these Servants (up to a maximum of Level 3), making them faster and more powerful. The game then becomes a mix of a fighting game, an RPG and a ''tower defense game''.
** With several characters in ''-STRIVE-'' being heavily toned down from how they were in prior appearances, it was generally a more pleasant surprise when Happy Chaos released. With a Concentration mechanic to fuel two different aiming stances and a limited number of bullets to fuel a revolver he carries, Chaos comes out on top easily as the most unusual in ''-STRIVE-'''s roster of fighters.

* In ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', Gold Lightan and [[VideoGame/LostPlanet PTX-40A]] are very massive fighters (who are about 3 times the average height of other characters) and so they fight alone, as opposed to fighting in duets. They also move slowly and have to crouch often to attack and they're subject to being dizzied if hit repeatedly, but they also have a ton of range and damage on most of their attacks and [[SuperArmor only special throws can interrupt their attacks.]]

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' DS fighting games:
** Don Kanon'ji has a "Ratings Meter", befitting his TV personality, where certain attacks do more damage the better he is performing. Missing attacks or calling for certain attacks when he does not have the energy decrease his ratings, while doing damage gains ratings. [[PracticalTaunt Taunting]] significantly increases his ratings.
** Hanataro Yamada has a weapon that {{heal|ingShiv}}s instead of cutting. When enough wounds are healed, it deals damage in one attack equal to the damage healed.
* [[VideoGame/HeavenlySword Nariko]] in ''VideoGame/PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' fights using a "key pose" system that momentarily places her in [[StanceSystem different stances]] based on how she uses her Square attacks, made for opening up unique combo-trees. What makes her odd is that the game has a number of conventions tied to the Square attacks, and this in turn [[DamnYouMuscleMemory influences the button-placement for other common mappings]]: Up Square is generally a LauncherMove (hers is Up Triangle, which is usually used for AntiAir attacks), Grounded Down Square tends to be a sweep/tripping attack (hers is a weird ground bounce) and Neutral Circle is a CounterAttack (hers is Neutral Triangle).
* Dracula in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment'' has little-to-no mobility and cannot be knocked down. His dash/sidestep moves are all changed to teleports, including a variant where he teleports directly behind the opponent. Rather than jump, he teleports into the air and can stay up there for as long as his super meter holds out. The majority of his attacks, including normal ones, are projectiles and ranging moves. Basically, he utilizes a variant of his standard ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' moveset, in contrast to other boss characters who are given more traditional fighter designs.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
** Shang Tsung's signature power is [[DittoFighter turning into other characters and having full access to their moveset]]. In some games he can turn into any character at will, in others he can only turn into his opponent (at least, [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard when used by a human player]]). In later games, he can also heal himself by taking energy from his opponent. This is downplayed in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', where his shapeshifting is limited to his pre-fight intro, his Brutality victory pose, and a few special moves where he imitates the Klassic ninjas of the series, meaning he essentially fights as a normal character.
** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', Baraka has a unique variation named "Flag Day" where he can plant a Tarkatan tribal war flag into the ground, and as long as he's near it, his attacks are stronger, plus he (and only he) can pick it up and use it as a melee weapon or projectile.
* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
** Yoshimitsu has a number of different quirks befitting his status as a FightingClown, and each one of them could've made him an example all by itself, but combined he takes it up to eleven. For one, he has by far the most moves in the game. Many of them do little more than [[ConfusionFu confuse]] the opponent, but mastering each stance is what separates the best from the average. While other characters have stances, his are by far the most unique as they include sitting, flying while using his blade as a helicopter, and bouncing on his sword like a pogo stick, and ''all'' of them give him additional options. He's one of the few characters capable of self-harm with moves that CastFromHitPoints, even having an enhanced dodging mechanic that can get him out in a pinch but at the cost of his health, and he even can [[{{Seppuku}} stab himself]] with a move... [[TakingYouWithMe and take the opponent down in the process]]. Some of his moves can even harm himself if performed incorrectly, meaning that there's no margin of error when using them. Others are [[CounterAttack reliant on baiting the player]] and thus must be timed right, and this is in a series that doesn't feature an active counter system. Oh, and he's also the only character who can [[HealThyself heal himself]] mid-match. Finally, he can make full use of TeleportSpam to further confuse the opponent. As you can tell, Yoshimitsu is what happens when someone with ComboPlatterPowers is made into a fighting game character.
** Algol doesn't play like a standard fighter in the series. For one, he doesn't use a standard weapon, but rather his body. He can create up to ''[[WalkingArmory 10 different weapons]]'', which includes {{Arm Cannon}}s (making him the only standard character with a long ranged projectile), a BladeBelowTheShoulder, [[BadassBack blades that can be summoned from his back]], just to name a few. He's one of the few who can teleport (alongside the aforementioned Yoshimitsu), which he does via a stance that involves [[CoolChair sitting in his chair]]. Algol's variety of weapons means he can be DifficultButAwesome; though he's tough to master, he can rush down his opponent, deal heavy attacks, and engage enemies trying to flee with SpamAttack.
** ''V'' also gives us [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Devil Jin]] as a style exclusive to [[CharacterCustomization created characters]]. Thing is, Devil Jin doesn't use weapons at all, instead relying on his ''[[BareFistedMonk fists]]''. That being said, the style gives the character {{Flight}} and EyeBeams, and combo potential in line with the ''Tekken'' series. Basically, apart from the Critical Edge, the style plays like Devil Jin transplanted in ''Soulcalibur'' while losing nothing along the way.
* ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI'' gives everyone some kind of unique trait, but even among them, there are standouts that are firmly in this category:
** [[Franchise/TheWitcher Geralt]]'s signs system, which grants him abilities like [[PlayingWithFire fire-based projectiles]], a [[CounterAttack unique and exclusive counterattack]], and an ability to [[TimeMaster slow down his opponent]] [[TrapMaster in a trap]] among others, are all unique in and of itself. They all require meter to use (whereas in this game, meter is mainly used either for Soul Charge or Critical Edge), while in his Soul Charge state he can use all five without meter.
** Zasalamel's ability allows him to "curse" his opponent multiple times, which the players can then use to [[TimeStandsStill freeze time]] momentarily. Notably, the ability to curse is tied to his ''kick'' button, making it obviously quite different from your standard kick. Each curse is marked as a dark purple orb that floats around them, and once the player cashes in on it, they can gain a ''major'' opportunity to attack. However, putting a curse on someone requires an input and can be interrupted, thus requires good judgment to use.
** Kilik, normally a fairly standard character with a staff, becomes one in ''VI''. While most characters have a Soul Charge that grants extra moves that are more powerful and ScratchDamage while running on a timer, Kilik on the other hand has a different Soul Charge where he awakens his SuperpoweredEvilSide. [[CastFromHitPoints While his health depletes with each attack]], he becomes much more powerful all-around, and can last the entire match unless one lands a Critical Edge, which is unique itself and extra powerful, creating a risk-vs-reward factor in its use compared to others. Because of this, he effectively has two different gameplay styles in one, and is one of the very few characters with multiple Critical Edges.
** Siegfried has a special state called "Dark Legacy", in that [[CriticalStatusBuff the lower his health gets, the more dangerous he becomes]] with his standard attacks becoming Lethal Hits, and he can cash in the whole thing to use a version of Nightmare's [[SphereOfDestruction Soul Wave]]. Additionally, the player can ''force'' Siegfried to enter Dark Legacy beforehand by using [[PunchParry Guard Impact]] a number of times, even if it's not parrying anyone. This state is marked by his sword and armor [[BattleAura exhuming blue-and-purple wisps of energy]].
** Yoshimitsu would already count, as his style was too [[ConfusionFu unique]] and [[FightingClown off-kilter]] even before this game to ''not'' be "unusual". However, not only has he gained an EnergyAbsorption passive ability where [[ManaDrain he takes his opponent's meter and adds it to his own]], but he gains a new mechanic called Soul Burn, which are effectively Brave Edges; enhanced attacks marked by yellow auras that consume his meter (unless he's Soul Charged, whereupon these special attacks become cost-free). Keep in mind, the Brave Edge mechanic seen in ''V'' has been otherwise completely removed from ''VI''.
** Azwel is very odd in the game, as he doesn't have a defined weapon but he ''summons'' weapons [[{{Hammerspace}} out of nowhere]]. His move list is divided into [[StanceSystem three different stances]], each reminiscent of a fighting game archetype, and each essential to mastering him. This includes the "Comedy" stance (lance and shield) which focuses on parrying and long-range pokes, the "Beauty" stance (dual blades) which focuses on vertical invasion and mixups, and the "Tragedy" stance (axe) which focuses on damage and rushdown. Like Kilik, he has a different kind of Soul Charge as well and two different Critical Edges. Notably, his second Critical Edge requires the player to burn another meter of the Critical Gauge [[LimitBreak while Azwel is already under the effect of his Soul Charge]]--a requirement reminiscent of Algol's alternative Critical Edge in the preceding game.
** Tira has two different stances with her Jolly and Gloomy personalities, which give her access to different moves, but cannot be switched on the fly. Furthermore, she has two different Critical Edges -- with Gloomy delivering an extra blow if accessed. And finally, she can access a "burning" Gloomy state where she can access Soul Charge-exclusive moves until she switches back to Jolly, basically giving her a lite Soul Charge without having to actually use it for a duration.
** 2B plays like she should from ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' but transplanted into ''Soulcalibur'', and as such her style is ''very'' different from those found in the regular roster. She can switch between [[MultiMeleeMaster different weapon configurations]], utilize {{flash step}}s to gain an advantageous position, gain bursts of speed, engage in combos while ''airborne'', and call upon AssistCharacter Pod 042 for special moves and projectiles (itself a distinct rarity of its own) which makes her the ''only'' character in the game with an assist helping them, and only the second after Z.W.E.I. in ''V'' to feature one. She's also the one of the very few characters (the others being Kilik, Azwel and Tira) to have two different Critical Edges, but her second one is activated by a different command when she's at less than 30% health, wherein she [[SelfDestructMechanism self-destructs]] on her enemy. It will leave her at sliver of health, meaning she's the only who can be hurt from her CE and one must be sure they can win with it.
** Amy has a meter called the Abandonment Level. Certain moves can raise it higher, which then increases the level, and if raised high enough the player can cash in on it to [[LimitBreak unleash a powerful attack]]. It should be noted that this is separate from the Soul Gauge, which she has in conjunction with the Abandonment Level, and she effectively has ''two'' {{Limit Break}}s from unrelated sources. The battle director even compared using the separate meter to a strategic game of cards where one builds up to a strong card to secure victory.
** Cassandra can effectively channel a SuperMode at will outside of Soul Charge at any given time, using the Divine Force. This increases her stats across the board for a very short duration. The main drawback is that using it causes her to take guard damage, significantly weakening her defenses should one rely on it too much. Furthermore, she's the only one who can activate a Guard Impact via a directional imput (rather than pressing a button), which makes it very useful, if also confusing at first. Cassandra also has a unique projectile by throwing her shield as a PrecisionGuidedBoomerang, which can catch enemies off-guard, but the trade-off is that she can't strafe during the process. Finally, she's one of the few characters who have two Critical Edges, with her second one being an enhanced version used during Divine Force that deals extra damage, and thus requires the proper timing to get right.
* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'':
** In ''Tekken III'' Dr. Bosconovitch spends his time prone to the ground and (at his best) crouching; he never jumps or indeed ''stands still''. It's tricky both to play and fight him.
** As any fighting game boxer of note, Steve Fox is an ExtremityExtremist, only opting to use his fists. To that end, the kick buttons don't attack. Instead they let him bob and weave, which gives him additional punching moves. He has a select few foot attacks but you will be doing all your work with your fists while deftly dodging and evading enemy strikes.
** [[GuestFighter Akuma's]] addition to ''Tekken 7: Fated Retribution'' also brings over his Super gauge from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' (giving him the power to EX his special moves and perform a super combo) and his ability to use jumping attacks. Since Akuma also retains his special moves from ''Street Fighter'', he becomes mechanically unusual in spirit since his specials are command based as opposed to move strings, as per usual for ''Tekken''. Eliza uses a similar two-bar super meter with the ability to EX attacks so technically Akuma is in similar company.
** [[Characters/FatalFuryGeeseHoward Geese Howard]] uses the super meter from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', which allows him to use things like MAX cancels and Supers.
* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct 2013'':
** Fulgore does not have a [[ManaMeter Shadow Meter]]. Instead, he has a Reactor meter, which is divided in 10 parts unlike the aforementioned Shadow Meter, which is divided in 2. The Reactor meter determines how much energy Fulgore can spend on special attack cancels and shadow moves. During Season 1, the meter can either be charged manually with an special move, or by doing auto-doubles. It also makes Fulgore move faster. His [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] charges the meter automatically, and also allows Fulgore to spend the fully charged meter by firing a powerful beam that can take up to 40% of damage to the opponent.
*** Fulgore's meter was reworked in Season 2, but it's still different from others. His meter was changed to charge automatically at a set rate, and gain meter faster by playing aggressively. His Instinct Mode increases his charge rate to maximum (a later patch also adds the ability to perform a manual charge during Instinct, similar to Season 1, in order to gain a single pip of energy on command).
** In all his appearances, Spinal has had the unusual property of his floating skulls, which are earned by absorption and consumed by performing special moves. He is less effective if he doesn't have any skulls to cash in.
** Kim Wu has a similar system with her ethereal dragons.
** Aganos also has a similar, albeit unique[[note]]as it does not require something to be done in combat to power him up[[/note]], resource management system, in the form of stone chunks.
** For Maya in Season 2, her daggers enable her different special moves and can be leveled up each time a successful attack is made with them. As a result, if you lose a dagger, your moves become temporarily cut off (to the point that even tapping the punch button that would normally invoke a dagger attack will give you the kick of that strength instead; she has no hand attacks that can be done if she's not holding a dagger in that hand).
** Season 2 bonus character Omen can stock three Shadow stocks as opposed to two. He also has an attack that will use all three stocks at once (no one else on the cast has an attack like this, Fulgore being the exception but also a Mechanically Unusual Fighter in his own right so he doesn't count).
** Hisako has a secondary meter that automatically regenerates and turns her attacks into counter hits if the meter is at least half-full.
** Mira (Maya's sister) has some attacks that require she drain her own health in order to use them.
** Season 2's final character, ARIA, has three health meters as opposed to two. The other life bars belong to [[StanceSystem her alternate bodies]], which exist as assist drones when ARIA's AI is not inhabiting them and ARIA gains different attacks depending on what body she is currently using. If a drone's vitality is drained (either because ARIA was wearing it when it expired or it was hit too many times when acting as an assist), then ARIA can no longer call on that drone for assistance or to inhabit for the rest of the match. Triggering [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] will cause [[AllYourPowersCombined all her drones to form on her at once]], giving her a complete set of powers but exposing all her drones to damage at the same time.
** Season 3 GuestFighter [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Arbiter]] has his Type-51 Covenant Carbine rifle bound to the Hard Kick button. Pressing HK by itself will have him shoot it. However he only has 18 shots for the entire match. Once HK is pressed 18 times, that's it, he no longer can use his rifle (so no reloads). Instead he will swing the rifle as a bludgeon instead (this can also be done on command before he's out of ammo by pressing forward and HK together).

* ''[[VideoGame/GundamVsSeries Gundam Extreme Vs.]]'' has the [[Manga/MobileSuitCrossboneGundam Crossbone Gundam Full Cloth]], which only really has two weapons (a beam crossbow and a {{BFS}}), but also has two [[HourOfPower temporary super modes]]. One grants the crossbow's projectiles homing properties, turns its spread shot into a [[DoABarrelRoll barrel-rolling]] BeamSpam attack, and grants protection from enemy beams that come at it from either the left or right. The other makes its melee attacks stronger, faster, and able to cancel into one another almost freely. A player able to carefully manage these two modes (along with their cooldown times) can rip through just about any opponent.
** Also worth mentioning is [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Epyon]]; in a game built around ranged combat, it has absolutely '''no''' guns, instead fighting with a [[WhipItGood segmented whip]] and [[{{BFS}} giant beam sword]]. However, its melee is very fast, damaging, and can be cancelled freely, and the rest of its moveset includes a mobility move that lets it dodge enemy attacks or quickly rush into melee range, and a move that empowers its sword even further at the cost of draining its boost gauge more quickly. Even though it's generally ranked low in the CharacterTiers, in the hands of a skilled player Epyon can be an unholy menace.
** Along the same lines is the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Susanowo]], which is similarly melee-centric. Unlike Epyon it does have a couple of ranged attacks, but neither is a standard move and its shot button instead slightly boosts its melee power for the next few attacks. It also has a one-time use SuperMode that gives it a ''massive'' speed increase on an already very speedy unit.
* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'':
** While playing as Cody, a knife will appear on the ground that only he can interact with. When he picks it up, it can strengthen his punch attacks or be thrown as a projectile attack.
** Decapre, the newcomer in ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'', is an interesting example. While she doesn't have any unique resources, she combines two well-established fighting game concepts into something that's rarely seen. On the surface, she's definitely a aggressive rushdown character with excellent mobility and mix-up and terrific Ultras make her viable threat. However, she's also a charge character, which contrasts her playstyle as charge characters in just about any fighting game typically lean toward the defensive side. The biggest draw with Decapre being a rushdown charge character is that while her tools are effective, they're not readily available, especially if you want to walk up to your opponent.
* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', two of the newcomers, Ed and Falke, don't use motion inputs for special moves. Instead, all their specials either use multiple button presses or require holding a button. The only exception to this are their respective [[LimitBreak Critical Arts]].
** Newcomer G is also unusual: he has what is called a “Presidentiality Meter”, which has him draw power from the earth to up to three levels. The higher the Presidential level, the more powerful his specials get.
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIII Gill]] in Season 4 is the only character in the game who does not have Crush Counters. Instead he has a 'Retribution' mechanic tied to his [[KillItWithFire Fire]]-and-[[KillItWithIce Ice]] theme. Under certain circumstances the opponent will receive a Burning or Freezing debuff when being hit with a fire or ice attack, typically if it's an EX special or one of his V-Triggers is active. If, while the debuff is active, the opponent is hit with an attack of the opposite element, Retribution is activated, giving the move special properties such as popping them in the air for a juggle, creating unique combo opportunities.
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Dan's]] V Trigger I in Season 5 is only one bar. This could be considered a ''good'' thing, as he won't have to sacrifice much of his health to activate it. Dan's V-Skills also give both him and his opponent V-Gauge whenever he uses them.
** The final newcomer Luke's V Trigger meter don't go down over time and actually refills upon a succesful hit from normal attacks. There are only two ways to deplete them: have Luke use his V-Triggers or attack him directly.
* In the [[VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm2 Naruto]] [[VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStormGenerations Ultimate]] [[VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStormRevolution Ninja]] [[VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm4 Storm]] series, the {{Long Range Fighter}}s have a slightly different control scheme: The button all other characters have assigned to Shuriken, which normally has those characters throwing minimal-damage shuriken as a quick projectile and cannot be comboed into anything, becomes a general projectile button for whatever energy blasts, ammunition, or other signature projectiles these characters are known for. Unlike the standard shuriken, these deal a lot more damage and can be comboed into other projectiles. A more extreme difference are the puppetmaster characters in these games: The puppetmaster does not do any fighting whatsoever, leaving it entirely to the puppet(s). Even blocking is left up to a puppet. The puppetmaster and their puppets can be moved around the battlefield independently of each other too. Until ''VideoGame/NarutoShippudenUltimateNinjaStorm3'', these puppetmasters were considered {{Game Breaker}}s (except for Kankuro) because the puppets themselves cannot be defeated, meaning opponents had to deal with getting beaten down by an invulnerable being while the character they actually have to defeat is usually standing safe and far away.
* ''VideoGame/{{Injustice 2}}'' has the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, who are listed as one character, but in practice is actually four distinct characters. The turtle you play as depends on what weapon you equip, and each turtle plays distinctly from one another: katanas yield Leonardo, a mid-ranged fighter; a bo staff grants Donatello, who fights at a range; sai switches to Raphael, a close-ranged brawler; and nunchaku grants Michelangelo, a tricky high-risk high-reward combatant.
* In ''VideoGame/IndiePogo'', everyone is always jumping, with the ability to do a DoubleJump. Except for [[VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}} Viridian]] and [[VideoGame/{{Downwell}} Welltaro]], who instead reverse their gravity for the duration that the jump button is held and perform a RecoilBoost, respectively.
** Welltaro also has an ammo clip that he uses for his gunboot-related attacks, which replenishes by landing on the ground or on an enemy. In addition, his DoubleJump has him fire his gunboots directly downwards, giving him a pseudo-hover at the cost of ammo and damaging enemies below him. His Super also gives him an upgrade that persists for the match.
** While he plays normally, [[VideoGame/{{Teslagrad}} Teslakid's]] attacks have the unique property of magnetizing enemies, allowing him to pull them in with his Neutral Aerial.
** [[VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon Bullet-Kin]] is probably the most unusual character in the roster. For starters, they can manually aim their gun with the right stick and fire with parkour, an input that no other fighter uses. They also have different guns that they can equip, which can be changed with their Neutral Special. Their Down Special creates a chest which can either contain a pickup or another gun that they can equip. Each of their guns has an ammo clip, and if it runs out, they have to be on the ground for a little while to reload. If they are hit while reloading, they drop their gun, and if they don't pick it up in time, it gets stolen and is lost. In addition, instead of a roll that can be cancelled into a rollkick like everyone else, their parkour is instead the dodge roll, which gives them some invincibility frames and deals damage. While otherwise normal, their melees have the unique ability to get rid of bullets and fire sword beams if you're at full health. Got that?
* In ''VideoGame/RivalsOfAether'', everyone has their own nuances and gimmicks, but a few characters stand out:
** Wrastor is the only base character who can only do their strong attacks in mid-air, while everyone else is the opposite. He also possesses the unique ability to triple jump.
** Elliana has several unique mechanics. She possesses a heat bar, which fills up when she does certain attacks, but can be emptied over time or faster by using her strong attacks, which shoot a lingering cloud of steam. Instead of a DoubleJump, she hovers, which she can do until her heat bar fills up. If her heat bar overflows, her attacks that interact with it are weakened/disabled, but her strong attacks are replaced with a short-ranged explosion. Regardless of heat, she can perform her strong attacks on the ground or in the air. Also, many of her aerials can give her a little extra lift when the button is held. Got all that?
** GuestFighter [[VideoGame/ShovelKnight Shovel Knight]] is also very unusual. Whenever he lands an attack, gems fly out of the enemy which can be picked up by Shovel Knight. These gems can later be cashed in with his taunt to buy either a different neutral special or a passive set of armor. Some of his attacks can be used to help him get more gems, such as digging up a large dirt block with a fully-charged up strong attack or fishing into BottomlessPits.
** Even more are available thanks to [[GameMod Workshop Support]]:
*** [[MadBomber Mollo]], one of the first complex characters on the workshop, does not have traditional strong attacks, instead throwing a bomb in a direction that explodes after a period of time. These bombs can be hit with attacks to move them around, and can be swapped out with other bombs with Neutral Special. And like Wrastor, she can use Strongs in the air as well.
*** [[ActionDuo Trummel and Alto]], a snail riding a cloud, have an airdodge that acts much differently than other characters, wherein Trummel jumps off of the cloud, gaining vertical height and placing a trap on the stage but going into helpless state. They can also freely move while charging their strong attacks.
*** [[AnimateInanimateObject Suitcase]] seems to be a rather simple FightingClown at first... until you land enough attacks and level up, wherein they can use Down Special to gain a random item that alters their moveset slightly a la a Rougelike.
*** [[TagTeam Aei and Ou]] are essentially a Rivals version of the Ice Climbers from Smash Bros, except that Ou, the assist character, has more options to be controlled but does not fight on their own, which can lead to SomeDexterityRequired to be played as to their full potential.

* ''VideoGame/OnePunchManAHeroNobodyKnows'': Saitama is invincible to anybody but [[MirrorMatch another Saitama]] and can KO any other character instantly with one punch, true to [[ComicallyInvincibleHero his status in the source material.]] To make this even remotely balanced, he's always late to fights: if he is selected, the player must fight with a team of only two while Saitama races to get to the arena, with a timer indicating his arrival. Doing certain actions can move the timer down faster.
* ''VideoGame/{{ARMS}}'':
** Byte and Barq work as a duo, with Barq functioning as an AI-controlled AssistCharacter and moving springboard.
** Helix's scientific nature allows him to stretch and move to inhuman lengths and shapes. His dash and jump respectively double as a squash and stretch to duck under or flex above attacks. His ARMS weapons have slightly unusual timing; the Guardian is a shield that can block a few hits as it drifts towards the opponent that needs to be pumped a second time to speed up after closing the gap. His Ice Dragon has the typical delay between punch and firing and the Blorb bounces on the way towards the opponent.
** Dr. Coyle is a standout example. The device on her back makes it so that she doesn't touch the ground. As such, she doesn't jump. Instead, pressing the jump button will make her float up to the normal jump height and just... stay there. As long as you're holding the jump button. She can still dash, block, punch, and everything. She's just up there now. In addition, the fact that she's not touching the ground makes it so that she is unaffected by things like moving ground or springs, for better or for worse. Oh, and on top of that, she drifts a bit in the direction she was moving in when you stop telling her to move. Since, you know, not touching the ground makes friction a bit harder to come by. Furthermore, while most fighters with a special ability (Min Min's Dragon arm, for example) lose it on being knocked down, Dr. Coyle activates her invisibility when knocked down. This way, she can mask what she decides to do upon rising.
* The ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' fighting game ''VideoGame/TomAndJerryInWarOfTheWhiskers'' has Robot Cat, a mechanical cat who, being one of the {{Final Boss}}es of the game, operates on a completely different level from everyone else. While every other playable character has punch and kick jab combos, a GroundPound and the ability to pick up and throw items and other characters, Robot Cat completely lacks the latter three abilities and only has a single jab combo. In exchange, it has completely unique attacks only it can use: it can shoot fireballs from far away and set opponents [[RumpRoast running away on fire]] with a rotating flamethrower attack at close range. Its [[TurnsRed Berserk Mode]] is also completely different from everyone else; while most characters gain an attack/speed boost for the mode's duration on top of becoming invincible, Robot Cat instead flies into the air and can shoot fireballs with no cooldown instead (though it still retains invincibility).
* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' has Beowulf, who, in addittion to a StanceSystem based on his chair, has two unique mechancics: First of all, his throws do not function the same way other characters' do: Instead of grabbing the opponent and immediately throwing them, his throws function more like a beat-em-up, where he can move around and pummel the opponent, and then use simple button combos to actually throw them. He also has a secondary ManaMeter called "Hype", which is built by things like [[PracticalTaunt taunting]] and slamming opponents onto his chair. Once he has enough hype and has done enough damage to the opponent, he can pin the opponent down after certain moves, [[FinishingMove instantly knocking them out.]]

* ''VideoGame/NitroplusBlasterzHeroinesInfiniteDuel'': [[Anime/SuperSonico Sonico]] doesn't fight on her own, but is followed by four cats who can be commanded with the B, C, or E buttons. The cats follow slightly behind Sonico, and will attack from their current position. Unlike Sonico herself, the cats can't jump, so when commanded they will do their grounded attacks. And her guard break attack sees the cat hone in on the opponent.
** [VideoGame/ArcanaHeart Heart Aino] lacks an aerial roll, but instead will do an attack cancellable homing airdash, similar to her home series.

Fighting Games usually follow a stablished formula: two characters duke it out until one of them goes K.O., and the other wins the match. Said characters usually have a human (or humanoid) shape, walk on the ground, and have a set of normal (your usual punches and kicks) and special attacks. Most games also feature [[LimitBreak super attacks]] for its cast. However, there are some exceptions that [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter if not outright break the game's ruleset, at least bring their own shenanigans to the fight]]. Needless to say, most of them also double as DifficultButAwesome.

** [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP-999]] doesn't deal any damage whatsoever, being an ActualPacifist. Instead, opponents get a happiness bar that functions as a separate health bar, which fills up on contact with 999 and even faster when affected by 999's "attacks". Once an opponent's happiness is full, that opponent is forced to do a HappyDance for the rest of the round and is considered [=KOed=].

*** [[VideoGame/FatalFury Geese Howard]] doesn't use Akuma's super meter but instead the MAX stock bar from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIV'', which allows him to use things like ''[=KoF=]''[='s=] MAX cancels (in addition to super attacks). So he manages to be mechanically unusual ''amidst'' Mechanically Unusual Fighters.
*** {{Subverted|Trope}} with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis Lucius Caelum]], the only guest character to not have a super meter.

** [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP-999]] doesn't deal any damage whatsoever. Instead, opponents get a happiness bar that functions as a separate health bar, which fills up on contact with 999 and even faster when affected by 999's "attacks". Once an opponent's happiness is full, that opponent is forced to do a HappyDance for the rest of the round and is essentially [=KOed=].

** Kilik, normally a fairly standard character with a SimpleStaff, becomes one in ''VI''. While most characters have a Soul Charge that grants extra moves that are more powerful and ScratchDamage while running on a timer, Kilik on the other hand has a different Soul Charge where he awakens his SuperpoweredEvilSide. [[CastFromHitPoints While his health depletes with each attack]], he becomes much more powerful all-around, and can last the entire match unless one lands a Critical Edge, which is unique itself and extra powerful, creating a risk-vs-reward factor in its use compared to others. Because of this, he effectively has two different gameplay styles in one, and is one of the very few characters with multiple Critical Edges.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series has [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter/SuperSmashBros its own page]].

* [[ShadowArchetype Shadow Labrys]] from ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena''. Other characters' Personas only appear for a short while to perform attacks, and then disappear. Shabrys' "Persona" Asterius however, stays on screen the entire time, follows Shabrys around, and can attack concurrently with her. To compensate for being around all the time, Asterius has armor so it can't be broken easily, and Shabrys' heavy Persona attack is actually telling Asterius to block. Playing Shadow Labrys is effectively controlling both her and Asterius at the same time.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': Robo-Ky has to manage two different meters: A thermostat, which builds up as he fights and can only be vented via a certain command or risk a damaging explosion. He also has a power gauge which, unlike everyone else, cannot be charged conventionally and can only be charged via a laid-out power mat. His special and [[LimitBreak Overdrive]] attacks drain from this power gauge.

* In ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', most characters fight using Bravery attacks to build up Bravery, HP attacks to deal HP damage, and landing attacks generates EX Force that fills an EX Gauge, when filled the character can enter [[SuperMode EX Mode]] for a temporary power boost. With [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Gabranth]] however, his Bravery attacks are slow and weak and his only HP attacks do nothing but charge up his EX Gauge, rendering him ''completely unable'' to deal any HP damage outside of EX Mode. When it fills and he enters EX Mode, however, his entire moveset changes, turning him into a monstrously powerful LightningBruiser with powerful attacks and high movement speed, but only until the gauge depletes, at which point he goes back to normal and has to charge it up again.

* In the ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' DS fighting games, Don Kanon'ji has a "Ratings Meter", befitting his TV personality, where certain attacks do more damage the better he is performing. Missing attacks or calling for certain attacks when he does not have the energy decrease his ratings, while doing damage gains ratings. [[PracticalTaunt Taunting]] significantly increases his ratings.
** Hanataro Yamada has a weapon that {{heal|ingShiv}}s instead of cuts, then, when enough wounds are healed, it deals damage in one attack equal to the damage healed.
* [[VideoGame/HeavenlySword Nariko]] in ''VideoGame/PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' fights using a "key pose" system that momentarily places her in [[StanceSystem different stances]] based on how she uses her Square attacks, made for opening up unique combo-trees. What makes her odd is that the game has a number of conventions tied to the Square attacks, and this in turn influences the button-placement for other common mappings: Up Square is generally a LauncherMove (hers is Up Triangle, which is usually used for AntiAir attacks), Grounded Down Square tends to be a sweep/tripping attack (hers is a weird ground bounce) and Neutral Circle is a CounterAttack (hers is Neutral Triangle).

* ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' gives everyone some kind of unique trait, but even among them, there are standouts that are firmly in this category:

* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'': Dr. Bosconovitch (only in the third game) spends his time prone to the ground and (at his best) crouching; he never jumps or indeed ''stands still''. It's tricky both to play and fight him.

*** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis Lucius Caelum]] is the only guest character to not have a super meter, so he ends up subverting the trend.

** In all his appearances Spinal has had the unusual property of his floating skulls, which are earned by absorption and consumed by performing special moves. He is less effective if he doesn't have any skulls to cash in.

** Aganos also has a similar (albeit unique as it does not require something to be done in combat to power him up) resource management system in the form of stone chunks.

** Season 2's final character, ARIA, has three health meters as opposed to two. The other life bars belong to her alternate bodies, which exist as assist drones when ARIA's AI is not inhabiting them and ARIA gains different attacks depending on what body she is currently using. If a drone's vitality is drained (either because ARIA was wearing it when it expired or it was hit too many times when acting as an assist), then ARIA can no longer call on that drone for assistance or to inhabit for the rest of the match. Triggering [[SuperMode Instinct Mode]] will cause [[AllYourPowersCombined all her drones to form on her at once]], giving her a complete set of powers but exposing all her drones to damage at the same time.

** Yoshimitsu has a number of different quirks befitting his status as a FightingClown, and each one of them could've made him an example all by itself, but combined he takes it UpToEleven. For one, he has by far the most moves in the game. Many of them do little more than [[ConfusionFu confuse]] the opponent, but mastering each stance is what separates the best from the average. While other characters have stances, his are by far the most unique as they include sitting, flying while using his blade as a helicopter, and bouncing on his sword like a pogo stick, and ''all'' of them give him additional options. He's one of the few characters capable of self-harm with moves that CastFromHitPoints, even having an enhanced dodging mechanic that can get him out in a pinch but at the cost of his health, and he even can [[{{Seppuku}} stab himself]] with a move... [[TakingYouWithMe and take the opponent down in the process]]. Some of his moves can even harm himself if performed incorrectly, meaning that there's no margin of error when using them. Others are [[CounterAttack reliant on baiting the player]] and thus must be timed right, and this is in a series that doesn't feature an active counter system. Oh, and he's also the only character who can [[HealThyself heal himself]] mid-match. Finally, he can make full use of TeleportSpam to further confuse the opponent. As you can tell, Yoshimitsu is what happens when someone with ComboPlatterPowers is made into a fighting game character.