How did all this start? What was the first videogame that you ever played? Do you remember? Well if you're like myself, you're part of a large and not-so-exclusive group of people who I like to call "old school." If you really consider yourself old school, then whether you remember the first game you ever played or not, most likely you remember this -- you played your first ever videogame in an arcade!

Of course, what need is there for an arcade anymore? I mean, we got the most advanced videogame technology right in our living rooms in the form of home videogame consoles. But did you ever stop and think, "What the heck happened to the arcades?"

You've probably said to yourself, "They must have died out a long time ago." But surprisingly, the fact is arcades are actually alive and thriving. So what's maintaining this steady stream of arcade success? Sure there are games like Dance Dance Revolution, Initial D and Time Crisis, but what the majority of arcade hoppers keep coming back for are the fighting games.

First of all, let me define an arcade fighter. An arcade fighter is not a four-player brawler like Urban Reign or Def Jam: Vendetta. Arcade fighters, over the course of history, have been strictly two players, maximum. In brawlers, every character has different attacks, but they are all performed the same way and they are all defended against the same way. For instance, in a brawler, punching and kicking is often designated to only one or two buttons with varying attacks if the button is held, pressed rapidly or with a direction. The same goes with grabs and reversals. This is actually essential to how a brawler is played. You need the simple button commands so that fighting against three different opponents is intuitive.

But with a true fighting game, players are offered much more intricacy. Fighting games have anywhere from three to eight specific buttons for punching, kicking and slashing all ranging from weak to strong, right to left or high to low. Every character in the game has different special and super attacks and all are performed in different ways with different effects on the opposition in a two out of three round match. It's almost as if every character is an entire game system in himself... herself... itself.

These fighting games are so popular that arcade owners and a few low-pro gaming groups often hold tournaments with these games for big cash prizes. There are even videos of tournament footage on popular Internet video sites. This month we will be looking at the top five fighting games still being played in arcades in this very special edition of "Press Start!"

Guilty Gear XX Slash is a 2D fighter that takes fighting to the sky. All the character and background art is very anime-esque and the frame rate of the animation is exceptionally smooth. © Sega/Arc System Works.

#5. Guilty Gear XX Slash Publisher: SEGA; Developer: ARC System Works; Release Date: 2005

Now, this is an interesting piece of work. Guilty Gear XX Slash is a 2D fighter that takes fighting to the sky, literally. All the character and background art is very anime-esque, and the frame rate of the animation is exceptionally smooth. GGXXS allows players to select their character from a roster of more than 20 characters. Basic attacks are punches, kicks and slashes. Also, like in any fighting game, every character has an arsenal of special moves, which they can perform at anytime and super moves that require the super meter to be filled at certain levels to perform.

The combo system in GGXXS is much more fluid and less restrictive than in other fighters. Players can whip out huge combos just by tapping the attack buttons in succession and linking them to specials and/or supers. Players can also choose to launch an opponent into the air to further pummel them and make their combos even longer. Another feature is that players that are on the receiving end of a ridiculously huge combo can execute a combo breaker called a "Burst," provided that their Burst meter is full.

As if the combo system wasn't huge enough, players can also execute what's called "Roman Cancels." At the cost of a portion of the super meter this maneuver allows players to interrupt a move half way through leaving their opponent helpless to allow players to continue into an even longer combo. For example, Potemkin in GGXXS performs a move where he grabs and holds an airborne opponent, then causes them to explode, sending the opponent flying across the screen, which ends the combo. However, if halfway through the grab, players perform a Roman Cancel their opponent will be left defenseless in the air for the player to deal more damage.

Now this part is really fun. Players can activate an instant destruction move that if connects will totally obliterate their opponent in one shot, regardless of how much energy the opponent still has left. However, there are drawbacks to using this maneuver. Most players actually choose not to use this feature, because you sacrifice using the super meter for the rest of the round. So if the instant destruction does not connect, you're left to play the rest of the round without supers.

The gameplay in GGXXS is extremely fast with the levels being as tall as they are wide in order to contain the wild battles. Gamers are drawn to GGXXS because of the combo system. It's almost like an art; guys are still creating some of the most insane combos ever conceived. It's actually quite common to walk into an arcade and find a group of guys just watching two others go at it, because of how well players are handling their characters in matches.