Blazblue is ultimately my favorite fighting game for the 360. While Capcom's Street Fighter basks in the glory of the mainstream sun, Arc System Works has always made new age fighting games that developed cult followings. For people tired of the chess mentality Street Fighter offered, Guilty Gear and its now spiritual successor, Blazblue, offered solace for them with a flexible movement system, complex fighting mechanics, and an emphasis on unique character move sets and properties.
While Street Fighter's learning curve starts pretty high and stays pretty stable, Blazblue's curve starts out low, offering beginner's a chance to do simple but satisfying combos called gatlings by the community: a simple 3 or 4 hit combo that goes from weak to strong attacks. The curve ramps up quickly though, when you take into account character match ups and their unique drives properties like freezing ice or life drain. But scrubs can feel good about using their drive button to do something cool without knowing special move inputs.
Though an upstart IP, Blazblue has developed a loyal following from people following the Guilty Gear series and people interested in the wild, anime inspired character designs. Calamity Trigger was released two years ago and seems antique compared to the arcade sequel, Continuum Shift, which has been out since last November. But even Continuum Shift will be released for consoles this Tuesday on the 27th with new content to follow up on the arcade release such as legion mode, challenge mode, and promised DLC that's already been unveiled.
So Blazblue is, in my opinion, the best fighting game for the 360 for it's flashy, fast paced fights, great soundtrack that ranges from heavy metal guitar riffs to soulful violin melodies, and unique character balance from a grappler who magnetizes you to a fighter who can combo you from a full screen's range.
