In July of last year Hidden Variable Studios announced that they'd be bringing the cult hit fighting franchise Skullgirls to mobile. Rather than mimic its older console siblings with a mess of virtual buttons, Skullgirls on mobile was taking the streamlined, gesture-based mechanics that have proven to work so well in other touchscreen fighters like Injustice and Marvel Contest of Champions. After announcing the game would be published by the almighty Line Corporation, Skullgirls went into a soft-launch/beta period earlier this year, which then brings us to today where Skullgirls [Free] has officially launched on the App Store. It's showtime!

I've been playing Skullgirls since the soft launch a few months ago, and as an avid fan of both traditional arcade fighters and the streamlined mobile takes on the genre, this definitely ranks up there among my favorites. The fighting mechanics are super tight, and despite being simplified for touch you're still able to chain together cool combos and even do pop-ups and air juggling moves. It feels a lot more organic compared to similar mobile fighters, which tend to feel canned and rigid. Also, the beautiful art and animations that the series is known for have made their way to mobile in full, along with a gigantic roster of wacky and downright absurd characters. The jazzy, post-WWII theme also sets Skullgirls apart from your typical fighter. As for the free to play system, it's pretty standard here. You'll unlock new characters and s...