How to: Download new MUGEN characters

I’m a big fan of using MUGEN to develop computer games based on old classics. However, one of the most tedious aspects of this intricate development platform lies in the creation of characters. Thankfully though, there are several online resources where you can download MUGEN sprites for free. Finding these sites can be difficult, but I’ll outline some of the best that I’ve come across.

Mugenation is a MUGEN developer community which a large database of different characters, which you can access by clicking the ‘Chars’ link on the homepage. You’ll find the stars of everything from Streetfighter to Worms here. Many of the character files are hosted by Mugenation which you can download for free. Some characters though are only available by clicking the link to an external site, and you’ll find that many of these are in Japanese or Korean.

Another decent community site is Heroes of Gaming, and you can access a few free characters from here. GCN’s collection of characters is more impressive, featuring a huge range of Nintendo legends, such as Mario, Mega Man and Ryu. The site also offers template characters to help you build your own in MUGEN. Still not enough for you? Then head for eSnips, where you’ll find a feast of character downloads. Once you’ve harvested all the sprites you want, check out the video below to discover how to install them into MUGEN.