I love amusement parks, and I love fighting games, so I might well try and look into all the amusement/theme park stages that I'm aware of in fighting games that I'm familiar with. This will also be including traveling carnivals/pop-ups. I might even be forgetting a few from games/series I list in this very list but I'm relying on memory plus what is availably documented nor do I realy want to cover EVERYTHING in this one blog. I'll stick to what I know.
Dream Amusement Park (Fatal Fury)
Starting off with South Town's Dream Amusement Park, a re-occuring location. Love the palette here! Also looks like a pretty fun park: there's like a scary tree, big carousel, pirate ship, ferris wheel, an SNK game land, and even probably Big Thunder Mountain right there in the back. People usually talk about the Carls Jr. looking star dude in this (Happy Star is his name!) though as South Town is alledgedly in Florida, they'd call it the Hardees looking star dude (still Happy Star).
Dream Amusement Park (Fatal Fury 3)
Back at Dream Amusement Park, at what appears to be an entirely different section a la Frontierland. Also very empty! Is it the off-season? I remember hearing something about Dream Amusement Park going through a rough period or even closing in COTW I think, maybe the park went to shit and also western? Idk. Wouldn't have recognized it as a part of a park without the title.
Dream Amusement Park (Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves)
Back once again at Dream Amusement Park! Though this seems to be back to the main area of the park a la Fatal Fury classic, complete with the pink/red hue of the sky, carousel, Main Street style buidings, etc. Also of note is that the park is under a "Grand Re-Opening", and according to the little character comments on each stage, it is implied that it was Billy Kane who helped put up the cash needed for them to re-open, cute! Anyways, pretty on-par with the first Dream Amusement Park.
South Town Park (Art of Fighting 2)
Oh fuuuuuck yes one of my favorites. It's Halloween, bitch!!!! Once again, BEAUTIFUL colors and palette here! Also the SNK wiki claims this is the same park from KOFXV, but I don't buy it. That park is abandoned, while this is just a Halloween themed park or pop-up. Also of note is that this may not be Dream Amusement Park, but apparently it's East Side Park, a rival spot. If Dream Amusement Park is the D*sney equivalent, does that make this the Universal? Or Six Flags? Or some other flavor of smaller/local park? Or maybe it's just a pop-up. Who knows. I fucking love this stage though.
La Rue Diamuse (Savage Reign)
Apparently Savage Reign/Kizuna Encounter also take place in the South Town-iverse, allegedly, albiet in the future (Early 21st Century) and renamed to Jipang City, from what I'm hearing. And like by the time of Kizuna Encounter and how it's apocalyptic-looking, I'm just wondering what happened after City of the Wolves. What did Kain do-- oh sorry I'm off track. Whether this is Dream Amusement Park or East Side Park or some new third park that popped up is unknown to me and I don't feel like cross-referencing South Town maps right now. Anyway, pretty cool park! Big carousel, spinny flying ride, rollercoaster, ferris wheel, and circus dudes on balls hell yeah. Pretty stage!
New York State, USA (The King of Fighters '97)
Hey, it's Adventureland! I think, that's what the wiki says (which is why I question it) and Adventureland is a park in New York, so probably! I've never beeen so I can't really comment on the accuracy. Though once again, feels more like D*sney, with like the riverboat and the Main Street buildings and the Toontown looking area on the left. Anyway, very cute stage! As stated before I like the little Toontown looking area and all the singing mascot costume guys.
Amusement Park (The King of Fighters '99 Evolution)
SNK loves their theme park stages, and this one has 2 variants? Oh, you spoil me. I like the combination pixel art and CG in this one, and the stage itself is nice also with the nighttime setting, and variants are always appreciated! Also love the fat little mascots in the back, how cute.
Dream World (The King of Fighters XIV)
Ooooh this one is cute. Love the music! I love the parade theme with all the floats of all the rides and balloons and the dancing mascot thing and the ladies from like Dance Evolution in the background. Also shout-out the the Mars Person balloon in the concept art. IDK if it's visible in-game I don't own XIV. Very cute!
Abandoned Theme Park (The King of Fighters XV)
Ooooh fuuuuuuuuuuuuck yes FUUUUUUCK YES!!!! It's all fucked up looking, there's a little mascot dude everywhere, the haunted house, the candy shop, I love all the green!! AAAaah! Ahem. If you know me, you can probably assume exactly what about this stage appeals to me. Not only do the atmosphere and the theme make me think of a specific dilapidated amusement park from a specific third entry of a horror game franchise, but there's one particular thing that seals the deal for me. You see that little mascot guy slumped over on the bench?
"I don't want to look inside... Something in there smells terrible..."
Ziggy Amusement Justice (Project Justice)
We're out of SNK town for the moment, now on to Capcom! Ziggy Amusement Park here seems like a cute enough little spot, its got the typical big rides, spinny thing, ferris wheel, the works. Also a lot of pandas! That's nice. Pretty empty though.
Haw Par Villa (Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers)
Hey this one here is actually and verifiably supposed to be set in a real specific park: Haw Par Villa/Tiger Palm Garden. Though a different type of amusement park than those covered previously, its more of a garden with giant dioramas from what I'm seeing of seeing of it. But that's still really cool! I like it!
Amusementive Crime (Street Fighter EX 2)
What in the world is going on here? Looks like some "dreamcore" world I'd find on VRchat. I dig it, though! The tiled floor just kinda ending and all these rides and stuff strewn about the sand, it's interesting. And then the figure in the background: apparently that thing was enough to get this staged removed from the US version of this game because it looks like it's hanging. I think? Pretty cool and surreal.
Ring of Arcade (Street Fighter V)
Oh that's neat it's a little Capcom Amusement Park. I know those guys! Hey, even Ingrid is back there! But if it was Stupid Ingrid Baby, I would've filed a health and safety complaint. Anyway, Capcom fare aside, it's got the usual ferris wheel and roller coaster, alongside some other themed buildings. Probably some ride queues maybe.
Fête Foraine (Street Fighter 6)
Hey it's the reason I put the specific disclaimer I'm including traveling funfairs, as it is explicitly stated through both the name of the stage and in E. Honda's arcade mode that this is a temporary/traveling fair. But its got ferris wheel and rollercoaster (crowd favorites) so it fits right in. Very pretty stage! Love the atmosphere and the little booths. Also I like the part in Mai's World Tour where you take her here and she gets a picture with the Blanka-chan doll, and later she gets one to give to Andy. How cute. Now I wonder if Andy has a big collection of plushies that were gifts from Mai. That's be cute.
Carnival (Marvel vs. Capcom 2)
Oh sweet good ol' MVC2 cg stages! My favorite!
Carnival (Tekken 3 & Tekken Tag Team)
Diggersby Land (Pokkén Tournament)