Not much anime-like fighting games here.
There is a no shortage of them when it comes to games actually produced, especially if you look into some indie games that the Japanese produced. Some of the better ones even get an arcade release later on. I would try some out if there were English patches and such. I like some anime, but it's not something I want for myself, being influenced by many different artists.
I hope this thread gets more responses, especially with so many people expressing how MK or any fighting game for that matter should be like. I haven't fine-tuned my ideas yet, so forgive me if I'm indecisive.
Company: There is a oligopoly in the fighting genre as it is, I'd rather bring in "new blood" to compete with the giants of the genre. If I had to choose between existing companies, I would either go with SNK or Reverge Labs. SNK already made a game similar to what I have in mind, and have been consistently good with fighting games in general. Reverge Labs, a newcomer, proven they can make a decent fighting game, and I like the animation they did with Skullgirls. Visual Concepts in 90's might have been a viable choice, but these days they primarily make sports games.
Art Style: Graphics will be sprite-based. Animation is hand-drawn. I'm leaning towards stylization along these lines....
There is a moderate degree of blood, nothing over-the-top like MK.
Music: I would go for orchestral, Norse or Celtic folk music (or something like it), and even overtone singing, depending on the stage/scene.
Setting: I'm going for a fantasy setting. As far as time period is concerned, the Middle Ages will tentatively serve as its base. I may allow some anachronism as I see fit. Geography is diverse to provide a wide range of arenas. It can range from anything from a urban environment to a sparsely inhabited swamp.
Casting: It will mostly consist of human or humanoid characters wielding melee weapons or magic. There might might be odd character who fights unarmed or use ranged weapons.
Gameplay: The game will be 2D fighting game in a similar vein of Samurai Shodown and Weaponlord.
Tapping forward twice to run and tapping back twice will perform a backdash. Only a select few characters can double-jump, air-dash, or wall jump.
Some attacks can hit a downed opponent. When a character has fallen, there is option to delay getting up, stand up quickly, or roll depending on the situation.
While I want opportunities for combos, I prefer their hit count to be on the lower end of the spectrum like Virtua Fighter 5.
I'm unsure if blocking should be manual or done by holding back. Chip damage is possible by specials and supers, not regular attacks.
Damage and properties of attacks may change depending the character's effective range of weapon/fighting style. For example, if a spear user thrusts, maximum damage will come from hitting with the tip of the spear. The same attack will do less damage at closer ranges, where they will be hit with the shaft. Swords have less of a penalty, having a larger cutting surface with their attacks.
Parries can be used disrupt an opponent's attack, giving you opportunity to counter. Beware, using a parry too early will momentarily leave your vulnerable to an enemy's strike. Weapon clashes are possible when two weapons collide without hitting the other character, cancelling out both attacks. Taunts may provide bonuses such as increased defense or longer stun on the next attack.
Meter gain is more or less typical fighting game fare. It's gained from attacking, blocking, and parrying. Hitting a blocking opponent and using a special attack (even without landing a blow) will gain a small amount of meter. Meter can stocked for later use. Meter can be expended by disrupting a combo and pushing them back, or used for a super. More powerful supers may use more than one stock.