Dark Rift was one of those early N64 fighters that tried to go toe-to-toe with the arcade-style brawlers of the time. The graphics were surprisingly crisp for the era—characters like the cyborg samurai and the winged demon actually looked decent in motion, even if the animations were a little stiff by today’s standards.

What I remember most is how weirdly satisfying the combat felt. Sure, it wasn’t as polished as Tekken or Soulcalibur, but there was something about landing a chunky special move with the game’s oversized sword swings or energy blasts. The roster had this odd mix of fantasy and sci-fi fighters, and I spent way too much time figuring out which one had the most ridiculous combo potential (hint: it’s probably the guy with the flaming claws).

If you’ve got a buddy around, the multiplayer turns into a hilarious mess of button mashing and accidental stage hazards. Just don’t expect tournament-level depth—this one’s all about dumb fun and nostalgia. The announcer yelling "FIGHT!" still lives rent-free in my head.