Mortal Kombat on the Genesis was the first time I saw a game that actually felt dangerous—like I might get in trouble just for playing it. The digitized actors, the way Sub-Zero’s ice blast froze opponents solid, the blood splatter (if you knew the code)… it was brutal in a way no other fighter had been.

Scorpion’s spear pull still feels satisfying decades later, and the fatalities? Half the fun was trying to figure them out before the internet spoiled everything. Some of them are janky by today’s standards (looking at you, Raiden’s awkward head pop), but back then, it felt like forbidden arcade magic ported straight to your living room.

Just don’t pick Liu Kang against someone who knows how to spam fireballs—trust me on that one.