Mortal Kombat II on SNES is still one of the best fighting games ever made—even if the blood got toned down from the arcade version. The first thing you’ll notice is how crisp the animations feel, especially when Scorpion yanks someone across the screen with his spear or Sub-Zero freezes them mid-jump. The fatalities are ridiculous in the best way (who thought ripping someone’s spine out would be so satisfying?).

What I love is how each character actually plays differently—Liu Kang’s bicycle kick is stupidly fun, while Raiden’s teleport makes him a nightmare if you’re playing against someone who knows what they’re doing. The AI can be brutal on higher difficulties, but pulling off a flawless victory after getting wrecked three times in a row? That’s the stuff.

Soundtrack’s full of those crunchy 16-bit punches and kicks, and the stage themes still slap. Just don’t expect online multiplayer—this is strictly couch versus mode, where friendships go to die. Mortal Kombat II holds up way better than it has any right to.