Mortal Kombat on the Genesis was the first time I saw a game that actually looked like real people beating the hell out of each other. The digitized sprites were janky by today's standards, but back then, seeing Scorpion's spear rip into someone's chest felt insane. And the blood—so much blood. The Genesis version had the gore toned down a bit compared to the arcade, but you could unlock it with that infamous blood code.

What really stuck with me were the fatalities. Messing up the inputs half the time, then finally nailing Sub-Zero's spine rip while my friends lost their minds. The controls were stiff compared to Street Fighter, but that kinda made every punch feel heavier. Still can't hear "FINISH HIM" without getting flashbacks.