Classic Gaming- Mortal Kombat III: (1995)

When it comes down to the first three 16-bit Mortal Kombat games within the series many people would argue that the third installment was probably the best in terms of gameplay.  Mortal Kombat III was developed by Midway Games and released during the mid 90’s following the popularity and success of Mortal Kombat II in 1993.  Not only did Mortal Kombat III have improved gaming mechanics from it predecessor but it also had exciting new stages and characters which made the game itself more enjoyable.  Mortal Kombat III had included new characters such as: Striker, Cyrax, Sector, Kabal, Sheeva and  boss character named Motaro.  Along with the addition of new character Mortal Kombat III also so the return of some of the others from previous games such as Liu Kang, Shang Tsung, Kung Lao, Sonya and boss character Shao Khan.  Not only is the story for this game slightly darker than Mortal Kombat II but it also seems more violent as well.  In Mortal Kombat III the Earthrealm was in more danger than before considering the fact that Shao Khan was trying to merge it with the Outworld following the resurrection of Sindel.

Along with the addition of new characters and a more interesting storyline Mortal Kombat III had also introduced some fascinating concepts to the series such as animalities and brutalities following the end of each battle.  Along with those two new features players can still perform fatalities, babalities along friendships similar to that of Mortal Kombat II which it was pretty cool since it gave them more options on how to destroy their opponents.  The combo system in Mortal Kombat III was one of the many aspects in the game  that really stood out since it was fast paced and required a decent amount of skills to pull some of them off.  The pit fatalities in MK III such as the Tower and the Subway stage were also creative along with being exciting places to battle at.   Without a doubt Mortal Kombat III was and still is an arcade classic that some people would argue was one of the best 16-bit fighting games of the 90’s.

Retro Gaming- Virtua Racing: (1992)

There were so many memorable racing games that were made back in the early’s that many people enjoyed when they were released in arcade centers around the world.  When we think about popular racing games of the early 90’s titles such as Top Gear, Daytona USA, Outrun and Grand Monaco GP come to mind.  Along with those popular racing titles one of the games that many people were thoroughly impressed by was Virtua Racing which was developed by Sega A2 and released for the Sega Model 1 arcade system in 1992.   In terms of visual presentation Virtua Racing was one of the coolest games within its genre because it seemed like it was ahead of its time.  After Virtua Racing was released in arcade centers it was eventually ported for consoles such as the Sega Genesis, Sega 32X and the Sega Saturn.  While the arcade version of Virtua Racing was probably the best in terms of quality the Sega Saturn port seemed just as good as the original.   The Sega Genesis port of Virtua Racing had also looked impressive especially considering the fact that it was a 16 bit version of the game.

The Sega 32X version of Virtua Racing was also very impressive considering the fact the visual display looked similar to something you would see for the original Sony PlayStation.  In terms of gameplay & graphics the Sega Saturn version was the very best but the only problem was that the console itself was very expensive.  When the Sega Saturn was first released it averaged around $400 and was about twice the price of the Sega Genesis when it was first released.   Despite, the fact that Virtua Racing had a few game modes and limited stages it was still a very fun title to play.  Not only did Viruta Racing feature multiplayer gameplay but it also gave players the option of choosing courses based on their level of difficulty such as: beginner, medium and expert.  Along with course selection players also had the ability to switch between manual and automatic transmission during races which is generally a feature that is included in most racing titles.   Looking back at this game now some people would argue that Viruta Racing had paved the way for many other 3D racing titles that became popular during the 1990’s.  While Virtua Racing is not talked about nearly as much as other popular racing titles such as the Gran Turismo and the Outrun series it was definitely a game that many people enjoyed playing during the early 90’s in arcade centers worldwide.

Retro Gaming- Sega Rally 2: (1998)

The arcade racing classics of the 90’s were so much fun for many people who grew up during that time period. There were so many popular arcade titles including the Outrun series that many people loved to play and had absolutely no problem spending countless quarters on in order to complete each game in its entirety. When Sega Rally Championship had first received its arcade release in 1994 many people were impressed by the 3D graphics and visual presentation that game itself had to offer. The original Sega Rally Championship game seemed like it was ahead of its time when it was first released because 2D gameplay was still very popular during the 16-bit era. However, when games like Sega Rally Championship was released during the early 90’s it stood as something special because it gave people an idea about what the future of gaming would look like. After Sega Rally Championship was released in arcade centers worldwide along with being ported to various home consoles many people were eager to see what the sequel for this game would look like.

A sequel for Sega Rally Championship was eventually made in 1998 when it made its arcade debut on the Sega Model 3 arcade system. Sega Rally 2 included both single player and multiplayer gameplay and was just as exciting as its predecessor. As exciting as the arcade version of Sega Rally 2 was many people believe that the Dreamcast port was so much better because of the ten year championship mode which was included in the game. Sega Rally 2 allowed players to race in many different parts of the world including Great Britain, Monaco, Sweden, America and Japan. Players also have the ability to choose multiple cars to race with including Toyota’s, Lancia’s, Subaru’s along with Misubishi Lancer Evolution cars. Whether one choose to set their transmission to manual or automatic the driving experience in Sega Rally 2 was very exciting because the quality of the game itself was close to the arcade version of the game. Around the late 90’s 3D racing games were very exciting to play for many people. If one was a fan of the Dreamcast back in the day then Sega Rally 2 was almost the equivalent to what Gran Turismo was for the Sony PlayStation.

Classic Gaming- Killer Instinct 2: (1996)

After the original Killer Instinct game was released in arcade centers worldwide during 1995 many people were waiting to see what the sequel that title would be like. Killer Instinct 2 was developed by a British video game company known as Rare and released in 1996. While the second Killer Instinct game had featured a few characters that were present in the first title such as Jago, Sabrewulf, Spiral and Fulgore it also included some new characters such as Gargos, Kim Wu, Mata, and Tusk. The addition of new characters to the game was great but unfortunately some older characters were not included in Killer Instinct 2 such as Cinder, Riptor, Eyedol and Chief Thunder. One of the aspects about Killer Instinct 2 that stands out includes the improvement this game makes in comparison to the original in terms of mechanics. The combo system in Killer Instinct 2 was more advanced than its predecessor and included an automatic combo subsystem which was something that was rarely seen in any 2D fighting game at the time.

Killer Instinct 2 was a blast for many people who played the arcade version of the game. Some people were probably surprised to see that Killer Instinct 2 was ported for the Nintendo 64 shortly after its release. The Nintendo 64 did not have too many 2D fighting titles that were popular because they were mostly featured on the Sony PlayStation. Even though many people have different opinions having the second Killer Instinct game on the N64 console some thought that it was pretty good. Even though, Killer Instinct 2 is not mentioned as much in relation to 2D fighting titles from the 90’s many people who have played the arcade version of the game would argue that it was a solid fighting title. While many people who were fans of the Killer Instinct series enjoyed the second game back in the mid 90’s it would not be until approximately seventeen years year until a sequel was finally made and released for the Xbox One in 2013.

Retro Gaming- Killer Instinct: (1994)

During a time period where 2d gaming was almost in its prime the 90’s saw the development of many spectacular games for various game consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  When Killer Instinct was first released in arcade centers worldwide many people were amazed by the gameplay because it was unlike anything they have seen in several other fighting titles such as Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, etc.  Unlike several other fighting games players had a double health bar which was a feature that was not utilized in too many other fighting games along with several other things that made the game stand out such as the ability to utilize combo breakers and ultra combos during battles.  The ultra combos in this game are among one of the coolest features for Killer Instinct because they can appear to be endless at times allowing sometimes over 50 hits in a sequence.  The graphics in the SNES port of Killer Instinct was amazing because it resembled that of the Donkey Kong Country series and looked very realistic.  In fact, many people are probably surprised that Killer Instinct was released for the SNES since it looked like it was more suited to be a PlayStation game in the eyes of some people.  Killer Instinct had included over ten playable characters such as: Black Orchard, Jago, Chief Thunder, Fulgore, Cinder Sabrewulf and others.  While the characters in the game was to play as they were also difficult to battle in arcade mode. Some would probably say that Eyedol was one of the toughest characters in Killer Instinct to defeat however those who were used to the game hardly had any problems at all.

Killer Instinct had to be one of the best 2D fighting Super Nintendo games ever not only because of its visual presentation but also because it felt like it was ahead of its time.  The graphics in Killer Instinct was so great that it looked like a PlayStation game without very long loading screens.  One of the few things that also stood out about Killer Instinct included its soundtrack.  The music in this game was pretty cool especially for the Super Nintendo.  There was a lot of  creativity involved in developing the soundtrack for this game since it produced some music that was simply amazing.  In terms of music some of the best soundtracks in this game includes Jago’s theme along with Black Orchid’s 16-bit eurodance theme which are both criminally underrated as far songs on the SNES are concerned.  Without a doubt Killer Instinct was one of the best 2D fighting games to have been released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System along with arcade systems during the 90’s.  However, despite good Killer Instinct was it never quite reached the same level of popularity as many other 2D fighting games which many people felt was a shame because it had the potential to be much bigger and more popular than it was as time progressed.

Retro Gaming- Power Stone 2: (2000)

There were so many cool games for the Sega Dreamcast that was released during the late 90’s and the early 00’s in North America that many people enjoyed.  The only problem was that the Sega Dreamcast had seemed short lived in North America considering the fact that the console itself was discontinued in 2001.  When some people think about cool titles for the Sega Dreamcast one of the games that instantly comes to mind is Power Stone 2.  When the original Power Stone game was released by Capcom in 1999 for the Sega NAOMI  in arcade centers many people were blown away by the 3D gameplay and graphics it had to offer.   Shortly after the original Power Stone game made it debut  Capcom had released a sequel in 2000 that was also available for arcade along with the Sega Dreamcast.   As good as Power Stone 2 was some might argue that the game does not get as much recognition that it deserves.  Power Stone 2 was a multiplayer 3D arena fighting game that could included up to four players at once.  One of the reason why Power Stone 2 was so impressive is because it was similar to the original Super Smash Bros game but different.  While the original Super Smash Bros title had included 2D gameplay  Power Stone had featured the same thing but in 3D.  Also, how many people can say that they have played a 3D arena fighting title at an arcade center unless they encountered a game  like Power Stone.

Even though, Power Stone had less people in it than the original Super Smash Bros there still some exciting characters in the game such as Jack, Mel , Julia, Rouge, Ayame and others you can choose while playing this  3D arena fighting classic.  One of the features about Power Stone 2 that was impressive included the transitions that occurred in some of the stages.  During the airship stage players can do battle and right before it loses altitude and starts to fall they can battle while sky diving which was something that was unheard off but at the same time awesome.  When it came down to arena fighting games Power Stone 2 was one of best and looking back at this game some would probably argue that it was ahead of its time considering the time period it was released in.  As gamers we were very fortunate to be graced with a fighting title like Power Stone 2 but unfortunately the series was short lived since Sega had never developed a direct sequel for it. Any one who was a fan of the Power Stone series in the early 00’s can understand how fun the game truly was and if they still have a copy of it for the Sega Dreamcast they realize how much value the CD-ROM currently has.

Retro Gaming- Street Fighter EX 2: (1998)

We all remember how popular the Street Fighter series was in the 90’s and still is today. While most of the popular Street Fighter games were in 2D during the 1990’s there were also some unique titles in the series that featured 3D graphics specifically the EX series that was featured on the Sony PlayStation.  Many people were impressed by the visual presentation of the very first Street Fighter EX game which was released by Capcom in 1997.  In the following year Akira had developed a sequel to the original Street Fighter EX game which was originally released in arcade centers during 1998.  After its arcade release an updated version of the game was released for the Sony PlayStation entitled Street Fighter EX 2 Plus in 1998.  Street Fighter EX 2 had featured several popular characters from the Street Fighter II series including Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, Guile, Zangief, Blanka and Dhalsim.  This  game also included the returns of characters of characters from the original Street Fighter EX game including Darien Mister, Garuda and Skullomania along with introducing some new people such as Sharon and Hayate.  The gameplay for Street Fighter EX 2 looks similar to the prequel but one of the interesting things about this game included the fighting mechanics.

The “Free Excel” along with the “Super Cancel” were both features that made the gameplay for EX 2 more exciting.  In fact, the excel combos in this was similar to the custom combo feature that was used in Street Fighter Alpha 2 & 3 which was also pretty cool.  Another feature about Street Fighter EX 2 is the bonus stages mostly because are different than those that many people are familiar with from the Street Fighter II series.  As opposed to breaking cars and barrels players have to complete tasks such as utilizing excel combos to knock down opponents or destroying satellites within a certain amount of time.  The arcade mode in Street Fighter EX 2 was pretty decent but one of the problems that some people had with it was the lack of endings after completing the game.  Despite, some of the things that people many felt was missing in Street Fighter EX 2  such as more game modes it was still a nice 2D game with 3D graphics. Not only were fans of the Street Fighter series graced with the release of Street Fighter EX 2 but they also got a chance to enjoy the third Alpha game in the SF series within the same year during 1998.

Retro Gaming- Guilty Gear X: (2000)

The Guilty Gear series was among the best in terms of quality when it came down to 2D graphics and gameplay. When Guilty Gear X was developed by Arc System Works and released in the 2000’s many people were impressed by the visual presentation this game had to offer. Guilty Gear X was also first in the GG series to be ported to multiple gaming consoles along with having an arcade release during the early 00’s. The graphics for Guilty Gear X was fantastic and resembled that of a high quality 2D Neo Geo fighting game. Along with having excellent visuals there were so many cool characters to choose from including Sol BadGuy, Chipp Zanuff, Millia Rage, Anjou Mito and others. Guilty Gear X had also featured unlockable boss characters such as Testament along with a new person named Dizzy. The boss fights were difficult for the end for some people while others probably found Testament to be less difficult in comparison to the first Guilty Gear game that was exclusively for the PS1.

Also, similar to the original Guilty Gear game for the PS1 this title had a pretty cool soundtrack that made the action more enjoyable. Some people would agree that Guilty Gear X was a significant improvement from its predecessor because not only was it released for multiple game consoles but it also included more characters with optimal 2D graphics. In terms of sales Guilty Gear X may not have lived up to the expectations of many people but that does not mean the game itself was not good. The Guilty Gear series was not as mainstream in comparison to many other 2D fighting games that was released during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. However, the fact that the Guilty Gear series was not a mainstream 2D fighting game was one of things that added to appeal of this game when it was released. Those who still own a PlayStation 2 or a Sega Dreamcast will probably have a hard time trying to find a title like Guilty Gear X in any used game store. If people do manage to find Guilty Gear X in a store or online it may cost a little bit more than some would expect.

Retro Gaming- King of Fighters ’99: (1999)

Throughout the 1990’s the King of Fighters series has been popular in various arcade centers around the world.  It was one of the most well known 2D fighting game series of the 1990’s and continued to improve as time progressed.  While most of the King of Fighter games were very good one of the classic that many people remember include the title that SNK released in 1999.  Months before the start of the new millennium SNK had released King of Fighters ’99 for the Sega Dreamcast.  Along with being released for the Sega Dreamcast King of Fighters ’99 was also ported to various other game consoles including the Neo Geo CD and the Sony PlayStation.   If you ask many people on which port is their favorite they would probably argue that the Neo Geo version is better than the PlayStation since its closer to the  arcade in terms of quality.   Also, with the Sony PlayStation King of Fighters ’99 can be annoying sometimes as far as loading times are concerned. There were several things about King of Fighters ’99  that some people including the introduction of new characters.

This game had introduced a new character known as “K” who was the leader of the hero team and had an interesting backstory.  King of Fighters ’99 had also introduced a new boss character named Krizalid who deceivingly strong once you battle him towards the end of the game.  Along with adding new characters SNK brought back many of our favorite characters from previous KOF games including Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia, Mai Shiranui, Kyo Kusanagi, King, Kim Kaphqan, Joe Higashi, Lori Yagaim, Andy Bogard and more.  One of the features about King of Fighters ’99 that stood out the most was the 4 on 4 team battle option.  In previous King of Fighter games players were only limited to having up to a maximum of three people on a team and this feature is considered to be an improvement in comparison to the previous titles in the series.  One of the cool things about having four people on your team is that it increases your chances on defeating the final boss in this game.  After completing King of Fighters ’99 the game features some pretty cool cutscenes along with a cliffhanger ending featuring Krizalid.   King of Fighters ’99 was an excellent 2D fighting classic for its time and for those who never owned the game they can enjoy this title by downloading it on the PlayStation Network.

Retro Gaming- Art of Fighting 2: (1994)

The arcade fighting titles of the early 90’s were truly amazing since it was a time where 2D gaming was starting to become much better in quality.  While there were so many arcade classics that were enjoyable during the early 90’s the Art of Fighting series is generally popular among hardcore fans of the fighting genre rather than casual players.  When Art of Fighting 2 was released in arcade centers worldwide many people were excited to see some of their favorite characters return from the original game such as Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia, Lee Pai Long, Ryuhaku Todoh, King and Mickey Rogers make return.  Art of Fighting 2 had also featured new characters such as Yuri Sakazaki, Temijin, Eilji Kisaragi along with Gesse Howard who is one of the boss characters for this game.   Another boss character in this game known as Mr. Big had also made his return from the original Art of Fighting title.

Not only was the visual design for this classic 2D game great but the soundtrack for this game is pretty cool.  One of the things that stands out the most about Art of Fighting 2 included the challenging arcade mode this game provided.  Even though, the first Art of Fighting game was very challenging the second installment had seemed impossible especially if the series was new to you.  However, despite how tough Art of Fighting 2 is the game had included a few elements that made the arcade mode very interesting.  The dialogue between characters before and after they battled was pretty good because it contributed to the storytelling aspect of Art of Fighting 2.  Also, Art of Fighting 2 also does a good job in getting key parts of the main plot across during the intro along with using in game action to provide players with more anticipation for the game itself.  In Art of Fighting 2 SNK was kind enough to bring back the bonus stages from the original game released in 1992.  The bonus stages in this game included “Spirit Training” along with”Strength Training” which were both fun but by no means easy in anyway.   The combination of  various elements that made the first Art of Fighting popular along with the improved graphics and gameplay of the second game  highly contributes to the overall replay value of this game.  Art of Fighting 2 was an exciting fighting title that people can spend hours playing along with their friends for the Neo Geo or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  This game might have been very popular in the 1990’s but people who are true fans of the old school 2D fighting genre would still have a great time playing Art of Fighting 2 today like it was just released.