The VERY FIRST fighter to feature fully 3D polygon graphics, Virtua Fighter broke ground when it premiered in 1993. While pretty clunky and frustrating with execution, the context-specific situations and somewhat simple button combinations can lead to either a good time in multiplayer or a few ways to cheese out single player.

The game takes place in full 3D, but the characters face each other in a straight line. That line may move over time, with characters being able to roll to change that perspective. The player has a control stick and a punch, kick, and guard button. Combinations of movement and those buttons can produce a variety of attacks (including throws) and usually a straightforward string of punches/kicks will create a nice combo. Some characters have very distinct moves like backflips, sweeps, and palm strikes to either KO the opponent or knock them out of the ring. There are also a variety of moves standard to most characters, such as hitting the player while they're down and blocking.

These moves come together in fun and interesting ways at first, but the game can be very clunky in execution. Often the closest range will result in characters punching through each other, and it's very difficult to figure out what's the best range for a throw or why a hit didn't connect. Execution is also pretty shaky, with moves involving multiple buttons being not too reliable. That said, if the player just wants to get through the game there are some ways to get around AI (crouching and jabbing, anyone?) but Virtua Fighter plays better as a simple toolset to have fun with friends than something to master.

Visually the game is mind-blowingly 3D and plays very well for 1993. The characters are a variety of martial arts stereotypes and have silly expressions, but they animate incredibly well for the time. Music is generally exciting and backgrounds consist of a skybox and the same kind of square stage, with some variations in texture to place fighters in cities, mountains...and more mountains...

Virtua Fighter is an impressive display of tech. Given that other entries have far improved both the curve to learning movesets as well as the moves themselves, it's a fun curiosity to spend a little time with too.