Pit-Fighter (World) (July 1991)

Getting started:

Start by picking one of three fighters - Buzz, Cheetah, or Kato - on the character select screen. The D-Pad moves your fighter left and right inside the ring, and pressing the attack button (the S key mapped to B) throws punches and kicks. Your opponent is a digitized actor, just like your own character, a visual style that was cutting edge back then.

The core loop is simple: win two out of three rounds by depleting the opponent's health bar. You can jump over attacks using the X key (mapped to A button). Occasionally a weapon like a lead pipe or a knife appears in the ring - walk over it to pick it up and swing for extra damage. Timeouts cause a judge's decision, and losing a round means a continues screen unless you have more credits.

Watch for the special moves: each fighter has a few signature attacks that can stun the opponent. The game keeps the arcade's digitized look, so don't expect smooth animations - it's choppy but charming. If you're playing alone, you face a sequence of AI opponents; a second player can jump in for versus matches through the two-player mode.