Time Killers

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
"Time Killers... engage!"
Announcer

Time Killers was a Fighting Game released in arcades in 1992 by Strata, around the same time as Mortal Kombat. The game's story featured eight characters (Rancid, Matrix, Orion, Musashi, Lord Wulf, Leif, Thugg and Mantazz) from throughout time, hand-picked by Death to battle each other before facing Death himself.

The game had an unusual control scheme: two punches, two kicks and a head button, laid out in the shape of the human body. But it really distinguished itself by featuring a healthy amount of violence. Every character carried some sort of bladed weapon, and it was possible to cut off the opponent's arms and legs. Not only that, but there were Death Moves, which were activated by pressing all five buttons at once and, if they connected, would cut the opponent's head off and immediately end the round (even at the very beginning).

Because the game's violence was more accessible than that in Mortal Kombat, Time Killers was briefly popular, but its fame soon died down. There was also a Sega Genesis port released in 1996. The less said about that, the better.

Tropes used in Time Killers include: