Rise of the Robots

Back in 1994, Rise of the Robots arrived with enough pre-rendered, shiny CG marketing to convince everyone it was the future of fighting games. You play as a lone cyborg infiltrating a virus-infected facility to scrap a rogue AI supervisor. While it promised revolutionary AI and visuals that would put Street Fighter to shame, the reality was a stiff, clunky brawler that became the industry's poster child for style over substance. It is a fascinating, if frustrating, relic of a time when developers thought high-fidelity sprites could mask a complete lack of soul.