1992: Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat was the arcade game you parents always warned you about, and it took arcades (and, later on, consoles) by storm. At heart a pretty simplistic one versus one fighting game—this is no Street Fighter II —what Mortal Kombat had going for it was pure gore. You rip people's heads off, tear out hearts, set people on fire. The fact that it was later part of Senate hearings in 1993 only increased its appeal. (Pro gaming strat for lawmakers: If you want to make sure kids really, really want to see something, hold hearings on how awful and disgusting it is.)



Honorable mentions: Wolfenstein 3D, , Ecco the Dolphin

