It's been said that there is one constant throughout human civilization: mankind will find new ways to beat each other to pulps.  One of those "new ways" involves digital simulations of violent martial arts combat set in two dimensions, e.g. 2D video games based around fighting.  We all know Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and, um, Tattoo Assasins and Violence Fight, but there are tons of other 2D fighters out there just waiting to be explored.  Hardcore Gaming 101 has organized the list of notable entries in the genre by year and innovation, so here's your chance to tell a Killer Instinct from a Waku Waku 7.  Speaking of Killer Instinct...

1994: Rare's Killer Instinct arcade game is treated as a way to preview the upcoming Nintendo 64, although since it is a 2D fighting game with lots of pre-recorded music and video, it is a very inaccurate representation of what the system will offer. In its attract mode there is even an announcement that it will be available for your home in 1995 on Nintendo Ultra 64, which is false for at least three reasons.

When it comes to fighting games I'm largely a fan of Capcom's creations such as Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, Darkstalkers, and a few others, but I do find the Mortal Kombat characters intriguing even if I can't play their games with any signs of talent.  I've never been able to get into SNK's Fatal Fury or Art of Fighting, while the aforementioned Killer Instinct just lacked charisma whenever I tried to see what the fuss was about.  I may not be a fan of every game in the genre, but I enjoyed learning that it's much more expansive than I thought.

(via GameSetWatch; image via SFGalleries)