A long time ago there was Karateka and it kicked ass, even if the princess killing you at the end was whacked (bow to her or she kills you instantly – why didn't such a warrior save herself?). An avalanche of beat-em-ups followed and, ugh, did they get old fast. This realization hit me shortly after Street Fighter II became the holy grail of fighting games in the latter half of the '80s, spaw... more.