10 Pioneering Video Games That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time

The first arcade game to utilise polygonal 3D graphics, Virtua Fighter revolutionised fighting games, which were previously considered an exclusively 2D genre, influencing everything from Tekken and Soul Calibur to Dead or Alive. In the game, players choose between nine playable characters, and compete against one another in multiple arenas in order to determine the world’s greatest fighter, a sinister plot looming over the whole thing.

Revolutionary, Virtua Fighter has been credited with influencing the design choice of the PlayStation, which was originally intended to be an exclusively 2D platform. Interestingly, the game is also responsible for the polygonal appearance of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, the developers taking inspiration from its graphical style.

As such, the game is considered tremendously progressive, so much so that it was recognised by the Smithsonian Institution for its outstanding contributions to art and entertainment, and is currently the only game on public display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.