Watch the YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTZ4Jg58crs&t=13s

Back in 1994, when Mortal Kombat was busy ripping spines and Street Fighter II was kicking its way through arcades, Naughty Dog waltzed into the fighting game scene like a ninja who’d downed one too many sake bombs.

"Way of the Warrior" burst onto the 3DO with FMV graphics, White Zombie blaring through the speakers, and enough cheese to make a Wisconsin dairy farm blush.

This game was a curious mix of Mortal Kombat and a B-movie martial arts, featuring digitized actors (yes, including the developers themselves) throwing down in arenas that seemed suspiciously like someone's backyard.

The characters seemed like they’d been plucked from a rejected Street Fighter roster: there was Shaky Jake, a ninja with a penchant for Hot Topic; Major Gaines, who mistakenly wandered off the set of a low-budget Rambo remake; and Konotori, a mystical warrior who had free reign over Bruce Lee’s wardrobe.

While the game's combat system was clunkier than a rusty robot, it pioneered some interesting features. Each character had unique "kill moves" (because "fatality" was trademarked), and the game boasted an impressive array of combos – when they worked. The soundtrack by White Zombie was arguably the game's high point.

Despite its flaws (or perhaps because of them), Way of the Warrior achieved a certain cult status. It is a landmark of what happens when a small team with big dreams, limited resources, and questionable fashion choices decides to take on the fighting game giants.

And while the game wasn’t the hit we expected, at least it gave us an early glimpse of Naughty Dog's potential – as they went on to create Crash Bandicoot, proving that sometimes you need to make a few warriors stumble before your Bandicoot can spin.

For another Saturn-era gem worth revisiting, see our look back at NiGHTS into Dreams.

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