Time Killers

"Time Killers... engage!"

—Announcer

Time Killers was a Fighting Game released in arcades in 1992 by Strata, around the same time as Mortal Kombat. The game's story featured eight characters (Rancid, Matrix, Orion, Musashi, Lord Wulf, Leif, Thugg and Mantazz) from throughout time, hand-picked by Death to battle each other before facing Death himself.

The game had an unusual control scheme: two punches, two kicks and a head button, laid out in the shape of the human body. But it really distinguished itself by featuring a healthy amount of violence. Every character carried some sort of bladed weapon, and it was possible to cut off the opponent's arms and legs. Not only that, but there were Death Moves, which were activated by pressing all five buttons at once and, if they connected, would cut the opponent's head off and immediately end the round (even at the very beginning).

Because the game's violence was more accessible than that in Mortal Kombat, Time Killers was briefly popular, but its fame soon died down. There was also a Sega Genesis port released in 1996. The less said about that, the better.

Tropes used in Time Killers include:

• Action Girl: Matrix.
• All There in the Manual: The handbook features a very detailed story for each of the characters, but you wouldn't know by playing the game itself.
• An Axe to Grind: Leif (metal axe) and Thugg (stone axe).
• Artificial Limbs: Matrix has an artificial hand.
• Bug War: Mantazz's story.
• Chainsaw Good: Rancid.
• Expy: Wulf (of King Arthur), Musashi (of Miyamoto Musashi), Leif (of Leif Erikson).
• Finishing Move: Two of them, actually: one that can be done anytime during the match, and one that can be done to cut off both arms and the head while the opponent is dizzy.
• Horny Vikings: Leif.
• It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": Leif's name is pronounced "life", instead of "leaf" or "layf".
• Knight in Shining Armor: Lord Wulf.
• Laser Blade: Matrix and Orion.
• Mirror Match: As in most games of this type, both players could choose Palette Swap versions of the same fighter (e.g. blond Matrix vs. redhead Matrix).
• Off with His Head: AND HOW.
• One-Hit Kill: Which you can actually use as the first move in a round.
• Prehistoria: Thugg's stage.
• Reverse Grip: Musashi.
• Samurai: Musashi.
• The Smurfette Principle: Matrix was the only unambiguously female character.