Dan-Ku-Ga

Dan-Ku-Ga (断仇牙) is the unreleased update to an obscure Taito fighting game, Kaiser Knuckle/Global Champion. It brings with it overhauled systems, playable bosses, new moves, and a generally much higher degree of quality and playability. Slated for a release in late 1994, the game was discontinued after location testing and eventually leaked to the Internet where it would find new life through emulators like Fightcade 2.

Dan-Ku-Ga is superficially just another Street Fighter clone, of which there was no shortage in ’94. However, it brings a suprising amount of original ideas to the table such as expanded air mobility, a unique (to this day, even) juggle system, an honest-to-god training mode, and some very creative toolkits while maintaining tight and responsive controls. The game is a product of its time to a laughable degree at a glance; yet it proves itself to be far ahead of its time when you actually sit down and give it a try.