Sega AM2's Virtua Fighter was the first fully 3D polygon-based fighting game, and while its blocky characters look primitive now, it was revolutionary in 1993. Designed by Yu Suzuki, it introduced movement on a three-dimensional plane and a combat system built on rock-paper-scissors fundamentals (strike beats throw, throw beats guard, guard beats strike). In Japan, it became an institution; top players were celebrities, and the competitive scene was intensely deep. Virtua Fighter proved that 3D was not just a visual gimmick but could fundamentally change how fighting games played.