One of my earliest memories is that of the arcade on the upper floor of Plaza Patria, above Musical Lemus. This was a few years before Diversiones Moy opened on the first floor. I remember a few titles including a full-sized Hang-On, After Burner II, Pit Fighter, TMNT 2, and Final Fight. I must have been 4 years old and I found what might be my first ‘favorite’ game.

There was something incredibly alluring: big characters, sound effects that distinguished themselves clearly over the rest, and gameplay I could wrap my head around at a very young age: move total the right, punch baddies. That was it.

The attract screen was too good to ignore: a poignant synth ‘wam-wam-babawam-babawam’, the phone ringing, mayor Mike Haggar (‘He looks like my grandpa!’ I told many times to my father), the menacing grin of Damnd… the game is filled with little details that are as stiking today as they were decades ago. Somehow the ‘Continue?’ showing our heroes tied with lit dynamite in front of them, waiting you to save them by putting another coin is truly efective.

Why is it that punching the same enemies over and over again is so satisfying? Why breaking a phone booth or a trash can with your bare hands feels so rewarding? Even at that young age I understood the allure of it: it’s an universal power fantasy—good vs. evil.

I was too young to understand the media and cultural context it was inspired by (‘The Warriors’, the New York of the 80’s) or the history behind it (Final Fight was originally called ‘Street Fighter 89’, the foundation built by Capcom that eventually would become Street Fighter II). Nevertheless, it planted a seed.