The Mount Rushmore of Fighting Game Special Moves

Summary

The video considers which four fighting-game special moves deserve a place on a “Mount Rushmore.” The creator sets two rules: each choice must be a special move—not a super move—and only one move can represent each franchise.

The four picks are:

• Scorpion’s Spear (“Get over here!”) — Mortal Kombat: Its distinctive voice line and pull-in mechanic make it instantly recognizable. The move has influenced gaming culture beyond Mortal Kombat, and its capture-state design can set up another hit or even a combo.
• Shoryuken — Street Fighter: Though the Hadoken is also iconic, the creator argues that the rising uppercut is more defining. It helped establish a hugely influential special-move archetype, with many games later creating their own variations.
• Dr. Doom’s Foot Dive — Marvel vs. Capcom: A useful mobility and combo tool that became a widely parodied meme. Its presence in Divekick and prominence in Doom’s Fortnite appearance are cited as signs of its influence beyond its original game.
• Terry Bogard’s Burn Knuckle — Fatal Fury: The move’s charging, arms-out pose gives it a strong identity, and its style has been widely imitated. The creator chooses it over Terry’s Buster Wolf, which is a super move and therefore outside the rules.

The video also mentions moves that didn’t make the final list, including the Hadoken, Rugal’s Genocide Cutter, Akira’s Stun Palm in Virtua Fighter, and Falco Punch. Chaos’s fart attack from Primal Rage is offered as a joke pick.

Gamers and Sources Featured

Rooflemonger (the video’s creator), an unspecified Twitter post that prompted the discussion, and the moves and characters discussed, including Scorpion, Ryu, Dr. Doom, Terry Bogard, Rugal, Akira, and Falco.