Fatality (Drillimation)

A fatality (致死) is a gameplay feature in the Super Smash Keyboards and Killer Minecraft series of fighting games. It is a finishing move that allows the winner to inflict a brutal and gruesome execution of the defenseless enemy character. These are usually performed after the announcer instructs the player to "Finish Him/Her" in the Super Smash Keyboards games or upon saying "Danger!" in the Killer Minecraft games by having players enter a specific button and joystick combination and while positioned a specific distance away from the opponent.

This feature has become one of the most notable features in both series, and while these moves were well-received by critics, they have sparked numerous controversies and caused a large cultural impact in the west.

Conception
Game designer Masahiro Sakurai, who worked part-time at Drillimation, was heavily involved in the development of the first Super Smash Keyboards game. Sakurai wanted to maintain the Street Fighter II-like system when creating the game, and since Sakurai liked drawing dark, gruesome concepts, felt that including graphic blood effects and fatal finishing moves would make the game stand out. According to Hiroshi Takajima, he started with the idea of allowing the player to freely hit the dizzied opponent once they won both rounds.

One of Sakurai's first ideas for a fatality was having Keel Sark, the game's final boss, pull out a sword and behead his opponent. Takajima shot that down, as he did not want the player character to die, and ultimately chose to have the fatalities be used by the player. When player reacted to them, Sakurai decided to add more in future installments. Namco initially wanted to deter players from trying to find the fatalities.

Several of these exaggerated finishing moves were censored when the game was brought to the west. The around 75% of blood featured in the game was removed, with it being changed to gray sweat. All of these moves were depicted as comical without any dismemberment or decapitations.

Cultural impact

 * Main Article: Controversies surrounding Super Smash Keyboards and Killer Minecraft

While these moves were well-received by Japanese and Western players, they weren't by American politicians and parents. These moves were intended to rival Street Fighter II and how it popularized the arcades. By 1996, the word had become a generic gaming term in both series. The 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph has Ataru Hori performing his trademark heart-ripping move on a zombie in one scene.