Electric Man 2

Electric Man 2 is a ragdoll brawler in which two figures made of lines and electric sparks pound each other with combinations of punches, kicks, and special abilities, while the physics-based body model turns every hit into an unpredictable, often comical spectacle. Controls combine the keyboard for movement with the mouse or keyboard shortcuts for attacks, so the player strings together combo chains much like in classic fighting games, except that ragdoll physics can turn even a simple punch into a spectacular launch of the opponent across the whole screen or into the arena's surrounding obstacles.

The 2007 game was created by Damien Clarke, the same author behind Bloxorz, and it became one of the most-played titles of the old Newgrounds thanks to how well its simple controls worked together with visually striking, almost grotesquely exaggerated physics. Characters made of nothing but electric lines gave the game a distinctive look that stood apart from the pixel or hand-drawn graphics common at the time, and the second installment further expanded on the first version with more moves, combat options, and unlockable abilities, making the fights feel more varied than in the original game.

Today, Electric Man 2 is mostly a memento of the Flash era; running it requires an archival player, since mainstream browsers no longer support native Flash technology.

Why play it: For fighting game fans who appreciate exaggerated ragdoll physics and want to experience a cult hit of the old Newgrounds in its expanded second version.