Mortal
Kombat
STORY:
Goro lives...
A 2,000 year old half human dragon Goro remains undefeated for the past
500 years. He won the title of grand champion by defeating Kung Lao, a Shaolin fighting monk. It was during this period that the tournament fell
into Shang Tsung's hands and was corrupted.
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That was a selection
screen back then... Woo 7 characters!
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REVIEW:
Inspired
by the arcade smash hit that was Street Fighter 2... The original Mortal Kombat
emerged in 1992 featuring groundbreaking digitized
graphics, immersive sound, and unparalleled video game violence (which would
spawn years of controversy, along with hype). Featuring 7 selectable characters, 2 boss
characters (and 1 secret character) Mortal Kombat introduced an exciting new cast of
martial arts inspired characters and backdrops.
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Unforgettable
characters and backgrounds...
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Mortal Kombat's
gameplay engine
features 5 buttons: 2 punches and 2 kicks (mid & high), and an unfamiliar "Block"
button. MK was indeed the first fighting game to ever require a block
button, and undoubtedly required some getting used to for players familiar with
other fighting games of the time.
The block button became a unique trademark to the series, while most other fighting games
retained the "hold back to block" format. Most fighters in MK share
nearly the exact same priority attacks, including an insanely
"hard-hitting" uppercut... which offered a new level of
"satisfaction" never seen before in the fighting game realm.
Most importantly, each fighter has a selection of their own unique special moves &
projectiles, and effectively allows them to stand out from one another.
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The
"secrets" of
MK added infinite hype to the game!
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Along with the strikingly unique appearance of the game, MK's interesting gameplay elements, like
"Fatalities," further distinguished the title from other well-known fighting
games. After
winning the final round, MK characters can execute a brutal finishing move or
"fatality" on their opponents by inputting a special button command
(which had to be discovered outside of the game itself). These
"secret" moves are gruesome, involving the likes of "ripping off
heads" and "burning flesh to the bone". This violence became a
defining aspect of the Mortal Kombat series, and ended up adding a ton of hype to
the game over time. After witnessing a Fatality, newcomers to MK were
usually quick to ask the winning player "How did you do that!?" ...and
thus, a new hit in the growing fighting game industry was born.
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"Shang
Tsung.... .... ....Wins."
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In addition to the staple "arcade
ladder" of single opponents, Mortal Kombat introduced an innovative
new feature called Endurance Mode. Endurance Mode pits your character against 2
opponents, one after the other (with only one health bar). Other bonus mini games
like "Test Your Might" also defined the 1-player experience of MK.
Finally, a variety of "secrets" like stage fatalities, finishing moves,
and other hidden elements of the game pushed the title to be one of the most successful and
memorable fighting games of the early 90's. MK's straight-forward, yet complex style of gameplay
also made it enjoyable for newcomers
and rewarding for long-time players.
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Page Updated: |
January
1st, 2024
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Developer(s): |
Midway |
Publisher(s): |
Midway |
Designer(s): |
Ed Boon, John Tobias
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Platform(s): |
Arcade, Super
Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Amiga, Game
Boy, PC, PSP (in Midway Arcade Treasures), Playstation 3 (PSN), Xbox
360 (XBLA)
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Release Date(s): |
Oct. 8th, 1992
Arcade
Sept. 13th, 1993
SNES, Genesis, GG, GB)
May 25th, 1994
PC
May 25th, 1994
Sega CD
Aug. 30th, 2011
PSN - in MK: Arcade Kollection
Aug. 31st, 2011
XBLA - in MK: Arcade Kollection |
Characters: |
Johnny
Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu
Kang, Scorpion,
Sub-Zero, Kano,
Rayden, Goro,
Shang
Tsung, Reptile
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Featured Video:
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Related Games: |
Mortal
Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal
Kombat 3 Ultimate,
Mortal Kombat 4,
MKGold, MK: Deadly
Alliance, MK: Deception, MK: Armageddon, MK Trilogy, Mortal
Kombat VS DC Universe, Mortal Kombat 9,
Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11,
Mortal Kombat 1, Eternal Champions, Samurai
Shodown, Fatal Fury Special, World
Heroes, Fighters History, Virtua
Fighter, Street Fighter
2: Champion Edition, Street
Fighter 2 Turbo, Street Fighter: The Movie,
Killer Instinct, Primal Rage |
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Gameplay
Engine
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9.0 / 10
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Story
/ Theme
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9.0 / 10
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Overall
Graphics
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9.0 / 10
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Animation
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8.5 / 10
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Music
/ Sound Effects
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9.0 / 10
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Innovation
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9.0 / 10
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Art Direction
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8.5 / 10
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Intro / Presentation
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8.0 / 10
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Replayability / Fun
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8.5 / 10
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"Ouch" Factor
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10 / 10
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Characters
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9.0 / 10
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BOTTOM LINE
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9.0 /
10
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Review based on Arcade &
SNES versions
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Final
Words: |
Like many arcade kids of "The Fighters
Generation"...
I literally was just a kid when MK first showed up at arcades. I was as
shocked as everyone else to see realistic humans in a video game falling to their deaths onto bloody
spikes, and having their heads ripped off. I have to admit it even slightly disturbed me
in the beginning (it was intense!); but I eventually came around and began
to appreciate MK1 (and later, fall in love with MK2).
The "universal uppercut" that
every character can perform was always one of my favorite things about MK... as simple as that is. The ouch factor and satisfying oomph was so strong with that move, in particular. Perhaps, even more satisfying than some of the Fatalities themselves.
No one could ever deny the impact of the "shock value" of the first Mortal Kombat game. Everyone... from parents to congress were talking about Mortal Kombat when it released, and
some immediately declared it was dangerous and would corrupt the nation's youth. In retrospect... it's definitely ironic and a little bit funny that some of those people "blamed" violent video games for causing people to be violent. Like violence didn't exist before Mortal
Kombat? (Those same "old people" are probably known for shit-posting political crap on Facebook all day... causing actual bigger problems. I digress.)
Needless to say, the first Mortal Kombat made a huge impact on the genre.
After a wildly successful arcade run, MK1 would go on to sell millions of copies worldwide on home consoles. Mortal Kombat not only had some of the most impressive fighting game visuals to date... it was actually a pretty fun game at
the end of the day, as well. The sequel, Mortal
Kombat 2, shattered all expectations and made a huge statement sever years later.
~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen
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