My history with Mortal Kombat part one

Today I'll be discussing my history with Mortal Kombat
On
August 13, 2018
First things first. I would like to extend a great apology for my first article. I have no idea what I was thinking with trying to be an edge lord. I've matured beyond that, and I would like to take another shot at this. Also this is going to be covering till Armageddon


Picture yourself on a Saturday night at local bowling alley. Your parent is participating in a league and it's going to be at least an hour and a half before they're finished. So you wander about, seeing what games were there and your eyes stumble upon this.

MORTAL KOMBAT


While not the first game to use digitized graphics, the technique brought a sense of gritty realism to the arcades. Though we can't forget about the gimmick that drove the series. High impact violence that one couldn't even imagine! Okay it might seem tame by today's standard, though in the early nineties this was a hot topic since politicians and parents were shocked by the imagery displayed.

Another thing that shocked the gaming world and the sensibilities of the good values were..

THE FATALITIES!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwZQikCk4N0




Also another thing was that Mortal Kombat had a sense of mystery to it, counting the fatalities. There was also a secret hidden character that you could fight if you perform certain tasks at the pit stage.

So where does my history with this ultra violent fighting game start. At the bowling alley. You see I was not proficient at fighting games. I sucked at them. I didn't know how to perform the moves, nor the fatalities. (Which I was not aware of.). So yeah I didn't get far, but something in that game left an impression that didn't fade away. Was it because of the gore? Perhaps, so I asked my father if I could get the game for my Super Nintendo, which he surprisingly bought (thanks dad.) and needless to say I played it. I wasn't picky back then. That's exactly as bad as it sounds. I didn't know any better, hell I played the Terminator 2 game.(Snes version) I digress. It played alright from what I could remember and the sound along with the visuals were good, apart from the censored fatalities. Yes this game was censored. The blood was replaced with sweat and the fatalities were neutered beyond recognition.




Now you might be asking. "What about the Genesis port?" I was a Nintendo kid so I didn't have the opportunity to play it until later in my life, though if I did with the blood code. I would have been content. One thing that I can say about the Genesis has over other versions.

THE MUSIC!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZ3PAKOluY&t=
Seriously the Genesis port had a kick ass soundtrack and some of the tracks sounded even better. The Pit which was more rocking, to Goro's Lair which was utterly terrifying. Speaking of GoroHoly..Christ on a stick! I know final bosses are supposed to be difficult, after all quarters. But man this Shokan deals damage like it was happy hour at a local bar. There will be swearing, frustration, crying and then getting it done.

Bonus! MORTAL MONDAY COMMERCIAL


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8V7TwlYCt0


MORTAL KOMBAT II


I have a confession to make. I have no childhood connection of Mortal Kombat II, not that it's a terrible game. I mean sequel wise it improved on each aspect of the first.
More characters.



more finishers.








And one of the most love to hate bosses to ever grace gaming.
(Fun Fact: Steve Ritchie who designed famous pinball tables like The Black Knight, Terminator 2, and Star Trek: The New Generation. Voiced Shao Kahn)

It was an excellent package. I mean it poked fun at the controversy with Babalities, and Friendships.


Mortal Kombat 3



We're at that point aren't we? I am not discrediting the third game. It's a mixed bag to be honest, let's start with.

AESTHETICS!

While the first two were more mystical in their looks, bringing sort of an unworldly feeling to it. Three goes into a more urban route, which isn't that bad though it feels a little bit generic. The new characters aren't exactly bad to be honest. Stryker was probably the least liked, though Kabal, Nightwolf, Cyrax, Sektor and Smoke, were More well received. Though with the returning and new characters came new finishers which were mixed in all honesty. They just seemed too cheap with their design, yes they're over the top but it's more shoulder shrug funny than unintentional.

There's also the ANIMALITIES which started off as rumors. You'll notice a running theme that the developers like to poke fun at fan discussion. Which makes them one of the better developers. They know how to have fun. The execution behind them on the other hand is..cheap at best.





The fatalities are also on the mixed side though there's no denying there's some good ones.


1.Nightwolf's light fatality: I can imagine being engulfed in pure light might be pretty painful.
2. Any of the cyborgs fatalities: Yes it's cheating but in all honesty they're all pretty solid.

3. Kano's skeleton rip: Yeah this is a bit over the top though it's awesome in a sense. How can you top ripping a heart out. RIPPING THEIR FREAKING SKELETON OUT!
4. Sheeva's Skin Rip: Uugh this makes my skin crawl.


Warning: The Next section will contain a great deal of sodium, for the value of your health. Please read in minimum dosages. Thank you

Ugh..the final two bosses! Look I've played Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, on the Xbox 360. I've played it and beaten it. So I would like to say..



MOTARO CAN BURN IN THE NETHERREALM! Seriously this piece of crap will personally hand deliver your ass on a silver platter! He teleports, he has projectiles, he can deliver a great deal of damage. THE PERFECT PACKAGE OF PAIN!
(Picture displayed is actual pain when fighting against Motaro)


Of course after that fantastic experience, we have Shao Kahn again. Whose more manageable than Motaro. (If you duck underneath his shoulder charge. Free Uppercut.) You can at least get decent and beat him with enough practice and patience.

ULTIMATE MORTAL KOMBAT 3



Now this I've had more experience with, while not in an actual arcade setting. It was in the confides of a Pizza/Pub/Sub shop.

I mean yeah the wait is always a thing, but the food is really really good. Now what does it have to do with Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3? Well it's where I played it, along with Time Killers (Yes I know terrifying), Captain America and the Avengers, and Pac-land. But UMK3 was the one that claimed most of my quarters. I always picked Reptile, still do even to this day. Though I could never get past Jade. That and the food arrived so yeah, lunch time!

Fortunately the game was released on the Xbox 360 as a standalone and part of the Arcade Kollection (which was also on Ps3). So I didn't have the money restraints as I did outside.

Mortal Kombat 4


Mortal Kombat 4 was more of a casual thing. I played it a couple times at a local theater. Played against my cousins, that's it. However I will say that if you ever need a good laugh. The Endings are just lovably cheesy. And yes I laughed when Quan Chi hit Sub-zero. The effects got me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiDvIqO3OXc (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=209gneKMspw (part2)

Speaking of utter hilarity. Quan Chi's fatality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rUhzWty1t8

Though there's one thing that stuck with me. The Game Over screen. Holy mackerel this was terrifying. The music plus seeing the character fall to their death was man the nightmares lingered. Stupid nightmares.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zoxWEUlzaI

Unfortunately the era of the Arcades were dying down, and after the fourth game. Mortal Kombat would try to dive into other territories. Usually to expand the lore of beloved characters. However they were terrible. (With the exception of Shaolin Monks). Mythologies tried to bring the engine of their fighter into an action game. You know what other game tried that? Batman Forever and that was..not a good game. So yeah we're not looking too good for this aren't we?

Though in 2002 Mortal Kombat came back with a new mainline entry for the sixth generation of consoles. The start of that era.

Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance



Bringing MK into the the sixth generation of consoles. Deadly Alliance continued with the 3D aspect however it goes with more standard 3D movement rather than being on a 2.5D plane. Though while the fourth one did introduce weapons into combat. Deadly Alliance allowed you to switch between three different styles. The third being a weapon stance.


Though with this change it delivered a game breaking element. Some of the characters could impale with their weapons which would drain them slowly of their life bars. A double edge sword if you will. Fun to use, but sucks when it happens to you. It didn't return in the following games, so nothing too much lost.

What was lost was the multiple finishers, now I can understand why for this. It's a new engine so they're basically getting used to the technology, seeing what they can and can't do. For the most part the finishers are mixed with them consisting of ripping out an organ or doing damage to the head. Mind you not all of them are like that. Cyrax's is pretty cool. Nitara's is neat. Kenshi's while silly was brutal. So yeah there's some decent ones.

DISCLAIMER: This is a dumb one. Will always be dumb


These are pretty alright

THE KRYPT!


However while you will be fighting to the death, you gain coins throughout the game which can be used for the Krypt. Now the Krypt has been a mainstay since it's introduction, with it expanding more and more into a modern behemoth.


During your playthrough you'll be earning Koins that can be spent here. The unshockables consists of Characters, Concept Art, and Some silly things.







BONUS!! COOKING WITH SCORPION!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-c4U6XRtvc


MORTAL KOMBAT DECEPTION



Before we start off, let's start with this commercial! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=909TAScA01U
I love this one. It just gets me so pumped up! The game itself well it was one I played a great deal during my teenager years. But I am not going to bore you guys. Deception kept the three fighting styles, though it added a lot more.

When discussing the main game we have the introductions of Death Traps. In previous games (Deadly Alliance excluded). You can perform a Stage Fatality. During battle on certain stages, you can kill your opponent by knocking them into the stage. It won't count as a fatality, but the round will go to the victor.





The finishers return back to the normal two per character, however there is an added finishing move that I would love to see return in future games.
HARA KIRI



If you thought friendships and babalities were the ultimate Middle finger to the other player. These rob them of the chance to perform their fatality on you. While they need to position themselves to do it. You can do the move anywhere.






KONQUEST

In Deadly Alliance the Konquest mode served more as a tutorial of sorts, while also giving you the opportunity to learn more about the character.


In Deception the Konquest mode is more of story sort with fights thrown in. These act as abridged tutorials for the current character you're facing. Though some are mission based.



However you can unlock various items which are found in the krypt


CHESS KOMBAT

In hindsight, I should have spent time with this mode. This was an interesting mode. It's simplistic chess, yes. Though it was fun.


PUZZLE KOMBAT!



Now this was a mode I played a great deal of. I love puzzle games. I'm a sucker for them and while this is a homage/parody of Super Turbo Puzzle Fighter. It's still solid in it's own right. You got the fighting, the blood and the specials that are based off the character chosen.



Another big factor was Online play. Through Xbox live and the Playstation network, you can fight others around the world. Meaning..

MORTAL KOMBAT ARMAGEDDON!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNmg66B-SSQ(Intro)

Now this was a game that I was hyped for. Every single character who had appeared! Kreate a character, Kreate a fatality, a more action packed Konquest mode. This was the culmination of Mortal Kombat for the sixth generation, and it had it's moments...


For one the starting roster is friggin huge!
There's like 60+ characters to chose from! So if you had a favorite that wasn't in the others, here you go!

The fighting system has remained relatively unchanged, with a few exception. Instead of the three styles, you get two. One regular, and one weapon. Though I guess it's understandable since there's a lot of characters present.




KONQUEST!

While Deception's konquest was more along the lines of an adventure type. Armageddon's is more of an abridged action game with one on one fights thrown in. It's more linear so it should only take a couple hours to complete. Like with Deception, you can unlock items and characters.




MOTOR KOMBAT!

Seriously how do they come up with these ideas, I'll never know. I can imagine that the pitch meetings are a blast. Or at least I hope..anyways. For the minor distraction from the main game is Motor Kombat.


It's your average kart racer with a Kombat paintjob. Fun in spurts alone, though when playing with others. It's an absolute blast. Just like any other multiplayer game.


Kreate a Fatality.



Here we have one of the most disappointing aspects behind the game. It sounded like a cool concept in theory, though in execution it wasn't bad just underwhelming. It would be fine if this was for the Kreated character. The fact that this is used for everyone just makes it bland. You enter a button combination, keep going till it gets higher. Though you can easily fail this.


KREATE A FIGHTER!

Now this was a feature that was worth the price of admission. Creating your own character to use during the course of the game.



In addition you get your basic tools. Name, Biography, heck even text for your ending (which we'll get to). Of course you can also chose your stances and even name them. Customize your moves, and even dress them up to how you see fit. It's a pretty solid system and you can take your fighter online.


The Endings

With so many different characters to chose from, there has to be incredible endings for each, right? Wrong!


You get the character performing kata while the narrator describes what happens. Pretty Riveting I might add. (Not)This was probably a downside of having so many characters. In hindsight it's funny since this would be undone in the 2011 reboot. Though that's for another time.
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In conclusion what was supposed to be the end all of Mortal Kombat kind of succeeded in a way. It wasn't perfect by any means with the fatality system, the endings, and an engine that was definitely showing it's age. Though there's no denying that it wasn't a fun game. I might play from time to time. Wouldn't be one I regularly go to, but on occasions, sure.

Though we are far from done. Like how this timeline had ended. A new one rose, but we had to deal with a little bump in the road to get there.


To Be Continued.. Also I can cover what I've personally played, I'm aware of the Gameboy ports, Mythologies, Special Forces, and Shaolin Monks. Also for the movie, might do a separate article.

With that said. I want to thank you all for reading this. Take care and have a happy gaming.
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