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.
That was a selection
screen back then... Wooo 7 characters!!! XD
REVIEW:
Inspired
by the arcade smash hit Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat featured groundbreaking digitized
graphics, immersive sound effects, and unparalleled video game violence (which
spawned years of controversy, along with hype). Featuring 7 selectable characters, 2 boss
characters (and 1 secret character) the first Mortal Kombat introduced an exciting new cast of
martial arts inspired characters and backdrops.
All memorable fighters in
their own way.
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.
The block button became a unique trademark to the series, while most other fighting games
kept the "hold back to block" format. Most fighters in the game share
nearly the exact same priority attacks, but each unique character has his or her
own unique special moves & projectiles.
Along with the strikingly unique appearance of the game, MK's interesting gameplay elements like
Fatalities heavily distinguished the title from other fighting ames. After
winning the final round, players can execute a brutal finishing move or
"fatality" on their opponent 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 added 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.
Shang Tsung.........
wins.....
In addition to the staple "arcade
ladder" of single opponents, Mortal Kombat introduced an innovative
new element 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 features of the game made it one of the most successful and
memorable fighting games of the era. MK's straight-forward, yet complex style of gameplay
also made it enjoyable for newcomers
and rewarding for long-time players.
Last Updated:
12/9/2012
Developer(s):
Midway
Publisher(s):
Midway
Designer(s):
Ed Boon, John Tobias
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)
Release Date(s):
October 8th, 1992
(Arcade)
September 13th, 1993
(SNES, Genesis, GG, GB)
May 25th, 1994 (PC)
May 25th, 1994 (Sega
CD)
August 30th, 2011 (PSN - in MK: Arcade Kollection)
August 31st, 2011 (XBLA - in MK: Arcade Kollection)
Like many others in The Fighters Generation,
I was just a kid when MK first hit the arcades. I was as
shocked as everyone else to see people 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; but I actually came around and began
to appreciate this game after a while. The "universal uppercut" that
every character could perform was also one of my favorite moves to perform...
that move had some satisfying oomph.
No one can ever deny the "shock value" of the first Mortal Kombat.
Everyone from parents to congress was talking about this game when it released, and
some even declared that it will
corrupt the nation's youth and such. Remember parents, video games don't kill
people... people and guns kill people.
Needless to say, the original Mortal Kombat made a huge impact on the genre.
After a very successful arcade run, MK sold millions of copies worldwide when it hit home systems. For what it did, it did well...
and it was actually a pretty fun game at
the end of the day. The sequel, Mortal
Kombat 2, managed to succeed the original. ~TFG
Webmaster
