Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat 2
Download Mortal Kombat 2 and return to the classic fighting tournament that defined a genre! Choose your warrior, master their moves, and battle to the top. Test your might and experience the ultimate fighting action now!
a game by Probe Software, Sculptured Software, Midway, and Acclaim
Genres: Action, Arcade Classics, Fighting Games, Multiplayer/Hotseat
Platforms: Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES, Arcade, Sega Master SystemSega Master System, Playstation, Saturn, GameGear, GameBoy
Editor Rating: 7.4/10, based on 24 reviews, 23 reviews are shown
User Rating: 6.2/10 - 34 votes
Rate this game:
See also: Download Fighting Games, Arcade Games, Retro Games, Games Like Dragon Ball Z, Mortal Kombat Games

The game you've been dying to see is finally here! Mortal Kombat II has arrived for the Super NES, Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy and we give you the first look at this ultra-hot title.

Mortal Kombat II has been in the works for quite some time now and it still isn't finished at the time of this writing. All the characters that made the arcade version such a hit are back for more. You will find all the characters in the Genesis and Super NES versions and there is no final word on which characters, if any, will be eliminated from the portable Game Boy and Game Gear versions. From everything we've seen, this game looks like it will rival all previous versions.

The backgrounds are drawn with the same attention to detail as the arcade. Nice touches like the flying dragons in the background of the Kombat Tomb will dazzle you in the 16-Bit versions. Nothing has been finalized as to whether or not the Random Character Select feature will be in, but it's our strong guess that this option will be there since it's quite popular among the arcade crowds.

There's just so much to talk about that we've devoted five pages to it! Within these pages you'll find pictures of the game for all the systems and learn about what makes this version a near clone to the arcade. So get set for another look at the game that's been tearing up the arcades for many months now, Mortal Kombat II. Only this time the battle takes place in your home.

Mortal Kombat caused quite an uproar when it first appeared in arcades in October of 1992. Its graphic display of violence caused many parents to prohibit their children from playing such a 'nasty' game. But when the game hit the homefront in September of 1993, the result was a smashing success. Having released all four versions of the game on the same day, Acclaim pulled off something nobody thought could be done. Hot off the heels of that triumph comes their home versions of Mortal Kombat II. Originally released in the arcades around October of 1993, this sequel took the original gore-fest further with seven new characters, multipie fatalities, and the incredible babalities and friendships. That, coupled with many hidden secrets, kept gamers content for months on end. Everyone who ever played the arcade version of MK2 couldn't help but wonder how the home editions would turn out.

Well, here they are and they look even better than the original MK home versions. With a total of twelve characters, seven totally new, all those who've mastered the arcade edition will have no problem picking up a controller and performing every killer combo that made this game so great.

All the stages, pits, Bosses, and hidden characters are here. Perform Pit fatalities, take on Kintaro and Shao Kahn in the final battle, and meet up with hidden characters like Smoke and Jade. What does the future hold for Mortal Kombat? Will there be new combatants to take on and mutilate? Will there be a barrage of upgrades offering new features to test the might of future warriors? Hmmm...

Mortal Mania will be here sooner than you think and from these pictures you can tell it's going to be a scorcher on every platform. Looking through the various system pix, you can see that all the graphic elements have been reproduced as close as a cartridge can come to the arcade. Each character has retained the special moves and skills that made him/her favorites in the arcades. The question on all the minds of hard-core Mortal folks is whether it's going to play the same. The first Mortal Kombat played close to the arcade and only experts will be able to tell whether Reptile's Acid Spit is fast enough, Scorpion can still get an Uppercut out of a leg take down, and uppercut Kung Lao after a teleport move. This critical timing is expected to be as close to the arcade as possible. The correct timing of moves is the key to the successful game play and strategy that coin-op players have developed. Our sources ensure us that the programmers have gone to great lengths to make even the pros feel challenged. This is no ordinary fighting game you're dealing with!

The other big question people are dying to know is whether the secrets that have made this game immortal will be in all the versions. Throughout all these pictures there are no fatalities, pits, friendships, or babalities. Are they holding back? You bet! We're told that the carts will be packed with secrets! Some of the lower Meg formats may have to make a few sacrifices, but don't doubt for a minute that all the "finishing" moves will be in full color and full gore! Obviously there are no inherent problems with the friendship or babality moves, but you know there's going to have to be a few codes or tricks to allow some of the infamous bloody fatalities. In addition to the secret finishing moves, look for some of the hidden characters such as Smoke or Jade in the higher Meg carts. Only time will tell if the three hidden characters and the finishing moves can be reproduced in their entirety. On the same note, we can't forget the big N's anti-blood stance and that alone is sure to add variety to the fatalities. Just think of the way they got around the blood issue before. Have you noticed that none of the pictures shown so far depict any blood! Remember these are early photos and the blood might have been left out for the preview, but you can expect all versions to have gore or some kind of substitute along the line of the first version. Rest assured--the companies tell us that all versions were crammed so full of MK2 material that people won't believe what they were able to reproduce. From the preview thus far you can tell the quality of the game play has been kept intact. Be prepared to get blown away with the superior reproductions on all formats, including all the secrets, blood, and combos that have made this super sequel the talk of the arcades. Mortal Kombat II will be knocking down your door soon! Stay tuned to us for more information.

Download Mortal Kombat 2

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

SNES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed
Arcade

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Sega Master System

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Playstation

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Saturn

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
GameGear

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Gameboy

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

"Moooooortal Kooooooombat Twoooooo!" When you hear these words intoned in the TV commercial, realize the announcer's referring to only one game -- the SNES version. Genesis MK II is a good fighter overall with kombos and smooth action. But missing graphics, color, and music keep it from being close enough to the coin-op to satisfy real arcadiacs.

Game On, Man

The best news about this translation is the game play. The three-button controller is clunky, but you'll have superb kombat. If you're armed with a six-button pad. This peripheral is the Genesis version's biggest advantage over the SNES's -- Sega's controller is closer to the arcade button setup than Nintendo's.

The game Includes all 12 playable characters, the bosses Kintaro and Shao Kahn, and the hidden characters. The action is true to the coin-op and slightly smoother than the SNES game's occasional chunky spots. The computer is every bit as cheap as the arcade CPU, but fortunately you get up to 30 kredits to beat the game.

Kombo Me, Baby

All the special moves are executed just like they are in the arcade. Even the Finishing Moves are the same -- great news for players who've memorized how to eat someone's head or give them a present!

The only move that was removed is the crouching Low Punch, which is now an uppercut. Unfortunately, this deletion precludes the possibility of doing certain ninja kombos in the corner. Too bad.

The arcade kombos are almost all there -- they're happening, and they're juggling. The revision 3.1 rules govern game play, so perpetual kombos are limited. (But if you wanna bust that eight-hit Kitana corner kombo, go right ahead!)

Gaze into the Portal

By Genesis standards, MK II is an exquisitely good-looking game with the digitized animation that makes you want to jump! However, by coin-op standards, it's not quite nirvana. Colors and entire backgrounds are missing from the animation, such as Goro's Lair when you meet Jade or Smoke. Instead, you fight in a recolored blue portal. Interesting, but not the real thing.

So What?

You'll strain your ears and mess with your TV remote, but there's nothing wrong with the volume -- MK II is simply missing a lot of the original voices and sounds. Gone are "Round l," "Fatality," the fighters' names, and about 75 percent of the arcade voices. The music is even worse; most of it isn't even close to the arcade. The coin-op tunes were discarded in favor of a weird techno-sounding score. The sound effects and hits aren't bad, but otherwise the sounds are disappointing.

"Mr. Data, Launch a Probe"

Okay, it's hard to know where to put the blame for this game's incompleteness: on the limitations of the Genesis system itself, or on Probe, the game's developer. Both are probably to blame. Compared with the SNES, this game isn't the one to buy. On its own merits, though, MK II is a good coin-op translation and arcade fans probably won't regret their investment. Round 1, Engage!

When it comes to the original MK games, Mortal Kombat 2 is my favorite. I can do a bit better than that actually. You see, MK2 is one of my favorite games in the series in general and one of my favorite fighting games of all time! The version I am looking at today is the 16-bit version and it is amazing at how close they managed to get to the arcade with this one!

Enter Shao Khan!

One of the things that I feel Mortal Kombat has always had over Street Fighter was its lore. Mortal Kombat 2 was where it really took off. The leader of Out World Shao Khan along with his sorcerer Shang Tsung has tricked Raiden and the fighters of Earth Realm to come to Out World for another tournament.

Each of the 12 characters has their own reasons for being in the tournament and you get a cool bit of text after beating the game explaining what happened. I know that these days, Mortal Kombat has a phenomenal cinematic experience, but this was pretty impressive for a fighting game back in the 90s.

Fight!

Mortal Kombat 2 is a one on one fighting game. You have 12 characters to chose from with some returning favorites from the first game and many new faces to. The characters each have their own special moves and finishing moves. The digitized sprites may be a lot smaller than their arcade counterparts, but they still move nice and smoothly and are very well done.

Once you have chosen your warrior, you need to beat all of the other characters and then two bosses in Kintaro and Shao Khan. There are also hidden fights with Jade and Smoke if you know how to do them. MK2 controls much better than the first game, you now have a “reverse” jump attack when you jump over an opponent which may not sound like much, but it does change things up. The gameplay feels much smoother and tighter this time around.

Finish Him!

Mortal Kombat 2 went crazy with its finishing moves. The first game made headlines, mainly due to Sub Zeros' head rip fatality. Well, this time around each character has two fatalities, a friendship, a babality and there are now three stage fatalities as well! It made you really want to play as each and every character so that you could see their finishing moves. I spent ages playing this with my cousin when it was first released and we would not “fight” each other at first. We would spend hours and hours checking out all of the finishing moves.

I go back and play Mortal Kombat II multiple times a year. Midway really nailed this one and the home ports are damn fine also. If I had to suggest just one Mortal Kombat game from the “classic” or should that be Klassic? Style of game, it would always be MK2. It is one of my all-time favorite fighting games and a game I cannot recommend highly enough to you.

9.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • 12 awesome characters to play as
  • Each character has many different finishing moves
  • The gameplay is fantastic
  • The lore the game created is great
  • You will want to see all of the endings and finishing moves

Cons:

  • The Genesis version is a bit rougher in terms of the visuals
  • It set the bar way too high for poor MK3!

Acclaim cashes in on MKII once again.The most overrated of fighting games can now be played, in all its flawed glory, on the Sega Saturn. So if you're a member of the teaming masses of MK-heads and happen to own a Saturn, I'm sure you're pitchin' a tent right about now.

This is a great version of MK2.The sound and graphics are, to say the least, stunning. Almost an exact translation of the arcade game, it would seem that some of the dialogue is missing, from player names to "Round One". No biggie.With big characters, technicolor red stuff and a little faerie dust, Mortal Kombat II will please all.

"Why the 6?" you ask? Well, for one, it's MK2. Also, it's dated. It's the 3-D generation pal; sprite-based fighters are going the way of the dodo. On top of that, it's two years old, having been succeeded by MK3, another woefully flawed fighter. Granted, MKII is a better game than MK3 (which isn't even available for the Saturn), but come on, haven't you outgrown this game yet?

The latest version of the hot new fighting game is currently circulating through arcades. The changes aren't as extreme as the leap from 1.1 to 2.1, but there are a few new features and differences. One notable difference is the amount of blood in the game. It has actually increased! Almost every move leaves loads of blood soaking into the floor. The other main features are: the random character select, disabling throws, and new finishing moves. Is this the last update or will it go to 4.0? We'll inform you first of any changes!

Get ready to finish 'em as one of the top head-to-head fighting games of all time makes a fall debut for the PlayStation and Saturn.

The action will include all 14 arcade characters, plus Baraka, Kitana, Reptile, and other kombatants. Expect the standard fighting gameplay to be enhanced by Friendship moves, Babalities, finishing moves, combos, and hidden characters. Acclaim also promises these discs will feature additional animation frames as well as enhanced graphics and sounds.

Which version is better - MK 2 or MK 3? Play 'em head-to-head on the PlayStation and decide for yourself!

Mortal Kombat II is an arcade game. The player must beat each of the other human players, before taking on Sheng Tsung, Kintaro and finally Shao Kahn. Players have a range of punches and kicks available, as well as flying kicks, roundhouses, uppercuts, special moves, which vary for each player. These include uppercuts, long-distance bullets, throws, teleport feature and bicycle kicks.

The action is one-on-one as before, and famed for its high level of violence and blood (other than the sanitised Nintendo version).

This Game is good for its time,it has good graphics and its very colorfull.The only bad thing is that theirs not very many characters in the game that you can use.Well there isn't anything else to say about this game,so thanks and enjoy!!

Revew by: Martin Salazar (AKA umyjs)

People say:

8

Mortal Kombat II for the Genesis looks a lot better compared to the first game, and the control is about the same The graphics, however, am also mproved. The sounds could have been added in, though. Only a few sounds are really there I miss when Raiden roars, and everything is muffled. For me this was a good conversion, but also check out the other versions. It is a great game nevertheless.

7

Despite the obvious cofor and sound limitations of the Genesis, Mortal Kombat II comes off in an excellent way because It has the strongest lector going for it: play control. The great control really helps to offset the lack of voices and the strange sound effect choices. Overall, this version will no doubt keep Genesis owners happy. But sorry guys, now you aren't the only ones to get the blood and guts action like before.

7

Genesis owners will have much to cheer about with one of the most highly anticipated games of the year Mortal Kombat II is nearly identical to the arcade in every respect. Remember, I said nearly. Although the graphics are good, they are slightly inferior to the Super NES. The same goes with the music, sound effects, speech, and game play. Overall, this is probably the best fighting game for the Genesis.

7

You have to face some of the limitations of the Genesis. If you do, you'll have to admit that MK II is a great translation If you compare it to the Super NES, sure it isn't quite as detailed or coforful, but it is good nonetheless. Play control is a bit lighter on this platform but controls well enough to get some heated battles going. Genesis owners should check it out, it is definitely one of the best fighting games for the system.

People say:

9

This is the version of Mortal Kombat II to get. It plays very well ... well, perhaps a little bit looser than the arcade It looks almost the same, and a lot of the sounds are here The hits sometimes sound annoying, but it's a small price to pay. All the secrets you could want are here, except for Reptile's floor move in the Armory. I'm surprised at how well this one plays. All my combos worked. That won it for me...

8

MK II fans can finally shut up. Their game is here and what an excellent translation it is. It plays great. All the combos are here plus the graphics and sounds are right on pur ... well, most of the sounds anyway. Acclaim really wanted thn game to be the best It could be and their persistence has paid off In big way. The added Tournament Mode is a welcome addition that can really get your thumbs cramped up.

8

There will be much rejoicing among fighting game aficionados. Mortal Kombat II for the Super NES is as close to the arcade as it's gonna get. This near-perfect translation has all the elements that made the coin-op such a smash hit. The graphics are super awesome The sounds and digitized speocn have all been faithfully replicated. Put in a cool Group Battle Mode and you've got a "must-buy" cartridge.

8

Let's just say after the first translation I wasn't expecting them to be able to pull it off. With more characters, ana moves how could they do it. Wellt they did! This is an excellent Reproduction that truly is "as close to the arcade as the hardwaie would allow." All the moves and little nuances are here to make you feel right at home. Graphics and sounds are excellent. The big thing though, it plays very well!

You say you want kombat? We're gonna give you Mortal Kombat! Despite its cute, innocuous appearance on the small screen, MKIICB contains most of the violence and even some of the solid game play that made the arcade game a record earner.

Eight for the Road

MK II GB is a black-and-white mirror image of the Came Gear-at least on the surface. You get eight of 12 arcade characters, two backgrounds, and both bosses. Too bad there's no "red color" ability for the GB. Maybe those Picassos out there who own a Super Game Boy can color in some blood.

Straight away, the Mortal difference about the GB is the not-too-bad-at-all game play. The characters move with reasonable fluidity, and the animation doesn't skip as much as it does in the GG edition. This improvement is partially a result of the smaller sprite size, but that's a small compromise for better, more responsive game play.

One letdown you'll experience about the kombo system is the alteration of the jump kick. If you jump and kick someone, they fall to the ground very fast, making many of the standard kombos nearly impossible. However, some of the kombos do work, which is a definite plus.

Green and White, Mmmmm

Graphics in green and white don't satisfy the Mortal hunger unless you lower your standards. The characters are fairly crisp and distinct, so you won't have trouble spotting them on the small screen.

The sound is a weird derivative of the arcade without any voices or other goodies. The tunes are kind of like elevator music with an evil twist, and they get repetitive quickly.

Still a Boy, Not a Man

MKII Jr. is half as much game as the SNB, but, hey, what do you expea from a five-year-old portable system? I can name a million other ways I'd rather spend $35. On the other hand, if I'm all alone and bored, I wouldn't mind having Kitana and crew in the palm of my hand.

ProTips:

  • Standing High Kicks are a great way to keep the enemy out when they jump in.
  • Scorpion's Decoy helps you escape damage and get In close for a Spear.
  • Sweep patterns are one of the best ways to defeat the computer. After you knock them away, jump In with a kick and repeat.

People say:

8

Surprisingly this games plays great despite being on the Game Boy. The fatalities were easy to do, and I could even knock the other fighters into the ceiling spikes. Since MK II is black-and-white here its very difficult to tell the ninjas apart and why was Raiden removed? One of the other characluis should have been removed. Even though only a few backgrounds are here, they are the best ones.

5

This is probably the best fighting game on the Game Boy, which isn't saying much because there are not many fighting games on this portable Still this one plays well. I found myself getting the moves oh hardly any problem with two buttons. Even so, it's bettor as a portable game to take along wiih you. because you won't want to play this on the Super Game Boy. I would get the Super NES version instead.

5

I really couldn't get into the Game Boy version of Mortal Kombat II for a number of reasons. First off,I think that the small screen and the blurry character movements were. The graphics, sound, and most importantly, playability took live with this version. M was harder to get the special moves off. Plus the absence of four of the characters really hurt it as well. Stick to the game systems.

5

Well you can't expect too much from the Game Boy when you're talking about a giant Meg game like MK II there are several of the characters ana they do have their special moves and some finishing techniques it plays ... well like a Gamp Boy game. It isn't bad considering the format. It has the spike Kombat Tomb and even turnaround kicks. The graphics and sounds are decent. It's average but then again why try?

Gear up, gang, MKII has arrived in bright, living color on the Game Gear. Never mind that busting a kombo is like hitting double zeros on a roulette wheel. Otherwise, this cart is good handheld entertainment.

MK II Go

Mortal's here, but only partially. You get eight of 12 characters: Liu Kang, Kitana, Mileena, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, and Jax. Raiden, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, and Baraka are nowhere to be found. Fortunately, both MK II bosses are included. Good luck finding the hidden characters-if they're around, the ways to find them have changed.

The players move, groove, and grapple with reasonable smoothness, but the control's light-years behind the SNES or Genesis. You'll immediately notice that the animation seems to skip around a lot. The three-button layout isn't terrible, and the majority of the moves are intuitive. The problem lies in how the characters react and attack.

Getting kombos to work is a colossal chore since the jumping and gravity in this game feels totally wrong. For example, Kitana's Fan Lift pushes the enemy too low and too far away to easily follow up with a kombo attack.

GG Graphics Good

No qualms with the bright, impressive pix and huge sprites (they take up two-thirds of a screen). You'll be amazed at how much was captured from the arcade.

The music and sounds aren't exactly the coin-op, but they're pretty good. Sadly, most of the arcade tunes are gone, and the replacement tracks have their own beat.

Win Some,Lose Some

What you see is what you get. Only two backgrounds is what you'll see-the Kombat Tomb and the Pit-so what you'll get is limited Fatalities. Since the Dead Pool is missing, there's no way to do the Dead Pool Fatality. You'll also find some memory-conserving changes to your favorite Fatalities:

Liu Kang's Dragon doesn't bite off the opponent's head, but instead burns them to a crisp.

Gear or Garbage?

If you own a SNES or Genesis system, you'd be nuts to buy either handheld version over their big brothers. Gear MKII is for people who spend a lot time on the road and don't mind playing the computer for hours on end. (For one-on-one action, you'll need a friend and two GGs.)

Taken on its own, Mortal II is a fun game. But if you're looking for something close to the coin-op, you won't find it inside.

  • Protip: One of the best ways to take out the bosses is to move far away, draw them in, and Freeze them with Sub-Zero, beware, the Floor Freeze won't work against them!

Last year's hottest game returns for round two as Mortal Kombat II hits the shelves for the SNB, Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy in September. We'll have a blow-by-blow on the game, including our ratings, in our next issue. In the meantime, check out some of the moves and Fatalities!

The Gang's All Here

Arcade authenticity was Acclaim's numero uno goal this time around, right down to every last pixel and sprite. We just received the games, and our first look indicates the graphics are far superior to last year's MK releases and closely match the arcade graphics (especially the SNES version). The SNES's sounds are also close to arcade quality.

Of course, the biggest news for SNES gamers is that the SNB version contains all the arm-ripping, torso-tearing action of the arcade game. No wimping out this time! Nintendo will also place a notice on the front of the box that warns against sale to minors. Yeah, right! Who won't get their hands on this one?

Even better news for MKII fans: At press time, the execution of all the moves in the 16-bit games is identical to the execution of the arcade moves.

If you're a Mortal maniac, you're not even gonna need the manual as you rip into every one of the possible 62 Fatality, Babality, and Friendship moves. And you won't need any secret codes to reach the arcade game play.

If there's a downside to this wave of MK II games, it's the loss of four players in the handheld versions. Don't bother to look for Baraka, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, and Raiden on the Game Gear and Game Boy - they didn't make the final cut. You can only cram so much onto a handheld cart.

Get Over Here!

Next issue, Slasher Quan will bust loose on the games and give you the final word on playability, speed, secret characters, what moves made it and what didn't, as well as the best strategies for the game. In the meantime, it sure looks like this is the MK II home gamers have been waiting for.

  • Manufacturer: Acclaim
  • Machine: 32x

While this version of the spine-ripping, eye-gouging classic shows just how neat a 32x game can be, everyone we know is waiting for Mortal Kombat III. So, it's real nice, but it got here just a little bit late. If you snooze, you lose!

  • Genre: fighter
  • Players: 1 or 2
  • Publisher: Acclaim
  • Developer: Probe

When Mortal Kombat II stormed homes last year, it spread joy and pain across the televisions of the world and launched controversy after controversy about the future of video game violence. While the game was released for both Super NES and Genesis, most agreed that Nintendo definitely had the competitive edge both in gameplay and in flash. Now, with the help of Sega's new 32X attachment, Acclaim has re-released the arcade hit with all the powerful look and feel of the original stand-up.

The first improvement fans notice is the elimination of the grainy look that plagued the first Genesis release. Throughout the title, animation has been improved, moving swiftly and smoothly without any noticeable slowdown or jerking. For the 32X, the game is a first chance to truly show off some of the advantages that its improved graphics engine can offer Sega players.

The 32X comes through on the audio side as well. Unlike the original Genesis cart, which delivered an unpleasantly twangy soundtrack and rough digitized effects, Mortal Kombat 32x delivers a truly great sound experience.

These changes reflect what are perhaps the biggest differences between this cart and its 16-bit predecessor, and are immediately noticeable after only a few minutes of battle. But the true test of any fighting cart isn't in the extras, it's in the actual play. Here, too, the 32X excels.

The new cart plays far better than the Genesis version of the same game. Response is quick and active, and hits look like they actually make contact with the characters - no more near misses that send your player flying across the screen.

There's no doubt that the changes have made a much better fighting game, but the bottom line here is that it's too little, too late. With Mortal Kombat III right around the corner, most fans will agree that a new version of Mortal Kombat II is pretty much old news by now. Furthermore, even with the new changes and enhancements, the game doesn't look or play any better than the original SNES cart did. If you're a huge MKII fan, and you're willing to shell out $150 bucks for a 32X that will give you the same gameplay as a $70 SNES cart, then you're in for a treat. Otherwise, my advice is to wait for something that's actually new.

  • Graphics: 8
  • Gameplay: 9
  • Innovation: 4
  • Music & Sound FX: 8
  • Replay Value: 6
  • Manufacturer: Acclaim
  • Machine: Game Boy, Game Gear

These two handheld versions of Mortal Kombat II either suck or bite. It's your choice.

It's back and better than ever! The one game that took Street Fighter from its unchallenged reign of fighting games. This time around there's more of what made it great and a few new surprises. Play seven new characters on brand new, multi-scrolling backgrounds. The sounds have also been pumped up with DCS (Digital Sound Compression). It doesn't stop there - there's more blood, more moves, more fatalities and five times the secrets as before!

7 New Characters 12. In All

Master the moves of seven new guys and gals along with the new moves for the original cast, including air moves.

The Blood is Back and How!

If you thought the censors had a cow before, wait till they check out the gory moves and super violent fatalities!

Not only are there more characters and more blood, just look at the graphics! There are also great new sounds to accompany the cool look. But it doesn't end there: five times the secrets with at least three secret characters and who knows what else?

Making an appearance at the show was the hot sequel Mortal Kombat II by Midway. The gory second installment has been number one in the arcades but finds a little trouble holding up to its biggest rival, Street Fighter II: Super Turbo. Still, we all know that MK II has a lot to offer and we are assured by the programmer, Ed Boon, that there is still a lot left unknown. The current version 3.1 is said to be the final version and an upgrade isn't planned to appear any time soon. This version has all the techniques that the others were lacking, along with a few other surprises. Its mass appeal and controversy will keep it going long into the home market. Anyone know the Kano transformation?

Again, the Genesis version leaned toward speed and not graphic acuity. It was the faster of the two MK IIs, but the SNES version looked better. To its credit, the moves were easier to perform on the Genesis six- button controller (made specifically for MK II) than they were on the awkwardly designed SNES controller.

This time Nintendo, learning its lesson about giving consumers what they want, allowed Acclaim to release an exact duplicate of the arcade version of the game, complete with bloody Fatalities and gory special moves. This also happened to be the best of the MK series- it introduced new characters and expanded its combo system to include multiple-hit juggles and air throws, both of which were new to fighting games at the time.

The Kombat Kontinues! But this time, the Kombos actually work! Unlike last year's sloppy, slow, unresponsive version of MK for the SNES, this MK II retains almost all the speed and kombos from the arcade -- not to mention brilliant graphics, sounds, control, FunFactor, fatalities, the kitchen sink, and Toasty.

Welcome to the Outworld

Shang Tsung returns from defeat, and this time he lures the kombatants into the hellish Outworld. Tsung, ruler Shao Kahn, and Kintaro, cousin of Coro, plan to kill the warriors and unbalance the furies. Each warrior has their own history and reason for entering this deadly tournament.

All 12 playable characters from the coin-sucker are represented -- a full seven of them new (two were bosses in MK).

Only two characters didn't make the journey to the sequel: Sonya and Kano, the least popular among players.

Fatal Fury

Although there's still no way to dump Gatorade on the enemy after you beat them, all of the arcade's 62 humiliation moves are represented. This menagerie includes the arm-ripping Fatalities, skin-dissolving Dead Pools, impaling Spikes, flattening Pits, tear-jerking Friendships, and maternity-inducing Babalities. Even the hidden characters are secreted away- can you guess where?

Action Jax-son

MK ll's game play and control are surprisingly super. The action is maybe 85 percent as smooth as the coin-op, and there's a wee bit o' chunkiness, but you get used to it real fast. The only control gripe is the lack of a pause feature.

If you're a jumpin', jugglin', teleportin', spearin', uppercut-tin', kombo-krazy kombatant, you'll be jonesin' to try all your favorite arcade kombos. Most of them work! Okay, Kung Lao's hat spin-jump kick-bullet kick is gone (along with a handful of others). Still, there's enough to fill a 160-page book!

The game's based mostly on arcade revision 3.1 rules, so it's unlikely you'll do any perpetual corner juggles. This is all well and good, but Acclaim could have added an option to toggle between coin-op revisions just for the rejuggle fun of it.

MK View

The game's character animation is true to the coin-op in its quality and detail. Very big sprites, clean images, brilliant background color -- you couldn't ask for more. Even the bursts of blood are brilliant, and they're everywhere!

Almost all the cool pix and cinematics made it. However, you'll notice a serious reduction in the facial-portrait size and a lot of cuts from the intro. But hey, losing these elements is better than missing animation.

No DCS, But Solid SNES

"Round l...Fight!" This isn't something you hear in every street fight, but MK II has the majority of those ominous voices that everyone likes to repeat. (Only Beavis and Butt-Head are more popular to impersonate.) Check out the M-80 firecracker explosion when Scorp does the Flaming Bones! The music's great also, with only a few tunes and riffs missing.

One thing the game lacks is a variety of modes. There's no versus mode or tournament setup, but the available options include button configuration, handicapping for two players, and an adjustable CPU intelligence. The computer can be extremely cheap, and fighting it can be frustrating, so many players will prefer head-to- head action.

Finishing Word

MKII fans who rated the arcade a perfect 5.0 should snap up this game posthaste. Some hardcore fight fans prefer the SFII series to MK because of the deeper game play, and for this contingent, MK II might only be a must- rent. Everyone else will give MK II a big limbs up!

Mortal Kombat II is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series, being released in 1993 and featuring the same fighting styles with lots of new characters, moves and better graphics. The arcade game is often regarded as the best of the Mortal Kombat titles, but also one of the best fighting games ever.

In the first game, Shang Tsung's defeat to Liu Kang almost cost him his life, but he told Shao Kahn, his master, that an invitation to the Mortal Kombat tournament can't be turned down. Kahn agrees and restores Tsung's youth, in order for him to try to defeat Liu King again.

The gameplay of MK II was better than the one in the first game, with normal and basic moves being expanded. The crouching punch was added, plus low and high kicks became better. Some of the old characters feature in the second game new attacks, as well as new Fatalities. The characters still have each their own set of skills and differ a lot from each other. The game is also a bit faster and smoother.

As in the first game, the second version is divided into rounds as well. The one going through is the player who is able to win two out of three rounds. The theme of the game is a bit darker than in the first version, though it retains many other aspects, as parts of the music.

Five new characters were added to this sequel. Baraka, Jax Briggs (a U.S. Special Forces officer), Kitana (a female ninja who is an adopted daughter of Shao Kahn), Kung Lao and Mileena (Kahn's personal assassin) are the new five playable characters. Shao Kahn and Kintaro as still unplayable and are still sub-boss and boss.

The game was released on the market after an expensive $10 million global marketing campaign, but in the end the release was a major hit.

The game was later ported on lots of other platforms, such as Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Game Boy, GameGear, Amiga, Sega 32X, PC, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation and Xbox. The game is one of the few releases out there available for most of the platforms. Future releases are announced.

The game was a huge success. It went to over $50 million sales in the first week after the release, which would mean a lot even today. GameRankings offered an average of 8.5 out of 10 for Genesis and SNES, but only 6.1 for Game Boy. The game for Sega Visions was considered a “sheer brilliance”. MK II was still considered as the best MK title in 2009. UGO included the release in its 42 Best Games Ever top.

Snapshots and Media

Arcade Screenshots

Saturn Screenshots

Playstation Screenshots

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

Sega Master System Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots

See Also

Viewing games 1 to 22