Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat
Download Mortal Kombat and experience the iconic fighting game that started a revolution! Choose your warrior, master their unique moves, and engage in brutal battles to the death. Will you claim victory? Finish them and play now!
a game by Midway, and Sculptured Software
Genres: Action, Fighting Games, Multiplayer/Hotseat
Platforms: Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES, Sega Master SystemSega Master System, GameGear, GameBoy
Mode Single-player, Multiplayer
Setting Fantasy world of Earthrealm
Gameplay 1-on-1 fighting game, unique character moves and fatalities
Graphics Digitized sprites based on filmed actors
Soundtrack Original soundtrack
Editor Rating: 8/10, based on 22 reviews
User Rating: 7.2/10 - 37 votes
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See also: Download Fighting Games, Arcade Games, Mortal Kombat Games

Now here's a solid reason to run out and buy a Game Gear: Acclaim's Mortal Kombat for the Game Gear is everything its 16-bit big brother is, plus it's portable. It's a true arcade conversion brought to the small screen, complete with its own Mode A code.

Kool Kombat

Mortal Kombat for the Game Gear is a one- or two-player (using a Gear-to-Gear cable) fighter that allows you to pick one of six players (no Kano) in a fight to the finish. You again have to fight against all the fighters, against yourself in a Mirror Match, survive three endurance matches, and fight Goro to get to Shang Tsung. All the fighters have their special moves, combos, and Finishing Moves intact, straight from the arcade in all their gory glory. Pluck a miniaturized head from an opponent's body, char someone to cinders, knock a noggin' into the next Zip Code, and more. All this is possible in this Game Gear version.

As for the graphics, they're excellent and well-detailed for such a small screen. You can see all the moves and backgrounds clearly, and the blood shoots from an opponent like water from a water gun. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the graphic detail of the Pit, Sub-Zero's head-popping move, Liu Kang's Fireball, and the rest of the game.

The music is just basic. It doesn't add or detract from the overall feel of the game. As for the sound effects, there are no groans, yells, or announcers in this version.

Kombat Klub

Like all the other versions, there's still a problem with the controls, and some special moves are very hard to execute. But even on the Easy setting, this game's a knuckle-buster. There's enough beat-em-up action here to challenge even those fight-wise gamers. Only a Game Gear version of Street Fighter II Turbo could possibly match the fun of this small-screen fighting cart.

Download Mortal Kombat

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
Sega Master System

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

Genesis owners' haven't gotten their Street Fighter II yet, but Mortal Kombat by Acclaim should tide them over in style. This long-awaited game is here in all its glorious 16-bit majesty, with all the arcade Finishing Moves ("Fatalities") and action intact. Your wait is over, Genesis Kombateers!

Mortal Mayhem

Mortal Kombat for the Genesis is a one- or two-player side- scrolling beat-em-up. As in the original arcade game, you play as one of seven digitized players -- Kano, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Rayden. Each fighter has unique moves, super moves, Finishing Moves, and combos. In a three-match free-for-all, you fight each of the other six fighters, and then you fight against yourself in a Mirror Match. You then fight three endurance matches, where you battle two fighters in one match. Ultimately, you slug your way to Shang Tsung in an immortal combat. To get there, though, you must get past Shang Tsung's heavy-handed henchman, Goro.

You'll go through all the arcade levels, including the Pit, the Dungeon, Tsung's Palace, and the Hall of Warriors. Although the Genesis game's backgrounds are well drawn, they don't match the original arcade backgrounds as closely as the SNES version's do. You won't have much time to worry about the backgrounds, though, you'll be too busy avoiding Rayden's Lightning Throw, Sub-Zero's Freeze, Sonya's Ring Toss, Liu Kang's Fireball, and other mortal moves.

Overall, the easy-to-use Genesis controls make some of the moves easier to pull off than pulling them off in the SNES version, but other moves are just as difficult to execute in both versions. The game was developed for the three-button controller, which means you'll need to use Start to block.

This can be awkward and time consuming. Even so, the action is a lot faster on the Genesis, and the moves are quick and destructive.

After you win two rounds you can bust a Finishing Moves, the pièce de résistance of Mortal Kombat. There are two play modes in the Genesis game. In regular play four of the original arcade Finishing Moves have been changed from the original moves in the arcade (Sub-Zero's, Kano's, Johnny Cage's, and Rayden's). Finishing Moves can be anything from charring an opponent down to ash to ripping an enemy's head, spine and all. A special play mode called Mode A, which you enter via a controller, enables you to play the arcade game with all of the original moves intact. Unfortunately, the graphics on some of the Finishing Moves are not as well-illustrated as they are in the arcade game.

Red Is Your Color

The graphics in Mortal Kombat for the Genesis are very good, although the SNES's graphics are sharper and cleaner. Even so, purists may prefer this version with its Mode A option.

Although the Genesis music is definitely better, the sound quality is higher on the SNES, including more (and better) sound effects. The Genesis version also doesn't announce the fighters, nor does it relay the bone-crunching hits in full symphonic detail.

Up for the Challenge?

Challenge-wise, you may have to set the difficulty to Hard if you want true arcade playability on the Genesis. If you don't, this fight may just be a walkthrough for most street-brawlin' gamers. In Hard Mode, you may get in a couple of cheap shots now and then, but the CPU fighters put up a good fight. Plus, unlike the SNES, there are only limited continues on the Genesis and you'll definitely need to save them up to endure all the way to Tsung.

Great graphics, sound, and control in combination with the special Mode A setting make the Genesis Mortal Kombat a beat-em-up force. Genesis gamers will be more than happy with their version of the arcade classic. Until Street Fighter II makes its appearance on the Genesis scene, Mortal Kombat's clearly the king of the Genesis beat-em-up hill.

When Mortal Kombat makes its four-system debut, gamers are gonna notice right away that the SNES version has the graphics the closest to the arcade classic, but they're missing one crucial element: the blood! Still, there's a lot to like about this game, and it does have one or two advantages over the Genesis version.

Fight for Your Life

Mortal Kombat for the SNES is a one- or two-player beat-em-up that allows you to battle as one of seven fighters. You choose your character, and then challenge the other six characters to a test of skill and strength. Endure the test and you're pitted against the master of all this mayhem, Shang Tsung... that is, if you get past his multi-limbed henchman, Goro.

You'll fight through six regular matches and a Mirror Match and three endurance matches (each match is a best of two-out-of-three), where you have to sequentially fight not one, but two Kombat killers. When you win the final round, the screen will command, "Finish Him!" This means you must end the life of your opponent with a Finishing Move (Fatalities in the arcades). Each fighter has their own unique Finishing Move. Three of the arcade moves were left intact in the SNES version (for Sonya, Liu Kang, and Scorpion), but four of the more gruesome scenes were -- substituted with new Finishing Moves(for Sub-Zero, Kano, Johnny Cage, and Rayden). The new moves are pretty cool, though not as bloody.

You won't be left in the dark against these agents of death. Although some of the individual techniques vary, the majority of the arcade moves are found in the SNES version, including the combos and other hidden secrets. Also at your disposal are a number of special moves, projectile weapons, and classic hand-to-hand combat skills. You can use Sub-Zero's Freeze to turn opponents into blocks of ice, or Johnny Cage's Shadow Kick to split him into two fighters and deliver a deadly blow. It's all in a day's work for the Mortal Kombat crew.

Bruisers beware, though, because getting the fighters to actually pull of their moves is an awkward control problem. It sometimes takes many tries to execute a move properly, and by that time you've probably been executed properly. Even though the controller has more buttons, the controls in the SNES edition just aren't as tight or as responsive as those found in the Genesis edition.

The locales are just as deadly as the fighters. You can battle in front of the palace gates, atop a cavernous pit (complete with life-ending spikes at the bottom), in front of a statuesque lineup of martial arts masters, and more.

Looks Can Kill

The graphics in the SNES Mortal Kombat are cleaner, better defined, and closer to the original arcade games than those found in the other versions. The digitized fighters look better here because of the SNES's enormous color palette, an advantage it has over the Genesis. But without the blood, something is lacking. The fighters also move slightly slower than they do in the Genesis version.

The sound in the SNES version is also slightly better than that found in the other versions. The commentator announces each fighter by name, every blow rocks your TV speakers, and each groan and scream is crystal clear.

The Khoice Is Yours

The SNES version of Mortal Kombat whips up more challenge than any of the other versions. Like the Genesis, there are five difficulty settings (Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard), but the Medium setting on the SNES is much harder than the Medium setting on the Genesis. The SNES version also enables you to set a game mode (Normal or Hand-to-Hand, where no weapons are allowed), handicap player one or two by increasing or decreasing the amount of damage taken from a fighter, and reconfigure the button settings. This version also offers unlimited continues.

You probably never thought you'd see it, but this is no lie: Mortal Kombat is here for the Game Boy! Although it by no means matches the graphics or game play of the other versions, it's nice to know that Game Boy game players have not been forgotten.

Honey, I Shrunk the Sprites

Mortal Kombat for the Game Boy is a one-player, six-stage fighter with the same basic Mortal Kombat themes. You play as one of six fighters (no Johnny Cage) against the other fighters, against yourself in a Mirror Match, past three endurance matches, on to Coro, and eventually to the ultimate showdown against Shang Tsung.

There are a number of regular moves, special moves, and Finishing Moves for each player (the same Finishing Moves found in the SNB version). If you think the moves on the other systems are hard to execute, wait until you try to pull a move on the Game Boy. The unresponsive two-button controls are almost impossible to master. The game play is also abysmally slow, and the fighters don't always connect, even when they're close to an opponent.

As for the graphics, they are hard to see and very dark. Although the sprites fill the Game Boy screen, they don't move well.

The sound is almost nonexistent, as well. In the version we played, there was only tinny, muffled background music, and no other sounds.

From Screen to Scream

This is the hardest way to pick a fight in years. The frustrating controls and stunted game play will make you scream, not in terror but in frustration. If your eyes don't go first from squinting at the screen, your nerves will go from trying to play this game the way it's played in the arcade. This is one version of Mortal Kombat that isn't a knockout.

Mortal Monday is coming soon! Acclaim's monster arcade hit Mortal Kombat will be exploding onto the Genesis with a bang! Live all the danger and excitement of your favorite characters in your living room with this version. Each character from the smash arcade game is present in this cart. Fight to the death to earn the title of the new Grand Champion. The Pit may not have blood, but it still means death!

People say:

8.0

Mortal Kombat shows the advantage of the Genesis system over the Super NES: it can show blood, and the blood code makes Kombat closer to the arcade than its Super NES counterpart. However, the voices could use some work, and unless you have the new 6-button controller, using START to block will drive you nuts!

9.0

Mortal Kombat for the Genesis naturally shows the one thing the Nintendo version doesn't - blood. The blood does make a difference for some people but it doesn't make the game. The control is pretty good but the lack of sound effects really hurts it. The 6-button controller will definitely make your life easier.

8.0

Hey, look! Blood! Mortal Kombat remains faithful having the arcade blood, but only with a code. I can live with that. This version is closer to the arcade in game play than the Super NES, but falls short on graphics and sound, where some voices are missing. Playing with the 3-button controller is a pain so buy a 6-button one.

7.0

While the graphics and sounds aren't quite up to par with the Super NES version, this cart manages to shine in the game play. This one has a better feel and seems closer to the arcade's timing and style. Also, the blood is back with an option to turn off the gore. Better get the new controller, or you won't go very far.

Everybody knows about the restrictions Nintendo puts on violence and gore, so how did they get around it on the most bloody fighting game to hit the market? They changed the color of the blood to white so it looks like you are knocking the sweat off your opponents. The effect is very good and similar to the arcade, just without the red color. Also check out the pit - no heads or blood, and you don't land on them when you fall.

It looks and plays as hot as the arcade but the Big 'N has held fast to their no-blood policy. All the characters and their trademark special moves are here, although some of the "finishing moves" have been altered to be less violent.

With the looks and components of the original, you'd better stay tuned for Mortal Monday- its release day.

THE TWO TOUGHEST BOSSES STILL AWAIT YOU

If you manage to defeat the other opponents, crush your evil twin, and endure past the endurance rounds, you'll have two more matches still to conquer. First is Goro the 500-year reigning champ and incredibly powerful half-human. He is big but also very quick. If you get lucky enough to pass him, Shang Tsung awaits you. He is a powerful sorcerer who can change form at wilL.Good luck!

Straight from the arcade comes Acclaim's Mortal Kombat. Everyone has been anxiously waiting for this tough translation. How did the big N get around the blood and guts that was so pronounced in this game? With some clever programming and slight of hand (er..eye) they managed to retain both the look and feel without exploiting the blood and gore. An excellent reproduction in both looks and sounds.

People say:

7.0

Let's face it - the only thing this game, really had going for it was the blood and fatalities. It's no SF2, but it is an interesting variation on the fighting game scene. Acclaim deserves a lot of credit for producing an almost perfect translation of the arcade version, but failing to retain the key elements (blood) hurts the effect.

8.0

While it may be hard to compete with other fighting games, Mortal Kombat really holds its own. The backgrounds are beautifully drawn, the music is terrific and every sound effect is heard. The crisp, digitized effect is extremely well done with very impressive play control. However, there's still something missing...

7.0

Okay big 'N, lets get this straight. You think it's okay to beat someone up as long as they don't bleed? Some fatalities have even been toned down. Besides these little inconveniences, this is the best looking translation of MK. The graphics and digitized voices are virtually identical to the arcade. The game play is fun but not SF2.

7.0

What can you say when you're going up against SF2 TE? They did an excellent job of reproducing the digitized graphics and sampled sounds. The main problem for fans is "Where's the blood?" They managed to get around it some but it weakened this version. Also, it doesn't have quite the same feel and technique.

One of the most popular fighting coin-ops since SF2 is about to make its appearance on the screens of the Super NES, and of all systems, the GameBoy!

Like in the arcade, you can choose from seven characters. All of them are present: Kano, Liu-Kang, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Jonny Cage, Scorpion, and the powerful Raiden. Not only that, but there are two boss characters, Goro and the powerful Shang Tsung, who can morph into any warrior at will and use all of their powers at any time!

The game will remain the same, because like its main competitor, it will use 16 Meg of memory to make sure that the detail is not lost in the conversion. As you can see, the detail is ported straight from the arcade: the cool shadow effect of the fighters was mimicked perfectly. Well, now that all those pleasantries are aside, the main question that everyone will be asking is, will it still be the psycho-waste-em-all bloodbath complete with finishing death moves that the first one was? It is highly unlikely that Nintendo will let Acclaim keep the fatalities in, but, keep reading us for the inside scoop on this hot title for all formats. Now check out our super pictures straight from Winter CES!

When news came out that Mortal Kombat would be made for the Game Gear, many thought — that it would not be a good translation, but when we got our copy of MK in the office, we were very surprised to find it one of the best versions. All the characters except Kano have made the move to the Sega portable. Each of the fighters has his own fatality move with a few modifications for some characters.

The game play is good when compared to the arcade with exception to the pad and button combinations. The graphics are, by far, the best of any game previously available for the GG, showing huge characters and incredible detail. Get ready for the baddest portable fighting game this September!

IT WILL BE A LONG & HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE!

The Shaolin Tournament for martial arts consists of some of the toughest and bravest fighters from all over the world. In order to become the grand champion, you must fight in an elimination match against the other warriors, then defeat a twin fighter in the Mirror Match. Three Endurance Matches will then follow where you must fight two opponents in sequence and defeat them in two rounds. If you manage to sustain these battles, you'll have to muster up all your skill to defeat the powerful Goro and Shang Tsung!

  • Machine: Sega CD
  • Players: 1, or 2 competitive
  • Levels: 12
  • Save Feature: 3-6 continues, no saves

You know, I love Mortal Kombat as much as the next guy - no, I love it more than the next guy. If I still had all the quarters I spent that first year the coin-op was released, I could buy my own arcade. So you can't imagine how excited I was to review the long-awaited Sega CD version. You also can't imagine how it grieves me to report that my excitement turned to utter despair when I actually played the "upgrade".

The CD begins with a two-minute trailer which admittedly is pretty cool. Re-edited from the TV commercial, it features game footage, video clips, and an awesome new techno theme song (taken from the M.K. CD single), the intro really gets you hyped for that familiar M.K. rush. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there.

With the exception of a few still shots, the only difference between the Cenesis version and the CD game is in the CD's blood-from-the-beginning, which earned the game an MA-17. The graphics are still grainy and drab, but they're slightly better than before. The real shocker is the audio!

Although the game has the coin-op's "flawless victory" and "fatality" chants, along with a new tune or two, still... CD quality and the music still sounds this way?! Come on!

But, hey, it wasn't graphics and sound that made the Genesis version stand out in the first place - it was game play, right? Well, sorry again, guys. No strides were made in this department, either.

It's not bad, it's just not any different. Wait - there is one new element worth mentioning. Now you've got an access-time delay of seven to nine seconds between rounds. It may not sound like long, but really drags down the game play.

M.K. is still a solid action game, but the CD version makes so little attempt to take advantage of its increased memory and technology that it's dissatisfying. Maybe it was the eight-month wait between versions that led me to expect something more impressive. So should you shell out for the expensive system and the CD version? Absolutely not.

Make Way for the New!

Get used to this - you get large doses of access time between every single match, fatality, background change, bonus stage, endurance round... I could go on.

"Flawless Victory!" The mark of unparalleled perfection once again flashes across your screen - and rumbles through your speakers in superior digitized sound!

This is the best cheat code I found for the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat. Wait for the Title Screen to appear, and press START. At the screen where you can choose Game Start or Options, do this code with controller 1: DOWN, UP, LEFT, LEFT, button A, I RIGHT, DOWN. A third option will appear on the screen that says, "Cheat Enabled." Highlight this new option and press START. You will see a brand new menu that will allow you to do tons of new options. Test them out!

Here is a listing of the Flags and their meanings:

Flag 0: One hit can kill the second player.

Flag 1: One hit can kill the first player.

Flag 2: Shadow moves across moon on the Pit stage.

Flag 3: Makes a head float in the Pit stage background.

Flag 4: Reptile gives you clues before every match.

Flag 5: Unlimited continues.

Flag 6: Computer does its Fatality when it wins.

Flag 7: Keeps the same background every match.

  • Manufacturer: Arena
  • Machine: Sega CD
  • Theme: Fighting
  • No. of Levels: 12

People say:

7

Why not all that much different from the Genesis version, this game does fill in the areas where the cart games were lacking. The only real obvious differences I see are with the opening commercial, the music, and the lag time. On the flip side, Mortal CD plays really fast, and the way the computer mimics the patterns of the arcade makes this one more challenging. It's still not on par with the arcade, but still good.

6

Maybe I'm just spoiled by Mortal Kombat II, but this game has lost its appeal. The game really shows its age in a time of more graphically impressive games. On the brighter side, the music and voices are good as are the character animations, but the lag time, although short, will probably drive you nuts after a while. By the way, those are nice Super NES pictures in the commercial. Who let that slip by?

7

I don't see what is the big deal about this game. I thought the CD version of Mortal Kombat was supposed to be far better. Instead, it's nothing, but the regular cartridge with the real arcade music and an intro with the footage of the entire television commercial. Yet I have to admit that the game play is closer to the arcade than the cartridge. It's a good buy for the Sega CD, if you haven't already bought the cartridge.

5

The graphics aren't greatly improved over the Genesis version nor are the sounds. However, it plays better and has more accurate control. CD fans will be happy to know the access time was cut down and it doesn't bog down game play. All the characters moves and combos work even better than the Genesis version. My only question is why they put that intro from the commercial in there?

  • Manufacturer: Arena
  • # of players: 1 or 2
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Number of Levels: 12
  • Theme: Fighting

Mortal Kombat CD shows what a the difference a CD game delivers over a cartridge. Since this version is directly translated from the arcade MK all the terrific sounds, voices, and music tracks missing on the cart are now present! The game sports other features such as animated backgrounds, full motion animated character bio's, and smoother and faster game play due to the additional frames of animation added. As if this weren't enough, you get a full two minute full motion introduction and five techno audio tracks as a bonus with the CD. You just can't get any closer to the arcade on a home system than this!

The Genesis version featured everything that the arcade did, including breakup, slowdown, and cheap moves. Although it did showcase every bloody Fatality, the limits of the Genesis engine made the game appear pixilated and blocky.

With this version, gamers could also turn the Fatalities on or off and use codes to select different fighters and backgrounds for each match. This was the beginning of the extreme popularity of the "Easter egg," a term used for codes that allowed players to access hidden elements in a game. (See the sidebar on tips.)

This was one of the biggest- selling video games of all time, and certainly the most popular 16-bit fighting game ever made. The draw was simple: A one- on-one fighting game that featured fast action, blood-spurting moves, and gory Fatalities.

Well, almost. This was also a time of great concern over video game violence, with everyone from grass-roots parental groups to the U.S. Congress getting in on the act. Nintendo, bowing to severe pressure from parents (and keeping in line with their then squeaky-clean image), forced the publisher, Acclaim, to release a nonviolent version of the game with no blood and the more severe Fatalities downgraded. The result? Acclaim (and consequently, Nintendo) suffered a huge loss in game sales compared to the Genesis version of the game.

If you haven't heard of Mortal Kombat yet, you're so far behind the times you may never catch up. This arcade smash is the hottest coin-op since Street Fighter II: Champion Edition. Well, here you go, Kombateers. Here's an update on Acclaim and Arena's lineup of Mortal Kombat games.

If you're wondering how authentic this title's gonna be, don't worry, be happy! Acclaim's assured us that they're commited to making the game as true to the arcade as possible. Check out these screens for yourself and see what you think.

Everybody Shang Tsung Tonight

Only the best can compete in The Shaolin Tournament, a competition of honor and glory for warriors from around the world. The stakes have risen since Shang Tsung (an evil wizard) established himself as the Grand Master. Cursed by the gods, Shang Tsung is no longer content with simple victory. To ensure his survival, he claims the soul of every opponent he defeats. To guarantee his immortality, Shang Tsung conducts the tournaments with assistance from his brutal bad-boy Coro, a half dragon/half man killing machine that's all arms.

The Killing Krew

Those who dare challenge Shang Tsung can fight as any of seven warriors. Each of the combatants has a unique style of fighting and trademark moves. Here's the lowdown on the lineup, and some of the special moves.

The Competition

Players who step into the arena to compete in the Shaolin Tournament should make sure their life insurance is paid up. In Exhibition mode, two players go head-to-head. Enter the Endurance Round and you alone encounter a deadly tournament competition. To advance, fight a single opponent, then a pair of opponents, then Goro, and finally Shang Tsung. If you can still walk away from that, go home!

Goro

This handy outweilder is a former pupil and a devoted follower of Shang Tsung. Coro uses his lower arms to grab an opponent, and then he pounds on their chest with his upper arms. He's also fond of knocking fighters down and jumping on their chests. When Coro cracks his knuckles you can hear it for miles.

Shang Tsung

The evil wizard fights dirty, and he's proud of it. During battle, he'll transform himself into all of the other characters, including Coro, and he has the ability to use their special moves. To become Grand Master, you must defeat Shang Tsung.

The Pit

Expect the unexpected. Defeat an opponent on the bridge, and you can knock him into the Pit. However, if your luck runs out and the Reptile emerges from the Pit, you'll have to enter the Pit to fight him.

Bonus Rounds

Smash-n-destroy's the key to scoring in the bonus rounds. Rack up extra points by pounding on the buttons to crunch wood, an anvil, or a jewel.

The latest addition to the booming fighting-game genre is Mortal Kombat by Midway, maker of recent arcade hits Smash TV and Terminator 2. Mortal Kombat takes the standard martial arts combat scenario and cranks it up several notches with awesome digitized graphics and sound, gruesome action, mesmerizing characters, and scores of unique attacks, combos, and secret moves.

Eye-popping, digitized graphics of real-life and costumed martial arts masters; fully rendered, multidimensional backgrounds; an ear-splitting, heavy-metal soundtrack; and a wealth of digitized voices and sound effects lend a stunning sense of realism to the on-screen action. The fluidly animated characters are extremely responsive to player controls as they execute a variety of bone-crushing, blood-spurting attacks. Please note: if you're squeamish or have a faint heart, this game features some of the goriest violence ever to flicker across an arcade screen. High damage blows yield copious amounts of your opponent's blood. One player's secret move rips an opponent's head right off its body -- spinal column and all!

One-or two-players choose between seven Kombat warriors: Johnny Cage -- Hollywood martial arts star; Kano -- mercenary thief; Raiden -- mythical thunder god; Liu Kang -- Shaolin warrior; Scorpion -- ninja warrior; Sub Zero -- ninja assasin; and Sonya Blade -- U.S. Special Forces soldier. Every character has unique attacks and defenses, throws a projectile, and has a secret death blow.

An eight-direction joystick, plus five buttons control every move, including Blocks and High and Low Punches and Kicks. Game play features best two-out-of- three matches. In two-player games, the winner stays while the loser pays to play again. Single-player games pit you against all the other combatants. For the ultimate challenge, defeat them all and take on both Goro, the four-armed man-dragon, and Shang Tsung, the evil wizard. Rapid button punching is a must for "Test Your Might" intermissions, where you smash various objects for bonus points.

Mortal Kombat is taking arcades by storm, commanding lines even larger than those for Street Fighter II. With its beautiful graphics and gut-wrenching game play, Mortal Kombat is clearly making a bid to be THE fight game champ. Check it out to see if you think it's worthy of the title.

Classic fighting game that newer grows old. Chose one out of seven players and start kicking but. Great game for raini afternoons, a game that every gamer MUSThave!

Mortal Kombat has begun upon you,and you have been chosen to put a stop to the evil sorcerer and tournament leader,Shang Tsung and his right hand Goro.Play as seven fighters:Kano,Sonya Blade,Johnny Cage,Scorpion,Sub-Zero,Rayden,and Liu Kang,each with their own set of moves and fatalities.This is a game any Mortal Kombat fan will love.

Yes it's Mortal Kombat time once again! Acclaim has bombarded the video game market with this grisly game. So let's get down and dirty one more time! This version is very similar to the arcade hit! All of the cool moves are present so you can battle your way to title of grand champion. The only difference is Johnny Cage and the Reptile are missing. This version rocks just like the arcade!

People say:

5.0

One thing a fighting game must have is concise controls - without it the game becomes incredibly frustrating. That is the case here with MK for the GameBoy: the graphics are great considering it's a portable system, but the controls are so sluggish and unresponsive, the whole thing became very annoying.

6.0

What we have here is a good game doomed by incredibly slow controls and choppy animation. The graphics are very good, even on the GameBoy, but trying to perform special attacks and the finishing moves becomes a veritable chore. The music tunes are repetitive as well. This one could have been better.

5.0

Cool, was that blood? Maybe it was sweat. I can't tell because the darn screen is black & white. This is the wrong game for this format The graphics are, well, decent for the small GB screen. The game play really needs work and the moves are frustrating and a pain to perform. Maybe it's me but this is just wrong.

4.0

Mortal Kombat is a complex game and to try to capture the sights and playability of It in a portable game ts very tough. The controls are completely sluggish and make the game frustrating and annoying. Don't look for the graphics to save it; it's still GameBoy green This just isn't a good game for the GameBoy!

Mortal Kombat is going to hit almost every system on the upcoming "Mortal Monday!" It will be available for the Super Nes, Genesis, and Game Gear systems! And the Game-Boy system will not be left out, either! You can select one of six fighters to enter in a fight-to-the-finish one-on-one battle to gain the title of the Supreme Warrior! The GameBoy version retains most of the arcade version's qualities (except for the Reptile and fighter Johnny Cage, but it keeps the fighters' special deadly moves - it even has Tsang Shung and the fourarmed warrior Goro. Shung is the last and most difficult fighter in the game as he can change into any other fighter at any time! The Fatalities are now called "Finishing Moves" and have been altered somewhat. However, Sonya and Scorpions have not been changed. Challenge the computer, or play against another fighter with the GameBoy Link-Up cable! See if you have what it takes to survive Mortal Kombat!

KANO:

A brutal mercenary, Kano has entered the contest in hopes of winning treasures. He uses several vicious attacks to defeat his opponents!

RAYDEN:

A deity given human form for the tournament! Rayden uses the elements, like lightning, to his advantage for attacks! However, he must play by tournament rules!

SUB-ZERO:

A ninja, Sub-Zero, uses his deep freeze on opponents, but if he freezes an already frozen opponent, he will freeze himself and be at the mercy of an opponent!

SCORPION:

A reincarnated ninja with a vengeance against Sub-Zero, reels in his enemies saying, "Come here!" He can also teleport behind enemies.

LIU LANG:

Kang's motive for entering the tournament is to return respect to it! He is one of the fastest fighters in the game and uses acrobatic moves with quick kicks and punches!

Mortal Kombat is debuting all over the place Monday, September 13. Acclaim has designed a cart for the Game Gear to be released in tandem with the rest of the versions. The GG cart includes all of the moves and characters (omitting only Kano) that the arcade smash has. Choose any of the players to do combat against the computer. Brush up on your MK moves and get set for some unbridled action!

People say:

8.0

Now this is more like it! Hard to believe the graphics for the Game Gear could look this good! The control is a head-and-shoulders above the GameBoy version -they were very responsive which made this an incredibly fun game! The only problem was having to use START to block, but you can't have everything!

8.0

I never thought the Game Gear could produce graphics like this before! Every pixel is nearly perfect and the characters are really huge. The backgrounds are also filled with detail like never before. Although the characters move kinda choppy, the controls are very good and the blood code is a nice addition too.

8.0

This is how a portable version of MK should be. Blood and all The code must be put in, but what the hey, it's still cool. The game play is also very responsive and the action is set at a decent pace. The graphics are great and even the animation is impressive Even though it's on the GG this is one of my fave translations.

8.0

Wow! This is a superb translation for a hand-held. The graphics look almost like a 16-Bit system and the sounds are decent as well. The START button is a little tricky to use as a block, but it still plays well. At first the game play is a bit slow, but once you become accustomed to it, it's a great portable fighting game.

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

Sega Master System Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots

See Also

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