Mortal Kombat Series

Mortal Kombat is a well-known fighting game series which set the standard for other games of the same genre, while maintaining its very distinct flavor regarding both artistic style and gameplay elements.

The basic premise of Mortal Kombat is the existence of several realms created by the gods. In order for one realm to conquer another, it must defeat the best warriors of the opposing world in a ten round tournament. Raiden, the god of thunder, takes the side of the humans of Earthrealm and fights for mortals while also helping the fighters become stronger, as he is not able to do everything alone. Each character has his or her own reasons for participating in the tournament, and their stories are revealed by playing in arcade mode, although sometimes the information contradicts sequels and/or prequels.

There is an array of playable characters. At first the only distinction is their different special moves, but as the series progressed, they drifter farther apart until even their simple moves caused different amounts of damage. That doesn’t mean that in the first game had nearly identical characters! Raiden could instantly zap in and out of range, Scorpion could throw his harpoon and drag his opponents towards him and Sub-Zero could freeze foes.

It was barely until 1997 that MK games stopped using sprites and switched to 3D. The sprites were created by capturing footage of real actors dressed up as various characters and performing all the possible moves. Of course, due to lack of space, these had to be reused through the infamous “palette swapping”; so, at closer inspection, you could see that it was the same character only colored differently. Sure, it wasn’t so pleasant once you realized that, but it’s much better to have more playable characters that resemble each other, rather than having only a handful of unique-looking ones.

As you would expect, Mortal Kombat features tournament style gameplay, with two players (the second one human or otherwise) fighting each other, generally in a “two out of three” match. As mentioned, besides the most simple of moves (punches, kicks, jumps etc.), characters can perform various (magical) attacks in a memorable button mashing fashion. Of course, MK was the one that introduced the fatalities, allowing players to get one free hit, resulting in a very graphic and overall gruesome death of the opponent, with the right combinations. While the games can always be played in single player, the most fun comes when playing against another person, although this means that they are prone to “ghosting” from using the same keyboard.

To conclude, Mortal Kombat is a great and long-running series which continues to this day, albeit confused and experiencing a series of reboots in regards to games, movies, cartoons and comics.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Sure, the original Mortal Kombat 3 was great, but it was missing key characters such as Scorpion, which is like there being no Spider-Man in the Spider-Man game! Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is one of the more unique entries in the Mortal Kombat series. This time, the action is taking place on Earth, after Shao Khan has invaded! Featuring many new and returning characters, refined gameplay, new finishing moves, and more!

Mortal Kombat

You cannot have a list of Mortal Kombat games without the original Mortal Kombat game! This is the one that started it all, see Earth's mightiest warriors try to defend Earthrealm from those who wish to take it! What is cool about this is that we actually have all the different versions of the original MK game, so you can try them all and see which one you think is the very best!

Mortal Kombat 2

The first game was good, but it was Mortal Kombat 2 that really blew people's minds! Regarded as one of the best entries in the entire series, MK2 offers more fighters, more moves, more stages, and way more blood! There are new fatalities, friendships, and more! Plus, the game also greatly expanded the Mortal Kombat lore, introducing many new characters whom fans would grow to love over the years.

Mortal Kombat 9

Serving as a reboot for the Mortal Kombat series, Mortal Kombat 9 is truly one of the greatest fighting games ever made, with this and Super Street Fighter IV, fighting fans were doing great back then! MK9 offers incredible visuals and brings the series back to its 2D roots. It is the game that started the trend of fighting games offering incredible stories as well as awesome fighting action.

Mortal Kombat X

Serving as the first of the new Mortal Kombat games for this generation, the level of gore and violence that Mortal Kombat X offered was insane! Following on from the events of MK9, we get a brand new story which introduces the “Kombat Kids,” who are a ton of fun. This game offers more refined fighting mechanics, and in addition to the story, there is a ton of extra content to enjoy here, too.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

There had been a few MK spin-off games before, but Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks was and is something very special. This is a 3D beat-em-up game, like a modern Streets of Rage 2! Play as Liu Kang and Kung Lao as you play for an epic story that is a retelling of the first couple of Mortal Kombat games! Pull off all kinds of cool-looking moves and even dish out blood-splattering fatalities too!

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

We already had the Marvel vs Capcom series, but what about MK and DC? Well, they were thrust together in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. See the likes of Batman, Superman, The Flash, and more, go head to head with the best fighters the Mortal Kombat games have to offer! Not only is this a very fun MK game, but it also has a very cool merging of two worlds story as well.

Mortal Kombat 11

After the epic events of Mortal Kombat 9 and X, Mortal Kombat 11 brought it all to a head with a blockbuster story that saw some very interesting new faces along with many returning favorites. With an insane amount of content, this is one of the most stacked Mortal Kombat games that has ever been released! This will keep even the most hardcore MK fan busy for a very long time!

Mortal Kombat 1

With Liu Kang changing the timeline, Mortal Kombat 1 is a whole new ball game for the world of Mortal Kombat! Introducing a new Kameo Fighters mechanic, you can pick an iconic MK character to assist you in battle! As well as the incredible new story, MK1 also offers you a very fun new mode called Invasions mode, which tests your Mortal Kombat skills like never before, with fun RPG elements added to the gameplay.

Mortal Kombat 4

Much like what Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha did for the Street Fighter series, Mortal Kombat 4 would see the series make the jump to 3D! This is such a fun game, with some crazy fatalities, including one where Quan Chi rips his opponent's leg off and then beats them to death with it! This game also introduced a rather interesting weapon system where each character has their own weapon to wield.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Mortal Kombat Armageddon was seen as the closing point for this part of the Mortal Kombat series that started with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance a few years earlier. Featuring the largest roster in the entire Mortal Kombat series. Armageddon gave players a ton of content, including the ability to create their own fatalities, the conquest RPG mode, and even a racing game called Motor Kombat.

Mortal Kombat: Deception

One of the most intense Mortal Kombat games is Mortal Kombat Deception! This gives each character different fighting styles to use, which changes up the moves that they can do. It has an epic roster, packed with iconic MK characters and many new characters too. As well as the awesome fighting action, MK Deception also lets players test their smarts, thanks to the hilarious and surprisingly bloody Puzzle Kombat.