Does this year's Mortal Kombat reboot live up to its expectations? Andrew Whipple III takes a second look at the game in this follow-up to Tom's original review, and finds it to be an anomaly in the fighting genre. Reviewed on PlayStation 3.

The extraordinary history that encompasses the universe of Mortal Kombat is a thrilling - albeit abhorrent - experience. Having essentially created the rating system for the video games of today, Mortal Kombat was a striking, mature, showpiece of a fighter that wasn't afraid to get imaginative. That was true of the games of old; cut to its 3D-centric brethren and that philosophy existed beneath pillars of filth no-one dared spring free. Suffice to say, Mortal Kombat has been through quite a bit. Fortunately, this experience has given the franchise another chance. Under the banner of new studio NetherRealm, Ed Boon and company have turned back time on the famed fighter, finding a winning formula in the days of the past.

Fighters are a fickle thing. Whether it's delay-timing, button-mashing or standard memorisation, there's always a quirk to the fighter that throws an audience off. Few fighters are easily accessible to the targeted gamer, and even fewer to a wide audience. Whilst I haven't played every single fighter out there, I can safely say that Mortal Kombat is the end-all standard that every fighter should aim to be. Accessible to the hardcore or casual gamer without a hitch, all you need to do is pick up a controller and the game will guide you toward your first digital beheading in minutes. That isn't to say that there's nothing for the avid fighter junkie - because there totally is - but it's so easy to become involved in the mechanics of the game. It's refreshing.

Most fighters throw you right into the thick of it by letting you select whoever you want and allowing you to begin a sort of ladder climb. As you progress this ladder, enemies usually become more difficult and eventually it ends with a boss fight which gives you some kind of cinematic story short that absolutely never makes any damn sense. Ladder climbing is still in Mortal Kombat, as it should be, but NetherRealm has gone the extra mile and incorporated a story mode that functions as the real core to the narrative.


I know what you're thinking. Narrative, in a fighter? You'd better believe it. The story mode is essentially an amalgamation of the first three Mortal Kombat games, crafted into one interweaving story that has you progressing with different characters. This is single-handedly one of the best features Mortal Kombat has brought to the forefront of the modern day fighter. Not only does it wean you into the glorious arenas and mechanics of the game, it also serves as a purpose to play if you're not always wanting to fight online. The best part is that it isn't a cobbled together mess and - get this - the story actually makes you want to continue forwards just to see what happens.

When was the last time a fighter did that?

Story mode alone will take you upwards of ten hours to complete and, once that's finished, there's a plethora of additional content you can sift through. Primarily, the Challenge Tower will be your after-story focus. This beast is a 300-scenario tower you crawl up as events are completed. These events can range from a standard fight, to shooting zombies, to battling whilst headless and on fire. Some challenges are rather difficult, but after each one you complete you'll be rewarded with currency called 'koins' which can be used to unlock bonuses. Story mode, normal fights, performing fatalities; almost everything in Mortal Kombat will net you some amount of koins. Like Deadly Alliance and Deception before it, the Krypt returns, where your koins can be spent. Fatalities, skins, music, artwork; practically everything can be unlocked in the Krypt. At least this time you don't have to worry about coloured koins.

All these extras sure are great, but the central combat is what you should really be caring about. Sporting a cast of over twenty six characters, Mortal Kombat has cut out the fluff and focussed on the characters that matter. Practically all the classic characters - including Sektor, Kabal, Jade and Stryker - return fully-equipped with an arsenal of special moves and combos that are, quite honestly, spectacular to behold. Every single selectable fighter has special attacks, two fatalities, a stage fatality, and a myriad of combo strings available. Everyone also takes real-time damage that persists until the match has been completed. There's something about finishing off your opponent with half your face missing that just screams awesome.


Perhaps the most noticeable change to Mortal Kombat rests within the special bars at the bottom of the screen. Upon performing a move or taking a hit, this bar increases to a maximum of three bars. The significance of these bars is that they allow you to perform an enhanced special attack by using one of the bars to power-up your move. Let's say Reptile normally just shoots a small glob of acid; if he uses a bar of his meter to enhance the move it'll now become a full stream of acid. The best comes, though, when you can manage to build up your meter to its capacity, three bars. Once this is achieved you can unleash a devastating X-Ray attack that's as grotesque as it is crushing to your opponent's health bar. Don't miss it, though, otherwise you just saved up all that energy for nothing.

The online component works, but it's been struggling since launch. There was a patch that fixed many of the connectivity issues but it still isn't picture-perfect. The only other complaint I have is what the conventional fighter always has: cheap-ass bosses. You'll find, over the course of the game, that several bosses have insane combos and 'armour' that allows them to stay standing when they otherwise should be sprawled on the floor. It can certainly get frustrating, but this is all trivial when looking at the overall package NetherRealm has crafted.

Mortal Kombat is an anomaly within the fighting genre. Whilst easily accessible to the casual gamer, it also caters to the hardcore in terms of how deep the combat can become. Even if you don't care for playing online - or maybe don't even care about fighters - the story mode is worth going through at least once. There's no fighting game like this out right now. With that said, welcome back, Mortal Kombat. Welcome back.

9/10 [?]

Labels: 2011, 360, Andrew Whipple III, Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios, PlayStation 3, PS3, Review, Warner Bros., Xbox 360

When a fighting game comes along that makes me stop and take notice, it's usually a sign that it's a damn good fighter. Street Fighter IV was possibly the first fighting game I'd enjoyed playing since Tekken 3 on the original PlayStation, but after hearing of the hardcore-centric arcade past enjoyed by the Mortal Kombat series, I have to say I felt a rather large degree of trepidation going into this game. I'd had a good time with the demo for sure, but delving into the larger overall single player and multiplayer experiences offered in the full game would surely be an entirely different story.

Don't get me wrong, this rebooted Mortal Kombat is just about as classic and hardcore as you're likely to get in this generation of console fighters, but even for a relatively inexperienced fighting game player like myself, this is still a damn enjoyable, blood-drenched good time.

Mortal Kombat's reboot undoubtedly stems from the 'easy to learn, difficult to master' template of approachability, and in the eyes of most people this is probably the ideal way to design the gameplay system of a fighting game. Mortal Kombat is set on a traditional 2D plane, a departure from the 3D plane of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe; as a result, the action is far more immediate and intense. The style of fighting encourages an offensive strategy, with techniques such as projectile attacks and air combos far more dangerous and effective than they were in the more recent entries to the series. Indeed, this new Mortal Kombat has its feet firmly planted in the arcades. Learning defensive moves like blocking, jumping and teleporting are obviously important if you're to have any success on the harder difficulties, or when taking the fight online, but the way in which you are encouraged to play with an open and offensive style certainly caters itself to newcomers looking for a bloody good time.


Fighting is ultimately thrilling, as it should be, and the formula is given even more flash by the special moves. As you take damage or land hits, a combo bar fills up at the bottom of the screen. As it fills, you're able to perform special moves simply by landing a combo on an enemy whilst holding down the right trigger button. Alternatively, you can wait until the entire combo bar is filled up and subsequently unleash a devastating 'X-Ray' move, by simply holding down both triggers. These bone-crunching moves not only do ridiculous damage that can change the direction of a fight immediately, but they also look completely insane. Fighters are subjected to acts of complete brutality and, as the name suggests, players are given an X-Ray view of their opponent, as their spines are snapped, skulls are stamped on and crotches are kicked. Whilst obviously looking insanely brutal - and also rather cool, in a sick kind of way - these special moves ensure that the game isn't just a nineties arcade title with modern day graphics. Whilst the basic fighting is still fantastic despite the age of its core mechanics, the special and X-Ray moves keep the gameplay feeling fresh and unpredictable, even for veterans of the series.

Fatalities also make a return. These finishing moves are more for visual punch than anything gameplay-related, but it's undeniably more fun to finish a fight by ripping your opponent in half - or, eating their face playing as a scantily-clad, busty, deranged woman - than it is to simply kick them over. They look ridiculously violent, and you haven't lived before you've seen Johnny Cage rip someone's torso off in 3D.

The classic one-on-one fighting is what most people will get their kicks out of, but Mortal Kombat has also introduced a new tag-team approach to fighting. The game lets up to four humans play at once, if you're interested in tag-teaming with a real person; but you can also play alongside an AI partner against two other AI-controlled fighters, or can control both of the fighters on your team and swap between them as the fight plays out. The tag battles add some extra moves to the game as well, such as allowing you to call in your partner to perform quick special moves, or tagging out in the middle of a combo for additional brutality. Personally, I prefer the classic one-on-one style, but tagging in and out makes for a fun variant which may be even more enjoyable for some.


What surprised me the most about Mortal Kombat was the sheer amount of content on the disc, ensuring that there are plenty of ways for you to kick arse across a multitude of modes. The multiplayer modes are obviously worth considering, but what really impressed me was the breadth of single-player options available. In fact, the game probably has the widest and best selection of single-player modes that I've ever seen in a fighting game. The flagship mode is the story mode, which simply connects the traditional fighting with a decent story told through very well-produced cutscenes. To be honest, the story flew right over my head, but it will probably appeal to long-time fans of the series tenfold more. In fairness, a clear amount of effort and resources have gone into the story mode, and that fact alone impressed me, even though I really didn't have a great idea of what was going on half the time. From what I've gathered from friends who are somewhat more familiar with the Mortal Kombat lore than myself, the story mode here retells the events of the first three games of the series as if they had taken place in an alternate timeline. As a result, some characters end up in totally different states than they had done in the prior games, and so loyal followers of the lore will find some interest in seeing what happens to their favourite characters. For me personally (and for other newcomers as well, I'm sure) the story mode is just a well-presented excuse to rip people's heads off.

The eight-hour story mode isn't the only single-player mode here, though. The traditional arcade mode is present and accounted for, and plays out in a ladder-based tournament style. Playing through this mode with different characters will give you slightly different endings depending on who you choose.

The final single-player mode, the Challenge Tower, is a collection of 300 tasks, from traditional fights to some seriously crazy twists and variants to keep you guessing. Some of these variants are simple enough, such as requiring you to use a certain move or to perform a fatality, but some of them are much crazier - launching one of your limbs at your enemy, for example. Your limbs grow back over time, giving you a steady stream of heads, arms and legs to launch instead of traditional punches and kicks. Other twists include having the stage tilt from side-to-side as hits land, or even fighting upside-down. Some of the tasks come with silly bits of dialogue, such as one that has Mileena trying to give a teddy bear as a gift, or another that has Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn fighting over a baby that sits in the background as you battle. A crying baby sitting there as two guys tear each other limb-from-limb? It's at times like that when you wonder about the state of Ed Boon's mental health.

These single-player modes are worth playing before you dive into the online competition, mainly because you'll want to master at least a few of the twenty-seven characters on offer. Old favourites like Scorpion are available, and all the fighters have at least two fatalities and two costumes. These extras are unlocked in the Krypt by spending your MK Points, which are earned simply by fighting, completing challenges and advancing in the story. As well as costumes and fatalities, you can also unlock music, concept art and other goodies that can be viewed later in the Nekropolis. PlayStation 3 owners can also enjoy playing as God of War frontman, Kratos, which might be worth considering if you have the choice between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.


The aforementioned online experience is a key cornerstone of this new Mortal Kombat. Ranked and unranked options are both available in order to quickly dive into a fight, but lobbies make a welcome return and are a fun way of experiencing the online component of the game. As well as fighting, other members of the lobby can watch ongoing fights and perform gestures, as their Xbox Live avatar watches the fight on a cinema screen. PlayStation 3 gamers instead use cartoon doll versions of Mortal Kombat fighters (don't expect to see your much-loved PlayStation Home avatar jumping around anytime soon). In terms of online modes, regular fights as well as tag-team battles are available, and there are also some unique modes to the online experience such as King of the Hill. The concept is simple: the winner stays on, the loser goes to the back of the queue and is forced to watch the next few fights from the lobby as the next contender gets a chance to fight. None of the interesting mini-games from the Challenge Tower are available to play online, but with DLC promised further down the road, that may eventually become a reality for players to enjoy.

Clearly, there is a hell of a lot to Mortal Kombat, and it's all brought together in a very impressive visual package. Characters and backgrounds are exceptionally detailed, with a disturbingly impressive range of animations for the X-Ray moves and Fatalities. Fighters get battered and bruised throughout the course of a fight and their costumes become ripped and bloodied, which is another really nice touch. Of course, a further bonus for PlayStation 3 owners is the ability to play in 3D and - whilst I only have my experience with the PlayStation 3 demo's 3D capabilities to go on - it's a very impressive visual element which adds a nice layer of depth to the proceedings. In terms of mere graphical detail and performance, however, there are no noticeable differences between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

There isn't much that's in any way negative about Mortal Kombat. It's a fantastic fighting game with a ridiculous number of modes for both single-player games and online competition, a terrifically approachable but fiendishly difficult to master fighting system, and it's incredibly good-looking as well. Whether you're a hardcore fighting game fan or someone who just wants to kick some arse and rip some heads off in a ridiculously violent game, Mortal Kombat is absolutely worth playing. Absolutely.

9/10 [?]

Labels: 2011, 360, 3D gaming, Fighting, Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios, PlayStation 3, PS3, Review, Tom Acres, Warner Bros., Xbox 360

In just a day or so Mortal Kombat will grace our living rooms with another dose of its trademark violent tendencies and indecent mannerisms. To celebrate this joyous occasion we've compiled another list, but this time we're focusing on the slew of kombatants that should have made the cut and been placed on the upcoming game's roster, not the ones who make you hemorrhage by simply staring at them. Whether we see these dudes and dudettes via DLC or not, this is the cast NetherRealm should implement into the new game.

Last week's list of hate garnered much attention for my MK4 abhorrence, and I'd like to make something clear - I hate that game. However, while MK4 is an aversion of the brand-new vision NetherRealm has crafted, it did throw some characters into the mix whom I have no issues with. Like this guy:

Reiko

Kombat Primer: Reiko first appeared in MK4 and is a raccoon-face painted general in Shao Kahn's army that you couldn't care less about. He enjoys throwing shurikens, kicking peoples' torsos off, and wearing Shao Khan's helmet when no one is watching (true story).

Why he should make it: Reiko isn't like one of these half-baked, half-thought cookie cutter archetypes Mortal Kombat is infamous for. He actually has a decent story, and some brutal abilities that are representational of a few kharacters you might know. While that's not necessarily the most unique thing in the MK roster, surely NetherRealm can tweak some of those moves to make Reiko more personable. Not that you'd actually want to get to know him.

Khameleon/Chameleon

Kombat Primer: This cold-blooded duo originally came into being during the days of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Chameleon is the male, and debuted as a secret character in the Playstation version. His skins constantly alternated colors between all the famed ninjas of the series. His counterpart, Khameleon, is the female and debuted in the N64 version as a completely different character. Both are Saurians, or dinosaur creatures like Reptile, who built their moves off of other kharacters' abilities.

Why they should make it: These characters are literally copy/paste material, but they did get makeovers in Armageddon that gave them more unique abilities. I think if elaborated on, NetherRealm could have an interesting mix of abilities to work with, and since Reptile has practically always been on his own, why not add in a few more weird ass creatures like him? These two (or even just one of them) would make Drahmin and Moloch look like bigger mistakes than they already are.

Kira

Kombat Primer: Hailing from Mortal Kombat: Deception, this vile temptress runs with all the bad boys like Kano and Kabal. Although her goal revolves around aspiring to rid the world of all organization and sow the seeds of anarchy, she is a rather nice girl.

Why she should make it: I think this speaks for itself. Kira is a vile character that fits with Mortal Kombat universe. She's not too over the top and she's not stupid beyond redemption. If she is to make a comeback, I would say that her fatalities and normal abilities could use some reworking. Since Kano and Sonya are both in this game, it'd be pretty gimmicky if they kept it all the same.

Hotaru

Kombat Primer: It doesn't get much better than a samurai-style badass who rips his own head off if things get too dicey. Hotaru is intoxicated with the notion of keeping law and order - nothing you care about as any of the other kombatants. He's originally from Deception.

Why he should make it: Hotaru is single-handedly one of the most powerful looking dudes in Mortal Kombat. I mean, he's got some serious armor on, has friggin' flags on his back, and manipulates fire. Regardless of what he looks like, Hotaru is unique enough alone to rip apart these other kombatants, and it doesn't hurt that Hotaru literally means "firefly" in Japanese. Yeah, I so went there.

Bo' Rai Cho

Kombat Primer: This dude is a drunken asshat from Deadly Alliance who teaches people how to fight. Unsurprisingly, no one he teaches ever fights like he does.

Why he should make it: I've never been a fan of Bo' Rai Cho. I don't care how important he is to the series and I don't care that he trained Liu Kang and Shujinko. Still, I'll level myself out a bit here and say that Bo' Rai Cho could finally be tolerated if NetherRealm puts some strength into his design. You see, if you ever played previous MK games you'd know Mr. Bo has the most disgusting move set available. He farts, he makes obscene gestures, and he vomits all over the place; it's childish really. If Bo has any chance it's gotta be in this game.

Rain

Kombat Primer: Another ninja type character? From MK3? Well, yes - did you expect anything else? At least Rain can roundhouse kick a guy across the screen and then blow him up with a lighting bolt. Now THAT is what I'm talkin' about.

Why he should make it: Not exactly the most seminal of the ninja bunch, Rain at least comes with a unique move set that entices. A frozen orb thing, super roundhouse, lightning cannon - it'll work out. His story isn't superb, but then again, are we really that concerned with the narrative?

Li Mei

Kombat Primer: Gypsy looking lady from Deadly Alliance who's rather quick and malicious. Ready for this one? She's also a good guy... and a lady.

Why she should make it: Li Mei's story actually makes sense, for what it's worth. It's also a point in her favor that she was fun to play in Deception. There's not too much NetherRealm would have to shift here, and with that I say, "IMPLEMENT HER!" from every mountaintop.

Havik

Kombat Primer: A being of Chaos, Havik is the polar opposite of Hotaru, whom he joined in Deception. Don't worry about losing against said rival; when you can break your joints at will to gain the advantage, well, you win.

Why he should make it: A cleric of Chaos and one of my favorite characters in the MK universe, Havik is seriously hilarious, as he's completely serious during the game, but every move he does is obtuse, awkward, and awesome. Beating someone to death with their own arm? Destroying your kneecaps to shoot a low fireball? The new MK needs this man.

Shujinko

Kombat Primer: Appearing as the protagonist of "Konquest mode" in Deception, Shujinko is a member of the White Lotus and an old man with a vengeance. All you need to know is that his move set is a conglomeration of all the most heinous abilities in MK.

Why he should make it: The old man is a character you can't immediately hate. It's pretty hard to dislike a character that has Scorpion's spear, Sub-Zero's freeze, Raiden's slam, and a whole lot more. Obviously if he came back he wouldn't be able to have all of these moves, but I think he'd make a fine addition once crafted a unique move set. Old dudes suplexing demons and half-naked wenches? I'd totally be that guy pissing you off online.

Motaro

Kombat Primer: Of all the classic demons and creatures, Motaro is one we need to see in the new MK most. Appearing first in MK3, Motaro is a Centaurian. That's Spanish for pissed off human-horse cyborg who will break your face.

Why he should make it: As I said, Motaro is classic. He's the guy holding you back from beating Shao Khan. Actually, he's the guy bouncing all your abilities back in your face, picking you up by your throat and punching you across the screen. I'd love to see someone like Motaro make a comeback (someone has to rival Goro) but if he does I don't think I'd be okay with his newer Minotaur-esque form. How about it NetherRealm? Old-school giant Motaro? Please?


Well friends, it appears I have exhausted my MK formula. Hopefully you enjoyed this list and by all means please suggest other kombatants you'd like to see! The new game is close so expect a review from us in the coming days.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios, PS3, Warner Bros., Xbox 360

We’re just about a week away from the release of a brand new Mortal Kombat, and while reminiscing is quite fun, I couldn’t help but point out one key item: DLC. Ed Boon has already confirmed that DLC in the form of Kenshi and Skarlet will be made available close after release, but what about the seemingly hundred other kombatants out there? Would you hurl yourself into a bog of human fecal matter for a chance to play Rain? No need to stress over your chosen fighter's gallery, I’m here with my own decisive list of the “wants” and “hell no’s” to help you decide who you would like to see enter the ring as future DLC for the new Mortal Kombat.

As an avid fan of the series since the days of the seminal title in arcades, I can tell you from the bottom of my rather large heart that there are way too many characters infesting the Mortal Kombat universe. When I say “too many,” I mean "too many horrible characters that must be purged in the fires of Ed Boon’s Soulnado". If you thought Stryker was a weird character, get ready, because you’ll be praising NetherRealm once you glance at this brain-wrenching amalgamation of Mortal Kombat culture.

Let’s start this off with the disease ridden characters.

The Top 10 Atrocities of Mortal Kombat (i.e. People we do NOT want to see… ever!)

Meat

The issue: Beginning his life as a skin implementation in Mortal Kombat 4, Meat began his kombat career as a villain. I guess they thought it would be awesome if he became a playable character in Armageddon. Once again, he’s literally a walking bag of meat.

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: The character is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What’s worse is that they actually gave him a story during Armageddon. The last thing the reboot of Mortal Kombat needs is something like Meat, even if he was just a playful skin turned character.

Jarek

The issue: Jarek’s story is retarded. Take a look for yourself and see how stupid it truly is. Anyone who actually played MK4 also knows that Jarek is one of the most uninspired characters in all of the games. Kano 2.0 anyone? Also, he has a vest resembling that of Vaan from Final Fantasy XII (and we all know how I feel about that game).

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Kano is already in the new game, so adding a fighter like Jarek seems like a bit of a waste of DLC potential. Sure you can give him a brand new move set, but does anyone really care? There’s enough Black Dragon dudes running around as is, and I’d rather have the guy who can shoot a laser from his eye on my team than the guy who stole his vest from Aladdin.

Drahmin/Moloch

The issue: They’re disgusting looking demon allies that have neither story nor place in the realm of Mortal Kombat.

Why they shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Honestly, with the Shokan and Tarkatan races, plus entities like Reptile and Ermac, why do we need irrelevant demons like Moloch and Drahmin in our character list? They bring nothing to the table that makes even the tiniest bit of sense. Oh? They were hired by Shang Tsung as bodyguards? Quan Chi did the same? Remember, this happened in Deadly Alliance. Here's one hundred thousand dollars - run to your nearest hospital as gracefully as you possibly can, find a neurosurgeon, and have him remove the section of your brain that remembers Deadly Alliance. You're welcome.//

Fujin

The issue: Come on – a Wind God? Apparently he has something to do with Raiden and an amulet everyone wants. The problem is, no one cares because he’s derivative. ...and stupid.

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: He blows (Get it? Wind god? You get it...).

Tanya

The issue: She’s just another trivial female character with nothing to really separate herself from the rest. Her story is also maniacal, which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t so thin.

Why she shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Anything that deals with Shinnok really should be kicked to the curb. While Tanya had a little to do with his storyline, she’s all about doing what doesn’t make sense like, you know, betraying everybody. If you gave her a glass of water and a massage, she’d kill a country and a small fleet of baby pandas. I know, I know, that sounds like it could be good, but once again, it’s just... not. Trust me on this one; there’s more interesting characters out there (and not one that starts with an “S” and ends in “nok”).

Shinnok

The issue: While he’s still relevant (unfortunately), Shinnok is a quivering mass of hate - hate that turned Mortal Kombat into something it should never have become. I can deal with Quan Chi, but this smurf sorcerer needs to vanish into the abyss.

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Shang Tsung and Shao Khan or Shinnok? NetherRealm, do not let this destiny unfold. As enticing as a former Elder God sounds, burn this dude.

Frost/Ashrah

The issue: Much like the dynamic duo of Moloch and Drahmin, Ashrah and Frost are also a dual-pocalypse of bad. Do we really need female versions of Raiden and Sub-Zero? I didn’t think so.

Why she shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Changing the gender of classic characters is a rather lethargic move when you think about it. What’s next? Female versions of Cyrax and Sektor? Why not just put the nano-suit dude from Crysis in this game too? Yeah, don’t.

Mavado

The issue: I remember actually watching the opening to Deadly Alliance in stupefied awe. I couldn’t believe Liu Kang and Shao Khan were actually killed before the game even started. It’s like killing Sonic before you even get to play the first level in a game entitled “Sonic.” Anyway, Mavado apparently “killed” Kabal and stole his hookswords.

No.

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: There’s no argument that Kabal is twenty-times the character Mavado is. Also, having a carbon copy of Kabal won’t bring much to the new MK. A lot like the Jarek and Kano scenario, Mavado should be forgotten - and soon.

Nitara

The issue: (Me pretending to be the character creation committee) "So I have this great idea. Why don’t we address the problem of our lack of diversity in monsters by implementing vampires into the mix? Oh, I know! Why don’t we make it a lady that looks like a bat? Then people won’t be confused because it’ll be a vampire bat lady. It’ll be awesome." *high fives all around*

Why she shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Honestly, Nitara could work in the new MK, but a drastic overhaul would be required for me to be alright with it. There’s just no need for a vampire bat lady with an atrocious story.

Mokap

The issue: The name is short for “motion capture” which is a device used in the creation of video games like Mortal Kombat. I hope you knew that. With that said, you already know the issue.

Why he shouldn’t get the DLC treatment: Because enough has already been said, I’m going to post his ending I ripped from Wikipedia:

“In Mokap's MK: Armageddon ending, he is killed when Blaze is destroyed, but his soul reforms in the sky of Edenia as a constellation of the same name.”

That is all.

I know it was quite brutal to pave your way through this list, and I hope NetherRealm shares the majority of my feelings (as well as you). Also note that while the above characters are pretty terrible, there are at least ten more that are deserving to be on here (Darrius, Dairou, Taven, etc). Let me know your thoughts below and don’t worry, in an attempt to cleanse the foul taste left in your mouth by these characters you'll find the best ten examples of what we'd like to see in the new MK next week.

Follow our friendly, neighborhood Twitter account to receive a reminder when the article comes out!

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios

Classic fighting game fans are in the midst of a joyous occasion: the new Mortal Kombat release is imminent. However, before we explode with nostalgic glee at the re-emergence of the legendary fighter, let us take some time to remember an experiment, a venture into the implausible. Does Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks mean anything to you?

More than likely, that answer is probably "no". Released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, Shaolin Monks was a spin-off to the conventional Mortal Kombat recipe. Instead of purely focussing on versus combat, Midway threw you into a co-operative brawler riddled with everything you love about the MK universe. Unlike previous brawling attempts, such as Mortal Kombat Mythologies and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Shaolin Monks surprised by being... well, by being pretty damn good.

Speaking candidly, Shaolin Monks didn’t have the greatest visuals, the story was pretty stupid and the voice acting was exceptionally terrible. Typically, these caveats serve as one enormous admonition to stay far, far away from this title, especially since it was released during the time that some of the worst Mortal Kombat games were made. Uniquely, though, Shaolin Monks didn’t need any of those things to prove its worth as an accessible and fun title to throw into your system. After all, who wouldn’t want to throw useless foot-soldiers into the air, beat them to a bloody pulp, and then pass them to your teammate to repeat said gestures, with a nice decapitation at the end?


As previously stated, Shaolin Monks had nothing going for it in the way a standard triple-A title would. Its glory came from the fact that you could play with a friend, perform series-staple fatalities, and utilise a workable 3D combat system with two of the most famous Mortal Kombat characters, Liu Kang and Kung Lao. If it’s tough to envisage how it'd work, think of Devil May Cry’s over-the-top and completely exaggerated combat, but slower and more manageable. At points there are large numbers of enemies on screen, but there’s no demon chaos beams or exploding light vestibules to wreak havoc on your eyes. There are also platforming sections that require you to skillfully navigate distinguished Mortal Kombat zones, like the Pit.

Shaolin Monks will never beat a game like God of War on pure scale, because each of its attributes simply cannot compete with the angry Spartan and his showcase. I say shove it, though, because the simplicity and enjoyment you get from tossing your buddy an enemy several times, trading off roundhouse kicks to their cranium, is a beautiful thing. This gives scope to worry though, because with Mortal Kombat basically relaunching itself with a new (read: old) foundation, I’m afraid that Shaolin Monks' formula will be lost in transition. There’s also that whole Midway catastrophe, and who owns what licences, but there are always other ways around that.

Shaolin Ninjas, anyone?

Shaolin Monks wasn’t good at anything required to sell on the scale of, for example, Call of Duty, but it excelled in co-operative fare and was a worthy addition to the MK name. A note to NetherRealm, the developers: the new Mortal Kombat is looking amazing. but you can't forget a gem like Shaolin Monks. It would be a severe disappointment.

What do you all think? Should NetherRealm bother with Shaolin Monks? Should they make a series akin to it or perhaps negate the whole game altogether? Give your opinions in the comments section or, as ever, by tweeting us @ggtl.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Midway, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, NetherRealm Studios, PS2, Xbox