Mortal Kombat: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: 1993 09
Genre: Fighting
Style: 2D Fighting

Review: Overall

Mortal Kombat is the revolutionary game of the early 1990s that revitalized the video game industry and launched a fighting game empire. Mortal Kombat is one of the first video games to use digitized graphics to present what looks like two real people beating the heck out of each other.

Following on the heels of the very successful Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat became the game of choice for gamers in the early to mid-1990s. Its release on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) sparked controversy among gamers and parents. Mortal Kombat became the focal point as parents groups called for a video games ratings system.

Feeling pressure, Nintendo decided to release Mortal Kombat on the SNES with most of the violence in tact, but without blood and gore. So, Kano could still pull out Johnny Cage's heart, but the gamer would not see the heart and no blood would spew from Johnny Cage's chest. Sega did not bow to parental pressure and releases the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat with blood and fatalities in tact. Sega players could choose to turn the blood option off, but few did.

Despite the disappearance of blood, Nintendo still had a huge hit with Mortal Kombat for the SNES. The graphics and playability of the SNES version were far better than the Sega Genesis release. Later Galoob's Game Genie released codes that allowed gamers to put the blood back into the SNES version of Mortal Kombat. Gamers agreed that the Genesis version was bloodier, but the SNES version was the better game.

Like most fighting games, the gamer's mission in Mortal Kombat is to defeat all other fighters and then two bosses, Goro and Shang Tsung. Fighters who defeat Shang Tsung get to see the credits. Midway also includes a hidden character, Reptile, in the SNES version.

Mortal Kombat is the game that spawned many game sequels and two movies. It also made Midway the biggest developer on the video game block. Mortal Kombat revitalized the SNES and quickly became a million-seller. It is truly one of the greatest games of all time.