Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is a fighting video game. It originated in arcades developed and produced by Midway Games, but migrated to the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) by Acclaim Entertainment. The first iteration of the game was launched in 1992 for arcades and 1993 for consoles. Mortal Kombat became a best-selling title and one of the most controversial games of it's time.
Contents
History of Mortal Kombat
There are nine main Arcade-style iterations in the Mortal Kombat Franchise. [1] 1. Mortal Kombat I.
General Release Date: October 8th, 1992
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 7 -- Johnny Cage -- Kano -- Sub-Zero -- Sonya Blade -- Raiden -- Liu Kang -- Scorpion Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Up to 2 ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2 ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> Goro ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Shang Tsung Publisher: Midway
2. Mortal Kombat II.
General Release Date: 1993 (doesn't list Month number and Day number)
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 12 -- Johnny Cage -- Sub-Zero -- Raiden -- Liu Kang -- Scorpion -- Shang Tsung -- Reptile -- Kung Lao -- Kitana -- Jax Briggs -- Mileena -- Baraka Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Up to 2 ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Publisher: Midway Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2, for sure (not sure if Jade, Smoke, Noob Saibot are Sub-Bosses or not!) ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> Kintauro ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Shao Kahn
3. Mortal Kombat 3
General Release Date: 1995 (doesn't list Month number and Day number)
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 14 -- Sub-Zero -- Liu Kang -- Shang Tsung -- Kung Lao -- Jax Briggs -- Cyrax -- Sector -- NightWolf -- Sheeva -- Sindel -- Kano -- Kabal -- Sonya -- Striker Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Up to 2 ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Publisher: Midway Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2 ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> Motaro ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Shao Kahn
4. Mortal Kombat 4
General Release Date: 1997 (doesn't list Month number and Day number)
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 15 -- Johnny Cage -- Kai -- Sub-Zero -- Sonya Blade -- Raiden -- Liu Kang -- Scorpion -- Jax Briggs -- Reiko -- Jarek -- Tanya -- Fujin -- Quan Chi -- Shinnok -- Goro Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Up to 2 ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 1 ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss --> Shinook Publisher: Midway Games --> Important Note: This particular Mortal Kombat game was the last of Mortal Kombat games to be released as an Arcade Game. After Mortal Kombat 4, all future Mortal Kombat games would be released exclusively as Console-game System games only.
5. Mortal Kombat: 5 (also known as Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance)
General Release Date: November 20, 2002
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 12 -- Johnny Cage -- Sub-Zero -- Scorpion -- Shang Tsung -- Kung Lao -- Bo' Rai Cho -- Quan Chi -- Li Mei -- Sonya Blade -- Kenshi -- Mavado -- Kano Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Single Player or Multi-Player (the latter in-person or online, see below) ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Publisher: Midway Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2, for sure (not sure if Jade, Smoke, Noob Saibot are Sub-Bosses or not!) ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> Molach ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Shang Tsung/Quan Chi (note: these two End Bosses are randomly selected, however they both are technically thee Head Boss! In other words one scenaro is Molach to Shang Tsung and the other scenario possibility is Molach to Quan Chi)
6. Mortal Kombat 6 (also known as Mortal Kombat: Deception)
General Release Date: October 4, 2004
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 12 -- Sub-Zero -- Kobra -- Scorpion -- Mileena -- Baraka -- Kabal -- Ermac -- NightWolf -- Bo' Rai Cho -- Ashrah -- Dairou -- Darrius Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: Up to 2 plus online game play (this was the first Mortal Kombat game to feature online gameplay!) ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Publisher: Midway Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2 ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss #1) --> Noob-Smoke ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Onaga, The Dragon King
7. Mortal Kombat 7 (also known as Mortal Kombat: Armageddon)
General Release Date: October 11th, 2006
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 54 (note: in terms of Default characters, from what I recall -- the other 14 you have to "unlock", if I recall correctly. Admittedly don't remember which were default which you have to unlock or buy. I, will to the best of my ability below list the Default characters from memory!). -- Johnny Cage -- Kano -- Sub-Zero -- Sonya Blade -- Raiden -- Liu Kang -- Scorpion -- Ashrah -- Baraka -- Darrius -- Dairou -- Ermac -- Frost -- Fujin -- Havik -- Hotaru -- Hsu Hao -- Jarek -- Jax Briggs -- Johnny Cage -- Kabal -- Kai -- Kano -- Kenshi -- Kintaro -- Kira -- Kitana -- Kobra -- Kung Lao -- Li Mei -- Liu Kang -- Mavado -- Mileena -- Mokap -- Molach -- Motaro -- NightWolf -- Nitara -- Noob -- Onaga -- Quan Chi -- Raiden -- Rain -- Reiko -- Reptile -- Scorpion -- Sektor -- Shang Tsung -- Shao Kahn -- Sheeva -- Shinnok -- Shujinko -- Sindel -- Smoke -- Sonya -- Stryker -- Sub-Zero -- Tanya Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: 1 to 8 players plus online game play ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 1 ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #1 of 1) --> Blaze Publisher: Midway
8. Mortal Kombat 8 (also known as Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe)
General Release Date: November 16, 2008
Number of Selectable, Default, Players: 15 (for Story-Mode: 7 for Mortal Kombat Story and 8 for DC Universe Story) / 23 (for Arcade-versus/non-story mode[?] 11 for Mortal Kombat characters, 11 for DC Universe characters, and 1 for Original characters). First, I will list the characters in Story Mode --- ^Mortal Kombat Story^ ^DC Comics Story^ --------------------- ------------------- Chapter 1: Liu Kang Chapter 1: The Flash Chapter 2: Sub-Zero Chapter 2: Batman Chapter 3: Raiden Chapter 3: Wonder Woman Chapter 4: Liu Kang Chapter 4: Green Lantern Chapter 5: Scorpion Chapter 5: Captain Marvel Chapter 6: Shang Tsung Chapter 6: The Joker Chapter 7: Reptile Chapter 7: Lex Luthor Chapter 8: Superman Now, for the Arcade-versus/non-story mode, Default, Characters (characters demarcating ^Mortal Kombat^-ones, ^DC Comics^-ones, and ^Original characters^-ones will be separated by dashes!)--- ____________________ Sub-Zero Scorpion Sonya Blade Shang Tsung Liu Kang Kitana Jax Briggs Kano Raiden Baraka Shao Kahn - - - - - - - - - Batman The Flash Catwoman Captain Marvel Green Lantern Wonder Woman Lex Luthor The Joker Superman Deathstroke Darkseid - - - - - - - - - Dark Kahn ____________________ Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: presumbably (it doesn't technically or actually say) Up to 2 Players plus online game play ^ 1-Player (Human) versus Computer-controlled Opponent ^ 1-Player (Human) versus another, but different, Player (Human) Publisher: presumbably (it doesn't technically or actually say), Midway Games Number of Boss-Character[s] that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: unknown and/or n/a
9. Mortal Kombat 9 (also known as Mortal Kombat; also known as number 2 as Mortal Kombat-2011)
General Release Date: April 19th, 2011
Number of Selectable, Default, Players (Arcade-Mode [or Tournament-ladder mode]): 25 and Number of Selectable, Default, Players (Story Mode): 16. ^Arcade Mode^ ---------------- -- Scorpion -- Liu Kang -- Kung Lao -- Sub-Zero -- Sindel -- Ermac -- Reptile -- Kitana -- Johnny Cage -- Jade -- Mileena -- Nightwolf -- Cyrax -- Noob Saibot -- Smoke -- Sektor -- Sonya Blade -- Jax Briggs -- Kano -- Kurtis Stryker -- Shang Tsung -- Baraka -- Kabal -- Raiden -- Sheeva ^Story Mode^ --------------- Chapter's 1-5: Mortal Kombat I. --- 1. Johnny Cage 2. Sonya Blade 3. Scorpion 4. Cyrax (as a Human) 5. Liu Kang Chapter's 6-11: Mortal Kombat II. --- 1. Jax Briggs 2. Smoke 3. Sub-Zero 4. Kitana 5. Jade 6. Kung Lao Chapter's 12-16: Mortal Kombat 3 --- 1. Kurtis Stryker 2. Kabal 3. Cyber Sub-Zero 4. Nightwolf 5. Raiden Genre: Versus Fighting Mode(s) of playing the Game: 1-8 Players (online play) and 1-4 Players (offline play) Publisher: WB Games Chicago Number of Boss-Characters that participant has to defeat to conquer, or Win, the entire Game: 2 ~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> unknown ~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> unknown
Fatalities
After a player is drained from their health, they will appear in a dazed state where the other player can perform a fatality. A fatality is when a character performs a special move, as in Sub-Zero's "spine rip" fatality, where he rips the spine out of the other character. Each character has his or her own special fatality that results in a gruesome action.
Characters
- Goro: The boss and playable character. He is part of the half-human, half-dragon race called the Shokan and has four-arms.
- Johnny Cage: A playable character. He real name is John Carlton and is a film actor who enters the tournament.
- Kano: A playable character. The leader of the Black Dragon criminal empire.
- Liu Kang: A playable character. A Shaolin monk who enters the tournament to save his world.
- Raiden: A playable character. The thunder god and protector of Earthrealm.
- Reptile: A hidden boss. He is a Raptor and serves Shao Kahn.
- Scorpion: A playable character. He is a dead warrior who enters the tournament to kill Sub-Zero.
- Shang Tsung: A playable character. He is a sorcerer and a shapeshifter who absorbs the souls of the dead.
- Sonya Blade: A playable character. She is an officer of the United States Special Forces.
- Sub-Zero: A playable character. He is an assassin with the ability to control ice.
Ethical Implications of the Game
Upon the release of Mortal Kombat, the game was controversially critiqued by many parents and public officials to the games graphics of gore and violence. Even though the game is rated M for Mature, children and teenagers can easily obtain access to the game. The game was taken to court and the result was for the game industry to create a rating system for games. The result was the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which created a rating system from early childhood (eC) to adult only (AO).[2]
Films
On August 18, 1995, New Line Cinema released a film adaption of the video game titled, Mortal Kombat. The film follows Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade as they fight through the tournament in hope to defeat Shang Tsung and save the world. The film was based on the first Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II. The second film in the series was released on Novemeber 21, 1997 titled, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The film follows Liu Kang and other allies to stop the evil emperor, Shao Kahn, from opening the portal from Outworld to the Earthrealm. The film was based on Mortal Kombat 3.