Mortal Kombat
From SI410
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. 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 (or Boss #1 of 1, in this case) --> 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 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
General Release Date: October 11th, 2006
Number of Selectable Players: 48 (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
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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: 2
~~ Sub-Boss (or Boss number 1) --> Goro
~~ Final, or Head-Honcho, Boss (or Boss #2) --> Shang Tsung
Publisher: Midway
8. Mortal Kombat 8
General Release Date: 1993 (doesn't list Month number and Day number)
Number of Selectable 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
9. Mortal Kombat 9
General Release Date: 1995 (doesn't list Month number and Day number)
Number of Selectable 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
Gameplay
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. 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).[1]
