"NOT as gross as I remember..."

Mortal Kombat, the name still sends chills up the government's spine. Yes, as far as mainstream media goes, Mortal Kombat's greatest claim to fame is gore. So much gore and blood that the government sat up and took notice of video-game violence. But playing this game today, I can only say, "What's the big deal?" Mortal Kombat, barring Fatalities, has very little blood. And the blood that is shown, flies like ketchup from a bottle. Not very realistic or *gross*. No, gore is not MK's only claim to fame. If all MK had to offer was the occasional Fatality and blood bath, it would have been forgotten in two days. The blood and gore was simply a "catch", something to bring in the kiddies for the first time. But what made them *stay* was the combintion of good graphics, great sound, and an innovative control set-up that came together to produce a very good fighter.

GRAPHICS: Digital. I prefer my fighting games cartoony like Capcom, or polygonal like Tekken. But MK's graphics *fit*. The whole idea behind MK is that it's an interactive kung-fu movie. And the digital stuff really makes you feel like your watching a bad Bruce Lee flick. ***1/2

SOUNDS: Awesome. Thumping bass signals the Fatalities. Cliched kung-fu soundtrack sets the tone of every fight. And who's ever going to forget Shang Tsung's announcing voice? Good stuff. ****

CONTROL: Solid and responsive. This was always one of MK's stronger points. Especially when you consider MK virtually introduced *and* perfected the "Block" button in one game. ***1/2

REPLAY: Better than your average fighter. Unlike most fighters at the time, your taste for MK didn't fade after beating it. You just *had* to see all the Fatalities. And no one would sleep until all of them were cracked. Plus, the solid game play and diverse characters kept two player games fresh. ***1/2

Well at the time of it's birth MK was certainly something different. No one had seen Fatalities in a game. Heck, no one had seen the four-armed, love child of a woman and a dragon. Anyway, looking at this puppy from today's standards, I can't really recommended searching out MK just to play it. BUT, if you see it, *please* go play it. The kung-fu motif is classic. The controls are intuitive, and the game's just plain fun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99