"Better than the 16 bit versions"

Introduction
Although not arcade perfect, Mortal Kombat 2 (MK2) for 32X does manage to beat the versions of MK2 for it's 16 bit cousins, the Super NES and Genesis.

Gameplay
Being a hardcore MK2 fan since the arcade version, I quickly noticed that the SNES version's controls were not quite right. Thankfully, the 32x version plays just as well as the arcade version. The controls respond well, with no button lag, and moves are easy to execute. Hit detection is also spot on. The only bad thing about the control is that you really need to have a six button controller to fully appreciate the game.

The A.I. of computer controlled opponents can range from ''As smart as a log'' to ''Steven Hawking brilliance,'' depending on the difficulty level. Since a large number of difficulty levels exist and players can set the number of continues, anyone can beat this game. Still, the bosses and secret characters can utterly destroy you on high difficulty levels.

Story
The Earth's best warriors have gone to the Outworld to fight Shao Kahn's warriors in Mortal Kombat to protect the Earth Realm from utter destruction...or something like that.

Graphics
The graphics in the 32X version are quite improved compared to the regular Genesis version. This version features some background objects and animation cut from other home versions but present in the arcade, like the flying pterodactyl-like things in the background of the Kombat Tomb stage. The backgrounds also have a larger color palette, resulting in more colors and less dithering. The sprites are well drawn and animate well. The characters have more frames of animation than in the SNES and especially Genesis version, yet I believe the arcade version still had better animated sprites. All in all, the graphics are fairly good.

Sound
The 32X version retains almost all of the sound effects from the arcade version. The most prominent effects that are missing are Shao Kahn's taunts, of which he only has one in this version. The sound effects are not of the best quality, sounding muffled somewhat in most cases. The music, though, still sounds pretty good. Besides the main theme though, it's pretty forgettable.

Replayability
After you have beat the game with every character to see their ending and have fought all of the secret characters, there is not much to do single player wise. Still, Mortal Kombat 2 is best played with a friend. Doing so can result in many hours of fighting game bliss.

Worth the purchase?
I would say buy it if you have a 32X and like fighting games. It's better than the SNES and Genesis versions. For non-MK2 fans, it's probably not worth buying a 32X over. It really is the best home version of MK2 I have played, although I have never played the Japanese Playstation 1 version, which many say is the best.

Ratings
Gameplay: 10
Story: 1
Graphics: 8
Sound: 7
Sheer Fun/Overall: 10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/04/03, Updated 04/04/03