Mortal Kombat II

"The best of the SNES MK games........."

Despite having more characters, Mortal Kombat 3 for the SNES is not as good as Mortal Kombat 2. This is because MK II is a better balanced game; the combo system is better; and it didn't try to do too much. This is a one-on-one fighting game, in the style of Street Fighter, but it relies much more heavily on combos, and also added to the mix are Fatalities, which are elaborate moves which kill your opponent when all their energy is gone, and Babalities, which turn your opponent into a baby. There are 12 selectable characters: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Shang Tsung, Reptile, Rayden, Kitana, Baraka, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Mileena and Jax. Each has a different repetoire of moves and their own strengths and weaknesses. This is a one or two player game. One player can try to defeat all the other computer controlled characters, or can battle a friend.

Graphics: 8/10

Improved over the first game, with better animations. Some of the Fatalities are interesting. The backgrounds sometimes come into play, which is a nice touch.

Sound: 7/10

Improved over the first game. Some voice samples. The sound effects are above average.

Gameplay: 8/10

The control is greatly improved over the first game. A wider variety of moves is available, and combos are a much bigger part of the game. The reaction time is better as well. The game is not too difficult on the lower settings, but presents an admirable challenge on the highest. Some of the characters have an obvious advantage over others. It's recommended that you use each character and find out which one is best for you, and stick with that one. The two player mode is fun.

Replay: 8/10

You can always go back to the one player mode to try out new things and to try to beat the computer more badly than you did before. The two player mode obviously is of value if you have a friend of similar skill around. You'll want to try out all the fatalities as well.

Overall: 8/10

The best Mortal Kombat game on the SNES. If you're going to buy a game from this series, make it this one.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 08/07/01