6.5.2011

As much as I loved Mortal Kombat vs Dc Universe I can completely sympathise with veteran fans of the franchise who felt that its sanitised violence and underwhelming fatalities deviated from what they expected of a Mortal Kombat game.However, after 8 instalations the tried and tested formula for a MK game was getting pretty thin. Plus, narratively where do you go in a game series where the last instalment (other than the non-canon MKvsDCU) ended in Armageddon.Fortunately the development team for this game have given us a game that is simultaneously a sequel, a prequel and a remake.There are 3 offline game modes to Konquer, Story Mode Arcade Mode and Challenge Tower Mode.The Story mode is by far my favourite and is similar in structure to that of MKvsDCU,splitting the story into several missions with a certain characetr at a time. I'd reccommend new players start of on this one as it helps you get to grips with a range of characters and their abilities and get a really good feel to how the game handles.The story starts at the end of MK Armageddon and travels back in time to the events of the first 3 games, making a few changes in history, retconning what happens to a few characters here and there. While this may slightly confuse newcomers, as an MK veteran and a comic book fan I absolutrely loved the story line.There are some wonderful Easter eggs for long time fans of the series. Ever wondered what Cryax and Sektor looked like before they were cyborgs? Ever wondered why it was Liu Kang and not Kung Lao who was chosen to represent the Shao Lin in MK1? Where did those cyborg arms that Jax has in MK3 come from? The story covers a lot of ground between MK1-3 and also makes a few unexpected changes to the MK canon which I shan't spoil for you but there's plenty to keep long time fans guessing.All the characters and environments look fantastic and it's great to see classic arenas from the original games re-rendered with loads more detail and dimension.Next comes the Arcade Mode which is pretty self explanatory. My only gripe with this is that Shao Kahn (even by the standards set by previous games) is the biggest one-trick pony in Boss history and after a looooong time being blitzed with a series of unblockable shoulder barges I found myself wondering just how many hours of my teenaged years had been spent trying to kill this guy!Challenge Tower is a fun way to test your skills but frankly, if you're burdened by such distractions as a family, a spouse, friends or a job then I'd abandon all hope of ever cracking it!There's also a Tag team mode which is a fun addition to the usual formula and requires an extra dimension of skill, knowing when to tag and how to execute the co-operative tag-team modes. The real fun is to be had with 2 player tag-team mode as it's refreshing to be able to play co-operatively in this sort of game.In terms of interface, the style of controls is remeniscent of MK2 with combos and fatalities being pretty simple to execute with a bit of co-ordination and timing (unlike the ridiculously intricate combos of MKvsDCU which required superspeed to pull off). While I miss the ability to sidestep and the Klose and Freefall Kombat modes of the last game the simplified control scheme does make for an experience that FEELS more like MK than any entry into the series in a long time. By far my favourite new additions are the X-Ray moves in which each character has a brutal signature move of which we see the bone splintering, muscle fibre shredding effects in great and graphic detail.Which brings me to the fatalities... Oh the fatalities! If you were underwhelmed by MKvsDCU's subtle, toned down finishers then the gratuity of these finishing moves will leave you feeling more than satisfied. Walking a fine line between being deeply disturbing and darkly comical the finishers offer the most gruesome and ludicrous ways of dispatching your opponent seen so far in a fighting game.This game is the very definition of back to basics, Mortal Kombat! There are so many unlockables, coupled with the variety of play modes that even if you pay top whack for this game, you'll certainly be getting your money's worth!

26.3.2015

A five ***** rating for this game, in spite of my elderly gaming persona grumbles....Interesting - Midway, the developers who brought us Mortal Kombat in the first place, recently went bust and their properties were acquired by Warner Brothers (the folks who own DC Comics amongst other things) hence Mortal Kombat vs. DC Comics.So no Mortal Kombat vs Marvel. Bah. Anyway, MK 2011 - the best next Gen mortal Kombat game so far if like me, you discount the PS2 Mortal Kombat games; Deadly Alliance and MK Deception? I'm a little leary of the imminent MK game, MK X, as it, like the PS2 versions, features a multitude of naff looking additions to the roster.Do we really need MORE silly looking Tekken and Virtua Fighter knockoffs in Mortal Kombat games? The whole comic book appeal of MK for me was the Earth being invaded scenario and only a plucky bunch of human fighters - arrogant action movie star, female Special Forces agent and asiatic martial arts trained monks fending off the invading humanoid fighters in mortal combat being able to avert disaster for humanity, etc. Luckily for me, this version is a return to the game's roots and plays like a pumped up remaster of Mortal Kombat 3.My favourites are all here; Rayden, Nightwolf, Stryker, Lui Kang, ALL of the Ninjas - Rain, Noob Saibot, sub-Zero, Reptile and of course, SKORPION! Surely one of gaming's greatest ever characters. The lady fighters are all present and correct - my favourite is Jade ;-) And all of the allies, traitors, rogue agents, turncoats, quislings and murdering scumbags are included, from Cyrax to Kano.My main problems are purely subjective. The basic fighting moves look awful. Gone is the digitised video footage of old where martial arts dudes would string their best looking offensive high kicks and punches together to make something far fetched look believable and exciting, now you get these odd looking 3D models of your favourite fighters that look like bad imitations of the digital doubles you see in current super hero movies that have taken the place of stuntmen/women in costumes against green screens. I'm also unimpressed by the poor costume designs WB/Netherealm have foisted on almost all of these characters - hopelessly over-elaborate, fussy looking and impractical outfits that may make the most of the console's processing power but when you come to the Kharakter Select screen, you're faced with an indistinguishable blob of indecipherable 'thumbnail' images of each character who in the past were identifiable in the blink of an eye thanks to the solid single colours their costumes were - blue for Sub Zero, green for Reptile and so on.Thankfully, the classic special moves are all here. Not keen on Stryker's Uzi being replaced with a pistol but I suppose I can live with that...As this is the Komplete Edition I'm reviewing, it states in the front of the box, "Includes 4 additional characters and fifteen skins" so my favourite Jade and various Sub Zero costumes are on the disc (in the Krypt section of course. You have to earn them now instead of just pressing Select at the character screen. Huh). I've missed out on this whole DLC (downloadable content) scam being a latecomer so waiting nine months or so for cash-ins/rip offs like Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is the thing to do now. Not sure how admirable a child murderer like Freddy Kreuger is but he fits in well with the likes of Kano as a guest star.All in all, and before Mortal Kombat 10 comes out soon, Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition is excellent. It's pretty deep gameplay-wise and a lot more accessible than Soul Calibur IV or Tekken 97, etc, in my estimation.Recommended by me, the Grandpa Simpson of gaming!

28.4.2011

***No Spoilers Here***First things first, I must warn you. The reward for the challenge tower sucks, and I mean it really sucks, considering how much effort it will take you to complete them all, it really isn't worth it. So bare in mind that completing it should just be for fun, not the 'great reward' that we were promised, because it isn't. Also, you don't have to complete them all to get it, if you skip them all (or the ones you can't do) it will give it to you, minus the achievement, but you will get a secret one. (I've managed 297/300, the 300th is insane. And oddly, the four before it are easier than the first challenge (or near enough)This is MK at its best, its what all of us MK fans,and beat em'up fans have been waiting for.They have gone back to the games roots, a 2d fgihting plain making every move effective, unlike previous titles.There are 3 areas to look at1) Arcade Ladder- This is the basic arcade mode, defeat 10 opponents and you win the tournament and get a video. This mode is the same as it has always been. There is one bonus which MK fans will love, and that is the difficulty settings actually vary hugely. On begginer, Shao Kahn is as harmless as a puppy, on hard... Forget about it.2) Story mode- This is awesome, the most in depth story ever in a fighting game. The best bit? You only do proper fights, none of this run around with 2 punches and kicks rubbish. It pretty much re-tells the story from MK1-MK3 with very minor changes. It poses some hard tasks such as taking on two boss characters by your self, up to defeating Shao Kahn himself, all of which are amazing.3) The challenge tower- this is fairly easy up to the 200th challenge mark, where it becomes insane. There are old challenges like test your might/sight aswell as strike and luck. Test your luck is a randomly generated game from a slot machine. For example, it chooses first your opponent, then up to four random abilities, such as armless, headless, dark, rainbow, vampire, boosted strength/ health and many others, sometimes it will benefit you, sometimes it will make it imposible. Not having arms or your head can make it very difficult when you only have kick moves. This will take you roughly 10 hours alone, depending on your skill.There is only one criticism I have of this game, and that is that some fighters are not very well balanced.For example, Lui Kang has two easy combos, XXX and AAB, the trouble is, he has an attack for foward X and forward A which means you can't be moving forwards to do them, which can mean your opponent can open up some distance and you will miss, leaving you open. And Johnny Cage's X-Ray move is a Parry, and they have to hit you or it won't work. And some characters X-Rays have to be activated right on your opponent and others go the whole length of the screen. This sucks, but you get used to it.All in all a very solid game, not just one of the best fighting games this year, but a definite contender for best game of 2011P.S. from the ending its very clear that there is going to be a follow up

7.8.2012

Very rarely do I write a review on the sellers because I have had some very bad experiences buying online. So when I was shopping online for a PS3 controller I had some trepidation, not to mention some questions about the price being the same as retail stores. Then I stumbled upon the reason I was looking to get a PS3 controller, to play Mortal Kombat with my partner who loves the game. She's not a keen gamer like myself so I wanted to get her something she would like. I already own the game on the PS3 but lack the aforementioned controller. Shamin's Games Shack was a blessing in disguise. Not only was the game really good value for money, I mean the price alone had me wary as well as the expected delivery time was in the region of 14 days.

2.3.2012

So after Mortal Kombat's long awaited return last year, this year sees the release of the Komplete version. The game is the same but with the addition of extra downloadable content which had to be purchased separately if you bought the game last year.This includes four new characters (Skarlet, Rain, Kenshi, and Freddy Krueger), 15 skins and three original fatalities (for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile).The new characters are good, they don't just look different, they feel different and add a different gameplay element. They all have their own unique moves and fatalaties, unlike some of the older games where the new characters were clearly just based on existing characters but with a different look.The game itself is identical to the release last year,

7.5.2011

Mortal Kombat. The first game, released in 1992, was like a playable early-eighties Kung Fu movie. You had a tribute to Big Trouble in Little China, mixed with Enter the Dragon, mixed with The Five Deadly Venoms, mixed with -- most importantly -- the movie Bloodsport.For these things, we all loved it. And though it didn't necessarily flow as smoothly as the previous years' legendary Street Fighter II, its atmosphere of mystical and deathly Shaolin lore more than made up for it.While over the years, Street Fighter seemed to go from merit to merit, Mortal Kombat waned and became convoluted. It became silly -- a caricature of its once serious self. It was no longer about Kung Fu, honour,

8.3.2015

Quite an enjoyable game! I was well aware of the Mortal kombat series but never thought to buy the games. I got into fighters with Tekken and Soul Calibur, and this is a lot different - It's a 2D fighter whereas the previous two are 3D meaning with Mortal Kombat you have two choices, move forward or move back (No side-stepping on a 3D plain). Where you may think this will take away from the game, I found it to some-what enhance the technical side, playing mind games with your opponent by how you're positioned.You have all the characters unlocked from the start (seems to be the norm nowadays) along with a nice array of alternative costumes that comes with this edition of the game.

24.4.2011

Fighting games are a difficult genre of game to get right. I enjoyed Tekken, never got to grips with street fighter and loved soul calibur, but there was always one game I never owned because of the big 18 age certificate and that was Mortal Kombat. Now at the age of 20 I decided I'd finally add one to my collection.The game itself is brilliant. Characters moves and combos are relatively easy to pull off so you can instantly pick up and get into and there are harder 10 hit combos which take longer to learn for the more experienced players. There are X-ray moves which look and sound amazing and really add to the violence of the game.The story mode lets you play as different characters for each chapter so you get to try out everybody and find your favourite,

10.6.2012

Mortal Kombat 9 is a really fun game and probably the best fighting game there is out today,the story mode is surprisingly good,it starts off as a bit stale but progressively gets better,all in all very good.There are 27 total characters to play and that's not including the dlc.They are all unique with their own move sets and powers.The fighting is really good and it flows really well compared to other games like Tekken and Soul Caliber.You can buy fatalities and alternate costumes from the krypt but it isn't necessary as you can unlock them by completing arcade ladder with the character and performing the fatality combo(Thank You Internet).Now to the cons,there doesn't seem to be enough reward

13.9.2012

I've grown up with the series and, aside from missing some of the more recent titles, have kept up with the franchise well. When I saw this 'reboot' of sorts, I was a mixture of dubious and intrigued, so I looked at videos of the fatalities (what else?) and even some of the story mode cutscenes.Well, it only made me want it more, so purchase made. Add the fact that the legendary rumoured character of Skarlet was finally realised in a game and I consider it a good deal. Then add Freddy Krueger (modeled on the more recent version, sadly, but still...) and you can shut up and take my money!Oh, apparently there's Rain and Kenshi, too, but... meh.Story mode is fun and with an engaging story to keep you playing.

13.2.2014

This game is great fun, and doesn't have as steep a learning curve as street fighter. It is also incredibly violent (as you should expect with a Mortal Kombat game), which makes it all the more satisfying (or humiliating) when you beat your opponent.The story mode is quite fun, and gives you some of the background to alot of the fighters in the game, but it isn't really the main reason for getting this game (for starters, you cannot perform any fatalities during it). The best way to play this game is with friends, or if you want to get good, the ladder offers you a chance to hone your skills with each individual fighter, so that you can lean how to pull off all those sick kombos.

5.3.2012

Game is pretty cool. Story mode is entertaining, I'd say about 10h. Finished it in 2 days. Storyline is interesting(MK-wise).AI's a bit annoying, their method of a sure-win involves using the same move over and over again, especially with Shao Kahn.Which leads me to my point - if you have a choice, don't buy the game for the Xbox360.The Xbox360 controller just wasn't made for Fighting Games, and it'll wreck your analogs pretty easily. I've had my slim-controller for a couple of months now and it's always worked nicely. 3 days with MK and the left analog is constantly tilting to the right, ruinning most combos in-game. And I'm not that much of a 'rager'. But the really annoying thing is the d-pad.

7.9.2011

I've been a fan of Mortal Kombat since I was a kid, and this game was a must have for me. The figurine is made out of hard plastic, and lacks quite a bit of detail. The arena is nicely designed, but the characters of sub-zero and scorpion lack substance, yet is still passable to look at. The art book comes in a hardcover and truly has some fantastic pieces of work, and it has a step by step information guide of how the arenas and characters were created. The UK does not get a steel book case for the game whilst the rest of the EU does, lucky me, I got the book case, which has a nice pop out of the Mortal Kombat logo as well as a pop out of Scorpions spear. A very nice 'Kollector's'

11.7.2019

Didn't play this when it first came out. Played this now and really enjoyed it. Obviously online doesn't work anymore, but that should be apparent. Excellent single player and against a friend or with couch co-op in tag mode. One of my favorite fighting games is Tekken Tag Tournament as that allows you and a buddy to team up against the AI, and it's good to see a similar mode here.In gameplay the game is very like the 2D Mortal Kombat games, sort of a return to the series roots after MKDA, Deception, and Armageddon, however unlike the 2D Mortal Kombat originals, the AI is actually reasonable and doesn't cheat like those arcade classics. The fighting system is quite simple but still feels like an advance on those original games,

27.4.2011

First off if your an establish fan of Mortal Kombat..don't waste anymore time, just go and buy it!!!This is amazingly good fun. the combat is quick and feels well refined, the graphics are excellent and the whole game feels well finished. The game has gone back to 2D which works some much better than the constant circuling of the last few titles. Story mode is really good, you play through chapters as different charaters which all come together to tell an interesting and engaging story (well engaging as far as beat'em ups will go). The gore is back to its best, especially with the new X-ray moves and AWESOME fatalities.The best thing about this game in all honesty is the complete satisfaction of defeating a tough opponent (who will probably have given you a beating a few times)

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