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The Evolution Of – Mortal Kombat

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This is from Mortal Kombat 2. Hopefully this will keep Geoff off my back.

22 years. 22 freakin’ years of blood, gore and someone getting their spine ripped out by an unlicensed ninja chiropractor. That’s how long Mortal Kombat has been around for, eating old 50 cent coins and eventually maturing into a massive tournament staple. That’s two decades of evolution, growth and carnage. And it all started with one game.

Out of all the classic Kombat games, Mortal Kombat 3 has to be my favourite, a fact that will most likely have Geoff skyping me with a NUH UH when he reads this, before he hits with an editorial fatality. Deadly Alliance was a massive step forward for the franchise after the lukewarm Mortal Kombat 4, with Deception having a superb array of extras and Armageddon going for broke.

And hell, even Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe had some great moments, before the franchise rebooted with a ninth instalment that raised the bar. We’ve got Mortal Kombat X on the way, which I have a feeling is going to shake up the tournament scene something mighty fierce.

So what’s your favourite Mortal Kombat moment? Your first fatality? Memorising the combo-combination to perform a brutality? That cheesy TV series Mortal Kombat Konquest? After two decades, there should be at least a couple of those cherished memories.

Last Updated: July 24, 2014

97 Comments

  1. Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

    July 24, 2014 at 15:33

    Nuh Uh.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 24, 2014 at 15:34

      He deserves all our scorn. 3. SCORN.

      Reply

      • Norm

        July 24, 2014 at 15:35

        Indeedy!

        Reply

        • Anon A Mouse

          July 24, 2014 at 15:56

          Mmmmm Scorn, delicious scorn

          Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 16:03

      Hemophobia? That’s fine stick with Street Fighter. I believe the fifth one is due as soon as CAPCOM has sold enough DLC.

      Reply

      • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

        July 24, 2014 at 16:07

        No, I like Mk; just 3 is not the best of them. It relied on shitty dial-a-combo bullshit. Playing it semi-competitively in the arcades devolved in to who could tap the sequence of buttons fastest. The much better MKII had a livelier scene, as it required more than just memory and fast fingers.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 24, 2014 at 16:14

          Gotta agree there.

          Reply

  2. Umar GAAAAHH!!!

    July 24, 2014 at 15:34

    This was my jam

    Special Forces baby!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:39

      At least Shaolin Monks was decent. I really wouldn’t mind if the stepped out of their comfort zone every now and then .

      Reply

      • Umar GAAAAHH!!!

        July 24, 2014 at 15:53

        Yeah the spinoffs were pretty awesome

        Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    July 24, 2014 at 15:36

    Ive been playing this for 22 years?………….Life well spent

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      July 24, 2014 at 15:41

      Totally agreed!

      Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 24, 2014 at 15:36

    Obviously it’s Johnny Cage’s nutpunch. Or annoying the crap out of someone who relies on jumping attacks by kicking them out the air with a well timed straight kick.

    Reply

  5. Umar GAAAAHH!!!

    July 24, 2014 at 15:37

    Also another sweet memory comes not from the game but from the late night e-tv MK show

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 24, 2014 at 15:38

      Taja was the bee’s knees.

      Reply

      • CypherGate

        July 24, 2014 at 16:23

        That series was amazing. Enjoyed it a lot. Taja was pure yum

        Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

      July 24, 2014 at 15:44

      Duuuuuuude. Yes

      Reply

  6. Norm

    July 24, 2014 at 15:37

    The only MK I ever played was MK3!

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Saxon

      July 24, 2014 at 15:39

      Mk1-3 I played, nothing else

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:42

      Deadly Alliance is one of my favorites as it basically revived the franchise and they kill Lui Kang at the start of the game. A real WTF moment

      Reply

      • Spaffy

        July 24, 2014 at 15:46

        Lui Kang was my mentor.
        *Holds Low Kick for 4 seconds and release.

        Reply

        • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

          July 24, 2014 at 15:48

          blargablargablarga

          Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        July 24, 2014 at 15:51

        Liu Kang

        Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

      July 24, 2014 at 15:44

      MK3 was the best!

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        July 24, 2014 at 15:47

        SCORN.

        Reply

  7. Spaffy

    July 24, 2014 at 15:40

    Oh man I’m getting old…

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:41

      I’m with you there.

      Reply

  8. Sir Rants A Lot Llew

    July 24, 2014 at 15:43

    Thanks for pointing out just how old I am man. Sheesh. What a way to end a Thursday 🙁

    AGETALITY!!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:43

      LOL AGETALITY!!

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 24, 2014 at 15:46

      Some days you just don’t want to be reminded of how old you are.

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

        July 24, 2014 at 15:46

        Yep.

        Reply

    • The D

      July 24, 2014 at 15:46

      More like SENILITY, AMIRITE?

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

        July 24, 2014 at 15:47

        Hahahaha. I’d upvote if I could remember how….

        Reply

  9. Rince&pop

    July 24, 2014 at 15:43

    My best moment is pulling off fatalities in the arcade when no one else could. DA POWA!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:44

      We need a new MK movie dammit!

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        July 24, 2014 at 15:50

        Did you watch Mortal Kombat Legacy?

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 24, 2014 at 15:52

          Both seasons and it was awesome, but still.

          Reply

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 15:56

            Agreed.
            However, didn’t like the Sonja Blade.

  10. Rince&pop

    July 24, 2014 at 15:46

    I remember being on the show “Games Master” when they had this one, who can guess who the commentator is? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdhTlnAuoSo

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:52

      Your dad?

      Reply

      • Rince&pop

        July 24, 2014 at 15:54

        HAHAHAHA! Firstly my dad isn’t from England 😛 And no, hint, he’s in Lock Stock the fucking lot 😛

        Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:53

      I know his face, he had to be in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

      Reply

    • Colin Dos Santos

      July 24, 2014 at 15:55

      wow this is sooooooooooooooo lame hahahahahaha!

      Reply

      • Rince&pop

        July 24, 2014 at 15:55

        It’s bad hey!?

        Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 24, 2014 at 15:55

      Is it Bad Pritt?

      Reply

      • Rince&pop

        July 24, 2014 at 15:55

        Young Morgan Freeman, close enough though.

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          July 24, 2014 at 15:57

          I didn’t watch the video, was just guessing.

          Reply

          • Rince&pop

            July 24, 2014 at 15:58

            Ah, well there you go then.

  11. VampyreSquirrel

    July 24, 2014 at 15:47

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

      July 24, 2014 at 15:48

      I actually sang that in my head now…. FML

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        July 24, 2014 at 16:15

        I knew it would catch at least a few of you guys.

        Reply

    • Sith JJ

      July 24, 2014 at 15:57

      I’d play the crap out of this.

      Reply

  12. Sith JJ

    July 24, 2014 at 15:49

    This is one of those things that I remember from the first time I picked up a controller.

    Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

      July 24, 2014 at 15:51

      What? I refreshed but no image?

      I just remember forward down low punch (Sub zero)

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        July 24, 2014 at 15:57

        Forward forward down up was Johnny Cage’s split-nut-punch

        Reply

  13. SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

    July 24, 2014 at 15:50

    Can anyone, anywhere, really see the words “Mortal Kombat” and not start playing this tune in their head? Here is to 22 more years of spine pulling, skull crunching, bone splitting, carnage!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 15:54

      Best theme song ever!!!

      Reply

    • Sith JJ

      July 25, 2014 at 07:05

      Still have my original CD that I bought when the movie came out.

      Reply

  14. Sith JJ

    July 24, 2014 at 16:04

    For me the piéce de résistance of the first Mortal Kombat movie was the Fear Factory song when Johnny Cage was fighting Scorpion.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 16:12

      +1

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 16:13

      I still watch the fight scene from time to time. Best one in the whole movie. Second was Liu Kang and Reptile

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        July 24, 2014 at 16:20

        Yes. Flip man. Reptile is so underrated.

        Reply

  15. SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

    July 24, 2014 at 16:09

    Everyone has their favourite…

    Sub-Zero!

    Reply

    • Sith JJ

      July 24, 2014 at 16:10

      Scorpion!

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 24, 2014 at 16:12

        -1

        Reply

      • SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

        July 24, 2014 at 16:14

        There is always that ONE FRIGGIN GUY who loves Scorpion. Why? Why? Oh BOO HOO. My entire clan and family, including myself, were wiped up and now I’m going to roam the world as an angry spectre? Hogswatch would be such a happier occasion if they had never created Scorpion!

        😉

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 24, 2014 at 16:16

          It’s the way if the World. Popularity wise Ken > Ryu, Wolverine > Cyclops, Batman > everything.

          Reply

          • SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

            July 24, 2014 at 16:16

            +1

            Wiser words were never spoken.

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:18

            I don’t know dude. I’m going to go against the grain again here.
            Not about Batman…I mean, I’m not an idiot. Obviously Batman > everything.
            But Spawn. Spawn dude. Spawn.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 24, 2014 at 16:19

            Now there’s an untapped resource for Hollywood to exploit.

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:20

            The movie actually wasn’t bad. Not great. But it had it’s moments.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 24, 2014 at 16:24

            CGI was horrible if I recall, even though it was early days.

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:25

            The cape GCI was great. The mask wasn’t too bad. But the environmental and spacial CGI was horrific.
            EDIT: Oh and Malebolgia looked really bad. His freaking mouth didn’t even move.

          • SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

            July 24, 2014 at 16:25

            I think it was technically Steam Early Access CGI. Pre-Alpha CGI. 😉

          • Hammersteyn

            July 24, 2014 at 16:25

            LOL!

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:25

            Haha. Excellent.

          • Brady miaau

            July 25, 2014 at 08:54

            Ah yes, but at the time it was made and we watched it, it was great!

          • Hammersteyn

            July 25, 2014 at 09:02

            Agreed

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            July 25, 2014 at 09:08

            Ever seen the animated series? That was pretty good.

          • Sith JJ

            July 25, 2014 at 10:22

            I quite liked it, the ten minutes that I saw. 🙂

          • Brady miaau

            July 25, 2014 at 08:53

            Nah, been done. movie called Spawn. Quite good, actually. 90s?

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:21

            Funny story. Myself and a friend of mine had a Batman vs Iron Man debate for two years (I kid you not).
            I said Iron Man.
            He said Batman.
            These debates were heated man, I tell you.
            Then I grew a brain.

        • Sith JJ

          July 24, 2014 at 16:16

          And his face is a skull.
          And because of my previous comment about the song.
          And because he’s eviiiiill
          And he’s dead
          And awesome phrase.
          ANd and and and and!!! 🙂

          Reply

          • SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad

            July 24, 2014 at 16:18

            Lol. Fair enough (although technically he is neutral in the meta good v evil theme – he just wants revenge on the cool kids because they snubbed him and stole his lunch money?)

          • Sith JJ

            July 24, 2014 at 16:19

            See? I can relate to that. 🙂

          • Hammersteyn

            July 24, 2014 at 16:18

            And he has adamantium claws…… oops never mind

          • Mark Treloar

            July 24, 2014 at 16:55

            And he’s a pirate

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          July 24, 2014 at 19:11

          GET OVER IT! teehee

          Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 24, 2014 at 16:12

      +1

      Reply

    • Hendrik

      July 24, 2014 at 16:17

      Can’t decide between Kung Lao and Smoke

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        July 24, 2014 at 16:19

        Cyrax. 😉

        Reply

  16. Brady miaau

    July 25, 2014 at 08:52

    Sonya wins.

    Cause she did that infrequently with me at the helm, always a great moment.

    Reply

  17. Lothy

    July 25, 2014 at 09:14

    to this day I can never forget “Block, block, run, block, run” I think it was a sub zero fatality, if I remember right.

    Reply

    • Hendrik

      July 25, 2014 at 09:54

      That’s correct, in MK3, where he freezes you above his head and brake you into pieces!

      Reply

  18. bethcwhitehorn

    July 25, 2014 at 13:44

    Start working at home with Google! It’s by-far the best job I’ve had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this – 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link, go? to tech tab for work detail

    ?????? Jobs700.Com

    ============================

    Reply

  19. OSiRIS

    July 25, 2014 at 15:44

    UMK3 on genesis A, C, UP, B, UP, B, A, DOWN cheat menu.

    Striker brutality HP, LP, HK, LK, HP, LP, LK, HK, HP, LK, LK, LK

    That is drilled into my brain to this day

    Reply

  20. Andre Gabriel Coetzee

    July 26, 2014 at 12:28

    I came here just to listen to the Mortal Kombat theme song. That is all.

    Reply

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