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More Mortal Kombat Goodness:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/arts/ ... ted=1&_r=2

It won't let me in without a login and password. Damn NY Times!

Once, it was every parent's worst nightmare -- but these days its fans are more likely to have kids of their own. Now in its nineteenth year, one of the original video game nasties is back to terrorize the small screen: Mortal Kombat, a revamped version of which releases this week on both Xbox 360 and PS3.

Once again, it's a time for Kombat. Unless you're in Australia, that is, where the powers-that-be have deemed the new take on one of history's greatest fighters too violent and outright banned it. Killjoys. Still, for everyone else out there, Mortal Kombat looks to be a worthy successor to its noble and fondly remembered predecessor, racking up scores into the 80s and beyond on both platforms.

Among the highest comes from Game Informer's Andrew Reiner, who bestowed a glowing 9.5, and calling the new game "the best Mortal Kombat yet."

How so? Although it includes plenty of old-school content that'll appeal to the Kombat nostalgic, Reiner says there's still no shortage of creative ideas that keep the action fresh.

"Powerful x-ray moves shatter spines and fracture skulls, special moves can be augmented to deal additional damage, and just when you think you've seen it all, the game throws bloody curveballs your way in the form of new match types...with a sadistic sense of humor accompanying most of the fights and modifiers, you never know what to expect from Mortal Kombat - but it's always gory, hilarious, and an absolute blast to play."

Not convinced? Maybe 1UP's Neidel Crisan's writeup will sway you. Crisan proves particularly impressed with the new game's single-player options (often a weakness in fighting games), saying the new Mortal Kombat makes "every other fighting game's single player look anemic in comparison."

And yes, it's still a Mortal Kombat game -- and that means the graphic content is also far from anemic. Calling it "incredibly violent," the once-notorious "Fatality" finishing moves are so over-the-top, says Crisan, they're more often occasions for laughter rather than nausea. "They're all so ridiculous that it's hard to take them seriously," he says.

IGN's Ryan Clements is less impressed with Kombat's single player than other critics, knocking it for what he sees as imbalance and some odd inconsistencies, like bosses which seem to obey different rules than other characters. Still, he's a fan of the fighting itself, calling it "savage, deliberately paced...more visceral here then in other fighting games." Calling it "a legitimate competitive fighter," he says "it has enough gore to make parents run for the hills."

It'd be their loss. Review aggregation site Metacritic currently has both versions of the game averaging in the mid-80s -- and while that's not quite the dizzy heights achieved by Street Fighter IV this time last year, it still ought to be more than enough to tempt faithful Kombatants back into the fold. Unless you're Australian, in which case you're on your own.

I've been extremely skeptical about getting this one. Like everyone else here, I loved the first few Mortal Kombat games. The last one I bought was Mortal Kombat Trilogy on the N64. After that I saw what the new ones after that looked like and said "forget it"

Mortal Kombat games especially the newer ones recieved far to generous reviews and I'm thinking that may be the case with MK9. Several of my friends have already bought the game (360) but I haven't asked them yet.

If I were to but the game I'd more than likely get it on the PS3 simply because the D-Pad is SO much better than the 360 D-Pad.

I know a few of you on here that own a 360 and if you have it, how well do the controls work on it?

I bought it for the X360 the day it came out.

Like you, I am a fan of the older MK games. I strongly disliked the 3D all around type that they changed to, as well as the character models going to that weird 3D look.

MK9 goes back to side scrolling (which is what Street Fighter IV did), and once again goes to the more cartoony look.

If you loved MK I, II, III era - then MK9 is for you.

Trust me.

My sole complaint so far is - that I am doing the STORY MODE which is ABSOLUTELY great - but I got to the part where it's Lui Kang vs Shao Kahn... and I could NOT beat Shao Kahn on normal. Not even close. So I bumped the game down to EASY. Couldn't beat him. Not even close. Knocked it down to beginner level. And he pretty much STILL fights as he does on Normal. He counters EVERYTHING and does an INSANE amount of damage and has a MESS of attacks that break BLOCK. The closest I ever got to beating him was knocking down HALF his health.

I prefer the 360 because I prefer its controller design (with the left analog stick high and the right analog stick low), but I've since purchased a controller for the PS3 that resembles the design of the 360 controller so score for that! I'm getting the PS3 version because Kratos is in it!

MusicallyInspired wrote:I prefer the 360 because I prefer its controller design (with the left analog stick high and the right analog stick low), but I've since purchased a controller for the PS3 that resembles the design of the 360 controller so score for that! I'm getting the PS3 version because Kratos is in it!

Would be nice if the X360 version had Skarin from Viking: Battle for Asgard, which was the X360's answer to "God of War." (Ironically, I liked the gameplay much more for Viking over God of War... I never even finished the first God of War... but couldn't put down Viking when I got it).

I remember the last time Maia and I played MK together. She'd never played an MK game and when she saw Scorpion's signature "get over here!" move, her response was: "Oh gross!"

My brother was awesome in MK2 and MK3 when playing Reptile. I was never all that good at the MK games; I did better in the Soul Calibur series.

"Get over here!" is my favorite move

DeadPoolX wrote:I remember the last time Maia and I played MK together. She'd never played an MK game and when she saw Scorpion's signature "get over here!" move, her response was: "Oh gross!" My brother was awesome in MK2 and MK3 when playing Reptile. I was never all that good at the MK games; I did better in the Soul Calibur series.

Heh - Reptile was lethal in MK2 and MK3 - with the bubble + slide combo.
I absolutely LOVE Soul Calibur as well.

Scorpion's "Get Over Here!" is a trademark of MK.
They even use him for their company logo:

He's easily the best character they've created, in my opinion. Along with Sub-Zero.

AndreaDraco wrote:He's easily the best character they've created, in my opinion. Along with Sub-Zero.

I'd say those two, plus Liu Kang and Raiden are the most iconic characters of the series.

Whatever happened to Sonya Blade? Is she in the new MK?

DeadPoolX wrote:Whatever happened to Sonya Blade? Is she in the new MK?

Yes she is.

Without ruining anything, the new MK does a travel back in time and shows how everyone comes to be in MK...
For example, they show Johnny Cage first joining thinking the people he's fighting are done up with special effects...
Sonya's there to rescue Jax...
Jax's arms are shown when they get ripped off...
It shows Cyrax and Sektor in their HUMAN forms before they're changed to robots...
... and why they changed... and after they change...

The story mode is absolutely fun. But like I said, currently stuck.

The character list of playable are:
1. Baraka
2. Cyber Sub-Zero
3. Cyrax
4. Ermac
5. Jade
6. Jax Briggs
7. Johnny Cage
8. Kabal
9. Kano
10. Kitana
11. Kratos (Playstation 3 exclusive)
12. Kung Lao
13. Kurtis Stryker
14. Liu Kang
15. Mileena
16. Nightwolf
17. Noob Saibot
18. Quan Chi
19. Raiden
20. Reptile
21. Scorpion
22. Sektor
23. Shang Tsung
24. Sheeva
25. Sindel
26. Smoke
27. Sonya Blade
28. Sub-Zero

The following characters are non-playable bosses:

1. Goro
2. Kintaro
3. Shao Kahn

The following characters appear in secret battles in Arcade mode when certain requirements are met:

1. MK1 Reptile
2. MK2 Smoke
3. MK2 Jade
4. MK2 Noob Saibot

The following characters have been confirmed as DLC characters:

1. Kenshi
2. Lady in Red - she was a rumored red ninja from Mortal Kombat II. She is now a new playable character.

Cameo Appearances

Throughout the trailers and the promotional images, numerous, unconfirmed characters were seen in the background of certain arenas.

* Daegon, Kenshi, Reiko, Frost, and Sareena are shown fighting in the background of the Pit II stage.
* Kira, Li Mei, Tanya, Kitana, and "The Lady in Red" are shown chained in Shao Kahn's Arena.
* Rain, Shinnok, Shadow Priest, an unknown male character and occasionally Classic Noob Saibot are shown looking over Meat on The Cathedral stage.
* Goro on his throne.
* Shao Kahn on his throne.
* Shang Tsung (Elder Form) on his throne.
* Shadow Priest at the Soul Chamber.
* A broken rock statue of Sindel's head and hand can be seen in the background of Jade's Desert stage lying in the sand (Screenshot below in Gallery)
* The rock statues of Goro, Baraka, Kano, Rain and Reiko can be seen in the background of Shang Tsung's Gardens.
* Motaro, Khameleon, Classic Smoke and Shinnok appear in a couple of cutscenes during storymode but not as opponents or playable characters.
* Classic Smoke sometimes peeks out behind the trees in the Living Forest.
* The original version of Cyrax can be seen still stuck in the sand in Jade's Desert stage, to the far left of the stage.
* Bo' Rai Cho, Kenshi, Zombie Liu Kang, Hotaru, Li Mei, and Shinnok's Giant Skull Hands are featured at the beginning of the Story Mode
* Onaga and Taven are seen when Raiden sends a message to his past self.
* Two Masked Guards are shown in The Courtyard.
* Kenshi and Reiko were named after the younger Sub-Zero got captured by the Lin Kuei.
* Bo' Rai Cho's name was mentioned during Story Mode.

Tawmis wrote:Once again, it's a time for Kombat. Unless you're in Australia, that is, where the powers-that-be have deemed the new take on one of history's greatest fighters too violent and outright banned it. Killjoys...

...Unless you're Australian, in which case you're on your own.

Sigh. I happen to live in Australia, and I am OUTRAGED ( <--- see?) that the "powers-that-be" here have decided what I should and should not be able to do and see. ARGH!!!

To (very slightly) paraphrase the late, great Bill Hicks: "What business is it of some interfering, government-appointed busybody what I do, eat, drink, smoke, watch or take into my body, as long as I don't harm another human being on this planet?

And for any interfering, government-appointed busybodies who happen to read this and have some kind of moral dilemma - NONE of your sodding business. There, put that on a cheque, cash it and go on a holiday out of my life."