Mortal Kombat II: Bigger, Bloodier, and Better (A Review)
After the massive success and controversy of the original Mortal Kombat fighting game hitting arcades and home systems, it would only make sense for there to be a sequel. Just a year after the first Mortal Kombat game (Want to avoid calling it Mortal Kombat 1 because we have a different more recent game of that title), Mortal Kombat II hopes to pick up where the first game left off, now bigger, badder, and of course bloodier. Mortal Kombat’s big hook for gamers was the over the top violence and brutal fatalities. As Street Fighter was more aimed to casual fighting game fans, Mortal Kombat has always been the darker more edgier alternative. I covered the first Mortal Kombat game awhile back and let me say this game is a worthy sequel. All the brutal violence and over the top fun is back and then some.
The story picks up where the last game left off. Shang Tsung (The final boss of the first game along with another boss of the first game in Goro was set up to Earth Realm (our Realm) to destroy and doom humanity. However their efforts are stopped short in the Mortal Kombat tournament where one of the fighters from the first game, Liu Kang. This is where Liu Kang becomes the main hero of the Mortal Kombat mythos. Shang convinces our big baddy this time, Shao Kahn to give him a second chance and even have him regain his youth. The time has come for the next Mortal Kombat tournament! However this time, we will be playing on the evil Shao Kahn’s home turf in Outworld, a realm full of evil, darkness, and about the closest thing to hell you can think of that Shao Kahn rules with an iron fist. Can Earth’s last stand of heroes save humanity once again or will the the odds be too much? “Now the kombat kontinues”.
The first thing you will notice is the presentation is much more cleaned up and the flows much faster than the first game. As the first Mortal Kombat felt like Midway trying to figure out what works and what did not, MKII is much more smoother, and flows better now with a better understanding of what Moral Kombat’s vision is. Also the sound design of this game is hard and in your face with all the sound effects and much darker soundtrack. The sound of this game I think for a classic arcade game still holds up today. The game sort of drops the kung-fu “Enter The Dragon” like aesthetic for a much more darker, demon-like setting. After all, we are in a different and much more demented realm, so makes sense the setting for the game would have a much more darker feel and atmosphere. I think it fits the aesthetic of what people see Mortal Kombat to be and really sets the tone not just for MKII, but the Mortal Kombat series moving forward.
Mortal Kombat II is everything you loved about the first game and then some. The game has stacked roster of 12 fighters to pick from and 3 hidden. Some old favorites return such Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and of course the legendary two ninja duo of Scorpion and Sub-Zero. The cast also has some new faces as well, such as Jax, a US special forces member, Baraka, a warrior of Outworld that can pull blades from his arms for some cool combos and damage, and Kung Lao, a Shaolin monk who has a cool razor sharp hat he can throw at opponents, along with other new faces. As I was younger, I always thought Kung Lao’s hat was the coolest thing ever. However there’s a few fighters now missing in action, such as Sonya and Kano. They as shown chained up in the game’s final stage and play in parts of the plot for other fighters. Speaking of fighters, there are a whopping 12 fighters to pick from, a major step up from the 7 in the first game.
There’s also two fighters from the last game that were not playable this time around. Shang Tsung, the shape shifting sorcerer who played the part of the final boss in the first game is now playable and better than ever now that he’s regain his youth thanks to the aid of Shao Kahn. You can also transform to other fighters with Shang with the right button combo. Likely the hardest fighter to get a feel for but if you can, you are a force to be wrecking with. Another returning fighter is one I think is one that wow’d many. If you remember my review of the first Mortal Kombat game, I talk about the majestic and wonder that was Reptile, a green ninja fighter that was a supper hidden secret in the first game. Now in Mortal Kombat II, he’s playable! However, he’s no longer just a mix of Scorpion and Sub-Zero anymore and now has his own moves such as being able to spit acid, really fitting the Reptile name this time around. Still super cool to see this hidden wonder from the first game not only show up here but be playable from the word fight.
Speaking of hidden goodies, MKII just like the first game has quite a few of them. There are now three hidden fighters that you can fight if you fulfill the conditions. There of course like the first game, were rumors of other fighters that were not in the game, but did make it the talk of the school yard as to what was real or what was just “smoke”. (One of the hidden fighters is named Smoke… I was going for a joke here.)
As for the game play itself, Mortal Kombat II is slightly faster and has much more flow than the first game. Each fighter now has more special moves that help balance the game out. For example most fighters have a projectile to help zone out your opponent. Some fighters also have counters for other moves. For example, Jax can do a grabbing back breaker if you can catch your opponent jumping at you. All the classic Moral Kombat feel is still here such as uppercuts and other big moves feeling so satisfying when you connect them against the CPU or going one on one with a friend.
Of course, how can I talk about anything Mortal Kombat without talking about one of its most awesome yet controversial things in fatalities? There are now more fatalities fighters have and even some stages have some special fatalities such as the pit you can upper cut them off as they land on the ground.
There are also new kinds of fatalities you can do entering different button combo at the end of the fight if you are the winner. There are now “friendships” where fighters will do some kind of comedy act. Some of these are quite funny and adds a different element of dunking on your friend that just lost. There are also babalities, that turns your opponent into a crying baby. Perfect if the people that lost is complaining about losing. Another case of insult to injury that makes fatalities so much more fun and gives the game some variety. Don’t worry, the normal style fatalities are still in this game and are just as if not more brutal and violent than ever.
Mortal Kombat II is not only more brutal as far as violence and aesthetic but in the game’s AI as well. AI will now learn if you keep trying to jump in and will counter you. Meaning you can’t just do the same tricks over and over, meaning you have to think things out. I will say there are times the AI feels kind of cheap like at times will instantly block as soon as you try a move that otherwise would have hit. However to be fair arcades were about getting your tokens and money so I can understand why the AI is how it is. Still, there’s times it feels like the game is cheating you and can get quite frustrating at times.
The final boss of the game is of course Shao Kahn, who’s going to test your kombat skills and wits. You learn that he is the narrator that talks during your fights, so there’s a sense of that it’s HIS tournament and you’re just allowed to play, after all he IS the supreme ruing evil tyrant of Outworld. Times in the fight he will taunt you telling you “You are weak” and “You will die mortal”. However, Shao Kahn’s cockiness most times can result in an opening to get some hits in. Defeating him causes him to explode and you once again become the champion of Mortal Kombat.
In the end, Mortal Kombat II is a fantastic sequel to what was already an amazing fighting game. The graphics look better, the movies feel more satisfying and the improve sound design makes every punch and kick hit feel so much more impactful. The new fighters are awesome and bring in tons of new styles into the Mortal Kombat universe, the theming of Outworld gives the game a much more darker tone. There’s no doubt if you are a fan of 2D fighting games, Mortal Kombat II is a must play or if you see it in any retro arcade, no doubt give it a try, especially if you are with friends. It’s clear to see why MKII is no doubt a fan favorite and is the standard when it comes to Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat of course would get a third game in the series but that’s met with some mix results by fans, but that’s a Mortal Kombat tournament for another time.
