Mortal Kombat has lasted for three decades and is one of the most recognizable fighting games out there. From humble origins as a simple arcade game in 1992, all the way to the Fire God Liu Kang’s New Era in Mortal Kombat 1, the series has persisted time and time again.
With such a long-running franchise, it is unavoidable to have ups and downs. Just like any other game series, MK has endured it all, from terrible entries and even worse movies. But hardships aside, the series has also had numerous highs, such as the iconic Techno Syndrome theme song, and some of the all-time best moments in the history of fighting video games.
And so to celebrate the recent release of Mortal Kombat 1 — which serves as the second rebooting of the beloved IP overall — what better time to take a look at the entire catalogue of games; from Flawless Victories to ones that deserve a Fatality?
Not only will main MK entries be tackled here, but also the spin-off titles released over the years.
10. Mortal Kombat: Special Forces
Starting things off, the worst game in the series goes to Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, a spin-off starring Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs, released in 2000. Not only does it belong to the bottom of this list, but is one of the worst video games of all time.
The title suffered from a troubled development as Midway employees left during the middle of production such as series’ co-creator John Tobias. This led to the game being reworked and rushed for its release date and boy, do the results show.
Despite being a 2000 release, the title suffered due to the aging PS1 hardware while other video games were already transitioning to the PS2.
The shooting was very repetitive and enemy encounters were frustrating. These problems can be attributed to the development cycle and led to numerous elements being cut, including Sonya Blade being the second playable character.
Ultimately, Special Forces put a halt on several MK spin-offs in development at that time. It’s a shame too, as a spin-off third person shooter starring Jax and Sonya could have been fun, but with the circumstances, Special Forces was an absolute failure.
9. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero
Before MK: Special Forces, the first Mortal Kombat spin-off released in 1997 in the form of Mythologies: Sub Zero. A side-scrolling adventure set before the events of the first game, the title aimed to explore more of Bi Han AKA the first Sub Zero.
The game uses the MK engine as well as the digitized actors much like the previous 3 games. And while that worked for one-on-one battles, it makes a side-scroller notably hard to play. Sub Zero’s movement was too slow for a side-scroller and controlling was such a pain, it caused many unwanted deaths.
Mythologies also tried to have platforming elements that sound good on paper but led to numerous frustrations from players, due to the cheap death traps and poor response.
On a positive note, the game did succeed in exploring more of Bi Han’s tenure as Sub Zero, while introducing new characters into the MK lore such as Quan Chi and Sareena. But strong world-building cannot save a bad game, and so unfortunately, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero deserves a trademark spine rip.
8. Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
Merging both Mortal Kombat and the DC Universe seemed like an odd idea from the get-go, as both properties didn’t really have a lot in common. Things would only get worse once it was revealed the game would receive a Teen rating — the first in the franchise.
Putting that aside, is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe a bad game?
Well, while the fighting itself is passable, some of the new additions just seemed unnecessary. Klose Kombat and Free Fall Kombat are a sight to behold but ultimately end up feeling hollow. The game also has some strange omissions from its roster such as the absence of Johnny Cage and Kung Lao. Finally, MK vs. DC Universe has some of the worst Fatalities in the game, due to the lack of blood and gore — a cardinal sin for the series.
If there’s one thing fans appreciated, it’s that its existence ensured the survival of Mortal Kombat overall. Working with WB Games led to the creation of Netherrealm Studios and allowed Mortal Kombat to keep coming back for more.
7. Mortal Kombat 4
In the late 90s, fighting games were slowly shifting to the third dimension, with games such as Virtua Fighter and Tekken dominating the market. In order to keep up, Mortal Kombat made the leap, but looking back, is 1997’s Mortal Kombat 4 a true 3D game?
The answer is a swift no, as the game plays more like the previous titles but slower and clunkier compared to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Really, the only thing “3D” about this entry is its presentation, but aside from that, MK4 was not the next evolution for the series.
In fact, its lack of innovation can be seen in its roster, as a lack of new characters led to the last-minute addition of Jarek and Tanya who, at the time, were obvious Kano and Kitana replacements respectively.
Another infamous element of Mortal Kombat 4 is its endings, which have been mocked due to its cheesy voice acting. Scroll the internet and you’re bound to witness Jarek’s hilarious final encounter with Sonya and Jax.
MK4 therefore, is an anomaly, as it doesn’t quite belong with its predecessors yet is not a true 3D game like its successors.
6. Mortal Kombat (1992)
The original Mortal Kombat is a major gaming milestone. In the string of endless Street Fighter II clones, this simple arcade title would become a big competitor and establish its identity with its blood and violence. This led to numerous complaints from parents and even the creation of a video game rating system, the ESRB.
But public impact aside, does the first MK still hold up?
Playing it today, the game has a barebones roster and the stages don’t have the visual flair of the sequels. Even mainstays like Liu Kang and Johnny Cage don’t quite look like themselves, and it’s clear the series was still in its infancy.
Still, Fatalities and the inclusion of secrets such as the Reptile fight are fun additions to an otherwise aged title. At the same time, there is a charm to Mortal Kombat’s crude presentation and its use of digitized actors is still a stroke of genius.
While Mortal Kombat may not be the best in the series, it deserves credit for setting the standard of future entries.
5. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is the last entry in the original timeline. As the end of an era, the game featured every playable character at the time, and made for one of the largest rosters in fighting game history.
But with its size comes several negatives. For one, the ‘3 fighting style’ system was reduced to 2, due to the sheer amount of fighters to program. Another infamous addition was “Kreate-A-Fatality”, which was underwhelming compared to the creative Fatalities in previous games.
On the positive side, Armageddon had a fun Konquest Mode with its beat ’em up gameplay being a blast. Motor Kombat is an R-Rated version of your typical kart racer while creating your own fighter was fun for players and allowed them to explore their creativity. Finally, Air Kombat added a layer of depth to the fighting mechanics and is an underrated addition to the franchise.
All in all, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is a flawed yet fun entry. Despite the game unable to contain its sheer size, it was the swansong the series deserved at the time, before 2011’s reboot.
4. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
2002’s Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance brought the series into proper 3D and was the first major success for the brand after a string of failures in the late 90s. But just being MK would not cut it, and instead, there had to be big changes.
What better way to show that than opening with the death of Liu Kang?
Deadly Alliance introduced the 3 fighting style system with fighters having 2 unarmed styles and 1 where they brandished a weapon. It was also the first in the series to give the characters their own combos and moves, aside from just signature specials. Aside from the standard arcade mode, the game introduced Konquest Mode and the Krypt — two modes that would become a mainstays during subsequent instalments.
Of course, being the first to transition into a new gameplay style, the game is far from perfect. MK: DA only has 1 Fatality per character while several newcomers would prove contentious, such as Drahmin and the infamous Hsu Hao.
Despite these minor flaws, the game succeeded in ensuring Mortal Kombat survived another decade.
3. Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II was the sequel that improved on the original in all the ways imaginable. With more blood, characters and a visually striking art style, the game would continue the momentum generated by the first.
New fighters were brought into the fold such as Kung Lao, Jax, and Baraka who all would become series staples. There were more Fatalities this time around while the inclusion of Friendships and Babalities added a sense of humor.
At the same time, bringing the game into Outworld led to some iconic stages such as the Living Forest and Shao Kahn’s Coliseum. And speaking of Kahn, his introductio led to one of the most iconic bosses in video game history, and one of the toughest there is.
On the other hand, an infamous aspect of MKII has to be its cheap enemy AI. Your opponents can read your move inputs, and this led to numerous frustrating losses during the ladder mode.
Terrible AI aside, Mortal Kombat II was a followup worthy of the original, and a major win for the series.
2. Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat 11 was the concluding chapter of the rebooted 2011 timeline, and was a major graphical leap for the series. With the largest amount of DLC content and even a story expansion, it remains one of the biggest entries yet, satisfying fans old and new.
New additions were a revamped special meter which was divided into offense and defense, and the Fatal Blow system that replaced X-Ray moves, all providing a risk-versus-reward approach compared to MKX (more on that in a bit).
Combat had also been slowed down compared to MKX which some gamers preferred, while others missed the breakneck speed of the previous title. Finally, customization from Injustice 2 was brought in, with numerous skins to choose from, and gear allowing you to dress the MK cast up as much as you want.
MK11, however, is not without its flaws. The Krypt may be a fun mini-adventure with a fully explorable environment, but the mode suffered from RNG as opening chests was randomized. At the same time, the push for micro-transactions was more prevalent this time, encouraging players to buy skins and cosmetics through in-game purchases.
- Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat returned in 2023 with Mortal Kombat 1, the first set in Fire God Liu Kang’s “New Era”, following the time-altering shenanigans of MK11, and its DLC “Aftermath”.
Being the second reboot of the series, MK1 features reimagined heroes and villains, with Scorpion and Sub Zero being brothers, Shao Kahn now as General Shao and former henchmen like Baraka and Reptile getting the spotlight as good guys. The roster also brings back numerous 2000s/3D Era characters that fans have clamored for, such as Havik and Reiko.
From a gameplay perspective, MK1 features some of the best fighting in the series. Aside from your standard fare, players can now perform air combos while the Kameo system can provide offensive and defensive buffs that can help turn the tide of any battle.
Despite these major upgrades, Mortal Kombat 1 can often feel disappointing at times. Story Mode starts off interesting but its second half soon devolves into unnecessary fan service. Numerous quality-of-life features are also missing while microtransactions are handled worse compared to MK11.
Negative aspects aside, Mortal Kombat 1 is a solid, fun game to play, and with future updates and DLC, it can (hopefully) only get better.
