Sequels can be seen as risky ventures in the gaming industry, but they can also be when a series first finds its voice, like in the case of Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat II came out in ’93, only a year after its predecessor, and it would immediately set new standards for the franchise and the fighting genre as a whole. It would take two years for Mortal Kombat 3 to follow in ’95, which might not seem like long by modern gaming expectations, but speaks to how Mortal Kombat II kept audiences entertained in both arcades and at home. Mortal Kombat is still going strong after more than three decades, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 1 teases some compelling changes.
Modern Mortal Kombat releases continue to delight and have helped the franchise stay alive, but there’s still something to be said for Mortal Kombat II as an early high point. In fact, there’s a strong case to be made for Mortal Kombat II‘s sustained reputation and why its legacy has surpassed more recent releases.
There’s The Advent Of Returning To A Simpler Time In The Mortal Kombat Franchise
Fighting franchises don’t always have ornate storylines, but there are a dozen games in the core Mortal Kombat series that have inevitably accumulated into a complicated storyline. The Mortal Kombat series has progressively headed into complete warfare where rewritten timelines and resurrected Revenant versions of classic characters have bloated a once-simple narrative. Modern games can go too far when it comes to a needlessly busy story, and it’s even why many fans are excited about Mortal Kombat 1 trimming this fat and returning to the series’ roots. Mortal Kombat II is still set during the sweet spot early on in the series, where the actual Mortal Kombat tournament still holds weight. There’s a very direct story in Mortal Kombat II that makes it all the easier to marvel at how out of control things have become in the later games. Mortal Kombat 3 even ditches the tournament concept and begins to complicate the formula.
Mortal Kombat 2 Has Genuine Secrets To Discover
There is no shortage of special features and additional fighters in newer Mortal Kombat games. However, these perks are typically implemented through purchasable DLC rather than genuine secrets that are discovered in the game. New Mortal Kombat titles might have one unlockable character who’s acquired by beating the core game, but it’s hardly a surprise. Alternatively, Mortal Kombat II is the start of the series hiding secret fighters and extra content for those who are willing to put in the work and sift through clues. The biggest examples of this are Jade, Smoke, and Noob Saibot, three hidden fighters who can be faced under extreme conditions that are far more interesting and exciting than purchased DLC. Mortal Kombat II even drops cryptic hints during battles that gamers were able to figure out in a pre-internet gaming era.
The Sega Genesis’ Mortal Kombat II port also holds a special Fatality variation, a “Fergality,” that’s evaded some of the most hardcore Mortal Kombat fans. The Fergality can only be performed with Raiden in the Armory stage and after a series of options are properly configured. This unusual transformation is a tribute to Fergus McGovern, an employee for Probe Ltd., who helped work on the Genesis port of the game. Hidden goodies like this are increasingly absent in later Mortal Kombat games. Players can even unlock the ability to play Pong after 250 games have been played with the same character. It’s likely that some players unlocked this without even understanding what they did, which is part of the magic of old-school arcade classics like Mortal Kombat II.
Mortal Kombat 2 Marks The Start Of Sillier Traditions
Fatalities helped the original Mortal Kombat establish its own voice, and the sequel makes some tremendous strides in this department that ultimately get scaled back in later games. A big change on the Fatality front is that Mortal Kombat II is the first game in the series where characters have two Fatalities each, which allows for greater creativity but also a genuine surprise when a second one gets discovered. Mortal Kombat II makes sure that a character’s two Fatalities are very different and not just variations on the same violent idea. Mortal Kombat II also really embraces the absurdity of Fatalities, while its predecessor still seems as if there are attempts to skirt around carnage to some degree.
What’s most exciting about Mortal Kombat II is that it introduces Friendships and Babalities, two of the wilder Fatality “spinoffs” that the series has explored. Mortal Kombat II normalizes the idea that the series can do something beyond just Fatalities, which has really helped it grow over time. Additionally, Friendships and Babalities really highlight the series’ sense of humor and lighter side, which is almost essential in a violent, mature series like Mortal Kombat. These new ideas bring balance to the chaos, and while Mortal Kombat II isn’t the only entry to feature Friendships and Babalities, they’ve been absent in many entries in favor of gorier finishers like Brutalities.
Mortal Kombat 2 Is 16-Bit Graphical Sophistication
There’s no denying that the latest Mortal Kombat games offer unprecedented realism with their graphics. These next-gen aesthetics are expected at this point, but they turn combat and Fatalities into even more gruesome exercises. Newer Mortal Kombat games even feature X-ray flashes that show characters’ bones breaking and organs bursting. It’s certainly in line with the franchise’s extreme tone, but it’s too much for some. Mortal Kombat II looks of its time, but it does beautiful work with its 16-bit pixels that are still nuanced and sophisticated in their own way. The original Mortal Kombat can be a little generic in this department, but Mortal Kombat II still looks great; it’s not a retro title where audiences must first put aside shoddy visuals in order to enjoy the experience. Mortal Kombat II continues to be a best-seller on virtual gaming marketplaces, and there’s still a robust online community that turns to it instead of the newer titles.
Mortal Kombat 2’s Roster Is Small Enough That Every Character Can Be Mastered
Fighting franchises that have been around for decades, like Mortal Kombat, have the tendency to believe that a bigger roster is always better. Variety is usually a good thing, but there are also plenty of games that pad out the roster with unnecessary characters who become burdens more than anything else. Mortal Kombat II really finds the right number of characters with its roster of 12 playable fighters, five of which are new. There are just enough characters that it’s possible to learn and master each and every one of them. There are some great characters who don’t enter Mortal Kombat until much later, but it doesn’t take long for this bloated roster to kick in as new, and “Classic,” human and cyborg character duplicates happen. Mortal Kombat II perfecting the formula is evident in how this game’s roster is often what’s pulled from for inspiration as the definitive cast in the live-action Mortal Kombat movies. There’s clearly a lot of reverence for Mortal Kombat II‘s dozen characters.
Mortal Kombat 1 looks like it will be a huge success for the franchise, and Mortal Kombat fans shouldn’t worry about their favorite fighting series going anywhere. However, the increasing likelihood of a Mortal Kombat 2 makes it all the more important to remember why Mortal Kombat II from ’93 is still so beloved and one of the series’ best.