Mortal Kombat was one of the first major fighting games to release to consoles and arcades, and has cemented itself as a mainstay in amongst video games. This is the History of Mortal Kombat, from its humble roots, to battles in court, 3D revolution, and bringing back the series to its original 2D fighting gameplay.
#mortalkombat #mk #gamespot
Mortal Kombat first began as an idea to have a fighting game involving the Lin Kuei Ninjas - however, eventually this involved into an idea to include Jean-Claude Van Damme. While the Jean-Claude Van Damme idea wouldn't come to fruition, it would serve as the basis for Johnny Cage and Mortal Kombat as a whole.
Mortal Kombat made an immediate splash in the arcade scene, but its violence would soon draw the ire of certain congressional members, in particular, Jospeh Lieberman - all leading to the creation of the ESRB. From there, the game would spawn 11 mainline sequels, dabble into the world of 3D, and find new ground within its 2D Fighting roots.
Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry into the series, is set to release September 19, 2023.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:25 - 1992: Mortal Kombat 1
06:24 - 1993: Mortal Kombat II
08:09 - 1995: Mortal Kombat 3
10:28 - 1997: Mortal Kombat 4
11:24 - 1997: Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
12:17 - 2000: Mortal Kombat: Special Forces
12:59 - 2002: Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
14:15 - 2004: Mortal Kombat: Deception
15:32 - 2005: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
16:03 - 2006: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
17:07 - 2008: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
18:28 - 2011: Mortal Kombat (9)
21:27 - 2015: Mortal Kombat X
22:58 - 2019: Mortal Kombat 11
24:34 - 2023: Mortal Kombat 1
How did this one slip? He said that in Deception, we're controlling Bo Rai Cho. Really? Did we all forget about Shujinko?
I know right 🤦
Ikr. Tell me you’ve never played Deception without telling me you’ve never played Deception
i’m about to lose it
he hurt me with that slip but other than that, it was a solid video. I can't wait for Mk1
These people were too in a hurry to upload this video.
i think its incredible that Ed Boon has been in charge of the franchise this whole time and thank god, the franchise would not still be around if not for him.
A wise decision by WB to keep him at the helm, unfortunately in situations like that these companies tend to think they know better the creators and fans.
All MK fans love Ed.
To me, Ed Boon's the rightful godfather of video game gore 😎. Flawless Victory, indeed!
A lot of people don’t know just how much the first Mortal Kombat changed not only the fighting game genre, but also the video gaming industry. It changed everything!
It gave us the rating systems
Mortal kombat's gone alot further than street fighter
The birth of ESRB
@@richard7645 Because Capcom was making way more money with Resident evil, they didn't need SF anymore on the other hand MK was the golden goose of Midway.
For real. They played a significant role in the creation of the ESRB game rating system that's used for all games in the U.S. Crazy.
This is one of those games that you remember the first time you ever played it. Where you were and all that. For me it was at a mall arcade. The original MK1 game. It was love at first sight 😍
For me it was this place called Sportsland in PA. I'll never forget watching Sub Zero rip Scorpions head off.
Lucky! My first MK was MK3 & absolutely remember every min of it like it was yesterday 😅
for me it was at this car wash my parents would go to as a kid that had an arcade for MK inside to play while you wait for your car. cant even remember how old i was hahaha. really special game
At lunch a kid was telling us he played a game and seen someone as a ninja freeze someone then uppercut their head off and hold and and another guy electrocute someone’s head till it exploded. We absolutely tore into him for being a liar. Then a few days later I came across a game that had 20 kids surrounded the cabinet and watched everything he said actually happen. Only 1 teen new all the moves and fatalities. He was a god
Fantasy Palace in Newmarket, Ontario
MK1 is my most anticipated game this year despite it being one of the best years ever for video games IMO
from SNES to PS5, it's been amazing seeing MK evolve
From Sega Genesis to Nintendo Switch for me.
@misterlexx2721 Ah Genesis. One of the cool kids. I was too into Mario. When the PS2 came out though I was full in with Sony. The 360 was a solid console too. I'm hoping they do a Switch 2 or Pro. I've been waiting for one with better graphics.
@@DrewTrox Well the graphics compromise was due it being hybrid. Portability is really a benefit for me.
My childhood to adulthood I grew up playing this game. Mortal kombat is the G.O.A.T of all-time games.
Agreed
I’ve been playing MK since the beginning. The game franchise that’s been part of my life the longest. Very excited for MK1. My boy Liu Kang looking good.
Real spill
Not hating but what's the appeal of Liu Kang?
Deception and ESPECIALLY Shaolin Minks were beyond fun to play. I wish they continued that style of gaming for the story modes
I'm still holding on to a probably-unrealistic hope that they're keeping this a secret surprise for us, that MK1's story mode is actually going to be the return to a Shaolin Monks style game. 🤞🤞
There was a Mortal Kombal Armageddon which had a really great story mode
A shaolin mink story mode would be awesome! 😂
Shaolin Monks is a gem
@@raptorakias I never understood why they didn’t do something similar for every game. That one was such a joy to play. Co-op online would be epic, different characters/stories, moves, combos you could interchange, etc. Now it’s a recycled movie and some whatever matches… that’s no fun for me
Man being 6 yrs old and remembering my older brother come home and pop this on and just being wide eyed the whole time. Definitely a game that left a lasting impression
Im 47 and see myself as being lucky to have experienced the birth and growth of the game. People used to gather around this cabinet in arcades everywhere.
I was blessed to have been a 12 year old playing the first MK in the arcades and anxiously waiting for MK2 😍
Agree the same feeling for me and very happy to be alive in my 40+ years of life to see a new MK1 for the new gen of teens.
We were the lucky ones!
Congrats to ed boon and his team, he brought up a phenemonal franchise.
Man I’d love to see a Armageddon size roster again 👌
It is now with the kameos roster
I don't want kreate a failtality again lol
I'm surprised you left out the controversial variation system that was added in MK 10 where it was 3 pre sets for each character and in MK 11 you were able to create your very own variation system. That was very different than any other Mortal Kombat.
The 90s spawned pure greatness.
I hate when non fans do stuff like this. He legit doesn't know Shujinko. Whoever wrote this for him embarrassed them, this commentator, Gamespot, and this wonderful game.
1992 I was 10 years old and playing Mortal Kombat down town in the arcades, good times. and from my home playing on the sega mega drive right all the way to PS5 it has been there all my life through the good times and the bad.
Mortal Kombat - the beginning of an epic franchise. ❤
14:58 No, you control Shujinko in MK:Deception, check it again.
I still remember seeing the original MK for the first time on a 29" modern CRT back in 1993; my jaw dropped! FMV games were very common at the time, but they were mostly just that, controllable FMVs. Up until that point, we did not have real digitized fighters successfully implemented in what seemed to be an almost flawless way at the time. The special moves were very unique and the character roster won me instantly. It was a technological leap in the fighting games genre from my perspective, and to know that it was such a small team behind it and that they cut corners to push the final product out just shows how visionary the game was. My favorites from the 2D MK era in order are MKII, MK, and MK Trilogy. From the 3D era in order are MK11, MKXL, MK Vs. DC, MK, MK Deception, MK Gold, and MK4. Finally, from the spin offs, I only enjoyed MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero and I assumed based on the title back then that MK will branch into a separate action-adventure series called Mythologies where each character will receive its own Mythologies entry/title. I was later disappointed that it didn't happen.
I've never forgotten the first time I played mortal kombat at a drive in as a grade school kid. Been hooked ever since I remember MK4 in arcades as well
I remember playing MK4 in tha laundry mat when I was younger! Falling down the long tunnel during gameover is forever in my mind
The 90s was just different man..... I'm 31 years, born in 91, but I remember at least the last half of the 90s. 90s through early 2000s man. Golden time for TV and Video Games
Cool video. Although MK3 was the first I can remember playing online. It was on the SNES and you had to buy a device called X-Band. The X-Band would plug into the cartridge slot. Then the cartridge would plug into the top of the X-Band device. The X-Band had a slot to run a cable to a landline slot.
I remember walking up to the MK arcade cabinet the first weekend it arrived when I was a kid. Addicted ever since.
I’ve always been a fan of Mortal Kombat since I was a toddler! I vaguely remember playing it on the N64 at a close friends house in my childhood, I just loved the fatalities and the gameplay mechanics for the fighting styles and moves. Not to mention the first album was a huge influence in my life, as well as the movies! Ed Boon, you will always be a legend for creating such a phenomenal franchise, and for making my childhood and millions of others memorable! 🐉🙏♾️
Mortal Kombat Trilogy Had One Of The Best Rosters In MORTAL KOMBAT
My Uncle bought me Mortal Kombat II on Sega Genesis for my 4th or 5th birthday and I've been playing them ever since.
Your uncle is an absolute gun!
They should've stuck with using real actors in the game. I loved playing Pit Fighter at the arcade as a child for that very reason.
Genre defining
More like the rise of a legendary franchise!
14:56 That isn't Bo Rai Cho, that is Shujinko! XD
I started with the franchise from the first MK. Although I didn't play it in the arcades much, it often lived in my Genesis for months at a time. I stayed in all the way through trilogy, then got back in via MK11. I'm so excited for MK1(2)!
I love watching the history of this game. Great stuff. Mortal Kombat is definitely my fave fighting game.
I watch these stories all the time...especially when MK is in the news...This reminds me of my childhood so much so that I went out and bought MK and MKII cabinets to have in my office!
I appreciate this entire video History
It's such a shame the early versions were removed from the PlayStation store. Whilst a gazillion street Fighter options are allowed to remain
I can remember playing the original at my local grocery store as a kid. Not sure the store knew what game they had
Excellent video!🎉
Nice work!
Fascinating history of this series, but there was an error in the video, when you covered MK Deception, the narrator said you play as Bo' Rai Cho, but you really play a character named Shujinko,
Yes! I am waiting for this!
I started at the beginning. MK1 in the arcade, senior in high school.
14:57 It’s Shujinko not Bo' Rai Cho
I cringed when I heard that
@@KimboRice93Same 😒
Very good review, kudos to you. I remember `Mercy` being introduced in the series in the third instalment.
14:55 You play as Shujinko not Bo Rai Cho in Deception’s Konquest
In my arcade everyone wanted to be Raiden. That flying move was deadly in the beginning
I've heard of Mortal Kombat via the film adaptation, the first game of the franchise I tried out was MK2011. Such a good time on that one.
I remember playing the original MK, trading the input for finishers and the playground legends about secrets that mostly weren't real lol.
8:09 Ed Boon vs popcorn "Get over Here!" * crunching sound
I love the mk games Armageddon was my first introduction and it was an awesome experience!💝🙌🤩
This is going to be insane
My intro into the series was the original MK arcade machine and my fav is Scorpion .
Dope!!
Aramgeddon's story mode is like Shaolin Monks, huh? I'll look into the former now.
I learned today though that Big Trouble in Little China, inspired Mortal Kombat I think
That movie as well as two other classic movies in Enter the Dragon and Blood Sport.
@@zachgoodrich6100Those movies were made long before Mortal Kombat was even conceptualized. 😅😅😅
I've been playing the series since the arcade original. I've always gone back and forth between Sub-zero and Scorpion as my favorite.
Thank you 😊
The amazement of me a 6 year old at the arcades seeing the fatalities is unforgettable
How old are you now?
I love ❤️ the art works 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
Very interesting, feels like going through a Time Machine. I remember playing MK on a gameboy then I went on to play MK 3 Ultimate which was my best, then MK4 and Shaolin Monks on PS2. Idk if I will get a MK again haha
When MK II came out we played on Nintendo on a friends birthday party until it overheated and broke down😂
Mythologies Sub-Zero is my Dark Souls.
It was a cool game for the time… I’d like to see them take another shot at it
Scorpion buddy. The coolest one there
I still want to see Mortal Kombat vs Street Fighter!
Shujinko is the Konquest lead in Deception, not Bo Rai Cho.
Imagine being those first teens to test out this game. Man what I would do to have been there when this masterpiece of a franchise was created
Envious of those kids. I also wonder who was the first kid to defeat Reptile. The radical street cred bestowed upon them after that would be astounding.
Curious that this video was uploaded today just today when i finished Mortal Kombat 11 for the first time
I know people didn't care for sub-zero mythologies, but I absolutely loved the game...sub zero was my favorite player and still is but I was so stoked he got his own game..
I liked that game too. It's a shame there weren't more of them with other characters
How on earth the general public learned Moves Is the biggest Mystwry of all
Mortal Kombat Deception and Mortal Kombat Armageddon are my two favorites.
Mortal 1 is the best now
Dude, Bo Rai Cho just teaches you his fight style, you play Deception with Shujinko!!
0:28 Ed Boon monitor says SANS A undertale reference in the 90s
I wanted to get MK1 for this year but I dont have PS5 . Would it works for PS4?
Man i dont think I've ever seen MK2 in such high resolution before.
Love his deadly alliance costume
The evolution from MK9 is truly tremendous. Instead, it is no longer an idyllic gameplay. The first video into in MK11 is the abominable Geras juggle combo. This may not seem like the Mortal Kombat it once was to some people.
14:50 On MK Deception conquest mode you control Shujinko, not Bo-Rai-Cho.
I would've loved to play the Shaolin monks sequel
GameSpot yall done goofed because the mercy was introduced way back in umk3 now I must rematch this vid
10:02 And that's on period. Kitana 🔛🔝❗❗
I know who's my favorite character is. Liu-Kang, Sindel, Kitana, Sheeva, Ashrah, Nitara, Tanya, Jade, Sonya Blade, kharmeleon, Li Mei, Sareena, and Stryker,
MK11 was the best entry of all time.
Its crazy to me to know that Mortal Kombat is the same age as me yet I am older than it by 3 months. I was born in July, Mortal Kombat released in October that same year.
How does the video for mk1 look so good here?
is the secret arcade in Chicago. “The Galloping Ghost”? Because if so that place is my safe space. Largest Arcade in America!
boon was lowkey attractive back in the day
I miss Raiden’s self torpedo yell. Please bring that back.
Lol i heard Dave's voice and thought i clicked on a dark souls video😂😂
The opening is mostly incorrect and can be fact checked. Pesina isn't a great source. Boon and Tobias were coworkers at the time. Midway was actually looking at Steven Seagal or JCVD at the time. Having a celebrity wasn't really a deal breaker. The team just had to get something done under a year. Calling Boon the "boss" is a good shorthand for weak MK research.
I thought this was gonna be lore
Mortal kombat 9 is the GOAT
I love MKx
The real Scorpion will be missed
The Mercy's were around way before Mortal Kombat 11, If memory serves me correct they debute in mortal kombat 3, You had to lose one round, win a round then in the 3rd round defeat your opponent show "Mercy" then you could perform a Animality.
Make more videos like this
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is my favorite Mortal Kombat game.
Toobad just wish there was another armageddon in mk again! Cause almost all the kharacters almost there!
Agreed
MK2 is my favorite followed by Mk11
I still have Mortal Kombat 1 Super Nintendo Mortal Kombat 2 in Mortal Kombat 3 on Sega Genesis