MORTAL KOMBAT VS DC UNIVERSE
Marvel vs Capcom was a good fit: The Marvel Universe and Capcom back catalogue are both bursting with bright, neon characters and endearingly convoluted backstories. DC Comics, though? A stable of moralistic super-father figures carrying 1940s values into an increasingly apathetic present, a vast contrast to the techno/metal styled Kombat anti-heroes. I wouldn’t bat an eye at Cyclops and Ryu bumping titties but if there’s one thing the DCU heroes really hate as much as the Kombateers love it’s brutal, intricate murder. Artistic integrity is for sissies though, and pretty soon Mortal Kombat and DCU had a sordid hookup in something I like to call “videogame whoredom”. The last Midway-developed Kombat game thus included prancing dorkuses like Green Lantern firing magic nerd rays at Raiden and chums (those are Green Lantern’s powers, right?) before despatching them with barely non-lethal “Heroic Brutalities”, a gameplay oxymoron that makes you wonder if anyone involved had used a dictionary in their lives.
NICE PORT, IDIOTS
The spice of Mortal Kombat has always been the wealth of hidden secrets, buried assets and outright lies embedded in each board revision – a tradition that has been actively encouraged by the development team in an effort to make you spend money chasing made-up palette swapped ninjas. One of the best was Human Smoke, who needed to be summoned to the brawl by hitting down and start when prompted by the Mortal Kombat II “Toasty!” guy. Pretty memorable, at least for me! Not so for the guys coding Midway Arcade Treasures 2, who mapped start to the pause button… meaning you could never fight Smoke. The same dire port of MKII turns up in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks… given to you as a gift by Smoke! Oh, Mortal Kombat!
Mortal Kombat 9 was announced at E3 2010 and looks hype. We love Mortal Kombat, but like to see the funny side. Don’t hate us, Ed Boon!