Mortal Kombat (1992 Video Game)

''Mortal Kombat'' is a 1992 fighting game developed and published by Midway. It is the first entry in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series and was subsequently released by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home platform at that time. The game focuses on several characters of various intentions who enter a martial arts tournament with worldly consequences. It introduced many key aspects of the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, including the unique five-button control scheme and gory finishing moves called Fatalities.

''Mortal Kombat'' is considered by critics to be one of the greatest video games ever made. It spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, beginning with '' Mortal Kombat II'' in 1993. Both games were the subject of a film adaptation in 1995. However, it also sparked much controversy for its depiction of extreme violence and gore using realistic digitized graphics and, along with the home releases of '' Night Trap'' and '' Lethal Enforcers,'' prompted the formation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a U.S. government-backed organization that set descriptor ratings for video games.

Gameplay

''Mortal Kombat'' is a fighting game in which players battle opponents in 1v1 matches. The fighter that drains the opponent's health bar first wins the round, and the first to win two rounds wins the match. Each round is timed; if both fighters have health remaining when time runs out, the one with more health wins. Two players can start a game together, or a second player can join in during a single player's game to fight against them. If a game was in progress at the time, the winner continues it alone; if not, the winner begins a new game.

''Mortal Kombat'' uses an 8-directional joystick and 5 buttons, including 2 punch and 2 kick buttons, each further differentiated between high and low. Attacks can vary depending on the player's distance from the opponent. All player characters have a shared set of attacks performed by holding the joystick in various directions, such as a leg sweep and an uppercut. The latter attack knocks the enemy high into the air and causes much damage. Most special moves were performed by tapping the joystick, sometimes ending with a button press. Unlike previous one-on-one fighting games, few moves require circular joystick movement. The game's blocking system also distinguished itself from other fighting games, as characters take a small amount of damage from regular moves while blocking. However, the dedicated block button allows users to defend against attacks without retreating. Blocking characters lose very little ground when struck, thus making counterattacks much easier after a successful block.

''Mortal Kombat'' further introduced the concept of "juggling", knocking an opponent into the air and following up with a combination of attacks while the enemy is still airborne and defenseless. The idea became so popular that it spread to many other games. Another of the game's innovations was the Fatality, a finishing move performed against a defeated opponent to execute them in a gruesome fashion.

In the single-player game, the player faces each of the 7 playable characters in a series of 1v1 matches against computer-controlled opponents, ending in a "Mirror Match" against a duplicate of the player's chosen character. The player must then fight in 3 endurance matches, each involving 2 other playable characters. When the player defeats the first opponent, the second one enters the arena, and the timer resets; however, the player's health meter does not regenerate. After the third endurance match, the player fights the sub-boss Goro, followed by a final match against Shang Tsung.

Between certain levels, players can compete in a minigame called "Test Your Might" for bonus points, breaking blocks of various materials by filling a meter past a certain point through rapid button presses. The first material the player must break is wood, followed by stone, steel, ruby, and finally diamond, with each successive material requiring more of the meter to be filled up and thus awarding more points. Two players can compete in the minigame at once, and the last two materials are only accessible through two-player mode. The minigame returned in various forms in '' Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'', '' Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks'', ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'', '' Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition'', ''Mortal Kombat X'', and its DLC counterpart, '' Mortal Kombat XL''.

Plot

The game takes place in Earthrealm, where a tournament is being held on Shang Tsung's Island, on which seven of its locations serve as stages in the game. The introduction to ''Mortal Kombat'' explains that Shang Tsung was banished to Earthrealm 500 years ago and, with the help of the monstrous Goro, can seize control of the Mortal Kombat tournament in an attempt to doom the realm. For 500 years straight, Goro has been undefeated in the tournament and has won nine consecutive tournaments. If Goro wins again, Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld, will be allowed to take the Earthrealm. To prevent this, a new generation of warriors must challenge Goro.

According to the ''Mortal Kombat'' series' canon, Liu Kang wins this tournament under Raiden's guidance, defeating Goro and Shang Tsung and freeing the many souls that Tsung had imprisoned over the centuries. Scorpion pursues Sub-Zero and finally faces him after the end of the tournament, killing him and avenging his death. Sonya rescues her special forces squad, who had been held hostage by Shang Tsung. However, she fails to apprehend Kano, who escapes the island on a boat. Reptile, unsure of his fate, flees to Outworld. Raiden then teleports the surviving Earthrealmers to safety as Shang Tsung's island crumbles into the sea. Returning to Hollywood, Johnny Cage uses the experience to revive his failing acting career and develops a highly popular film franchise, Mortal Kombat. In Outworld, an outraged Shao Kahn refuses to accept the tournament's outcome, setting up the events of the second game. The player receives information about the characters in biographies displayed during the attract mode. The bulk of the game's backstory and lore was only told in a comic book, but some additional information about the characters and their motivations for entering the tournament is received upon completion of the game with each character.

Characters

''Mortal Kombat'' includes seven playable characters, each with their own unique Fatality and all of whom would eventually become trademark characters and appear in several sequels. The game was developed with digitized sprites based on real actors.

Ho-Sung Pak plays Liu Kang, a former member of the secret White Lotus Society who enters the tournament representing the Shaolin temples. He is tasked by Raiden to win the tournament and save Earthrealm. Originally envisioned as a monk, Pak refused to shave his head for the role, leading Kang's final design to more closely resemble actor Bruce Lee.

Elizabeth Malecki plays the Special Forces agent Sonya Blade, who enters in pursuit of the dangerous Black Dragon organization. Her team is captured and held hostage by Shang Tsung, forcing Sonya to participate in the tournament. Sonya was inspired by actress Cynthia Rothrock.

Richard Divizio portrays Kano, a savage criminal and mercenary. Kano is a member of the Black Dragons, a powerful organized crime syndicate. He is described as a Caucasian man orphaned as a child in Japan, and his vicious nature led him to be raised in the Japanese underworld. In later games his origin was retconned, establishing him as having an Australian background. Kano cares little for the tournament and seeks to steal Shang Tsung's treasures. He is also a cyborg

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