Mortal Kombat (Sega)

Mortal Kombat, developed and released by Midway Games in 1992, stands as an iconic milestone in the realm of arcade fighting games. This game, later made available by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home gaming system then, is responsible for laying the foundation for the future of the Mortal Kombat series.

Key Aspects:

• The game introduced a unique five-button control system and the infamous gory finishing moves.
• The storyline follows monk Liu Kang as he embarks on a mission to save Earth from the nefarious sorcerer, Shang Tsung, culminating in the iconic Mortal Kombat tournament.

Popularity & Legacy: With its introduction, Mortal Kombat quickly climbed to the top-selling ranks, earning its name in the annals of fighting game history. Its success led to numerous sequels, spin-offs, and even a successful movie adaptation in 1995. The sequel, Mortal Kombat II, launched in 1993, was particularly noteworthy.

Controversy: Its realistic depiction of intense violence and gore stirred significant debate. This controversy eventually paved the way for age-specific content descriptor ratings for video games, given its digitized graphics portrayal of brutality.

Game Mechanics: Mortal Kombat offers one-on-one battle formats, where the objective is to deplete the opponent's health bar across two rounds to clinch the match. Despite the array of characters, they offer largely similar moves, with slight variances in speed and range. The game breaks the mold with its 'X' pattern button arrangement, which includes high and low punches, kicks, and a central block button, complemented by an eight-way joystick.

Special Moves & Fatalities: Mortal Kombat set itself apart with joystick-exclusive special moves. Instead of the common circular joystick movements seen in other games, Mortal Kombat predominantly used taps. As Ed Boon, co-designer, puts it, the game thrived on its 'crazy moves,' including fireballs and 'magic moves'. Another groundbreaking feature was the 'Fatality' - a gory finishing move against a defeated adversary, adding a layer of dramatic climax to the match.

To this day, Mortal Kombat remains a beloved classic in the world of video games, celebrated for its trailblazing mechanics, characters, and cultural impact.