Mortal Kombat Trilogy - Williams / Midway

Some folks are going to be extremely disappointed by this game!  The reason?  
The "M"ature rating of course (intended for persons 17 or older).  Why the mature 
rating?  Well that would be because of the Realistic Violence, Realistic Blood and 
Gore.  Why would folks be extremely disappointed by the game?  Because their 
parental/guardian units won't let them get it, or because the video game dealers 
in the area actually enforce the ratings, and don't sell the game to minors!

Seriously, the game has all the gore, all the blood, all the violence, and everything 
else that folks that pumped tons-o-quarters into the arcade systems want, and even 
piles more on top of that.  This game knows it's roots, and it doesn't hide from it 
at all.  In fact, the game actually flaunts the violence, and taunts you into playing 
so you can experience it.  Once it gets you playing, you'll be sucked in to the 
fighting, or lieing on the floor because your blood pressure elevated while watching 
your character take a severe beating on the screen!

The blurps on the package tell you up front, "This Game Is On FIRE!", and they aren't 
kidding.  The game has all of the "-Alities" you know from before, and get this folks, 
they even added more for this special "EXCLUSIVE PLAYSTATION EDITION!"


All the -Alities and more!!!

Yes, this game includes everything you know from the Arcades, and even things that the 
arcade version didn't have.  (You are on your own to find them though folks!  Even if 
this reviewer knew what they were, you'd be sent to the video game store to buy a hint 
book, or figure them out for yourself anyway!).  At a minimum, you'll find Fatalities, 
Babalities, Friendship moves, and more.  The package touts over 30 moves and new 
"-Alities" never before seen.  Can you find them all?

There is also a new "Aggressor Kombat Mode" that builds up as you inflict damage on 
your opponent, and builds faster when your opponent opponent starts whining for mommie 
(metaphorically speaking of course), and blocks your moves.  Once the meter reads 
"AGGRESSOR" you'll be much stronger, and able to inflict serious damage on your opponent 
should you "konnect" on 'em.


But I've never played before!

Well, if you are new to the Mortal Kombat series, you should still be able to do ok with 
this kart.  The documentation offers some rudimentary instructions on game play, and you 
might even learn a few tricks from reading the manual.  For real indepth knowledge about 
the game though, check the web for FAQ's, check with your friends, or other kombat 
artists, and get tips from them.  There are plenty of Kombat experts out there, so 
finding someone to help you master this kart shouldn't be that tough!

To make life easier, just be sure to explore the Options mode, and set the levels 
appropriately.


Options, did I hear options?

Yes, options for Difficulty, including Very Easy (wimp!!!), Easy (still a wimp!), Medium 
(better now), Hard (looking for a challenge, hey?), or Very Hard (you been here before?);  
Blood, ON or OFF, [note, when turned OFF, Finishing Moves, except for Babalities and 
Friendships are disabled!]; Timer, enabled or disabled [no time limit]; Agressor, ON or 
OFF, and more.

There are also several options available in the game speed up area, including limiting 
Shang Tsung's Morphs, and Versus Screen ON or OFF.


Game speed up, why would I need that?

Well, as it turns out, unless you are good at the game, you'll likely spend a lot of 
time looking at the equivalent of a "loading..." screen.  That can get very frustrating 
as you wait for the next opponent to appear on the screen.  In this case the developers 
seem to acknowledge up front that this can be a problem, and at least they have provided 
a way to help eliminate some of the waiting.


What's it all mean?

Time to sum it all up (assuming my brain wasn't damaged too much from the hits my 
opponents laid on me in the game).

Besides the load times, are there other areas that could be improved.  Yes, of course, 
like just about any game out there, there's always something that can be made better, 
and even in this fine kart, there's areas that could be improved.  Of course most of 
what seems to be needing improvement has been addressed between earlier versions and 
this kart.  There's still a bit of a feeling that the visuals are flat, and there's 
not much depth behind the playing field.  The game also continues to be a 2-dimensional 
side-to-side fighter, and not a 3-D fighter like for instance Tekken or Tekken 2  
(still my all time favorite in this genre!).

The makers know their strong points though, and they excel in those areas.  They also 
know the audience, and provide all the blood and gore folks want in their "Kombat" games.

If you're carrying extra money around, this game could use a home on your shelf.  If you 
aren't "big" on Kombat games, then definitely rent it first.  It's possible that a little 
taste will satisfy you, and save you the purchase price.  If you've never played these 
games at all, and are going to the Rental store, be sure to pick up "Tekken 2" at the 
same time, just so you can really compare both games.

Best of luck in your Kombat folks!

Rating: 7 or 8/10 


Barry C. Dowell


Vital Statistics

Genre:  Fighting/Kombat
Game Format: 1 CD for Sony Playstation
Publisher: Williams/MIDWAY
Audience: M (Mature Audiences 17+)
Players: 1 or 2
Street price: $59.95