The game that spawned over six sequels and two live-action movies was released in the arcade in 1992. At the time of its release, it was the bloodiest fighting title in gaming history.
Once it was ported to both Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, users were engrossed in a story involving Shaolin monks, monstrous villains, and even a Hollywood actor who would punch opponents in the crotch while doing a split. It was a simpler time in gaming.
Each character had their special move during gameplay. But it was the fatalities that became an instant hit.
Each character had their own finishing move to end a fight, which they used to kill their opponent in a gory fashion. With cheat codes, gamers could even shrink their opponents into babies.
Mortal Kombat was originally intended to be a game featuring action-film star Jean-Claude Van Damme. When he backed out, the now-defunct Midway Games created this title.
In fact, the developers kept the Kumite death tournament from the Van Damme movie Blood Sport as part of the central plot in the game’s story.
It created controversy for the violence and blood. When senatorial hearings on game violence in the US were held in the early 1990s, much of the discussion centered around Mortal Kombat.
A true classic, the game has been named on several “best of” lists, including Time magazine’s Top 100 Greatest Video Games of All-Time list in 2012.