How Mortal Kombat Came to be One of the most Memorable Full-Sized Arcades

There’s no denying that Mortal Kombat has left quite an impression on full-sized arcades. Given its unique take on the fighting game genre, excess of gore, blood, and fatalities, it remarkably displays an appealing concept. It can accomplish this while still being an entertaining game that almost anyone (age-appropriate) can get. But, how did it achieve this? How did such a concept and entertainment come to be its position given the circumstances of its time? Let’s take a deep dive into gaming history to find out, shall we?

The brains behind the game

If you want to know who are the creative minds behind, you’re going to want to acquaint yourself with the names of John Tobias and Ed Boon. They were the ones willing to throw their hat into the fighting game ring in 1991 and develop a game that featured Jean-Claude Van Damme. The idea makes sense given how hot he was in violent combat-styled films in the early 90s. Sadly the licensing of such an idea fell through, so both John and Ed went back to the drawing board. Still wanting to make a violent game based on the violence in Van Damme’s films, the pair started the creation of Mortal Kombat, which features violence aplenty. 

Concept

Violence wasn’t enough to stand out from the fighting arcade games during that time of its launching. Instead of hand-drawing their characters, they used the likeness of actual people in the game. Then put them within as sprites to give it a more realistic feel. It was different as much as it was unique, especially with the characters themselves. You had a thunder god named Raiden, the vicious and unforgiving Kano, and soon-to-be nearly life-long rivals Sub-Zero and Scorpion. In addition, Hollywood actor Johnny Cage whose likeness was based on Van-Dam himself.

Gameplay

The gameplay was also unique for its time, considering how outlandish and mesmerizing some of the attacks were. With Raiden shooting lightning bolts, Scorpion using his kunai and rope, and Sub-Zero finding no shortage of methods to freeze his foes, you had characters that didn’t just look unique but acted uniquely as well. These features would be capped off by the unique ways through which you could, of course, finish opponents as well. 

Fatalities

Of course, what truly made Ed Boon and John Tobias stand out with their game was the fatality. A concept so horrifying and brutal yet something anyone couldn’t walk away from quickly. The image lingers even after a player wins, and their opponent dizzily stands on screen, all vulnerable for someone to finish them. Should you choose to keep on playing, you’ll see bodies exploding, spines and skulls ripped out, and torn organs because even during the 90s, Mortal Kombat was an extremely violent game for its time. The arcade game was so fierce that it drew some of the wrong attention from parents and even the American Government.

Beyond the Game

Mortal Kombat was so big and famous for its time that its theme song was recognized by people not even interested in gaming, and producers also created a movie based on the game. Though it wouldn’t win any Oscars, the first Mortal Kombat was and is still today very enjoyable, going so far as to be touted as one of the better Video Game Movies created. That’s not a manageable title to obtain, considering just how many stinkers there have been throughout the ages. Though almost everyone agreed with the second movie by how much worse it seemed than the first, one cannot deny the increased exposure the film gave the game. This exposure allowed the brand to grow throughout the times. 

Conclusion

Mortal Kombat has gone through its fair share of trials and tribulations, but given just how successful the game is today, especially with the release of its most recent match MK 11, it’s safe to say that its success has never been better. Sure, it may be violent, especially when it was first conceived, but when it comes to full-sized arcades, you cannot deny that its impact on gaming was monumental in terms of the concept.

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