Mortal Kombat (video game): Difference between revisions

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'''''Mortal Kombat''''' is a [[Fighting Game]] released in arcades in 1992; it was later ported to the Genesis and Super NES, amongst other console systems.

The basic storyline of the game was similar to other fighting games at the time: Mortal Kombat is a Shaolin martial arts tournament which has been corrupted by its grandmaster. The competitors in this tournament -- ''[[Bruce Lee Clone|Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[Deadpan Snarker|Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''[[Good Looking Privates|Sonya Blade]]'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[Smug Snake|Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[The Mentor|Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[Ensemble Darkhorse|Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[An Ice Person|Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, [[Evil Sorcerer]] ''[[Big Bad|Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[The Dragon|Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[Department of Redundancy Department|champion]].

The basic storyline of the game was similar to other fighting games at the time: Mortal Kombat is a Shaolin martial arts tournament which has been corrupted by its grandmaster. The competitors in this tournament -- ''[[Bruce Lee Clone|Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[Deadpan Snarker|Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''[[Good-Looking Privates|Sonya Blade]]'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[Smug Snake|Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[The Mentor|Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[Ensemble Darkhorse|Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[An Ice Person|Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, [[Evil Sorcerer]] ''[[Big Bad|Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[The Dragon|Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[Department of Redundancy Department|champion]].

The full story wasn't finalized until [[Ret Canon|after the film adaptation was made]] -- which turned the game's basic plot into something more complex. The Mortal Kombat tournament is a balancing device put in place by the Elder Gods; it acts as an "arbitrator" of sorts, giving realms with interests in another realm a chance to compete for the right to invade. Under the rules set forth by the Elder Gods, one realm must win ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments in order to have the opportunity to invade another. Shang Tsung competed in -- and won -- the Mortal Kombat tournament generations prior, but was later dethroned by the Great Kung Lao, a high-ranking Shaolin monk. At the following tournament, Shang Tsung had a plan: he entered a four-armed monster from Outworld named [[Multi-Armed and Dangerous|Goro]] into the tournament. Goro proceeded to kill the Great Kung Lao, which allowed Shang Tsung to take control of the tournament. All of this was done at the command of Outworld's emperor, [[The Man Behind the Man|Shao Kahn]], who has plans for conquering Earthrealm. At the time of the events of the game, Shang Tsung has been overseeing the tournament for five hundred years, and Goro has won eight more consecutive tournaments (bringing the total to nine). The Mortal Kombat tournament depicted in this game is the tenth tournament Outworld must win before Shao Kahn gains passage to Earthrealm, which makes it the deciding battle: Earthrealm must defeat Goro and Shang Tsung or face destruction via Outworld's invasion.

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* [[The Foreign Subtitle]]: The Japanese versions of the console ports featured the subtitle ''Shinken Kourin Densetsu'' (The Legendary Descent of the Divine Fist).

* [[Impaled with Extreme Prejudice]]: The Pit contains the first example of a stage fatality.

* [[Mini Game]]: "Test Your Might," where you try breaking wood, stone, or steel. If you play long enough in two-players, you can aim to break Ruby or Diamond.

* [[Mirror Match]]: [[Trope Namer]]. Shang Tsung makes an evil clone of your character after you defeat the other fighters in one-on-one combat.

* [[Rated "M" for Money]]: Either the [[Trope Maker]] or the [[Trope Codifier]], depending on whom you ask. It probably helps that the [[The New Rock and Roll|controversy]] played a part in the ESRB's creation.

* [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard]]: The AI sometimes uses a standing block to resist a sweep kick. Human players can't do this.

* [[Wuxia]]: Compared to the more [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]] elements of later games, this one most aesthetically resembles a Chinese martial arts movie. [[Enter the Dragon]], to be exact. [[The Movie]] runs with this, and is damn near a remake of said movie, albeit with magic and ninja included.