Flawless Victory!
Written: Jul 05 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great fun.good graphics,music and atmosphere
Cons: Its the game all other MKs would be judged by.
The Bottom Line: All MK fans, and 16-Bit fighter fans should check this game out. The definitive MK, and all around great 16-Bit fighting game.
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| flash-hammer's Full Review: Mortal Kombat II for Super Nintendo |
After the huge success of Mortal Kombat not only in the arcades but on its home ports as well, Midway got to work on a sequel that was to sport more blood, more characters and most important of all: more finishing moves.
When it arrived, there was a genuine sense of excitement amongst everyone that I knew. Admittedly, we had all been suckered into the whole MK craze despite it not being that great a game, but nothing prepared us for the sequel.
The story is that after Shang Tsung’s defeat and the death of Goro, the Earth Realm was safe from the Outworld’s attacks. But after being begged by Shang Tsung for another chance, the emperor Shao Kahn decides to break the rules and host an improvised Mortal Kombat in his own home of Outworld. The Earth Realm fighters will need to travel to this alternate Realm if they want to save ours.
Returning from MK1 was the tournament winner and Bruce Lee-a-like Liu Kang, his buddy and Van Damme-a-like actor Johnny Cage, the thunder god Raiden, the vengeance seeking Ninja Spectre Scorpion, the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, who has used his magic to make himself younger, the mysterious Ninja Reptile.
Joining them in Kombat is the younger brother of MK1’s now deceased Sub Zero, Kang’s ancestor Kung Lao, Ninja Princess of the Outworld Kitana, her evil Twin Mileena, the hideous Mutant Baraka and Sonya Blade’s partner Jax.
But the one who emerges victorious from this group still has to face Goro’s relation Kintaro and the mighty Emperor of Outworld Shao Kahn.
Also skulking in the shadows are mysterious Ninja Smoke, Noob Saibot and Jade.
Graphically, the game is pretty great. The digitised actors look sharp and all the detail of their outfits can be made out, this is strides ahead of the fuzzy look the sprites had in MK1. The backgrounds are also pretty top notch, with the Outworld being brought to life awesomely by them.
Musically, the game is once again brilliant. Memorable martial-arts/fantasy movie theme style tracks are what is used, and once again they suit the game, and each individual stage brilliantly.
The controls for the game are exactly the same as Snes MK1. Y is high punch, B is Low Punch, A is Low Kick and X is high kick. L or R blocks.
These all respond 100 times better than in the prequel, and come out almost the instant they are pressed.
Like its predecessor, the game is a one on one fighter in which the goal is to defeat all of your opponents, before taking on yourself in a ‘mirror match’, then squaring off against the four-armed shokan Kintaro for a chance to take down the evil Emperor Shao Kahn.
So, how can such a poor first game on the Snes turn into such a good one by its sequel? First of all, the majority of the glitches have been removed, and the game can now actually be played. Also in this game that was lacking from MK1 was the blood and fatalities. Given that these were the reasons the majority of people wanted to play MK in the first place, removing them was suicide for the first Snes outing of the series. In 2, each character has not only one, but 2 death moves, along with a friendship, where he doesn’t kill his enemy, and a ‘babality’ in which the opponent is turned into a child. Weird.
The thing that makes MK2 so much better than the first is that not only does it capture the excellent atmosphere that the first game had, but it backs it up with a solid game that is actually fun to play, which makes for a far more enjoyable experience in the long run. Out of all of the Mortal Kombat’s, and I own a version of all of them, Mortal Kombat 2 is the one that has stood the test of time the best.
The game is right up there with Streetfighter 2 for being one of the reasons fighting games are so popular, and is one of the best 16-Bit fighting games around.
The game isn’t as good as SF2 in terms of gameplay, not by a longshot. But for what it lacks In this department, it more than makes up for with the excellent story and characters.
The game is probably the best fighting game on the Super Nes outside of the Streetfighter series, and is actually much better than either incarnation of Mortal Kombat 3.
While the blood and gore may not be all that suitable for kids in the eyes of their parents, for those who grew up with the MK games, and are looking to go back to one of them and not be disappointed, 2 is the one to go for. While it may not be as shocking, or brilliant as it was upon release, it still offers good graphics and solid gameplay, and should you have a friend who is also game, can provide some brilliant 2-Player duels.
At the end of the day, if you grew up with the Mortal Kombat games, or are just looking for a good 16-Bit fighter that isn’t SF, I would recommend Mortal Kombat 2. it’s addictive, its gory and its fun.
Other Mortal Kombat Reviews
Games
Mortal Kombat for Super Nintendo
Mortal Kombat for Sega Genesis
Movies
Mortal Kombat
Recommended:
Yes
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flash-hammer
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