Mortal Kombat was one of the first major fighting games to release to consoles and arcades, and has cemented itself as a mainstay in amongst video games. This is the History of Mortal Kombat, from its humble roots, to battles in court, 3D revolution, and bringing back the series to its original 2D fighting gameplay.
Mortal Kombat first began as an idea to have a fighting game involving the Lin Kuei Ninjas – however, eventually this involved into an idea to include Jean-Claude Van Damme. While the Jean-Claude Van Damme idea wouldn’t come to fruition, it would serve as the basis for Johnny Cage and Mortal Kombat as a whole.
Mortal Kombat made an immediate splash in the arcade scene, but its violence would soon draw the ire of certain congressional members, in particular, Jospeh Lieberman – all leading to the creation of the ESRB. From there, the game would spawn 11 mainline sequels, dabble into the world of 3D, and find new ground within its 2D Fighting roots.
Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry into the series, is set to release September 19, 2023.