History Videogame / MortalKombat

[[quoteright:240:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logo-mortalkombat_3226.jpg]]
->'''Test Your Might'''
->'''Fatality'''
-->--''The announcer''

->'''GET OVER HERE!'''
-->--''Scorpion''

'''''Mortal Kombat''''' is a FightingGame released in arcades in 1992; it was later ported to the Genesis and Super NES, amongst other gaming platforms.

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 -- ''[[BruceLeeClone Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[DeadpanSnarker Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''[[ActionGirl Sonya Blade]]'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[SmugSnake Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[TheMentor Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[AnIcePerson Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, EvilSorcerer ''[[BigBad Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[TheDragon Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment champion]].

The full story wasn't finalized until [[RetCanon 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 [[MultiArmedAndDangerous 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, [[TheManBehindTheMan 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.

''Mortal Kombat'' is known for being one of the ''most famous'' games to use digitized actors (the ''first'' was ''VideoGame/{{Pit-Fighter}}''). The game also stood out at the time of its release due to the (semi-)realistic depictions of blood and violence -- especially with its infamous [[FinishingMove Fatalities]]. This is the only game in the series to used a score system. It also featured an Easter Egg in the form of a "bonus" battle: by meeting certain requirements, a player could face [[SecretCharacter Reptile]], a PaletteSwap of Scorpion and Sub-Zero who has a mix of both ninjas' powers.

Followed by '''VideoGame/MortalKombat2'''.

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!!This game provides examples of:
* ActingForTwo: Dan Pesina as Johnny Cage and the ninjas and Ho Sung Pak as Liu Kang and the elderly Shang Tsung (before they rejuvenated the character in ''[=MK2=]'').
* AdjustableCensorship: The Genesis version has a button code that undoes the censorship.
* BloodierAndGorier: Compared to the more family-friendly games that then dominated the market.
* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the SNES port of the first game, Nintendo edited out all the blood, replacing it with an unidentifiable opalescent fluid ([[strike:sawdust]] sweat); the [[FinishingMove Fatalities]] were also toned down considerably to fit Nintendo's censorship policies. The Genesis port was similarly Bowdlerized, but one could unlock the violence with a special code. Sales of the SNES version tanked and the Genesis version was a success, so when the second game was ported, the blood and carnage was left intact.
** One funny thing is that one of the cleaned-up Fatalites, which involved Sub-Zero breaking his opponent's body into pieces after freezing him, was pretty brutal anyway. It was turned into one of his Fatalities in the second game.
** The Action Replay Mark II game enhancer, which among other things allowed gamers to bypass Nintendo's security measures and play import games, got fans very very excited because with a complex code it allowed blood back in the game. All it did was turn the sweat red, rather than the more unrealistic buckets of blood the original had.
* CreatorCameo: The heads of the main people behind the game were impaled on the bottem of the Pit.
** Probe Software, the porting team behind the Genesis ''MK'', included their president, Fergus [=McGovern=], in the game. As a floating head that counts as a moon-obscuring shadow for fighting Reptile, of all things. He also appeared in the sequel as a "Fergality" performable by Raiden.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to other fighting games at the time.
* DeathByCameo: The creators appear as decapitated heads in the Pit Arena.
* DynamicDifficulty: The AI more or less adapted to player style. If you didn't use special moves, the computer used them sparingly until later stages. This meant that theoretically, new players were not as hampered by a lack of understanding. Later games scrapped this and went on to innovate the PerfectPlayAI style.
* FollowTheLeader: Any fighting game with either a focus on {{gor|n}}e or digitized graphics that came out in the wake of ''Mortal Kombat'' was generally considered a knockoff.
* TheForeignSubtitle: The Japanese versions of the console ports featured the subtitle ''Shinken Kourin Densetsu'' (The Legendary Descent of the Divine Fist).
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: The Pit contains the first example of a stage fatality.
* MiniGame: "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.
* MirrorMatch: TropeNamer. Shang Tsung makes an evil clone of your character after you defeat the other fighters in one-on-one combat.
* {{Retcon}}: Once the story was fleshed out more in the movie, Raiden was made much more noble. In the game he joined the tournament for fun and his ending depicts him dominating it, growing bored and inviting other gods to join in. This results in the complete destruction of the Earth. Have a nice day.
* SpoilerOpening: The opening video for the Sega CD version shows the characters fighting Shang Tsung and his death animation.
* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The AI sometimes uses a standing block to resist a sweep kick. Human players can't do this.
* TitleScream: That theme song from the movie? [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOAZ3KAdyU Sega CD owners]] [[AdaptationDisplacement got an early taste of it]].
* TournamentArc: This is the only time the actual "Mortal Kombat" tournament is relevant to the plot (as the second one in the sequel is [[NotJustATournament merely a ruse]]), though it is revisited in the [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 ninth installment]].
* {{Wuxia}}: Compared to the more FantasyKitchenSink elements of later games, this one most aesthetically resembles a Chinese martial arts movie. EnterTheDragon, to be exact. TheMovie runs with this, and is damn near a remake of said movie, albeit with magic and ninja included.

----

* RatedMForMoney: Either the TropeMaker or the TropeCodifier, depending on whom you ask. It probably helps that the [[TheNewRockAndRoll controversy]] played a part in the ESRB's creation.

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 -- ''[[BruceLeeClone Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[DeadpanSnarker Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''Sonya Blade'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[SmugSnake Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[TheMentor Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[AnIcePerson Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, EvilSorcerer ''[[BigBad Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[TheDragon Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment 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 -- ''[[BruceLeeClone Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[DeadpanSnarker Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''[[GoodLookingPrivates Sonya Blade]]'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[SmugSnake Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[TheMentor Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[AnIcePerson Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, EvilSorcerer ''[[BigBad Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[TheDragon Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment champion]].

* {{Retcon}}: Once the story was fleshed out more in the movie, Raiden was made much more noble. He joined the tournament for fun and his ending depicts him dominating it, growing bored and inviting other gods to join in. This results in the complete destruction of the Earth. Have a nice day.

* CreatorCameo: Probe Software, the porting team behind the Genesis ''MK'', included their president, Fergus [=McGovern=], in the game. As a floating head that counts as a moon-obscuring shadow for fighting Reptile, of all things. He also appeared in the sequel as a "Fergality" performable by Raiden.

* DynamicDifficulty: The AI more or less adapted to player style. If you didn't use special moves, the computer used them sparingly. This meant that theoretically, new players were not as hampered by a lack of understanding. Later games scrapped this and went on to innovate the PerfectPlayAI style.

* ActingForTwo: Dan Pesina as Johnny Cage and the ninjas, Ho Sung Pak as Liu Kang and the elderly Shang Tsung (before they rejuvenated the character in ''[=MK2=]'').

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

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The AI sometimes uses a standing block to resist a sweep kick. Human players can't do this.

* TournamentArc: This is the only time the actual "Mortal Kombat" tournament is relevant to the plot (as the second one in the sequel is merely a ruse), though it is revisited in the [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 ninth installment]].

* MirrorMatch: TropeNamer. Shang Tsung makes an evil clone of your character after you defeat the other fighters.

* MiniGame: "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.
* MirrorMatch

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 -- ''[[BruceLeeClone Liu Kang]]'', a Shaolin monk; ''[[FakeUltimateHero Johnny Cage]]'', a Hollywood action film star; ''[[GoodLookingPrivates Sonya Blade]]'', a United States Special Forces agent; ''[[SmugSnake Kano]]'', a mercenary/killer-for-hire; ''[[TheMentor Raiden]]'', the God of Thunder; ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Scorpion]]'', the reborn specter of a murdered ninja; and ''[[AnIcePerson Sub-Zero]]'', an assassin for the Lin Kuei ninja clan -- will fight each other for the right to face the grandmaster, EvilSorcerer ''[[BigBad Shang Tsung]]'', and his champion ''[[TheDragon Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment champion]].

* TheForeignSubtitle: The Japanese Mega Drive version had the subtitle ''Shinken Kourin Densetsu'' (The Legendary Descent of the Divine Fist).

* MarketBasedTitle: The Japanese Mega Drive version had the words ''Shinken Kourin Densetsu'' added to its title.

** The Action Reply MK2 cheat cartridge, which among other things allowed gamers to bypass Nintendo's security measures and play import games, got fans very very excited because with a complex code it allowed blood back in the game. All it did was turn the sweat red, rather than the more unrealistic buckets of blood the original had.

** The Japanese found a strange way to soften the content of ''Mortal Kombat II'' for SNES: the blood was turned green and, whenever a fatality was performed, the screen went black and white.

** The Action Reply MK2 cheat cartridge, which among other things allowed gamers to bypass Nintendo's security measures and play import games, got fans very very excited because with a complex code it allowed blood back in the game. From memory all it did was turn the sweat red, rather than the more unrealistic buckets of blood the original had.

''Mortal Kombat'' is known for being arguably the ''most famous'' game to use digitized actors (the ''first'' was ''VideoGame/{{Pit-Fighter}}''). The game also stood out at the time of its release due to the (semi-)realistic depictions of blood and violence -- especially with its infamous [[FinishingMove Fatalities]]. This is the only game in the series to used a score system. It also featured an Easter Egg in the form of a "bonus" battle: by meeting certain requirements, a player could face [[SecretCharacter Reptile]], a PaletteSwap of Scorpion and Sub-Zero who has a mix of both ninjas' powers.

''Mortal Kombat'' is known for being arguably the ''most famous''' game to use digitized actors (the ''first'' was ''VideoGame/{{Pit-Fighter}}''). The game also stood out at the time of its release due to the (semi-)realistic depictions of blood and violence -- especially with its infamous [[FinishingMove Fatalities]]. This is the only game in the series to used a score system. It also featured an Easter Egg in the form of a "bonus" battle: by meeting certain requirements, a player could face [[SecretCharacter Reptile]], a PaletteSwap of Scorpion and Sub-Zero who has a mix of both ninjas' powers.

The original Mortal Kombat was released in Arcades in 1992. The game featured seven combatants beating the crap out of each other: Shaolin monk ''[[BruceLeeClone Liu Kang]]'', movie star ''[[FakeUltimateHero Johnny Cage]]'', United States Special Forces Agent ''[[GoodLookingPrivates Sonya Blade]]'', Black Dragon mercenary ''[[SmugSnake Kano]]'', God of Thunder ''[[TheMentor Raiden]]'', ninja spectre ''[[EnsembleDarkhorse Scorpion]]'', and Lin Kuei assassin ''[[AnIcePerson Sub-Zero]]''. One of these warriors will face the EvilSorcerer ''[[BigBad Shang Tsung]]'' and his champion ''[[TheDragon Goro]]'' for the title of Mortal Kombat's [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment champion]] and determine the fate of the Earth.

The story for the game was actually not solidified until [[RetCanon after the film adaptation was made]]. The story as it was presented at the time of the game's release was simply that Mortal Kombat is a Shaolin tournament but due to the machinations of the tournament grandmaster, Shang Tsung, was corrupt. Liu Kang had set out to rectify this by defeating Tsung's champion Goro and then taking the tournament back from Shang Tsung.

The story as it is now uses this as a base but is more complex. The complete story goes that the tournament is actually a balancing device put in place by the Elder Gods. The tournament acts as an "arbitrator" of sorts, giving realms with interests in another realm a chance to compete for the right to invade. The rules state that in order for one realm to conquer another, they must win ten such tournaments in an unbroken streak. Long ago Shang Tsung competed in the Mortal Kombat tournament and won but was later dethroned by the Great Kung Lao. The next time the tournament was held, he brought with him a four-armed monster from Outworld named [[MultiArmedAndDangerous Goro]] and proceeded to kill the Great Kung Lao and take the tournament under his hand. All of this was done at the command of [[TheManBehindTheMan Shao Kahn]], the ruler of Outworld who had ambitions to seize Earthrealm. By the time the events of the game take place, Shang Tsung has been overseeing the Mortal Kombat tournament for 500 years and Goro has remained undefeated nine times through that. As this is the tenth time that Outworld must win before Shao Kahn gains passage to Earthrealm, this is the deciding battle and Earthrealm must crown a new champion or face ruin.

The game is known for being arguably the ''most famous''' game to use digitized actors (the ''first'' was ''VideoGame/{{Pit-Fighter}}''); it also stood out because of the blood and carnage depicted throughout the game, especially with its infamous [[FinishingMove Fatalities]]. It was the only game in the series which used a score system, and the first in the series which introduced a SecretCharacter.

The game is known for being arguably the ''most famous''' game to use digitized actors (the ''first'' was {{Pit-Fighter}}); it also stood out because of the blood and carnage depicted throughout the game, especially with its infamous [[FinishingMove Fatalities]]. It was the only game in the series which used a score system, and the first in the series which introduced a SecretCharacter.

-->'''Test Your Might'''
-->'''Fatality'''

-->'''GET OVER HERE!'''

* {{Wuxia}}: Compared to the more FantasyKitchenSink elements of later games, this one most aesthetically resembles a Chinese martial arts movie. EnterTheDragon, to be exact.

* {{Wuxia}}: Compared to the more FantasyKitchenSink elements of later games, this one most aesthetically resembles a Chinese martial arts movie.

* DynamicDifficulty: The AI more or less adapted to player style. If you didn't use special moves, the computer used them sparingly. This meant that theoretically, new players were not as hampered by a lack of understanding. Later games scrapped this and went on to innovate the MKWalker style.