Developer Midway has created a fighting game that has become the definition
of fighting games. It has appeared on multiple consoles, benefiting from the
fact that Midway has never been tied to an individual console developer. It was
able to develop for Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, or Sega. Thus it was able to
reach a massive audience of gamers, allowing Midway to spawn countless games
and motion pictures.
What is special about this game? It is unique. Each game brings something
new to the table. It defined itself in the beginning with the “Fatality,” which
is the ability to actually kill your opponent. No fighting game had done that
before Mortal Kombat. It continued advancing with complex fighting systems,
allowing unique combinations and powerful moves. Character personality was also
a unique trait, as abilities were determined based on the character selected.
Each game, then, brought a variety of characters and styles, always bringing
something new. It branched out further with modified “Fatalities,” bringing
“Friendlies”, “Babalities”, and other such moves.
Recently, the series has expanded and created a much more “story-run”
fighter, where gamers can run around levels and interact with people, run
missions, fight, train, etc. The series continually makes strides, never
fearing change. Mortal Combat is a landmark in videogame development simply
because in pioneered almost every new aspect of a fighter. Practically every
modern fighting game is in some way modeled on Mortal Kombat.
There are hundreds of great series, and there is no way I could mention them
all. Warcraft, Everquest, Metroid, and others are legendary as well. And they
are but a few. The ones above, however, are landmark. They have changed gaming
history, and they will continue to change gaming history. The new Xbox 360,
Playstation 3, and Nintendo Revolution will see renditions of all these games,
furthering the series’ greatness.