From Arcade to Console, How Mortal Kombat Defined Fighting Games

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Fighting games are a niche genre featuring gameplay that sometimes looks like button-mashing to the outsider, although a lot of skill and precision are needed to be good at them. Within the genre, only a handful of franchises have managed to stand out and become iconic fixtures, and only a select few have been able to compete with Mortal Kombat's impact and influence. The series was first introduced to gamers in 1992 when it was still in the hands of Midway Games, and since then, it has had a conspicuous presence in the gaming world.

For modern gamers, Mortal Kombat is known for its stylish finishing moves and uncompromising displays of gore that are realistic enough to make one nauseous. Furthermore, characters like Liu Kang, Raiden, and the four-armed Goro have become recognizable figures within the gaming sphere and wider pop culture. Mortal Kombat's story is an interesting one that features destroyed dreams, highs and lows, and dangerous development strategies.

Sports Games Could Take a Few Notes From Mortal Kombat Games

Mortal Kombat grew from very humble beginnings. In 1991, when the idea for the game was birthed, the development team consisted of just four people, including a single programmer. The art and story designer, John Tobias, had been toying around with an idea to create a ninja-themed game, but that idea would not lead to anything. Instead, Midway Games would be approached to create a fighting game themed around movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme for the film Universal Soldier. Ed Boon, the programmer, had an idea to create a game that would feel like a grittier version of Street Fighter 2, which was popular at the time, but Van Damme did not like the idea, and he parted ways with Midway Games.

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