Mortal Kombat 3

Review

by Benjamin F. Norris IV

The world just can't seem to get enough Mortal Kombat. After 2 arcade games, 10 home conversions, a feature film, trading cards, a line of action figures and an animated series comes Mortal Kombat 3, another attempt to keep the series fresh. While it isn't quite the jump Mortal Kombat 2 was over Mortal Kombat, it does enjoy its own successes and ultimately makes a nice addition to the dying genre of 2D fighting.

But it is still Mortal Kombat. And a sequel at that. Look at all the shiny blood and pixelated people. Yay. If you can get yourself past the inherent cheesiness of MK, you're in for an entertaining game. Each character has his or her own set of special moves, plus multi-hit combos. If you can memorize one, you can dazzle and amaze your friends, as the animation has been cleaned up a bit. And yes, all the finishing moves are there, and then some. Fatalities, Friendships, Babalities, Mercies, and Animalities will keep the ER busy with the sprained thumbs of 12 year olds.

All new additions to the game aid in keeping it new. The run button allows for surprise attacks (plus the ever-so-cool 'grunting' sound effect), the new combo system adds a new level of difficulty, and the level-ascension looks great, but just how does one survive getting punched through 3 feet of solid cement? There are a few annoying aspects which Mortal Kombat 3 does not address, however. Many characters are still too powerful, while others not powerful enough. One can't sit through a Kung Lao vs. Cyrax bout without at least cracking a smile.

Mortal Kombat is officially an established American institution. But like apple pie and baseball, some people just prefer cherry pie and rugby. Such is Mortal Kombat 3, but it is a worthy rent, and a must have for us apple pie -eating baseball fans.