In the mid-nineties there was nothing more spectacular in film than state of the art computer generated digital effects. As Paul Anderson's Mortal Kombat was building anticipation with theatrical trailers, Threshold Entertainment decided to assault the home market with a blend of tradition 2D and 3D rendered animation. Cinemassacre revisited this oddity of its time in the latest Rental Review. Check it out:

Chances are if you saw Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins around the time of its 1995 release, you'll relate to the pangs of disappointment discussed by the Cinemassacre crew.

Even at the time, clunky 3D animation failed to impress once the videotape (or laser disc) was out of the box. Stiff, slow-moving fight scenes were a far cry from similar animation of the era, outpaced by the likes of TV's ReBoot, or the big budget Toy Story. Even the crude sequences of Dire Strait's 1985 Money For Nothing music video weren't far behind. If the traditional 2D animation was supposed to pick up the slack, primitive digital coloring and budget animation techniques let it down almost as much as the digital flashbacks.

Fortunately, Threshold would create a much more satisfying entry into broadcast animation around a year and a half later with Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. The kid-friendly Saturday morning cartoon had more in common with the plot of the 1995 movie. So of course it's The Journey Begins that was brought back for a wide release, included with the 2011 blu-ray release.

As much as the direct-to-video release might seem underwhelming -- it wasn't all bad. The Journey Begins borrowed much more faithfully from video games than the movie, adapting designs right out of the arcades. There were versions of fabled backstory and battles, like Sub-Zero vs Scorpion, and glimpses of the legendary figures from the past, such as Great Kung Lao and King Gorbak! For fans of Mortal Kombat's engrossing characters and storyline, the only other way to see these moments realize was in collectible tie-in comic books.

Take another trip to the past with Cinemassacre's Annihilation Rental Review and look back at Mortal Monday. Discuss more movies and animation with us on the Media & Merchandise.

It seems the saga of an HD remaster of the original Mortal Kombat arcade trilogy is an on-going one. New concept art has emerged from the latest in a string of aborted attempts at a revival, revealing interesting features from Mortal Kombat Kollection Online. Read on:

Exact details from the apparently cancelled Mortal Kombat Remastered project are unknown, but Concept Artist Danny Huynh released images to his ArtStation account showing designs for menus, modes, and the iconic special attacks used by Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the original game. Click the thumbnails below to take a closer look:

DSO Gaming reports this incarnation of an HD remake was being developed by Blind Squirrel Games, but has since been cancelled. This is apparently separate to a previously cancelled version initiated by developers of the fan-made Mortal Kombat HD Kommunity Edition, who flirted with an official released dubbed Mortal Kombat Returns with support of Ed Boon, but were overlooked in favour of a more experienced development team.

Huynh has since removed the concept screenshots from his page, but the DSOG report outlines an intent to create new ways to play the original trilogy of games, including some version of The Krypt -- seen in releases since 2002's Deadly Alliance and returning in this April's Mortal Kombat 11 -- as well as online modes, and other features. Rumors from previous attempts have described the ability to pit versions of characters from different releases against one another.

The only character pictured in mock menus is Scorpion, seen in render art taken from Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. This is more than likely a mere place holder. We know Warner Brothers has newly photographed live-action sprites somewhere in their archives. In 2014, MK Online previously reported on images from the HD photoshoot. These may or may not be still in consideration for use.

The lure of an HD remix of klassic arcade installments has long tempted nostalgic fans, but in a recent interview with Gameinformer, co-creator and NetherRealm Studios Creative Director Ed Boon said he isn't convinced the novelty wouldn't sustain interest for much more than a week or two. With new entries like Mortal Kombat 11 once again revisiting MK's past, it's a topic that's sure to continue to tempt fans, even as it draws them to a more promising present.

Read more about the long and winding history of MKHD in MK Online's Saga of Mortal Kombat HD feature, and an in-depth interview with Kommunity Edition developer Bleed! Share your thoughts about retro and remakes in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!

Kitana has a vendetta to pursue in the latest Mortal Kombat 11 gameplay reveal trailer! D'Vorah joins the Princess in battle, revealing some of her deadly new tricks, and revelations about a hidden past. Watch it right here:

Jumping out of the Mortal Kombat 11 TV Spot, Kitana shows off a familiar style of gameplay heavy with razor-edged fan attacks. She's slicing, stabbing, and swatting her way to victory -- but D'Vorah isn't so easily beaten! As recently profiled, she's evolved new tricks, including the ability to spawn a creepy giant wasp from the husk of her defeated body. The last ditch move joins an arsenal of spider-like webbing and bug bombs sure to cause fighters plenty of trouble!

The trailer features updated designs for both fighters. D'Vorah is seen fighting in her hooded form, a slightly updated version of how she was mostly seen in Mortal Kombat X, rather than the more monstrous design revealed in February. The real revelation that will stir controversy among fans isn't her design, but rather the claim she killed Kitana's father, Edenia's King Jerrod. This supplants Shao Kahn as the conquering Emperor who drove Queen Sindel to suicide when he merged Edenia with Outworld.

Kitana's status as royalty plays out in a new fight intro as she's carried by four men to the battlefield on her throne. This Kitana bares an updated full bodysuit variant of her traditional blue garb. No doubt this will also apply to her corrupted future self, who claimed dominion over the Netherrealm with Liu Kang at her side.

Will you worship Kitana when MK11 arrives for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on the official date of April 23rd? Join the discussion about everything we learned from the trailer on the Mortal Kombat 11 forum! Watch more in the fully rendered Nintendo Switch TV Spot!

MK Online is now excited to officially announce our brand new Twitch show coming, titled “Fatal Friday.” What is it?

It’s a King of the Hill competition, open to everyone in the public to compete in. The stream goes from 9 PM to 11 PM Eastern (8 PM to 10 PM Central) every single Friday, and features a up to date leader board, highlight reel, and several different seasons. Each season lasts 3 months, and whoever placed #1 during that season will be added to our seasonal leader board. At the very end of all the seasons, the top players on the seasonal leader board will be invited to compete in the Grand Finals stream, where the winner will receive a custom one of a kind trophy made by the talented 3D artist, JustMKollum. Featuring new guest hosts with our very own FatalKade every single Friday, you can expect to see some of your favorite, and biggest content creators and celebrities joining in on the play by play commentary.

What are the rules of engagement?

Simple. Whoever has the largest win streak during the live stream is crowned that night’s winner, and will have a featured highlight reel that will appear on the next show. During the final 10 minutes of every stream, there’s a “Sudden Death” mode that kicks in, and whoever is the current King of the Hill during “Sudden Death” will get one chance to continue winning. The stream will continue to stay live until the Sudden Death match reaches its conclusion, and a winner has been decided. There are NO ties. Whoever got the largest win streak FIRST will be crowned the victor.

Our first guest host has been chosen, so stay tuned for more details on what content creator will be revealed to join FatalKade for the first show!

Fatal Friday goes live for the first ever show April 26th, 9 PM Eastern/8 PM Central and is currently only on XBOX ONE. Plans to bring the show to the PS4, Switch, and PC are currently being sorted out, so stay tuned for details at a later date! Feel free to discuss in our forums what you're looking forward to the most on Fatal Friday, which content creators you would like to see join in on the play by play commentary, and if you plan on competing!

With less than two weeks to go until the release of Mortal Kombat 11 the game is giving up its last secrets. Kitana and D'Vorah are the next fighters to go under the developer's spotlight in today's Kombat Kast. Watch it all unfold right here:

Kitana appeared in Old Skool, Story Mode, and Evolution trailers, but confirmation of her playable return didn't come until this week's TV Spot. At last we expect to see the Edenian princess in action when the Kombat Kast returns today at the usual time of 3:00PM CST.

Scuttlebutt also suggests this may be the long awaited unveiling of D'Vorah! Little detail has been offered since her grotesque reveal in early February. Bio updates showed another side to the Kytinn killer, with a detailed report from Gameinformer building anticipation for a new D'Vorah capable of spawning all-new horrors!

Catch more Kitana while you wait in the Nintendo Switch TV Spot. Then when the stream goes live, watch it embedded above and share your impressions on the Mortal Kombat 11 forums!