Most fans would agree: Ed Boon has had it far too good for far too long. As co-creator of the monster Mortal Kombat franchise and head of Injustice 2, Boon has had a ticket to ride where he wants, when he wants.

After almost twenty-five years of writing and cashing his own cheques - GameInformer has finally brought the gamesmaster to task to pay the bill on the questions he's been avoiding for decades!

The full E3 interview broaches many of the outstanding issues surrounding the Mortal Kombat franchise. These excerpts reflect but a few of our favourites.

Game Informer: Why doesn't Scorpion realize he could go to his opponent rather than always demanding they come to him?
Ed Boon:That's a really good question. I think he's a control freak. Like, he's one of those people who has to bark orders to kind of lift himself up.

Who do you most like to kill with those fatalities?
Sub-Zero I guess. Contrary to popular belief, I actually don't hate Sub-Zero, but he's the opposite of Scorpion, so he has to kill him. There's no other way.

Has [Reptile] given up on his cosplay career?
Yes. Ironically, many people like his [palette swapped] clone of the other characters as their favorite. I think it has a lot to do with a nostalgia or childhood thing.

Why doesn't Raiden always travel back in time each time EarthRealm loses a tournament?
You know what? I ask myself that same question and um... we're going to have to address that in the future. [laughs] We gotta come up with something that makes sense because that's a really good point.

Does Noob Saibot ever question where his name came from?
Yes. He thinks the creation of his name was very backwards thinking and didn't look forward to the future. Ironically, I was the one who named him. I think he wonders why it's so backwards.

"Backwards" - get it?... Unfortunately, GameInformer neglected to ask the most burning question of them all: Where do they come up with all those crazy fatalities? Maybe next year, fellas.

Find even more hard hitting Q&A sessions with the makers of Mortal Kombat in MK Online's Interview Archive! Have your say on all the hot topics on the 2D Kombat Klassics and Mortal Kombat X forums.

Creative Director Ed Boon is in Los Angeles to promote the announcement of new game: Injustice 2! Appearing live on the GameSpot stage, the NetherRealm Studios face discussed the ins and outs of their superhero sequel.

Watch: Ed Boon Interview :: E3 Gameplay Demo

New characters and the new Gear System are the hot topic at E3. Fresh additions Atrocitus, Gorilla Grodd and Supergirl are on display, along with Injustice veterans Batman and Superman!

Addressing the potential imbalance inherent in the Gear System, Boon notes there will be some form of modified mode available for the die hard tournament scene. Gear allows players to modify character properties through the acquisition and storage of upgrade equipment, which adds an RPG-like statistical element to powers and abilities. Ed also clarifies: while the system includes cosmetic alterations, it's by no means a "create a character" engine.

On the subject of the competitive scene, Ed notes extended support for content in their games could effect future release of titles. For the past two decades the developer has established a consistent cycle of new releases every two years. Kombat Pack 2 extended Mortal Kombat X's downloadable content the farthest of any NetherRealm game, releaed. Mortal Kombat XL was released in March.

MKXL upgraded online modes with adapted GGPO rollback technology designed to retard latency lag [read more]. Injustice 2 will follow the same mould, encouraging a more smooth and tactile online experience. Fans can also expect updates to the Story Mode, with new twists to be discussed more later ni the year.

MKX also controversially offered a broader range of purchasable micro-transactions [read more]. Asked if the Gear System will go further down this line, Boon kept things vague.

[Related Article: Watch: Injustice 2 Gameplay Reveal Trailer]

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NetherRealm Studios may have moved on to their DC superhero sequel Injustice 2, but they want fans to know they aren't abandoning their 2015 best seller: Mortal Kombat X! Thanks to Warner Brothers, they're putting their money where their collective mouth is - adding $10,000 to the CEO prize total!

CEO 2016 takes place over the weekend of June 24-26 from Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. Mortal Kombat pools are scheduled to start 10am Saturday 25th, with finals taking place Sunday at 2pm. Start times subject to change.

The event is one of the final stops on the road to the 2016 Evo World Championships. 201 confirmed registered players will duke it out for Mortal Kombat XL supremacy on the PlayStation 4.

Will you be in attendance? Register to share your story and issue challenges on the Gameplay & Matchmaking forum! MK Online wants to hear from you!

Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias recently unearthed a treasure from the series' past: A hand painted cel sheet from the animated series - Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm!

Originally broadcast in 1996 on the USA Network; the series incorporated a design sensibility influenced by Mortal Kombat 3 and previous games, while loosely continuing the story from the 1995 Mortal Kombat feature film. Speaking of the kid friendly cartoon, Tobias tweeted: "Series tone was mismatch but luv the simple character design."

The character sheet showcases the regular cast of the Saturday morning series, who served as a team of globetrotting heroes defending Earth from inter-dimensional invaders.

Raiden provided guidance as a typically elusive mentor, while Nightwolf directed the team from a high-tech facility in their mountain headquarters. By merging with his pet wolf Kiva [pictured], Nightwolf transformed from tech geek to warrior Shaman in special circumstances. Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) joins the already established team in the first episode, receiving a frosty reception from the heroes, including Liu Kang, who is dealing with his role in killing Sub-Zero's older brother [in the movie].

Enemies in the series included a who's who of the games, such as; Shao Kahn, Scorpion, Kano, Sheeva Sektor &Smoke, as well as a variety of new warriors based on existing mythology. The series is notable for featurnig one of the first appearances of Quan Chi.

You can read more of John Tobias' thoughts about Mortal Kombat on screen in MK Online's now classic 2-part interview.

[Related Article: Retrospective: The Mortal Kombat Cinematic Universe]

Do you remember the cartoon? Do you hope to see more? Register to discuss Mortal Kombat's past, present and future on screen in the Media & Merchandise forum! Share this and more stories by following @MK_Online, Facebook & YouTube!

A couple of weekends ago Indianapolis arcade Boss Battle Games hosted a special Mortal Kombat High Score Kompetition! Only the bravest chosen warriors faced the Mortal Kombat cabinet, as the Facebook highlights montage shows:

Original digitized actors Daniel Pesina (Scorpion, Johnny Cage) and Philip Ahn (MKII Shang Tsung) were in attendance as special guests. The pair can be seen signing autographs and watching on as the fists were flying around the arcade joystick.

When the tournament was over "Kombat King" Patrick won the day with an impressive score of 11,396,000 points! He narrowly bested arch-nemesis Roberto who scored an admirable 9,358,500 points. We're pleased to report he was allowed to leave with both his soul and testicles in tact. Big Boss Games shared the high scorer's win poses via Facebook:

Long time friend of Mortal Kombat Online ]{0MBAT was not only in attendance at the event, but also provided directions to an arriving Pesina! He didn't offer to carry the superstar martial artist's lugguage. He did, however, come third in the contest, and shared his own video from the event:

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