Fans can vote for three options on the nominations list, which includes an assortment of pre-selected iconic characters from four generations of PlayStation consoles! Voting ends November 24th, with results to be published in January's Official PlayStation Magazine #106 (UK) as part of a special feature.
Representing the evergreen Mortal Kombat franchise are two of its most time tested mascot rivals: Scorpion & Sub-Zero!
Incarnations of both characters have appeared in seven PlayStation console titles, including; Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero! The pair renewed their rivalry most recently in the reveal trailer for Mortal Kombat X -- coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in 2015!
FIGHT! PlayStation Icon Kratos challenges Scorpion & Sub-Zero in 2010 trailer!
Scorpion & Sub-Zero are up against some stiff competition! Third options include: Crash Bandicoot, Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Kratos (God of War), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Heihachi Mishima (Tekken), Chris Redfield (Resident Evil), Cole McGrath (inFamous), PaRappa the Rapper, Abe (Oddworld) and many more!
Which PlayStation characters are you voting for? Register to share your answers on the forum! Join and create your own fantasy fight vote-offs in the Fan Koliseum!
The NetherKast is an exciting new kommunity initiative giving a voice to discussion within the fanbase! The audio series is a fan roundtable discussing multiple facets of Mortal Kombat X and the series as a whole! The kast is completely free and can be listened to via YouTube:
Subscribe to The NetherKast on YouTube for live updates!
SHOW NOTES
00:05:32 - Number 10
00:13:40 - Number 9
00:23:46 - Number 8
00:30:55 - Number 7
00:42:56 - Number 6
00:58:52 - Number 5
01:17:53 - Number 4
01:27:19 - Number 3
01:38:19 - Number 2
01:51:00 - Number 1
02:13:57 - Klassic Kombatant
Retrospective: Kabal See Also: NetherKast Ep. 2
In the third episode, the conversation turns to pure speculation as the Kasters pool opinions to determine their Top 10 characters they want to see in Mortal Kombat X! No spoilers in the show notes, so you'll have to dive in to the marathon 2 hours 42 minutes pure MKX Kombat konversation! Their klassic kombatant of the week is Kabal - a retrospective look back at MK's masked nomad, so don't count him out of the Top 10 just yet!
The NetherKast is an exciting new kommunity initiative giving a voice to discussion within the fanbase! The audio series is a fan roundtable discussing multiple facets of Mortal Kombat X and the series as a whole! The kast is completely free and can be listened to via YouTube:
Subscribe to The NetherKast on YouTube for live updates!
The conversation continues onward from the last episode, moving on to feature discussions about Mortal Kombat X newcomers: Cassie Cage, D'Vorah, Ferra/Torr & Kotal Kahn. The massive 2 hour 37 minute cast also includes debate about the merits of returning characters and new additions, and a classic spotlight on Baraka.
You watched the fight announcement preview -- now the ScrewAttack DEATH BATTLE is finally here! It's an all-Japan main event as the wandering world warrior Ryu (Street Fighter) takes on the lost soul bent on revenge Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)! Spoilers ahead:
The classic rivalry between arcade fighting kings Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat is so storied - it's already produced two previous Death Battles!
One NetherRealm Studios producer once descried a crossover between the two series as "inevitable". Perhaps that's because cross-pollination between companies kept the idea alive on the Capcom side, as well. A similar notion was shared by Christian Svenssonright around the same time.
While this history of comparison has kept each series in the others' purview; the Japanese fighter's earlier arcade release and definitive mechanical complexities has meant the battle for minds, hearts and video game supremacy hasn't always been an even fight.
Could a clash between franchise mascots, therefore, be subject to the same history of pretensions and cult preference? Some fans certainly expected so, suspicious of past acknowledgements. By their own terms: Death Battle professes to look at the games and characters' abilities to determine their outcomes. If you haven't watched their verdict [embedded above] - this is your last chance to teleport away before we plunge into the pit of spoiler Hell!
Toasty:Scorpion unleashes Hell in his MKvsDC fatality.
Chemistry between fighters has been a big talking point for us in previous MK Death Battles.
Where some fans have seen an unfair bias in the Screw Attack analysis - we tend to think the disadvantage lies in match-up selections. Thor vs Raiden illustrated how one character can have a perceivable inherent advantage over another - in that case; a lightning manipulating god against a god who turns into lightning.
The potential for Scorpion to bear the burden of being an invincible berserker seemed a distinct possibility. The trope of the powerful punching bag is a standard one - particularly for a franchise predicated on lethal violence. Within Mortal Kombat, Scorpion is arguably best known for his defeats and frustrations. Conversely, Ryu is the quintessential golden boy - noted for his struggles with darkness, but remembered for his victories over boss tier characters; Sagat, Bison, Akuma...
The home crowd may have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Scorpion victory [results top], but understanding and respecting Ryu makes it easy to conceive of his victory. As an opponent, they don't come much tougher. He is the hero of martial arts epic - defined by his mastery over fist and spirit. His rejection of the killing aspects of his Ansatsuken fighting style is not a weakness for Mortal Kombat's more freely fatal fighters to capitalize on - but a strength of Ryu's true artistry.
Because of this - we were a little surprised by Scorpion's victory!
In our recent Halloween Top 10, we equated Scorpion's ninja spectre skills and thirst for vengeance with the unstoppable determination of horror icons The Terminator, or Jason Voorhees. It was those qualities that Death Battles picked up on, delivering the win through the much lauded advantage of being an unstoppable deadman.
We've got to give full credit to the environmental advantage. More than any other MK Death Battle - it was Scorpion's ability to take the fight into the Netherrealm itself that tipped the scales. Ryu arguably struck a victory blow - but while in the confines of Hell itself, Scorpion wasn't about to stay down. Would it have gone differently in a strict, neutral plane? That will be one the Street Fighter fans will be debating for quite some time, we're sure!
History of Violence: Scorpion was handed lemons and made hellacious lemonade.
Did ScrewAttack Death Battles get it right? Or do you harbor a forbidden respect for Ryu that wonders the great what if? Register to share your thoughts on the forums!
It is a slightly confused question Mortal Kombat Online has been asked since time immemorial: 'How do I play Mortal Kombat online?'
Thanks to a massive 900+ classic games added to the Internet Archive - we finally have a carefree answer!
The Console Living Room & Internet Arcade boast a staggering array of in-browser playable versions of classic games from the Arcade, Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis and many more! We aren't just talking public domain cheapies, either! There's everything from bona fide arcade classics - to long lost, licensed console titles, not available through traditional virtual console means!
Through use of the JSMESS emulator system, which allows direct access to these programs in your browser with no additional plugins or settings, these games can be enjoyed again. Simply click on the screenshot or "Emulate This" button for each individual cartridge, and on modern browsers the games will just start to run. As nostalgia, a teaching tool, or just plain fun, you'll find hundreds of the games that started a billion-dollar industry.
Which classic games are you playing? Register to recommend and discuss the 900+ game archive on the forum! For a more authentic arcade experience, Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection is available now for PC and modern consoles. Connect with other retro gamers by hitting the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!
