Mortal Kombat and its arcade sequels remain some of the most famous examples of live-action digitized graphics, and a new documentary featurette details the process that brought a touch of Hollywood cinema to video game development. Watch:

Most of the behind-the-scenes footage and information will be familiar to long time fans, but the Super Splash Wave episode succinctly recaps the major stylistic and technological developments that defined Mortal Kombat in its first three installments.

Posted to YouTube by strafefox, the documentary not only revisits the filming techniques and creative trials faced by Ed Boon and John Tobias, but also puts the development of the games in their greater context with other well known titles using digitzed graphics.

Fans today know AT&T as the corporate owner deciding Mortal Kombat's fate, but the documentary highlights their earliest influence on games, through the creation of Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter digitization boards, which were used in pioneering Williams and Midway games, such as NARC and Terminator 2.

Modified WTARG software programmed by Warren Davis supported economic development of the first Mortal Kombat, while studio upgrades and advances in software and boards supported significant graphical improvements in the later sequels. All of this and more are outlined in great detail in the full 28 minute video.

[Related Article: Artist Unearths Mortal Kombat Arcade Cabinet Concept Art]

In anticipation of this year's 30th Anniversary of the original Mortal Kombat; Ed Boon recently shared rare behind the scenes footage. Find more lost kontent and artifacts in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!

PlayStation Now is starting the new year right with Mortal Kombat 11 continuing its campaign for total domination across all platforms! The top selling behemoth is available now for PlayStation consoles via the cloud-based subscription service. Read on for more details:

In addition to MK11, PlayStation Now holders can also download: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Fury Unleashed, Unturned, Super Time Force Ultra, and Kerbal Space Program: Enhanced Edition to PS5 & PS4. You will need to purchase additional DLC to access MK11 Aftermath and Ultimate content.

Xbox players enjoyed a similar service just last month, and Krossplay will allow you to challenge online opponents across consoles and platforms. Which also means you can Join the Klub to analyze and record your battles with Fight Klub! Find and discuss more from the game in the Mortal Kombat 11 forum!

So far there's been no official word, but more than 63% of MK Online users think it's going to happen -- and now the Director of MultiVersus is asking fans which two Mortal Kombat characters they'd pick for the Warner Bros brawler. Read on for details:

Player First Games co-founder and MultiVersus Director, Tony Huynh, took to Twitter to ask fans which two kombatants they'd like to see join the multi-brand brawler that will feature everyone from Shaggy to Batman.

Huynh stressed that the question is not a confirmation, "I’m definitely not saying it’s going to happen", but with speculation already rife, and Arya Stark of the adult Game of Thrones franchise already confirmed, expectations are inevitably beginning to form.

I’m definitely not saying it’s going to happen, but if you were going to pick 2 MK characters to join @multiversus which ones would you pick?

— Tony Huynh (@Tony_Huynh) December 30, 2021

MultiVersus is expected to leverage a wide variety of Warner Bros properties unrestrained from genre or era, already incorporating cartoon worlds from Looney Tunes, Steven Universe and Adventure Time, as well as DC Comics superheroes.

Mortal Kombat seems a natural fit, but the kid-friendly brawler will need to adapt its fighters for a less bloody and nuanced form of kombat, relying on team-up chemistry and unique powers to stand-out from the crowd. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are obvious prospects, but the lightning of Raiden, the four-arms of Goro, or the fans of Kitana might just work.

Who would you like to see crossover into the stylized world of MultiVersus? Vote in the MK Online User Poll and share your thoughts in the comments below! Speculate further about what's next for kombat in the Future MK Games forum!

Seasons greetings and happy holidays from Mortal Kombat Online! We're excited to be celebrating another Merry Christmas with you all as we reflect upon twenty-three years of service to the kommunity -- and look ahead to what's coming next!

So this is Christmas. I hope you've had fun! A new year is fast approaching, but lets not forget about this one! Mortal Kombat 11 checked off 12 million units sold, and even as the developer called time on downloadable content -- the war was far from over as MK made a COVID safe return to competition at Evo Online, and spawned a league of its own with the first year of the Mortal Kombat Online Fight Klub service!

Rumors abound regarding NetherRealm Studios' next project and the corporate saga that created a merged WarnerMedia, but even as anticipation took hold at the end of 2021 -- everything old seemed to be becoming new again. PlayStation Plus made Mortal Kombat X a PS5 launch feature, while Xbox celebrated 20 years with backwards compatibility for MK2011 and MKvsDC!

The original Mortal Kombat arcade klassic will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, and series co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias got us ready with nostalgic morsels like the making of Scorpion's iconic spear and the klassic tournament timeline. We even learned the identity of the Mortal Monday kid! Still no word on an official HD remake, though!

There were two cartoons based on NetherRealm Studios fighting games this year! DC superheroes were jerks in Injustice, while Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms loosely adapted the plot of MKII, and elements from several other later installments. It also dipped into the meme well to give us an unexpected crossover that 63.2% of MK Online users think will manifest soon in Warner Bros' MultiVersus.

Of course, the biggest story of the year was undoubtedly the build up to a new Mortal Kombat movie! You were with us during all the ups & downs of pre-release promotion, sequel speculation, and general mixed reactions. Could 2022 be the year we learn what comes next from HBO Max's standard bearer?

For everyone at Mortal Kombat Online I thank you for sticking with us all these years and hope you'll continue to do so, whether on the web, or on iOS and Android! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Its imminent home console release in 1993 sent swarms of children running to the streets to shout its name. Now, all these years later, the Super Nintendo port of Mortal Kombat is giving people fresh reason to scream, fetching a staggering five figure sale price at a recent auction. Read on for details:

Goldin Auctions received eighteen bids on a WATA graded 9.8 sealed copy of the SNES home port [pictured below], closing sale at a mind-boggling $79,200.00 (including buyer's premium). The auction house touts the "Made in Japan" label and WATA Games A+ rated "First-Party V-Seam" in the items description.

The WATA Games grading service came to attention in July with a similar auction sale of Super Mario 64 for $1.5 million dollars. The auction price raised eyebrows not just for its incredible total, but also for the highly irregular increase from similar sales.

An ungraded "like new" box copy of SNES Mortal Kombat can be bought privately through eBay for as little as $79.95, presenting an almost 990% increase if purchased under the gavel with professional grading.

Accusations of alleged fraud and business misconduct have been levelled at WATA Games co-founder Mark Haspel, who breached conflict of interest policies by privately selling graded games. The company was also found to be leveraging undisclosed relationships between Heritage Auctions co-founder and WATA board member/investor, James Halperin, to promote the company, and inflate the value of games.

An extensive investigation into the deceptive practises behind the growing speculation bubble has been documented by Karl Jobst in his YouTube editorials Exposing FRAUD And DECEPTION In The Retro Video Game Market and The Retro Video Game Scam Gets Worse.... He unravels various alleged dishonest practises at WATA Games, including shill bidding, rife misrepresentation, and perjury.

[Related Article: Digital Foundry Examines Original Mortal Kombat Ports]

The SNES version of Mortal Kombat was notorious for removing fatality finishing moves the game was famous for, and replacing blood with dubious "sweat". Despite these unpopular deficiencies, the once reviled port has grown in esteem, and will no doubt be a source of nostalgia as we approach the 30th anniversary of the original arcade release.

Would you buy or sell a copy of Mortal Kombat for more than $70 thousand dollars? Share your thoughts about this story in the comments below and go deeper into retro in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!