Mortal Kombat |
Sega CD |
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Review by Matt Paprocki |
Arena |
Fighting |
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Graphics: 5 |
Sound: 9 |
Gameplay: 4 |
Overall: 4 |
![]() With the added power of the format, Arena went all out and included... a commercial? To a game I've already bought? Yes, the game does begin with a grainy advertisement for the very game you're about to play and it even features video footage from the better looking SNES version of the title. Go figure. They even list it as a music video on the back of the box. They obviously had a wonderful advertising department over there. The game itself has barely been improved at all over the standard Genesis cart. There are some added frames of animation, a few new voice samples, and added background detail. Blood no longer requires a code (by now "Mortal Kombat II" was being torn apart in congressional hearings) though it's still a small amount when compared to the arcade.
The key improvement is the soundtrack (bless you CD-ROM) that sounds fantastic. It may even sound a little better at home with the proper sound equipment. The bass just pounds the listener, though the voice samples are a little garbled. This is the same as the arcade port however. The price for the music is a big one, coming in the form of torturous load times (curse you CD-ROM). The between match loads are admittedly tolerable, around 15-seconds per bout, better than a lot of games in the library. All the animation is loaded, but the fatalities cause a pause for access. Endurance matches are just terrible and I'm sure by now the Shang Tsung morphs don't need to be mentioned. Limitations even prevent Shang from losing all of the souls once defeated even though it's shown in opening commercial.
I rarely have a problem with CD enhanced versions of cartridge-based games. Usually the sound enhancements and additional space (used properly) make it a worthwhile investment. Not only was the (better) sequel already out when this one found its way to store shelves, but the overall product is a miserable attempt to cash in on the fans love of the series. Stick with the cart. |