Mortal Kombat II

[Melf]

Fighting is fun. There's nothing quite like beating the crap out of someone, and capping it off by ripping out their spine or lopping off their head. Am I serious? Of course not! We're all best when we leave our violent tendencies to the digital realm, and that's where games like Mortal Kombat II come in. Read our review (http://www.sega-16.com/2005/09/mortal-kombat-ii-2/) and check your hostility at the door.

[Drixxel]

A well-written review. I'd personally give Genesis MKII no more than an 8, but ol' Adam King gave a very solid evaluation.

[Fang]

MK 2 rulzzz. I agree with the review 100%. A fun fighting game that I had to own back when it first came out.

[Wampaa]

I worked at a video game store when MK2 came out. We had our Snes set up next to our Genesis for a comparison of the two versions. We all came to the conclusion that although the Snes version looked better and the Genesis version played allot faster and was more responsive. When Scorpion shoots out his spear and rope the Snes version actually pauses for a second. I'll take the Genny version any day.

[16bitter]

I have both. No question the SNES version owns the Genesis version something bad, on all counts. The SNES version plays very well -- probably closer to the arcade's speed -- while the Genesis version doesn't even allow for a crouching low punch no matter if it's set for six-buttons or not! It doesn't get any more pathetic than that from a gameplay perspective. Unforgivable. Like all of Probe's shitty MKII ports.

[j_factor]

Versions aside, I think MK2 (and the MK series in general) is pretty overrated. It just doesn't have the fluid, responsive gameplay that, say, Super Street Fighter II or Samurai Shodown has. Also, the review fails to mention how incredibly cheap the CPU opponents are -- if I never again get tripped 9 times in a fight with Baraka, it'll be too soon.

Babalities and friendships were a nice touch, but I'd give this a 6 at best.

[Demonic Weasel]

Yeah, when I played this I didn't like it that much. Didn't seem like a bad game, but didn't seem like anything great either. It seemed pretty typical, a tad on the bad side.

[crazyjoedavola]

I have to agree that the MK series as a whole was overrated. I think the fatalaties and the blood are what sold the game. I'm not into fighting games to the extent that some people are, but I prefer SFII to MK. Even the many SNK fighters seemed better to me than the MK games. There was always something about the digitized characters in MK that bothered me. Probably the fact that they just didn't seem to animate very well. But overall, as far as translations go, I thought the SNES versions of MK (even the one without the blood), were a little closer to the arcade than the Genesis versions were.

Still a well written review though. Good job.

[Drixxel]

Regarding CPU cheapness.. it always drives me crazy how certain characters will always manage to throw you if they get within a certain distance. You can be halfway through a bloody sweep and Kung Lao can hurl you across the screen.

[IronKnux]

I don't think that MKII was the pinnacle like people say... and I'm basically just agreeing with what all of you are saying. INCREDIBLY cheap. I'll be damned if I ever reach the 5 opponent. I'm not much of a fighting gamer, and this game just makes me frustrated to no end. If you ask me, I think MK3 was very well made... not as cheap, plus the combo system was kickass... and it had some pretty interesting characters. By the way, the review was very well written.

[IcedEarthaholic]

Mortal Kombat 2 is without a doubt, the best in the series.

[ary incorparated]

huh 16bitter,i dont know but the genesis versin at least had blood with no problems.i dont like the game that much yes everybody here is right its unskilled and it plays a bit cheap,i couldt reach the sixth bos.The gamegear version and ms version where quite impressive for showing graphics that nes couldnt do at all.

[108 Stars]

Hahahaha,
there was a big fuss about that game in Germany for reaching a whole new level of senseless violence in videogames. It was banned just a few weeks after it´s release here and was never ever seen on German shelves again. So it´s quite rare around here.
Even today you cannot sell it on ebay Germany and if you try your auction will be deleted quickly.
Although I do understand that kids should not be able to get their hands on too violent stuff, porn, etc that action seems pretty ridiculous nowadays with games like Manhunter that let MK II look like the Teletubbies....

I never really missed it much though, because Midway´s motto was "gore over substance"...teenies laugh at the splatter-effects, the graphics were amazing and the gameplay no match for Capcom´s or SNK´s Beat´em ups.

[Garlo]

I was always dissapointed that Probe could not include the Goro's Lair background in their port.

[Kusanagi]

In comparison to Mk 1 found MK II was more fun 1 on 1 but it sucked when playing against the cpu

[ary incorparated]

Dunno but theres a rating on the back isnt there,i dont know wht germanys problem with violented games like san andreas there is a clear warning on the back even here in holland moms buy these games for their kids and the kids are at age 7 or 8 and they say its just the same as spyro to convince their mother but i Enchede the sellers of Gameshop Twente know better and just wont sell that stuff to 7 or 8 year old kids,then they dont make money but eyh they gave the good example of lecture about the game why not instead of thinking about money.

[108 Stars]

Dunno but theres a rating on the back isnt there,i dont know wht germanys problem with violented games like san andreas there is a clear warning on the back even here in holland moms buy these games for their kids and the kids are at age 7 or 8 and they say its just the same as spyro to convince their mother but i Enchede the sellers of Gameshop Twente know better and just wont sell that stuff to 7 or 8 year old kids,then they dont make money but eyh they gave the good example of lecture about the game why not instead of thinking about money.

Yes, there is a rating. But since many sellers don´t care about it, the goverment saw the need to ban certain titles. Usually they must be kept out of sight for children, that means in a seperate 18 years and up room in game shops. Since big department stores don´t have such rooms, banned games are not sold there at all. There must not be advertisements in magazines or TV, for this might attract the children. Game magazines must not publish reviews, tips or anything about those games for the same reason. You can say those games are almost non-existend here.
A game get´s banned when it shows explicit violence and gore and these effects are the major part of the game. Nazi-symbols are strictly forbidden. Racism and humilation of minor groups or religions is forbidden. Sex is allowed for ages 18 and up, but younger people may at least see some naked breasts as well.

In the case of Mortal Kombat 2 all unsold copies of the game in all versions were even confiscated.
A game magazine almost went bankrupt because their newest issue featured MK 2 and was confiscated shortly after the release. MK 2 is the hardest case I´ve ever seen so far.
Other games banned here are MK 1, 2, 3, Ultimate and Trilogy, Doom 1, 2, and Final Doom, Dark Forces Quake 1-3, Rambo 3, Thrill Kill, Manhunt, Duke Nukem 3D, Raid over Moscow, all Wolfenstein-games, Golden Axe 1 & 2, Resident Evil 2 and Code Veronica and many more I can´t remember right now.
To avoid their games being banned, human enemies are often exchanged with monsters or robots (Half Life for example) or the blood effects are taken out of the game. Sometimes the blood´s colour is changed. In RE 3 Nemesis we have grey blood making it look like smoke. There are no bursting heads in the game, and defeated enemies just disappear into nothingness.

[Zebbe]

It's probably thanks to Germany we have the oh so sucky Probotector instead of Contra here in Europe. How about letting parents raise their children, and not the government? The primary thing that makes children kill each other is not the games, it's based on how well they have been raised by the parents. Only morons without a proper upbringing doesn't know that games and real life are separated.

In Sweden, Nazi symbols are banned too. Also symbols from the Norse mythology and Viking Age are banned, thanks to that. But communist symbols are okay somehow. Why? Because the Socialdemocratic government get their majority thanks to support from communists.

[j_factor]

Viking symbols are banned in Sweden? That is so weird.

[Zebbe]

Not all, but some Runes that have been used by Nazis "become" Nazi symbols and are therefor banned.

[108 Stars]

It's probably thanks to Germany we have the oh so sucky Probotector instead of Contra here in Europe. How about letting parents raise their children, and not the government? The primary thing that makes children kill each other is not the games, it's based on how well they have been raised by the parents. Only morons without a proper upbringing doesn't know that games and real life are separated.

In Sweden, Nazi symbols are banned too. Also symbols from the Norse mythology and Viking Age are banned, thanks to that. But communist symbols are okay somehow. Why? Because the Socialdemocratic government get their majority thanks to support from communists.

Yes, I agree. The problem is that too many parents don´t take their responsibility serious nowadays. This is a controversal discussion here too. A few years ago there was a boy running amok in his school in Germany. A silent type, no friends and then he failed in school. At home they found Counterstrike and Resident Evil 3,
along with Nazi-stuff, and his parents were so shocked.
That started the discussion anew, and all gamers had to defend their hobby.
There was a boy who killed his parents too, and by the Katana he used and by his haircut newspapers concluded the obvious: His favourite game Final Fantasy VIII was at fault!!! In TV they showed the only scene where you can see any blood in the whole game: the intro. Think about it: FF VIII was a fucking love story!

Unfortunately the politicians seem to be marionettes of the media, and so the new government decided that something has to be done about killer-games.
One conservative old fart suggested after watching CS for half an hour that all FPS should be banned.
Thankfully nothing like this has happened so far...
In the 50´s it was Rock´n Roll, in the 60´s and 70´s public libraries held public comic burnings and since Doom and MK 2 especially, games are the target.

[Zebbe]

There is so much to say in this topic. For example, how fair is it to completely ban a game for everyone, when ONE person does something bad after playing it? Is it even possible to find a link between the murder and playing of the game? If the person playing the game goes to kill someone after playing it, something is wrong in the head, not the game. Otherwise you can ban the bible too, with all these christian morons saying "God told me to do it" etcetera. The bible is also very violent in its material, but you never hear any complaints against it.
If parents don't take their responsibility, they should be chargeable. I know it's controverial, but that's how I see it.

[108 Stars]

There is so much to say in this topic. For example, how fair is it to completely ban a game for everyone, when ONE person does something bad after playing it? Is it even possible to find a link between the murder and playing of the game? If the person playing the game goes to kill someone after playing it, something is wrong in the head, not the game. Otherwise you can ban the bible too, with all these christian morons saying "God told me to do it" etcetera. The bible is also very violent in its material, but you never hear any complaints against it.
If parents don't take their responsibility, they should be chargeable. I know it's controverial, but that's how I see it.

I absolutely agree with you. But now that the ball is already rolling, it´s difficult to stop it.
I think that violent people may be attracted to brutal games, but I can´t believe that brutal games can make somebody violent.
I mean, hey, it´s no wonder that a murderer prefers Resident Evil and not Sonic.
The masses have just found the weakest spot to blame: video games.
Although there are people critisizing the Bible (or old children´s books like Hänsel & Gretel), this brutality still has a bigger lobby. But thankfully the Bible is not treated like a holy cow anymore...

[Zebbe]

Everybody involved in children's upbringing should have more responsibility - parents, kindergarten personel, school teachers etc. It should be easy to contact authorities to tell if someone needs psychological help. Most problems in life comes from the upbringing, if every child gets a good upbringing, the problems of society will go down.

[TwistedReality]

I've always sucked at Mortal Kombat games, (save for Shaolin Monks) because the A.I. is well, relentless. Even on easy mode, it comes right at me and rips me to shreds before I can take one swing at it. The gore effects were nice in the game, but that's just it's shock value. To be honest, I only really play the game to watch all the fatalities...although the graphics in general I like, too.

[Jesse813]

my favorite game in the MK series on the Genesis.

[Curryman123]

Good game, But a lousy port!

Probe really loved slacking off with their ports.

Stand alone rating:
7/10

As a port:
4/10

[Josh]

MKII is one of my all time favorite Sega Genesis games, although it does get frustrating when fighting against the CPU.

[Lastcallhall]

MKII Unlimited fixes a lot of issues with the original. I actually play that version more often than the Probe release.

[cowboyscowboys]

Music for this game 10/10.

[NeoVamp]

Music for this game 10/10.

If only it sounded anything like the original arcade tracks.

Stupid Probe, their audio guy even admitted that he'd write new music if he couldn't properly port the original music, fucking blasphemy!

[cowboyscowboys]

If only it sounded anything like the original arcade tracks.

Stupid Probe, their audio guy even admitted that he'd write new music if he couldn't properly port the original music, fucking blasphemy!

Better then the Arcade Matt Furniss can do whatever the hell he wants (why not play to your strengths?). I wish he did the music for MK3 and UMK3 as well.

[Assman]

If only it sounded anything like the original arcade tracks.

Stupid Probe, their audio guy even admitted that he'd write new music if he couldn't properly port the original music, fucking blasphemy!

Didn't he also say something about how if he didn't care for the original compositions he wouldn't even try to come up with something similar? What kind of bullshit is that? Elevating your own personal tastes above the desires of the millions of fans who just want an accurate port? What a chode (relevant 90's-era insult).


Better then the Arcade Matt Furniss can do whatever the hell he wants (why not play to your strengths?).

Come on, that's an extreme minority opinion at best. The only requirement for developing an arcade port is to be as close to the source material as the hardware will allow. It's not their job to make judgments about the existing content based on their own bias.

[Josh]

Why is Dan Forden's image black-and-white when he appears and says "Toasty" in the Sega Genesis/Sega Mega Drive version of Mortal Kombat II?

[NeoVamp]

Why is Dan Forden's image black-and-white when he appears and says "Toasty" in the Sega Genesis/Sega Mega Drive version of Mortal Kombat II?

Hardware restrictions, the Genesis can handle 4 palettes, 2x for sprites (fighters) and 2x for the 2 layers. (backgrounds)

Giving Dan Forden his same exact colors every time he pops up means having those colors in the palette's,
having those colors in the palette's means less colors for the backgrounds, resulting in worse looking backgrounds.
(and they are already quite drab)

so they used a part of the palette that would never change, the 2 shades of grey which are used in the lifebar.
(which is part of the bg layer)

[Josh]

Hardware restrictions, the Genesis can handle 4 palettes, 2x for sprites (fighters) and 2x for the 2 layers. (backgrounds)

Giving Dan Forden his same exact colors every time he pops up means having those colors in the palette's,
having those colors in the palette's means less colors for the backgrounds, resulting in worse looking backgrounds.
(and they are already quite drab)

so they used a part of the palette that would never change, the 2 shades of grey which are used in the lifebar.
(which is part of the bg layer)


Thanks for the well detailed explanation, NeoVamp.

[Josh]

I enjoy the music in the Sega Genesis and arcade versions equally.

[sheath]

Judging from MAME and the compilations, I prefer the Genesis and 32X versions' music for Mortal Kombat II.