90s Video Games, Episode 161
Four Ports of MK2 [Voice narrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger]
Mortal Kombat 2, the sequel to the immensely popular fighting game, Mortal Kombat, was released in 1993, and like its predecessor, quickly gained a cult following. The game, which was developed by a small team of only four people, was a significant improvement over the original, and introduced several new features and characters that have since become staples of the Mortal Kombat franchise.
One of the most notable additions to Mortal Kombat 2 was the concept of “Finishers,” which allowed players to perform a special move to end a round in a dramatic and bloody fashion. This feature was a hit with fans and has since become a defining characteristic of the series.
Another new feature introduced in Mortal Kombat 2 was multiple fatalities for each character, including both stage-specific and character-specific finishers. This added a new level of complexity and excitement to the game, as players had to learn and master each character’s various finishing moves.
One of the most iconic elements of Mortal Kombat 2 is the “Toasty!” easter egg, which appears when the player performs a specific move. This hidden gem was added to the game as a tribute to sound designer Dan Forden and has since become a beloved part of the series.
Mortal Kombat 2 also introduced several new characters, including Baraka, Jax, and Reptile. Baraka was originally designed to be a playable character in the first game but was cut due to time constraints. Jax was intended to have a flamethrower as one of his special moves, but it was removed due to concerns about it being too violent. Reptile was originally intended to be a secret character in the first Mortal Kombat game, but he was not fully realized until Mortal Kombat 2.
The development team for Mortal Kombat 2 worked on the game for over a year, with the final version featuring over twice as many characters as the first game. The team also added multiple arenas for players to fight in, including the infamous “Dead Pool” stage.
Interestingly, Mortal Kombat 2 was originally planned to be released on the Sega CD platform, but the project was cancelled due to technical difficulties.
In conclusion, Mortal Kombat 2 was a significant improvement over the original game and introduced several features and characters that have since become defining characteristics of the series. Its impact on the gaming industry cannot be overstated, and it remains a beloved and iconic game among fans of the fighting game genre.
In this episode I am going to talk about four versions of MK2, including MS-DOS, Commodore Amiga, PS1 and Sega Saturn versions!
Enjoy the video!
