MK4 - WaveNet MK3 - War Gods - MK RPG - UMK3 Home Versions - MK Trilogy - MK Duo -

Mortal Kombat 4

(Last updated: August 15th, 1996) In March 1997 MK fans will get possibly the best fighting game ever developed in video game history: Mortal Kombat 4. It is already under production by Midway, and it may be previewed at the AMOA show on September 26 in Dallas, Texas. Midway has said that one of the characters is "not new, but not in MK3." Goro anybody? When Midway released UMK3, they said "The Prince of Shokan lives on..." and we all took it to mean Goro was in UMK3. Maybe they were talking about MK4?

Besides that, MK4 is going to be a 3-D game, like Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Toshinden, etc., and will use Midway's new "Digital Skin" texture mapping technique, which basically lets the fighters look like the have real skin. No game other than Midway's War Gods has ever used this technique, but judging from War Gods, it is very effective. As for what hardware MK4 will be using, Williams just bought 3Dfx's Voodoo Graphics technology for use in their future games, but Ed Boon denies that MK4 will use this. However, many insiders say that it is, and why would Williams buy it if they weren't going to use it? See the Voodoo specs here.

Midway is also currently working on the backgrounds to make them the best they can be. As for returning fighters, we know that Rayden, Scorpion, and Sonya will be coming back, and Kerri Hoskins will once again be taking on the role of Sonya. Ed Boon has also said that everyone from UMK3 will return, except Jade, plus Johnny Cage. Boon also has said that there will be about a dozen new characters, which adds up to over 30 fighters! Midway also has said that MK4 will be more like MK1 fatality-wise than MK2 or 3 were. MK2 and 3 made fun of the controversy over MK1, but this time, they say there won't be any babalities, friendships, animalities, or corny fatalities (like inflating someone's head like a balloon). This was probably the biggest complaint about MK3, so this decision should make a lot of people (including me) happy. Maybe we'll get something like Sub Zero's spine rip fatality (in 3D!)?

MK3 Rides The Wave... Introducing WaveNet MK3!

(Last updated: August 9th, 1996) It's obvious in today's gaming world that people love long-distance competition. X-Band, DWANGO, and the other numerous gameing networks are evidence of this. And don't forget all the games that support net/modem play, DOOM, Descent, and basically every new game, to name just a few. Up until now, Mortal Kombat players have been confined to playing only against someone in the same room as you. Now all that will change. Now there is WaveNet MK3. WaveNet MK3 is in testing in Chicago, and allows you to play MK3 against someone else at another arcade in your area! When you start WaveNet MK3, you get a new screen, asking you whether you want to play WaveNet or Local. Select WaveNet and you'll be thrown into a whole new dimension of MK3. You type in a name you want to use, and then it looks for someone at another arcade waiting to play. It'll either find someone or put you back in Local mode while it continues to search. Once it finds someone, you'll start playing against them. Now you can really prove yourself as an MK3 warrior!

In addition to WaveNet MK3, there are also twelve WaveNet UMK3 machines in testing in Chicago. These have all the normal UMK3 fighters, plus one more hidden fighter -- Noob Saibot.

A Taste of Things to Come...

(Last updated: February 20th, 1996) While we're all waiting for MK4 to come out, we may be able to get a "sneak peek" of what to expect. Midway will soon release War Gods, a 3D fighting game. This game looks impressive, and if it is any indication of what MK4 will be, then we'll really have something to look forward to. Everything in this game looks better than any 3D fighter yet! For now, I think it'll be safe to look at these screenshots and imagine your favorite MK fighter in the Gods' places.
Screenshot 1 - Screenshot 2 - Screenshot 3

MK Role Playing Game

(Last updated: September 25th, 1996) Later this year, MK fanatics will be getting something new -- a role-playing game based on Mortal Kombat. John Tobias, one of the MK creators, is working on this with Williams. This RPG will have role playing (of course), fighting (it's MK, of course!), and strategy. Sub Zero will be the star of this game, but it will probably have appearances by other MK characters as well. This RPG will be be released first on the PlayStation, followed probably by Saturn and Nintendo 64 versions.

UMK3 Home Versions

(Last updated: August 12th, 1996)
  • UMK3 for the Sega Saturn is finally out! It's selling for around $60 - $70. This version is pretty much arcade perfect. There no load times for special moves like there was in Saturn MK2, the only real noticable load times are for finishing moves and morphs. All the fighters are in, plus the three spots for hidden fighters. The UKKs are only 6 spaces long, though, so the arcade UKKs won't work. If you have a Saturn, this is a great game that won't disappoint arcade lovers
  • UMK3 is coming to the Genesis, in September, for $69. It will have all fighters except Sheeva, plus Rain and Noob Saibot (both instantly playable). According to Ed Boon, this version will also have the brutalities that were rumored to be in the arcade.
  • The SNES will be getting UMK3, in September, for $69 also, but it will also have Noob Saibot and Rain playable (but Sheeva will be removed). Like the Genesis, this version (according to Ed Boon) will have brutalities.
  • UMK3 will not be coming to the Nintendo 64, instead the N64 will be getting MK64 for $69
  • The PlayStation will also not be getting UMK3, but instead it will also get a replacement, the MK Trilogy
  • The 3DO version of UMK3 has been cancelled because of delays from Williams. The release had already been pushed back 2 times before being cancelled.

MK Trilogy

(Last updated: September 25th, 1996)
The next big MK game is not going to be released in the arcades, although this one will probably be better than anything you've seen in the arcade. Mortal Kombat Trilogy is coming out for the Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation, and PC CD-ROM, and will basically be every MK game wrapped into one. Here is some of the current info on MKT, but remember that it could all change between now and the time the game actually comes out. Keep in mind that most info that applies to the PlayStation version also applies to the PC CD-ROM version. Also, there is a Saturn version in the works about whcih not much is known. For now, most info that applies to the PlayStation version probably also applies to the Saturn version, but who knows.

Release date

Developer
Fighters (instantly playable, not hidden)
  • Noob Saibot - N64 and PSX
  • Baraka - N64 and PSX
  • Cyrax - N64 and PSX
  • Sonya - N64 and PSX
  • MK2 Rayden - N64 and PSX
  • MK1 Rayden - PSX
  • Rain - N64 and PSX
  • Sub Zero (new) - N64 and PSX
  • Scorpion - N64 and PSX
  • Reptile - N64 and PSX
  • MK3 Jax - N64 and PSX
  • MK2 Jax - PSX
  • Sektor - N64 and PSX
  • Liu Kang - N64 and PSX
  • Jade - N64 and PSX
  • Sheeva - N64 and PSX
  • MK3 Kung Lao - N64 and PSX
  • MK2 Kung Lao - PSX
  • Robo Smoke - N64 and PSX
  • Nightwolf - N64 and PSX
  • Sindel - N64 and PSX
  • Ermac - N64 and PSX
  • Classic Sub Zero - N64 and PSX
  • Stryker - N64 and PSX
  • Kabal - N64 and PSX
  • Kitana - N64 and PSX
  • MK3 Kano - N64 and PSX
  • MK1 Kano - PSX
  • Shang Tsung - N64 and PSX
  • Mileena - N64 and PSX
  • Human Smoke - PSX
  • Kintaro - PSX
  • Motaro - PSX
  • Shao Kahn - PSX
Hidden Fighters
Backgrounds
New Moves
New Fatalities/Finishing Moves
In addition to these, most fighters that are returning from MK2 will be retaining their MK2 fatalities.

Game Modes
  • Mortal Kombat (1 on 1) - N64 and PSX
  • 4 Player (2 on 2) - N64 and PSX
  • 8 Player Tournament - N64 and PSX
  • Aggressor - N64 and PSX
  • 3 on 3 - N64
Notes
In Aggressor mode, playing aggresively (lots of special moves) will let you pull off a "super move", similar to some of Capcom's recent fighters. Also, some of the backgrounds will be smash-through (like in UMK3/MK3), but some will let you smash up more than one level. For graphics, both versions are expected to exceed the arcade MKs, but since the N64 is a cartridge it will have slightly fewer colors and frames of animation than the PlayStation, and the PlayStation will have redbook audio. The tradeoff is that the N64 will load faster, with no in-game slow downs. For some files, go to the MK Trilogy Vault.

MK Duo

(Last updated: October 27th, 1996) Acclaim has the rights to Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, and since they probably want to get as much money out of those two as they can, a logical move would be to put the two together. That's exactly what Acclaim is doing, in MK Duo for the Saturn and DOS CD-ROM. This game is going to be Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 on one disc, but it is unknown if the two will be mixed together (like MK Trilogy) or just put on seperately. If MK1 is seperate from MK2, this will be the first version of MK1 since the (ugh) Sega CD version. I just hope that Acclaim fixes the in-fight load time problems that dragged Saturn MK2 down so much. If they do, this game does have potential.

Return to Motaro's MK Page

Toolbar for graphical users