Happy Birthday Mortal Kombat - 25th Anniversary
Mortal Kombat celebrates its 25th anniversary today, an amazing feat since its humble beginnings [...]
The Beginning
The first Mortal Kombat took place in the Earthrealm and was a concept that began to gain traction back in 1991. Ed Boon, John Tobia, John Vogel, and Dan Forden took the challenge of wanting to make a game with a "hard edge" and drew from franchises such as Enter the Dragon to create a new game experience apart from the likes of Street Fighter.
The small team was heavily inspired by Chinese mythology and the speculation surrounding the Shaolin Monks. The mythological roots are definitely apparent in many of the character and stage designs, and there was enough fleshed out lore to continue this small idea and grow it into a staple within the gaming and film world.
As far as the first title itself:
"The game introduced many key aspects of the Mortal Kombat series, including the unique five-button control scheme and gory finishing moves. The game focuses on the journey of the monk Liu Kang to save Earth from the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, ending with their confrontation in the tournament known as Mortal Kombat."
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The 1992 arcade game was only the beginning. For those that may not be familiar with this incredible franchise, here is the basic timeline to follow how the Mortal Kombat series grew over the years.
- Mortal Kombat 1992 - Arcade
- Mortal Kombat II 1993 - Arcade
- Mortal Kombat 3 1995 - Arcade
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 1995 - Arcade
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy 1996 - PS1, N64, Saturn, PC
- Mortal Kombat 4 1997 - Arcade, PC, PS1, N64
- Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero 1997 - PS1, N64
- Mortal Kombat Gold 1999 - Dreamcast
- Mortal Kombat: Special Forces 2000 - PS1
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 2002 - PS2, GCN, Xbox, GBA
- Mortal Kombat: Tourrnament Edition 2003 - GBA
- Mortal Kombat Deception 2004 - PS2, GCN, Xbox
- Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks 2005 - PS2, Xbox
- Mortal Kombat Armageddon 2006 - PS2, Xbox
- Mortal Kombat Unchained 2006 - PSP
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 2007 - NDS
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe 2008 - PS3, Xbox 360
- Mortal Kombat 2001 - PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita
- Mortal Kombat Aracde Kollection 2011 - PSN, XBLA, PC
- Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition 2012 - PS3, Xbox 360, PC
- Mortal Kombat X 2015 - PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
- Mortal Kombat XL 2016 - PS4, Xbox One, PC
This franchise shows no signs of slowing down, as characters from the famed series continue to keep their place in today's gaming world; most recently with the release of Injustice 2 where several of these iconic characters show off what they've got in the DC setting. Only time will tell what the future has in store for this amazing series. Are you excited to see Mortal Kombat continue on its legacy?
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