| Author | Review |
|---|
Extrapolates
115,600
TA Score for this game: 321
Posted on 02 September 11 at 07:04, Edited on 02 September 11 at 23:08 |
This review has 31 positive votes and 9 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Mortal Kombat Arcade is actually three different games: Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. That being said, I will break them down individually.
The original Mortal Kombat may be nostalgic for those that remember playing it in the arcade. But for those who are used to more recent Mortal Kombats, you may not enjoy this one. The game has only 7 playable characters, and the graphics aren't the greatest. That being said, it does capture the feeling of the original very nicely. But for those who remember it, you may remember that the bots in the arcade ladder were very cheap. In this port, they telegraph most moves that you make and counter them, time and time again. There are collision detection issues in this one, and the bots just tend to spam moves repeatedly. To summarize, the only way that one can enjoy this is if they played it in the arcade and enjoy the nostalgia. The online on this one is likely to be spamfests because there are no combos. It's fun for a while, but quickly loses its appeal.
Mortal Kombat II is by far the hardest of the three Mortal Kombats, and it's hard for the simple reason that the bots telegraph all of your moves, but even more so than in the first MK. Seemingly no matter what you do, it can be very difficult to consistently defeat your opponents in the ladder. The bots can throw you from unbelievably far away, even when you're in the middle of doing a sweep or uppercut. The game becomes very frustrating as time and time again, you are viciously spammed being thrown and hit with projectiles. If you remember the game from the arcade, it's even more difficult now due to the bots that seem to perfectly read your mind. However, there are more characters in this one, and the last two fights in the ladder are quite fun if you can make it to them. The online in this one can be enjoyable when there are two players that aren't spamming the same attack, but sometimes the games are so unbearably laggy that they are impossible to enjoy. To summarize, it's very difficult, but might be worth it to some just to fight the legendary Kintaro.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is the best game of the three. It has many different characters, combos, and finishing moves. Best of all, you can actually sprint in this one. The graphics are better, and the online play is quite fun. There are 4 different ladders you can choose from according to your skill level, and the enemies don't spam the hell out of you like in the first two. The game overall has more depth and more ways to play, but most MK veterans will have no trouble at all climbing the ladders. This game alone is worth the 800 MSP, but if you already own the individual version of it you may want to reconsider buying this unless you want to for the nostalgia.
The achievements are not very difficult. Some of them are for performing finishing moves like fatalities and animalities, and others are for completing the three games. The only difficult achievement really is for completing MKII, because the bots are very hard to kill in that game and there are 13 fights. However, there have been numerous reports of people not unlocking the specific achievement for completing any particular arcade ladder. So if you care about achievements, which I assume you do because this is an achievement site, beware because these can be buggy. Other than that, the achievements are very straightforward. Elder God is a slight grind, however.
Overall, the first two games can get tedious and boring very quickly, but UMK3 is actually a good game. If you already own UMK3, I would pass on purchasing MK Arcade because the first two games are just not very fun. If you don't own UMK3, I would suggest buying this because then you get that game and you get to try out the other two as a side bonus.
 |
DeadBlackcell8
81,249
TA Score for this game: 86
Posted on 03 September 11 at 14:02 |
This review has 12 positive votes and 1 negative vote. Please log in to vote. |
"Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection: Nostalgic re-release, or shameful cash-in?"
I was never a Street Fighter man. I played Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 since I was 9 or so, I've played Mortal Kombat II before, but never the original. But, after refiring my love for 2D fighters with Mortal Kombat (2011), I was overjoyed when I heard about this Arcade Kollection!
Graphics - 5/10
This is even taking into account the games are old. Most games rereleased like this get the 'HD treatment', not so here. There are different settings, such as 'Klassic, Painted, Smooth and Arcade', none really make a huge difference, but unless you like the intentional lines across the screen from Arcade, go for Painted for the best look. There is also the option to distort the screen to appear like a screen in an arcade cabinet, combine that with the Arcade style, for that authentic look. To complete the feel, lose money every time you get beaten!
But the graphic themselves really haven't aged well, but then, you weren't buying this game for the graphic, were you? They are true to the arcades, which is the point of this Kollection. Graphic glitches such as Reptile losing his face if frozen during his Acid Spit in MKII is still there, for example.
Gameplay - 7/10
Single Player - 7/10
Rather than splitting this between each game, I've lumped the scores together, for simplicity, but I will talk about each game separately.
In Mortal Kombat, the single player is limited, 7 characters, a small ladder, not a lot of depth. Most of you would play this for the Achievement to complete it, and that's it. But, it is quick to learn, each character has two, maybe three special moves and all have the same standard moves. It's more a game about timing than skill. Also the bosses are cheap, but as hard as Shang Tsung is, if you make it past Goro, you should be fine. It's just a fact that in this game, Goro is the real challenge.
Mortal Kombat II is a different beast. With 12 characters to choose from, and each character being more varied, it is more fun to play. Apart from the AI, that is. As this is the Arcade Kollection, not a Konsole Kollection, the AI is incredibly cheap. It is VERY easy to become disheartened with this game, as the AI is designed to let you work a little way up before making you waste more money to try again. It's the way AI works in arcades, always has, always will. The score suffers, because you have to rely on tricks, glitches and other cheap ways to play to make it through the Ladder. Without it, you'll have to be very persistent to reach Kintaro, and then on to Shao Khan himself.
For Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, the game is much fairer. The AI isn't quite so cheap, and it plays by the rules a hell of a lot more than MKII. With a cast of 19 characters (with a further 3 to unlock), the inclusion of Running and Kombos, this game is more about skill than the other two games. The Ladders are much more fun to play through because the AI isn't as cheap, it's harder than MK, but easier than MKII.
A problem with all the games is the AI, but this is because a lot of people forget this is an ARCADE port, not a CONSOLE port. The AI plays differently in the Arcade (where the goal is to rob you of as much money as possible), than on your console ports (where the AI is more about being a FUN challenge).
Multiplayer - 6/10
Now, online this game suffers from horrendous lag. Some times it is damn near unplayable. And this is coming from someone who for the most part suffers no real issues with lag. And there is no real punishment for rage-quitters, of which there are a lot of.
For me, the score is as high as it is because of Local Multiplayer. Brings back so many memories, and without a lag issue, it is a huge amount of fun too.
Sound - 6/10
A problem I have heard about this Kollection, is the sound is poor quality, mis-timed, or just plain missing. This is mostly to do with the music, the sound effects themselves are fine. No real complaints from me, but I have had the music on Mortal Kombat disappear, and the quality of some of the sound effects from UMK3 weren't brilliant.
Longevity - 8/10
This score really depends on how much fun you had at the Arcade. The single player is rather limited on MK and MKII, whereas UMK3 is much more fun and in depth. But for now, the multiplayer is best Local, as online has lag issues.
Overall - 7/10
Annoying, cheap AI, lag issues online, and the graphics aren't that good, no real excuse for there not to be a HD makeover, But, this Kollection is Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II AND Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for 800 points, which is a steal. 3 games for the price of 1? That's easy! If you enjoyed any of the original games in the arcade, you'll enjoy this.
 |