Mortal Combat 2 in Android

It was fourteen years ago that Midway decided to release their sequel to their successful and controversial arcade classic, Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat II took the franchise in a new direction, establishing it as arguably the best game in the series. Now, fans of the arcade fighting game can get their hands on the brawler anytime they want, without pumping in quarters or waiting in line in an arcade. Thanks to SOE, Digital Eclipse and Backbone Entertainment, Mortal Kombat II is now available for the low, low price of 5 dollars on the PlayStation Network. But is this game really worth the money for fans of the series? That's a simple question to answer: Hell yes.

Mortal Kombat II features 12 characters of the internationally known series, with favorites like Liu Kang, Scorpion and Sub-Zero leading the list of playable characters. Just like the previous title, players had access to a wide list of special moves, but Mortal Kombat II improved on the formula in a large number of ways. For one thing, players could easily capitalize on the various environmental hazards to kill their opponents, such as knocking them into pits of acid, off of bridges or into spiked ceilings. Another significant change came with the inclusion of Babalities and Friendships, which were a response to the controversial fatalities that the original title showcased. These weren't toned down at all in MKII, but it provided players with a level of choice when they wanted to finish off their opponent.


MKII hasn't aged a pixel in almost 15 years. It's still just as fun to play...
The ported version of MKII on the PlayStation Network manages to emulate the title perfectly. While the game does run in 720p, it does manage to retain the classic look and sound of the title. What's more, players have the option to choose either the D-pad or the analog sticks to move and trigger attacks. (While it may be somewhat easier to move around with the stick, the Mortal Kombat series was always about tapping directions, so the D-pad might be a better choice.) To add to the feeling of being in a "virtual arcade" the game displays images of some of the fighters along the sides of the screen as a "digital cabinet." Players are also given the option to adjust a few settings on the game, such as the difficulty of computerized opponents or whether blood will be displayed after a successful strike. Unfortunately, the menu screens for MKII look truly atrocious. It's almost like a middle school kid made up a generic Photoshop layout or PowerPoint presentation and slapped together selectable options. This is easily one of the weakest facets of the downloadable title, especially placed next to the game screens.

Unlike the arcade game, players also have the option to take on other people on the PlayStation Network. By using either the public or private match options to set up a room between two players, or searching for an open game, players can immediately jump into a head to head match up with each other for as long as they'd like. Easily, this extends the life of the game dramatically, since you're not forced to rely on your friends at your house to provide you with a challenge of your MK skills. However, there are some flaws that also come with the inclusion of the online game mode. For one thing, it's practically impossible to note who you might be playing against during a match (or a long series), especially because the game will not list your opponent's screen name. That can be somewhat disappointing, especially if you've found a rival fighter who provides you with a good challenge, because there's no way to know who you might want to add to your friends list. The same can be said about knowing exactly who you might want to avoid, which really sucks.


... and the online helps extend the gameplay further, even with some flaws.
Another issue with the online feature is the lack of headset functionality, which is somewhat disappointing. It would've been great to talk trash to another player as you're about to perform a Fatality, or have some kind of constant chatter as you're fighting back and forth across the various stages. Another issue is that when you're playing against someone online, you're stuck with that same person unless you leave that particular game room or they do. For some reason, there's no "quarters" system where other players online can line up and challenge the best player around. Finally, and somewhat more hit and miss than anything else is the surprising amount of lag that can crop up during an online game. While part of that is probably determined by the connection of the player that's hosting a game, the lag can range from slight to severe, which can only intensify as a game is going on. That can literally bring a match to a standstill, which is unfortunate. Since it doesn't happen with every match, and can disappear as quickly as it pops up, it's a thing to be aware of, especially if you find that moves are harder to pull off exactly when you want or need them.