MK VS DC: This isn't Your Father's Mortal Kombat

As someone who's been around long enough, I fondly remember the days, of playing Mortal Kombat on my Super Nintendo. Although I admit this fact somewhat begrudgingly, I have to thank CaptainD, who was wise enough to help me realize that nostalgia is worth some extra bonus points. The youth of today don't realize how terrible the graphics of older Mortal Kombats were, or how unresponsive the controllers could be, when you really needed a quick combo to defeat your opponent. The screen used to freeze during fight sequences, and the sound was just slightly acceptable, with the exception of the quick "toastie".

The last couple of years have provided some newer versions of the Mortal Kombat series, with only a limited amount of success. I wasn't enthralled by Ultimate Kombat for my PSP, and Annihalation didn't do much for me. However, the newest installment has brought this series back to life, and I just love the idea of having the Mortal Kombat characters versus the ones from DC Comics. Although this will make my "dork-o-meter" score rise, I think its need to be Batman, and get to engage Shang Tsung in a blistering battle sequence.

This Mortal Kombat has a lot more to offer than previous editions, due to the new characters brought over by the comic strip. If you like MK characters, you'll be able to fight as Baraka, Jax, Kano, Kitana, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, Shao Khan, Sonya Blade, and SubZero. Unfortunately, while this list is impressive, I'm going to have to question them for leaving out several characters. They should have brought back my Reptile, which I used almost exclusively, as well as Kung Lao, Smoke, and Cyrax. This is a minor annoyance, but it would have been cool to have had those characters. I kind of miss Sheena, as well, because there's just something funny about stomping someone into the ground in a fight setting.

The DC Comics list of characters is impressive, or as the older games you to say, most impressive. You can play as Batman, Captain Marvel, Catwoman, Darkseid, Deathstroke, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Joker, Lex Luthor, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The best character is Superman, who is just so ridiculously powerful, that he can make mince meat out of most of the other characters. I was surprised that the Green Lantern was so good, and I really like how Wonder Woman's lasso can be such a dangerous weapon. The only scary part though, is Wonder Woman does not look like Mrs. Carter did back in the day on the television series. Instead, she looks like a steroid loaded up weightbuilder, that can be scary enough just to look at.

My favorite MK character to use is Raiden, because he has so many special tricks and weapons to employ. I especially am pleased that he still does that silly yell, while flying across the screen, to knock an opponent down. He can still disappear, and end up on the other side of the screen, and his fireballs are effective as ever. Another solid selection from this side, is Jax or Baraka. I really like how easy it is to activate Baraka's knives, which can have devastating effects when used at the right places. It pops up fast, and you can easily use this to damage an opponent quickly.

There are several features to this game, besides the new twist on the series. You can do the traditional arcade story line, or fight versus a friend, or someone on the Xbox live. However, now there's actually a story selection, where you can see how the characters of MK and DC Comics are intertwined. Some of these stories can go on for awhile, before actual combat begins, and you can't skip over them. However, it is a neat look at doing something different, so I'll live with this annoyance. I love the Kombo Challenge, where you can test your skills, and I'm also appreciative of the Practice Ring. You can test out all of the moves, which are highlighted on a second screen, before going to the real battle. This has been especially helpful, as I'm a former Playstation guy, still learning to transition to the xbox.

These are the best graphics I've ever seen from a MK game, and I consider them to be top tier in every regard. Screenshots are crystal clear, and even with lightning fast movements in fights, there are no glitches or garbled colors to see anywhere. I just love how the fighting environments are so impressive, and how you can fly in the air, while kicking the crud out of your opponent. Some of the fight scenes are temple based, which are obviously from MK, while others are Batman's Cave and Superman's Arctic Base. Each hard hit or kick delivers blood flying around, which looks awesome on an LCD screen.

Speaking of blood, my main disappointment of this game, is its lack of violence. Now I'm all about games where everyone gets along, as there's actually a positive theme, but in MK its all about fatalities and brutal fighting tactics. The fatalities are weak in this game, as there are no acid baths or decapitations in here that I'm aware of. If I somehow figure that there is one like the old games, I'll let you all know. The DC comics characters have Heroic Brutalities, which are just plain stupid. There's no real brutality, it looks more like just a simple butt whipping that one could experience on a school yard. I guess that's why this game only had a Teen Rating, as it lacks the gore of previous editions. The other slight problem I have is the Rage Mode, which is great if you can be in it, but if not, you can't attack your opponent. Although it lasts only a few seconds, I don't like this temporary invincibility.

Aside from these minor complaints, I am thrilled by this game, and just cannot believe that they've been able to revive this franchise so effectively. Its a wonderful game, well worth its $59.99 pricetag, due to its stellar graphics and gameplay. The sound is fantastic on my speakers, and you can really get into this game, and forget your work and other responsibilities. This is the best MK game ever, and if you've played the series as a dedicated fan, you shouldn't be disappointed with this one.