THE 5 BEST GAMES IN THE MORTAL KOMBAT SERIES

Despite my coverage of games via this blog may not be as vast as say IGN, I do my best to share information on games that I am personally excited about. Thus if meeting keeping track since this blog started this year a good chunk of my articles mentions Mortal Kombat 11 in some capacity. I honestly can't conjure up in words just how excited I am for this game. So much so that during my latest efforts in making a time machine so I can jump to April 23, I became all nostalgic about my favourite games in the series. Here is my list that I came up with:

#5. MORTAL KOMBAT 4

Yes, Yes we know...Mortal Kombat 4 aged poorly in the graphics department. However, go ahead and dig up that old Nintendo 64 from the closet, grab a friend and start whopping some ass in one of the best games on the system. Of course, with a bit bias at play here, MK4 holds a special place in my heart for introducing 3D gameplay to the series. Many criticized the game for being the beginning of a really dark period of low-quality 3D Mortal Kombat titles but, when my friends and I first lay eyes upon Scorpion and Sub Zero duking it out in a fully 3D landscape...It blew our minds.  

#4. MORTAL KOMBAT

​Speaking of special memories...next game on my list is the one that started it all. Listen, I won't lie. I was and still am a massive fan of Street Fight and, fighting games in general thanks solely to SF II Turbo. However, when I saw my first 'Fatality', I had to switch sides. The original Mortal Kombat may not be the best playing game in this list but, it deserved it's a spot here as the 'Fatality' feature was pure genius and revolutionary. 

#3.  ULTIMATE  Mortal Kombat 3 

Now we are getting down to the good stuff as the remaining 3 games are arguably only marginally different in quality. During Ultimate Mortal Kombat's first few weeks on the market, fans were in an uproar as they believed their beloved fighting games series was becoming like Street Fighter in releasing multiple updated versions. However, their tune quickly changed when they realized just vastly improved the gameplay was in comparison to MK3. Suddenly Mortal Kombat became a much quicker game and with awesome specific combos for each character. Not to mention our introduction to the ridiculously satisfying  'Friendship" endings. 

#2. MORTAL KOMBAT 2011 (MK9)

​The ninth entry in the series, Mortal Kombat (2011) is on my list due to how it symbolizes NetherRealm Studios (the developers of the MK series) and the franchise itself's redemption. For years after Mortal Kombat 4 & Gold, we had decent but ultimately lacklustre 3D fighter entries in the MK series. However, as if Raiden himself paid a visit to Ed Boon (Head of NetherRealm) the series was rebooted, reborn into the eSports juggernaut it is known for today. MK9 brought back the good ole tight 2d action but with a more focus on competitive balance. What we got, as a result, was not only Mortal Kombat back to its roots with fast & fluid gameplay but, now an entry that felt satisfying when mastered. Upcoming Mortal Kombat 11, as well as the current MK community, owes a lot to this game. 

BEFORE  THE  FINAL ENTRY WE HAD TO GIVE SOME SPECIAL LOVE  TO:

​Released in 1997 for the PlayStation and N64, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero was a guilty pleasure of mine. The game was a spin-off from the main fighting series featuring some of the worst platforming and level design I have ever played. But yet I completed the game as with the story being a prequel to the very first Mortal Kombat I was determined to power through the awful gameplay to see the end. I would be interested in an HD remake if it came with improvements to the gameplay. 

#1. MORTAL KOMBAT TRILOGY 

​This game did the whole 'Everyone is back!' long before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While it may seem like a 'cop-out' to place both this game and Ultimate MK3 on the same list, Trilogy was a beast of its own. We got a staggering amount of fighters, a new gameplay element the "Aggressor" bar as well as the sweet new finishing move called Brutality. Added upon the refine combo system of UMK3 also made this game a joy to play. It remains by far our absolute favourite in the Mortal Kombat series and would buy an updated port with online in a hard beat. 

Woooo...That was a great trip down memory lane as we all wait for MK11. Of course, be free to dispute our list and let us know what is your favourite entry in the series. In the meanwhile you can check what was the latest character revealed for MK11 right here.