« Rain on My Parade | Main | Lost: Episode 3.3 Review »
October 17, 2006
Video of the Day, 10/17/06
With all the hoopla surrounding the release of Rockstar Games' "Bully", it's taken me back to the very first video game that sent my parents into fits of indignant rage: "Mortal Kombat".
My parents hated the game because it promoted violence. Which is of course why I loved it. A basic side-scrolling, two people beat the hell out of each other game. But whereas "Street Fighter" was more stylished and cartoonish, "Kombat" sought to amp up the blood and boobs. The first time I tossed a spear on the end of a long rope through my opponent's chest, yelled "GET OVER HERE!!!!" dragged him clear across the battlefield, and then gave him an uppercut which sent his bloodied body to the ground...that was the day I truly became a man. Needless to say, I never got around to playing "Street Fighter" much. (If you think I am lying, think again.)
The ultimate part of the game...indeed, the whole reason to play, was the fatality move that could end each round. Each character has a specific move that would render the opponent dead afterwards. These moves consisted of ripping peoples' heads off, tearing out their hearts, occasionally burning their flesh away with flames from the mouth of your skinless skullface. Doesn't sound like anything you don't see on "Blues Clues" these days, but trust me, at the time? This stuff was mindblowing.
These days, in the age of "Grand Theft Auto", it takes a bit more than a simple beheading to get gamers' pulses racing. So the "Kombat" peeps have ratcheted the fatalities up to absolutely ridonkulous levels for the newest iteration of the game. Having not even thought about this franchise in years, I must say I squealed with delight when seeing every single one of these incredibly complex, incredibly unnecessary, completely hysterical deathstrikes. Hope you enjoy as well.
Anyone else have any "Mortal Kombat" memories? Or any childhood gaming memories in general they want to share? (I've already shared my favorite one, regarding my brother trying to convince me he'd finished "Super Mario Bros", here.)
Posted by Ryan McGee at October 17, 2006 11:32 PM