The Final Word game review

Mortal Kombat -- Acclaim

The arcade smash hit Mortal Kombat has come home to players everywhere. Battle head to head or against the computer in the life-or-death fighting action. Choose from a variety of deadly warriors including Johnny Cage, Sub Zero, Scorpion, Sonya, Kano and more in this hot new title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Ferrari Man
The blood fest comes home--without the blood, of course. This game is a perfect playing replica of the arcade. Excellent sound and smooth graphics top it off. Although blood is a big part of this game that is lacking in this version, I can live without it just to hear Scorpion scream "Come Here!" Watching him hurl a spear through a sweat covered chest is just a minor drawback.

????
As close to the arcade as you can get without buying the machine itself. Well, as close as you could get without the blood. Graphically this game was nearly the same as its arcade counterpart, except for the blood, of course. The voice and sound effects in the game are very good and straight from the arcade. Each character was given the same phrases he used in the original and believe me, the game would be different if they were changed. The play control is very precise and responsive to the SNES controller. However, the longevity of this game is rather short, Mortal Kombat is fun but once you have mastered any of the characters special moves you can more or less crush anyone including the computer. Overall, Mortal Kombat for the SNES is a pretty good game, and the final decision as to whether you want blood or not is up to you. With game control like this, I don't need blood in the game.

R.I.P.
Well, let's face it, this version was boring. I don't find this game all that original to begin with and by taking out the gore... Well, bye-bye party game. Graphics, sound, and everything else were excellent, just no head popping, body skewering, blood splattering action.

Salamander
Man, it's just not the same... I almost feel guilty about being slightly dis-enthralled with a game that is so technically well done, but I believe that it really is the violence that makes this game work. I mean, the name of the game is Mortal Kombat, not Let's-Beat-the-Crap-Outta-Each-Other- And-Pretend-It-Didn't-Hurt- So-It's-Not-Really-Violent Kombat. Who are we kidding? Don't tell me that falling onto a spike is going to kill a person more than missing the spike and falling 300 feet into a stone pit flat on your back. Hell if I know...

>>>>> 76.5/100 <<<<<		Ferrari Man	????	R.I.P.	Salamander
Graphics		3.5	4.5	4.5	5.0
Sound		4.5	4.0	4.5	5.0
Gameplay/Control		4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5
Longevity/Playability		4.0	3.5	1.0	1.0
Overall		4.0	4.0	1.0	4.5
Total		20.5	20.5	15.5	20.0

Originally appeared Vol 2, Iss 3 (08-10/93)