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This iconic fighting game still possesses many hidden mysteries and the ability to amaze, well past its 30th anniversary after its original launch in arcades. This latest compilation including the franchise's earliest days, comprising a quartet of arcade releases, several home system versions, and related titles, goes beyond just a well-emulated collection of iconic titles including less celebrated releases — it additionally serves as a rich documentary about the creation of the renowned brand.

Even as a lifelong devotee of the franchise who has paid close attention its development and progression, there was much to discover for me to understand and value about the series.

What Makes the Legacy Kollection

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection comparable to other vintage game anthologies from the development team Digital Eclipse, part documentary, section playable historical record. The collection includes simulated releases of the pioneering arcade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, along with home system and portable adaptations of some of those games. The anthology additionally contains the franchise's attempts at derivative games, like combat-focused releases Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — some of the brand's worst entries.

The Legacy Kollection consequently doesn't represent a “best of” collection, but an examination of the series' formative period, when developer Midway and franchise originators the creative duo behind the series were determining how to create a combat title, digitized from footage of actual people, as they went along. Viewing the historical footage — that features archival footage, contemporary discussions, and scans of old flyers, illustrated stories, and even company memos — it's remarkable to see how Mortal Kombat went from modest origins to a worldwide phenomenon. It's genuinely amazing to see a group of early video game creators, developing without clear direction or oversight, direct their entertainment passions into creating a legendary video game series.

Educational Component

The documentary portion of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection charts the rise of Mortal Kombat and the founders' vocational paths at the currently closed Midway. It then goes on to show how those same creators addressed how to routinely one-up themselves, experiencing considerable demand to replicate their triumphs. It serves as a compelling period piece made from analog films and film-based pictures and manual drawings, which showcase the DIY nature of the franchise's production method and how word of mouth helped disseminate its secrets and hidden aspects of Mortal Kombat in its golden era in coin-op establishments. Presented in manageable segments, it's highly engaging set of brief historical films that spans games, comics, films and even the comical physical events. The compilation also contains some unreleased actions and digital fighter representations among its previously unreleased material.

Playable Component

Interspersed along the five-segment historical film's chronology are prompts to play the actual titles. During specific moments, audience members can jump into a game of Mortal Kombat or a console adaptation to rediscover its combat system and graphics, simulated with remarkable precision on contemporary systems.

I spent the bulk of my time engaging with the vintage coin-op games, particularly Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Many of the games here stand the test of time, particularly during one-on-one local play. However, facing the aforementioned game's AI-controlled opponents is a testament to how primitive and unfair the programming was in the franchise's pioneering releases. Computer-directed fighters blatantly cheat to win or are alternatively incredibly stupid. If you don't have another person to compete with — network gaming is included in the majority of included games, but too light on features — you'll be missing out.

Technical Presentation

The twenty-three accessible Mortal Kombat titles in the compilation, a mix of coin-op, home system, and portable titles, are accurately emulated, though I detected a handful slight anomalies — primarily delayed responses and intermittent errors, especially with Mortal Kombat 4. Although the titles are primarily displayed authentically, the creators has included some smart convenience enhancements and display customization choices. For instance, you can choose to reveal combatant-unique actions on the display and opt to have infinite time to complete lethal techniques. Also included are choices for revealing concealed combatants, removing the requirement to complete obscure techniques to unlock them.

Visually, the games can be enjoyed with multiple graphical effects and display options. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection offers very realistic options that simulate the CRT monitors of arcades or household displays, or the greenscale screen of a portable gaming device. A notably appreciated element is the option to have arcade-like bezels encircling the display, with your selected Mortal Kombat title faithfully and subtly duplicating against the simulated dark plastic edges. It's remarkably visually appealing.

Extra Content

Players will discover multiple nice touches beyond the historical footage and recreated vintage titles, including a music player that lets you revisit the tunes of various combat titles absent the noise of two kombatants viciously slaughtering each other. Also present are character profiles that feature histories and the various bits of lore displayed via the idle displays of gaming hall releases and final sequences.

Lost Media Recovery

Among the most significant features for dedicated series enthusiasts is the opportunity to play a piece of "lost media" in the format of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wavenet Edition. This specific release, a moderately improved edition of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, was an initial venture by the company at one-on-one internet-based play in arcades. The online-enabled release of the game is practically indistinguishable to UMK3, but included the option to challenge online opponents and contained several small error corrections and adjustments. Yet this online edition didn't find widespread adoption, in part