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Mortal Kombat To Return In 2011

"Reinvented 2D fighting mechanic" and "all-new graphics engine" to drive the next Mortal Kombat.


 Johnny always seemed like the kind of guy that'd get his own name tattooed on his chest... 
Johnny always seemed like the kind of guy that'd get his own name tattooed on his chest... 
It's been a real rollercoaster of a week over here between a director's pitch for a potential Mortal Kombat movie leaking out, followed by the revelation that the pitch wasn't official in any way. Up until now, all we really knew about the future of Mortal Kombat is that Ed Boon and his team in Chicago were working on something that was often referred to as Mortal Kombat 9, and the occasional slip of info pegged it as being a return to the franchise's gory roots.

Today, the game was officially re-announced as simply "Mortal Kombat." The game will remain polygonal, but will (finally) return to its 2D roots. No more sidestepping away from Scorpion's spear. The release mentions an "all-new graphics engine," which makes it sound like it's more than a repurposing the technology used in 2008's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which ran on the Unreal Engine
 
Here's some video showing the game in action. 
  
   
Multiplayer tag battles have been included this time around, allowing up to four players to participate in a single match locally or online. The tag concept will also carry over to a single player cooperative mode. A lot of classic characters will return, including...


Someone resembling old, withered, MK1 Shang Tsung appears on a throne in one of the stages, as well. Some classic stages from the series' past will return, including a great-looking version of The Pit 2 and the Dead Pool, both of which first appeared in Mortal Kombat II.

 That's a very large (and very cold) tattoo needle. 
That's a very large (and very cold) tattoo needle. 
Looking at the actual fighting, it looks like there will be some kind of helper attack feature, where your tagged-out partner dashes in, executes an attack, and leaves, much like Marvel vs. Capcom 2. The other thing you notice from watching the trailer is that the game ain't playing around with the juggles. There are some very serious-looking combos going on, and they don't look much like the dial-a-combo stuff from Mortal Kombat 3. This is just a hunch, but I suspect that the Pro Moves concept from MKvDC will appear in this game. The double teleport kicks from Mileena (shown in the trailer) look too crazy and too close together to be anything else. Another sequence, where Johnny Cage's punches translate into Golgo 13-like cutaways of the bones underneath his victim's skin, almost looks like a separate type of finishing move. Maybe it's a Brutality? Stage fatalities and just plain old fatalities will also appear in the game.

Mortal Kombat is being developed by the newly renamed NetherRealm Studios, which is a snappier moniker than "WB Games Chicago," the name the team took on after the transition away from Midway, was. Despite all of the name changes, this is still the Chicago-based team led by Ed Boon, one of the creators of the series. Here's what he had to say in the game's announcement.

“We can’t wait for players to get their hands on Mortal Kombat,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “This game really is a response to what players have been demanding: mature presentation, reinvented 2D fighting mechanic and the best, most gruesome fatalities ever!”

Mortal Kombat is scheduled for release in 2011 on the Xbox 360 and  PlayStation 3.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

251 Comments

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EightBitShik

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Edited By EightBitShik

Yes!! I want this game.

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AdvanceStrat

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Edited By AdvanceStrat

I guess Armageddon is the last one of the old group.  Which is a fitting ending in a way, having all the characters in the series in it.
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TheHakku

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Edited By TheHakku
@jayperr:  Where there is Sub-Zero, there is Scorpion. Don't fret. He is sure to return.
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Arrested_Developer

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That's Mortal Kombat alright.

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valiantgoat

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Edited By valiantgoat

It may be time to give fighting games another go, should at least have the nostalgia of the original and tis sequel. 

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Afryte

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Edited By Afryte

It's good to see this one has the same brutality of the originals. The DC one had pretty weak fatalities.

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Prymet1me

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Edited By Prymet1me

Ok in interested

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agentboolen

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Edited By agentboolen

Yep this should satisfy my bloody MK need!!!

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LiquidPrince

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Edited By LiquidPrince

Looks awesome.

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GamerForLife

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Edited By GamerForLife

I really hope Noob Saibot & customizable characters are available that would be awsome
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ManlyBeast

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Edited By ManlyBeast

Looks good.

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mysticboy

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Edited By mysticboy

I'm 17, and I can't watch this trailer? It must have porn in it.

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Noremakk

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Edited By Noremakk

Very glad to see this game coming back for its best iteration yet.

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AaronReynolds

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Edited By AaronReynolds

YES!

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jayperr

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Edited By jayperr

No Scorpion? Someone refresh my memory is he dead or something? 
He is my favorite character dammit!

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SHADOWINFINITE

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Edited By SHADOWINFINITE

Totally Awesome. 

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Damian

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Edited By Damian
@ozzdog12 said:
" So where does this take place chronologically?  After 2? "
I believe it's actually a reboot of the mythology as well, thus it being called simply "Mortal Kombat". It's also why Johnny Cage is alive and Shang Tsung is old.
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Gregomasta

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Edited By Gregomasta

More blood.

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thefjk

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Edited By thefjk
@jaymorgoth: I'm in the same exact boat... I simply don't want anything else from the MK franchise now!
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MistaSparkle

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Edited By MistaSparkle

Great ending :D Plus 4 kombatants at a time!? Dude What!
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theberserker

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Edited By theberserker

thankfully back to the 2d aspect

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bybeach

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Edited By bybeach

There has ben something about MK that has always creeped me out. Iv'e never played it, but I don.t do fighting games anyway. 
 
Having said all that, this is the trailer I much prefer, and I love the 2D approach with artwork and graphics. Just damned well done.
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jaymorgoth

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Edited By jaymorgoth
@Plipster: I'll reserve judgement until the game is out of course, cause hey it could be awesome and i've loved MK since the first one.  I just kinda liked the change the trailer was going for, it seemed fresh and new since MK has been recycling the same idea over and over and over again.  Then again, if it isn't broke i suppose you don't fix it.
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Reverseface

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Edited By Reverseface

Looks badass.

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deactivated-5c7ea8553cb72

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@Tennmuerti said:
" @Mr98 said:
" Is Scorpion going to be in this? "
Does a bear shit in the woods? "
sometimes.
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ozzdog12

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Edited By ozzdog12

So where does this take place chronologically? 
After 2?

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avantegardener

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Edited By avantegardener
@Sanious:  Just kidding around dude, hell maybe it is time for a new Mortal Kombat, and its the weekend :)
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goldenkey

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Edited By goldenkey

I liked the 3-D.  Side stepping was great.  I just hope Scorp and Kang are in it.  No Barakka either.  come on now. 
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Plipster

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Edited By Plipster
@jaymorgoth: I utterly hated that trailer and I was scared it was the direction they were going for a while there, still, everyone has their own tastes.
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Plipster

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Edited By Plipster

FUCK YEAH!....so yeah, where's Scorpion?

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gzl5000

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Edited By gzl5000

Oh look, it's Deadly Alliance with tag matches.

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Little_Socrates

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Edited By Little_Socrates
Sorry, everybody, but this game looks like anus after the wonders that the MortalKombatRebirth pitch showed us. Seriously, I have no interest in any form of MK that isn't that storyline.
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FLStyle

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Edited By FLStyle

Insta-buy.

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Guexx

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Edited By Guexx

Awesome

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bingbangboom

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Edited By bingbangboom

Doesn't really look that "new" if you know what I mean considering they said they were going to reboot the thing. Even the "movie" clip they made had a new interesting twist on it which this game could use. Even the graphics, which are a year away, seem to be on par with DC vs. Mortal Kombat from a few years ago.

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digital_sin

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Edited By digital_sin

F*ING YEAAAAAAAAAAH! Hope it's as good as MK vs DC but with more gore!

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Tennmuerti

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Edited By Tennmuerti
@Mr98 said:
" Is Scorpion going to be in this? "
Does a bear shit in the woods?
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MysteriousBob

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Edited By MysteriousBob
@MAST said:
" @c1337us said:

"It better be better then MK vs DC or I'm not buying. "

Geez, what the hell? Are Jeff and I the only two people on this website that liked MK vs. DC? I thought it was a great fighting game. Sure, the DC characters in it was a bit cheesy, but the fighting. The actual gameplay. I thought it was fantastic. I had tons of fun with that game. "
I hope you two are because that game was garbage.
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mraj21

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Edited By mraj21

 I used to be a huge MK fan in my youth and the original trilogy contains some of my favorite memories of my gaming childhood.  Once the series went 3D somehow  just I lost interest. I am really glad to see them returning to there roots on this one! I can already feel a bit of nostalgia from watching the trailer.   For the first time in almost 14 years I am hyped for a MK game!

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jakob187

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Edited By jakob187

FUH 
 
KING 
 
EH!!!

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Tredik

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Edited By Tredik

Here's hoping the stage fatalities are back to being finishing moves with input sequences. The death traps in MKD/MKA didn't feel like you "earned" it. Also, while I'm at it, here's also hoping the only appearance Hsu Hao makes is in several pieces at the bottom of The Pit.

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Diamond

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Edited By Diamond

2D MK and the return of gore.  I may actually buy this one.

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Reuben

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Edited By Reuben

Whhhaaaat!! MK IS BACK!

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godzilla_sushi

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Edited By godzilla_sushi

Looks great!

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DrRandle

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Edited By DrRandle

MORE-TAL Kombat, am I right?
 
All I'm saying is that I'm GLAD it didn't go into the direction of that pitch, because that looked terrible, but a little something new would have been nice. And Johnny Cage looks like he just got here from Jersey Shore. Why?

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c1337us

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Edited By c1337us
@MAST:  I didn't hate it. I thought it was fun enough for what little I played of it but I just didn't feel it was that great and I would rather keep playing some of the fighters that are out right now then go back to an MK that wasn't a significant improvement over the last game.
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MAST

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Edited By MAST
@c1337us said:

"It better be better then MK vs DC or I'm not buying. "

Geez, what the hell? Are Jeff and I the only two people on this website that liked MK vs. DC? I thought it was a great fighting game. Sure, the DC characters in it was a bit cheesy, but the fighting. The actual gameplay. I thought it was fantastic. I had tons of fun with that game.
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c1337us

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Edited By c1337us

I'd rather the movie honestly. It better be better then MK vs DC or I'm not buying.

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thatonegamerchic

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Edited By thatonegamerchic

 looks good...glad see MK is going more of its previous direction