Mortal Kombat

At first glance it may appear that this is just another half-baked console port coming to a Sony handheld. This is not at all the case. It is clear that NetherRealm has really taken time into making sure that the Vita version of Mortal Kombat is every bit as great as the console versions, and then some. The Vita version includes all of the DLC from the console versions of the game as well as some additional new costumes.

The single player is still fantastic, with an amazing story that is better then most story-driven games that come out today. While the cutscenes look fantastic, when it makes the transition to gameplay it can be a bit jarring. However, once you actually start playing the game it doesn't look that bad. The game runs at a constant 60 frames per second and it shows. There are also no load screens while playing the story mode which is a plus.

.

.

That only begins to scratch the surface on the single player content. It also features an arcade ladder, tag ladder, mini games (including two new ones added for the Vita; Test Your Balance and Test Your Swipe), the Challenge Tower that was included in last years console version as well as a brand new Challenge Tower which features 150 new challenges. These new challenges make use of the new characters as well as tilt and touch controls. There is more then enough single player content here to keep you busy for a very long time.

.

.

Even so, the fine folks over at NetherRealm still decided to take it a step further and include multiplayer. Those of you who played Mortal Kombat online on PS3 or Xbox 360 likely remember how unreliable the online would be with several disconnections happening before the match would even begin. Luckily, the online here works perfectly and while lobby's and King of the Hill mode are no longer present, the game more then makes up for it by providing extremely reliable fights with no lag at all (at least not any that I noticed). That being said, keep in mind that you may still get the occasional disconnect while playing online, but those are most likely the result of your opponent rage quitting. You can also chat with your opponent while fighting online (note: to turn of voice chat simply hold down the home button for around 3 seconds and select disable microphone).

This game is everything that a portable game should be. It has the quick pick-up and play modes (such as the challenge tower and the "Test Your ____" mini-games), a reliable and lag free multiplayer for those times you are in a coffee shop with free WiFi, and a deep single player campaign that you can dive into during a long bus or plane ride. The graphics, while not the prettiest in the world, are consistent and the game runs at a solid 60 frames per second at all times. If you are even in the slightest bit interested in this game and have a Vita, you should definitely give this a purchase, it will not disappoint.