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Buy a Vita, get free Mortal Kombat and 4GB memory card
For those of you who want to test your might at any moment, no matter where you are, Amazon has a deal to help you out. Right now, if you purchase the Wi-Fi model of the PS Vita, you'll get a free copy of Mortal Kombat, along with a 4GB memory card – which will hold you over just fine until you order a more reasonably-sized card.Mortal Kombat seems like an odd choice for a console pack-in, given its status as both a port and a super-gross violent game, but it is at least a good game! Prospective Vita owners have not always been so fortunate.
PSN Tuesday: Awesomenauts, Mortal Kombat
Nothing can prepare you for this week's nostalgic update on the PlayStation Store ... save for a succinct summary such as this one. Awesomenauts brings a faux-retro flair to the MOBA genre today (for free, if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber), while Mortal Kombat reduces its depraved fighting to more diminutive form on Vita.PlayStation Plus subscribers receive some other freebies this week, including Trine 2, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Castlevania Chronicles. The PS One Classics lineup is bolstered with The Legend of Dragoon, and moving up a generation to PlayStation 2 gets you the original Max Payne.Check the PlayStation Blog for a full list of new store items, if you please.
3 windwalker monk abilities that channel classic fighting games
One of the key themes being presented with the new monk class is arcade brawlers, and the new windwalker specialization delivers this in spades. I spent my youth getting rocked by Sagat in Street Fighter II on the SNES, and I've enjoyed the genre ever since. From my time on the beta with windwalkers, here are three abilities that immediately evoke my childhood. Sorry, brewmasters and mistweavers; these abilities are only for those of us who can kick back and knuckle up. Flying Serpent Kick Josh Myers touched on this in his earlier article on monk abilities, but remember Liu Kang's signature flying kick from Mortal Kombat? It's here, and it's every bit as awesome now as it was then. Hit Flying Serpent Kick, and your windwalker takes off at what appears to be epic mount speed, which lasts for several seconds (about 100 yards of travel). Click again and he lands, damaging and slowing anything in the area. This doesn't hit overly hard, but combined with Roll, it's amazing maneuverability around the battlefield. I used to call feral druids the fastest spec on the battlefield, but not anymore. Forget Heroic Leap; this is now my favorite ability in the game.
PSN Spring Fever extended: Mortal Kombat diskounts tomorrow
Sony's had such success with its PSN Spring Fever discount promotion the last few weeks that it's been extended an additional week. Joining the launch of Wheels of Destruction tomorrow are discounts across the board for all Mortal Kombat kontent.The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, which contains the original Mortal Kombat and sequels Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, is on sale for $6.99, and $4.99 for PS Plus subscribers. In addition to that, all DLC content for Netherrealm's Mortal Kombat reboot is on sale, either as individual fighter downloads for $3.49 each ($2.44 if you're a PS Plus subscriber) or all together in one bundle for $10.49; $7.47 if you're a PS Plus subscriber.Finally, you can download Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe at a reduced cost of $13.49, but you may want to read a few reviews before pulling the trigger on that one. Just saying!
New Mortal Kombat trailer shows off Vita-centric gameplay
Mortal Kombat is a fairly tried and true formula by fighting game standards, but what happens when you introduce the Vita's massive array of sensors into the mix? As this latest trailer shows, the results can get positively wacky.Fear not though, fighting purists. Most of the truly outrageous stuff, like tilting the Vita to balance Skarlett over a pit of spikes while skulls are thrown at her, is relegated to the Vita-specific Challenge Tower, which introduces 150 new trials and tribulations designed specifically for Sony's handheld.
Street Fighter X Tekken can't take local teams online on Xbox 360
There's a major difference between the Xbox 360 version of Street Fighter X Tekken and its PS3 twin, it turns out. According to the manual included with both versions, the game's tag team modes allow you and a local friend to sign on to the same console and fight against two other people online; your buddy presses start at the character select screen and off you go. In actuality, this functionality only exists in the PS3 version of the game.The issue has been acknowledged by Christian Svensson at Capcom, who stated that Capcom has no plans to patch the feature in, and that its inclusion in the manual was a mistake. "The reason for this difference is because of the architecture differences between [Xbox Live] gamertags and PSN IDs. I'm not sure of the technical details, but basically it amounts to: Sony made it so you can mix and match online and offline, and Microsoft made it so you can't."That sounded like a reasonable explanation, until we remembered that the 360 version of Mortal Kombat does that exact thing, allowing two local players to take part in tag-team battles online. If it's possible for NetherRealm Studios to include the feature in Mortal Kombat -- the MK studio's first release under the NetherRealm banner -- its exclusion from Capcom's brand-new flagship fighter seems strange at the very least.
Batman: Arkham City shipped 6 million in 2011
Tucked away in the dark, crowded bowels of Time Warner's financial results statement for fiscal 2011 is news that Rocksteady's blockbuster, bat-centric beat-em-up (that would be Batman: Arkham City) has shipped 6 million units, as of December 31, 2011. Now, "shipped" is a much different statistic than "sold," but it's a strong figure nonetheless.It's difficult to tell how Warner Bros. Interactive did on its own in 2011, since its financial results are lumped in with two other Time Warner subsidiaries, (Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Television), both of which brought in astounding amounts of money with their respective Harry Potter and Big Bang Theory licenses. Overall, Time Warner's "Filmed Entertainment" (tv, movies and gaming) reported revenues of $12.6 billion; a 9 percent year-over-year increase.The statement also mentions Mortal Kombat and "several LEGO titles" as key contributors to the division's successful year.
Mortal Kombat creator talks about adapting Batman for iOS
I got to meet up with Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon on the red carpet at last weekend's VGAs, and rather than talking about the popular console fighting series, we instead talked about an iOS title: Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, which Boon's Netherrealm Studios developed in conjunction with Warner Brothers and the developer behind the console Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady Studios. Boon says the game's release snuck up on him just as much as it did iOS customers. "It's one of our first iOS games," he says, "so we were doing it, and the whole process of iOS games, they don't promote them leading up to the launch, it's just boom, and you hear about it going out. But we've been working on it for quite a while." Netherrealm has shared assets with Rocksteady before, and the iOS game makes use of models from the console game (both are rendered with Unreal Engine 3), "so yeah," says Boon, "we're really proud of it." He does admit that the game borrows some ideas from the Infinity Blade series, but there are some cool progression features (not to mention that it uses the Batman license pretty well) that make Lockdown stand out. Boon says iOS development is a little easier than full console development, but it's getting harder. "It's not quite as big of a thing, but certainly the presentation is getting on par with the current generation of consoles and whatnot. It's definitely a more condensed project schedule, but a lot of the same assets." And this isn't the last we'll see of Netherrealm Studios on Apple's mobile platforms, according to Boon. "Oh, yeah," he told me, "we have a number of things in the works. But nothing we can say just yet.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (PC) exists, depending on who you ask [update]
The PC version of Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection may be the world's first quantum video game. As we all know, quantum superposition tells us that any physical system (like an electron) exists in all possible states until observed or measured by an outside force. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection seems to follow the same set of rules -- the only problem is that the game's observable state is different depending on who's looking. According to life-long Mortal Kombat shepherd Ed Boon, a PC version of MKAK never existed. This directly contradicts the fighter's original press release, which announced the title for "PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC." Additionally, a statement made to DSOGaming claims that the port has not been canceled, though no release date has been given. It's a lot like Schrödinger's cat. We have no idea whether the project is dead or alive. We have reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. Update: So when Ed Boon said that MKAK never existed, it turns out he actually meant that it totally exists, albeit with no announced release date.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection tops Sept. PSN sales charts
Those of you with fragile, tenuous grips on reality should cover your eyes for the rest of this article. Covered? Okay good, because according to Sony's PSN sales charts for September, we live in a world where 19-year-old Mortal Kombat games outsell Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Castlevania and Final Fantasy games. We know, we're suddenly very worried about 2012 as well. Head on past the break for the complete sales rundown, and if you're one of the many folks who purchased Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection during the month of September, know that they're working on it.
New Mortal Kombat movie coming from MK Legacy director
Did you like Kevin Tancharoen's Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series? New Line Cinema evidently did, as it's hired Tancharoen to direct a new film based on the bloody franchise. So, to sum up, that one self-produced "Rebirth" short got Tancharoen a job first as a web series director, and now on a feature film. The movie will reportedly feature a more "realistic" version of the Mortal Kombat characters, like the dead ninja who controls fire and the monk with the razor-sharp hat. "The new game and the online shorts have prompted us to consider a reboot of a brand we hadn't been actively thinking about," New Line president Toby Emmerich told the LA Times. So, the rebooted game series gave him the idea to reboot the film series. The fate of this new film isn't entirely assured, however. The film rights to the series are still in question, following ongoing lawsuits between Warner and Lawrence Kasanoff, a producer on the previous MK movies. Not even Shao Kahn himself can defeat the lawyers of Earthrealm.
Mortal Kombat's latest patch solves desynchronization errors, makes balance changes
As we've discussed before, fighting games make use of a language unique to the genre: Terms like "OTG" and "yomi" are common across the pantheon of games that populate the modern fighting scene. Within that universal language, however, are several distinct and established dialects, each centered around a different title or series. For instance, in Mortal Kombat's vernacular, there is no word more offensive or infuriating than "desynchronization." The desynchronization error, a plague upon both systems that was eventually quarantined to Xbox Live, caused matches to disconnect after selecting specific DLC costumes, alternate costumes, and default costumes. Thankfully though, the latest patch pushed by NetherRealm Studios seems to have finally cured the pandemic: we tested Scorpion's Klassic Kostume DLC and encountered zero errors, which is a massive improvement over the one-hundred percent guaranteed desynch rate associated with the costume previously. The patch also provides some desperately needed mechanical tweaks and balancing adjustments, and while many of those changes are undocumented, you can peep a list of the important stuff after the break. Fight!
S.A.V.3. on games all day with Amazon Lightning Deals
Amazon has dropped a selection of Lightning Deals on us, and while we can't be 100% sure of the identities of all the mystery deals (and less sure of the prices) it looks like there's enough stuff in there that you'll want to keep an Amazon window open, and an alarm clock set. Right now, F.E.A.R. 3 is $20 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Upcoming discounts include GTA IV, Mortal Kombat, and what is likely No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise. To round out the deal while flattening your tummy, the ongoing Deal of the Day is Zumba Fitness for Wii or Xbox 360.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection trailer takes us back to the arcade
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection hits PSN tomorrow and XBLA the day after, but you can revisit your youthful arcade years right this very second by watching the latest trailer showcasing NetherRealm's retro-fitted fighter(s). Infinite combos, sticky floors and unbeatable eighth-graders not shown.
Mortal Kombat sells 'close to' 3 million worldwide, has paid for itself
When Midway bit the bullet and liquidated all of its assets during the first half of last year, the future of one of gaming's most ubiquitous and legendary franchises, Mortal Kombat, was completely up in the air. People didn't know whether or not MK's new baby-daddy at Warner Bros. Interactive would continue the series' proud tradition of increasingly ludicrous violence, or if it would continue the stagnating series period. Fast-forward a bit, and thankfully it seems to have worked out for history's favorite murderers, with Warner's first entry in the franchise garnering critical acclaim and millions of dollars. According to WB Interactive President Martin Tremblay, Mortal Kombat has already paid for all of the assets acquired from Midway by selling "close to" 3 million units worldwide. To put that number in perspective, as of June 30, 2011 Super Street Fighter 4 has sold 1.6 million units, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has sold 2 million, both of which have been on the market for a significantly longer amount of time. Considering the sorry state of affairs that Mortal Kombat was left in as little as two years ago, we can't help but be a little surprised by the modern-day, gore-soaked Cinderella story this saga has become.
EVO 2011 Results Roundup
This year's EVO Championship Series was bonkers, you guys. Not only did MVC legend Justin Wong get perfected into third place during the Marvel vs Capcom 3 grand finals, but The Beast took a bewildering fourth place in Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, ending two consecutive years of first-place victories. This was also the first EVO ever to feature a Mortal Kombat game, which is a major victory for both NetherRealm Studios and the MK kommunity. Historically, Mortal Kombat titles have never been considered balanced or polished enough to participate in high-level tournaments, and EVO's seal of approval goes a long way in legitimizing Mortal Kombat in the eyes of the fighting community. Check out the highlights reel above for some incredible displays of skill, dedication, and heart, and be sure to peep the full list of winners and finalists after the break.
Watch EVO 2011 Championship Series live on Joystiq, see dudes get punched hundreds of times
Tonight truly is the final fight, as warriors from around the globe prepare to punch-or-be-punched in the EVO 2011 Championship Series finals! Mortal Kombat, Marvel VS. Capcom 3, and Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition finals comprise tonight's action, with special exhibition matches adding flavor to this already delicious knuckle-sandwich. Check out the schedule after the break, and let us know how you feel about competitive-gaming coverage on Joystiq, either in the poll or the comments!
NetherRealm considered Michael Myers, Jason as Mortal Kombat DLC
Mortal Kombat's newest kombatant certainly came as a surprise to the seasoned MK vets here at Joystiq; we were expecting Tanya, or maybe even Meat, but Krueger? Dude wasn't even on our radar, let alone our fantasy character selection screens. As out-of-left-field as his inclusion seems to us, series co-founder Ed Boon says that slasher villains have always been on the table as potential new characters. "Over the years, we've certainly had a number of conversations about guest characters," said Boon during an interview with PlayStation Blog. "A number of names were run by us: Jason, Michael Meyers [sic] and all those guys. Freddy Kreuger, we felt, was the most instantly recognizable and he fits in with Mortal Kombat with his claws." We think they made the right choice; why would anyone put the guy from So I Married An Axe Murderer in a Mortal Kombat game?
100 percent chance of Rain with new Mortal Kombat DLC on July 19
Rain, former denizen of Edenia and walking Prince reference, will be joining the twenty-first century on July 19 as Mortal Kombat's third DLC character. Half god, half severe weather alert, Rain originally debuted in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. It looks like he's retained all of his old tricks, including his lightning bolt, water levitate, and magical-compulsory-teleportation feet. Rain will be available for 400 MS Points ($5), or as part of the Season Pass.
Insane Mortal Kombat Kabinet shows us what could have been
Save for die-hard enthusiast institutions scattered across the country, North America's casual-arcade scene has all but disappeared. Thankfully, this sad reality hasn't stopped hobbyists from showing us the world that could have been, by creating their own what-if dream machines. Hot on the heels of last week's custom Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate Edition cabinet comes BadBoyBill's truly stunning kabinet for this year's Mortal Kombat. While last week's (still quite impressive) MK3U cab was an upgraded unit from a bygone era, BBB's creation is an entirely custom-built labor of love, featuring a 42-inch screen and a 10-inch subwoofer. Hit the source link for all the nitty-gritty build details, as well as photos of the unit under construction. [Thanks, Dazzaz!]
