Mortal Kombat Gold
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
There's something to be said for a game series that has lasted as long as Mortal Kombat has. The problem with MK Gold is that it doesn't do the venerable franchise justice.
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Let's Get Ready to Crumble
Anyone who's followed the gaming industry over the past few years knows Mortal Kombat. Fighters from all over the universe gather for a tournament to decide who gets to save the Earth from the forces of evil. The series is famous for its brutality and its mature flair. Once you defeat your opponent, the famous call of "Finish Him!" booms out over the chaos, and you can then perform a grisly finishing move. In the early days, back when Street Fighter 2 was new, this focus on violence was innovative and interesting. Over time, the MK series has added, removed and returned characters, included innovations like a Run button and character-specific weapons -- MK has done a lot to keep itself alive, and MK Gold contains it all.
There's nothing wrong with MK Gold's concept. Hardcore MK fans will love seeing all the characters they know and love (Baraka's back!) in full 3D. Each character's moves are here, with every bit of the brutality you've come to expect. The problem is that there's nothing new in this title to spice up the MK universe. MK Gold is a collection of everything good that has graced an MK screen since the series' inception, but that's not enough for a stellar Dreamcast title.
Flawed Execution
The problems lie in MK Gold's execution. The graphics are classic MK, which is to say, stiff, impersonal and somewhat jerky. The characters range from the interesting (Baraka, Shinnok) to the uninspired (Cyrax, Jarek), and they are animated with the same stilted movement and attacks as those in the original Mortal Kombat. The graphics do look better than those of the arcades' MK4, however. The brooding backgrounds are dark and interesting, and the character models are well-built. Compared with the sheer beauty of Soul Calibur, though, MK Gold barely makes it into the ring.
There are other problems in MK Gold. The Dreamcast controller was definitely not made with Mortal Kombat in mind. The D-pad makes executing moves somewhat akin to getting blood out of a stone. Moreover, there's no support for the analog joystick. It would have been nice to have tighter control. Also, the game is definitely more buggy than one would expect, with clipping problems and graphic glitches. The game freezes for a split second as it loads during team matches, which delivers a fatality to any chance of a high score.
Motally Wounded
Fans of Mortal Kombat will get this game regardless of its flaws, and they'll enjoy it. Others will want to keep the game at a distance. Unless you're a die hard fan, use Soul Calibur to quench your urge for Kombat.
