Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Encyclopedia
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (UMK3) is a fighting game
in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades
in 1995
. It is an update of Mortal Kombat 3
(MK3) and was later updated again into Mortal Kombat Trilogy
. According to Ed Boon
in 2008, this game is his favorite 2D
Mortal Kombat title.
In 2006 an arcade-perfect version of UMK3 shipped with the premium versions of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
for the PlayStation 2
. Midway had also released an online version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the Xbox Live Arcade
on the Xbox 360
prior to bankruptcy. The game was released to the marketplace in North America accidentally on October 20, 2006; it was then taken off, before being released officially on October 21. In 2007 the Nintendo DS
version called Ultimate Mortal Kombat was also released. In 1995 through 2000, the Microsoft Windows
versions for 95, 98, 2000 and Me also known as Ultimate Mortal Kombat: Third Legions were released.
This game is rated M on the Nintendo DS
, Microsoft Windows
, Xbox 360, Sega Saturn
, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES
versions. On the last three versions, it is rated M for Realistic Violence and Realistic Blood and Gore; for the Nintendo DS and Xbox 360 the M rating is for Blood and Gore and Intense Violence. The game is not rated in the Arcade version, but it has the AAMA
rating of Life-Like Violence-Strong.
was identical to MK3 but introduced a few new elements. New MK3 characters were added in UMK3, including Kitana, Jade, Reptile and Scorpion on the prototype version; new Ultimate Kombat Code added in revision 1.0 to enable Mileena, Ermac and Classic Sub-Zero. Two new gameplay modes were introduced: the 2-on-2 Kombat Mode which was similar to an Endurance match but with human players on both sides, and a new eight-player Tournament Mode.
Some characters were given new moves and some character moves were altered a bit, in most cases to balance the gameplay. Some characters were given extra combos and some combos were even damage reduced. Chain combos could be started by using a jump punch (vertical or angled) or a vertical jump kick, which created more comboing opportunities. Combos that knock opponents in the air would no longer send one's opponent to the level above in multi layered levels (only regular uppercuts would allow for this).
Additionally several miscellaneous features were added and changed to UMK3. The original red portal background used for the "Choose Your Destiny" screen is now replaced with Blue Portal and an extra Master difficulty is added as well. In the additional "Master" difficulty setting, Endurance Matches return, in which the player can face as many as three opponents in a given round. These were not seen since the first Mortal Kombat. Shao Kahn's Lost Treasures - selectable prizes, some are extra fights, others lead to various cutscenes or other things - are introduced after either the main game or the 8-player tournament are completed. The smallest alterations to the game include character announcements when Shang Tsung transforms and the "Toasty!" sound is now played during the game's end credits and when the players inserting a coin, when Dan Forden
's image is shown.
Some elements from MK3 were missing in UMK3. The only biographies featured are for Kitana, Jade, Scorpion, and Reptile, the ninja characters who were not included in MK3, but were added to the lineup for this release, while all of the biographies and the full-body portraits of the MK3 characters are missing. The biographies that are featured use their Versus screen portrait, with text, on the portal/battleplan background. All of the character endings show each character's versus screen picture accompanied by text, instead of using original art as MK3 did. The storyline intro pictures and accompanying text are never shown. Finally, The Bank and Hidden Portal were the only stages missing from UMK3. They were removed completely from gameplay.
The CPU AI was improved in the game. However, two new flaws were introduced along with the revisions: while backflipping away from an opponent, if the player performs a jump kick, the CPU will always throw a projectile. This leaves the CPU vulnerable to attacks such as Sektor's teleport-uppercut, which can easily lead into a devastating combo. If the player walks back-and-forth within a certain range of the AI's chosen character, the CPU will mimic the player's walking movements for the whole round and never attack (this gameplay flaw remained and was not corrected for Mortal Kombat Trilogy). In addition, an earlier version of the AI was used in UMK3 -- version 1.1 of the AI was used instead of version 1.2, which caused issues with its less-developed code.
Bosses and sub-bosses from MK3:
Additional characters:
Unlockable characters:
Players can unlock characters via Ultimate Kombat Kode after playing.
Hidden opponents and console exclusives:
In the SNES and Mega Drive versions of the game, both Noob Saibot and Rain are playable, although Sheeva is not present. The boss characters Motaro and Shao Kahn are also selectable, being enabled via a cheat code menu.
The female ninja characters (Mileena, Kitana and Jade), returning from Mortal Kombat II, were portrayed by a different actress (Becky Gable) due to the lawsuit issued by Katalin Zamiar
and some of the other MKII actors against Midway. They were also given a different set of outfits and hairstyles, but again identical for all of them (in the game there are just three palette swap
character models for male, female and robot ninjas, not counting the MK3 Sub-Zero but including Classic Sub-Zero).
Returning characters were greeted by critics as an improvement the "lackluster roster" of MK3 with "the greatly missed" Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion and Reptile.
Before reaching any of the original MK3 backgrounds in 1 or 2-player mode, the game must cycle through all of the UMK3 exclusive backgrounds twice. Jade's Desert also serves as a placeholder where The Bank stage used to appear once the player reaches the original MK3 level cycle. The background music used for The Bank is also incorrectly played on Jade's Desert during the MK3 level cycle. Scorpion's Lair, Secret Cave and Abandoned River stages are selectable by using a password while on the missing Bank Stage cycle. In some of the Kombat Zones where a character can be uppercut into different backgrounds: The River, Jade's Desert and Scorpion's Lair → Kahn's Kave.
version of the game. It was tested only in the Chicago
and San Francisco areas that used a dedicated T1 line, connected directly to Midway's Chicago headquarters; many people outside the test area were not aware of its existence during its release. One store kept the T1 line installed after the test concluded, but eventually removed the Wave Net game in favor of a Golden Tee
game that uses a dial-up connection. It is highly unlikely that any Wave Net test games were ever released to the public after the infrastructure was dismantled, and so there are no known dumps of the ROM
s used by the games designed for it.
One of the reasons this version was not widely adopted was the rarity and cost of T1 lines at the time. The game was released before alternative broadband access was available. At the time, a T1 was the only guaranteed way to get broadband into an arcade, but the game didn't utilize the full bandwidth of the T1. Midway subsidized the cost of the line during the tests to make it more attractive to the arcade owners.
; some were more faithful ports than others.
and PC. It has the same graphical quality and menu system, though in many places remnants of MK3 removed from UMK3 for the arcade remain. The content that differentiates UMK3 from MK3 was added to this version in a haphazard way, which decreased the overall gameplay quality and ruined the balance and depth present in the arcade version.
"The Bank" level that was present in MK3 but was missing from the arcade UMK3 returns. Shang Tsung was given a morph for the Robot Smoke, which was not possible in the arcades. The secret characters can be unlocked via a secret options screen, eliminating the need to enter three separate Kombat Kodes to unlock them. This is much faster, especially since unlocked characters cannot be saved. The Kombat Kodes (to unlock the secret characters) were shortened to have six slots instead of ten (probably in order to allow it to be performed with only one controller), but this method is still slower than entering one code to access the secret options screen.
There were a few deviations from the arcade version that did not necessarily improve upon the game. There are a few new Kombat Kodes, but several that were present in the arcade release do not work any longer. Noob Saibot is a shadow Kano as in MK3, not a black ninja as in the arcade version of UMK3. Since the arcade intro is missing, Rain does not appear in the game, yet the message Kombat Kode "Rain can be found in the Graveyard" is still displayed. When watching the Supreme Demonstration mode it would take almost 30 minutes to complete the whole demonstration: the Saturn would read the CD data to load each finishing move. This would lead the game to stop (or load) the Finishing move. However, when doing it on an animated stage, the animation would still move, while the fighters would stop.
entitled MK4, which is the same as the one that appeared in the Mega Drive/Genesis port of MK3.
Some sacrifices were made with this port however. Animalities and Mercies were removed, reducing the number of finishing moves. Shao Kahn's treasure chest has only 10 boxes instead of 12. The announcer no longer says the characters' names. Most of the MK3 levels are missing, including The Balcony and The Street, so uppercutting in the Subway and Soul Chamber does not take the player to the level above. Although the Bell Tower has been removed, the Stage Fatality is still in the code and executable. Another leftover from MK3 that wasn't totally deleted was code data for the 'Endurance Mode', which is still accessible through a Game Genie
code. Sheeva has been removed, although her sound clips are still available in the sound test. Sonya's Friendship from Mortal Kombat 3 is used, as opposed to her Friendship from the arcade version of UMK3. Scorpion's "Hellraiser" Fatality is different this time: he takes the opponent back to the Hell stage, where they just catch on fire and explode. Kitana's "Kiss of Death" only inflates heads — the same effect as Kabal's "Air Pump" Fatality. Rain and Noob were given a Brutality, but no other finishing moves. Human Smoke shares Scorpion's combos, rather than having unique ones. In Stryker's Friendship, the running characters are replaced by dogs.
While removing Animality finishing moves, the Brutalities were introduced, a finishing move that allows the player to attack their opponent with a series of kicks and punches which result in the victim exploding. Rain and Noob Saibot are made playable characters for the first time (although they don't possess Fatalities of their own). Mileena, Ermac and Classic Sub-Zero are playable without any need of codes. Motaro and Shao Kahn are unlockable characters for two player fights, although only one player can choose a boss at a time. An exclusive easter egg was present that allowed access to three separate cheat menus. The player can drastically alter gameplay, access hidden content or view the ending, among many other things.
Many sacrifices were made, however, to fit everything on a SNES cartridge. The announcer no longer says the characters' names. Sheeva has been removed, although launching the 8 vs. 8 Tournament Mode and then selecting random characters will in some cases select the icon for the endurance matches (a large E), which actually represents Sheeva. The graphic data for this character is removed, meaning that she is effectively invisible, but her moves can be performed; she is incredibly fast and very glitchy. Using her normally causes the game to crash after so many moves. Shao Kahn's treasure chest has only ten boxes instead of twelve. The portal stage from MK3 (where Robot Smoke is fought) is present (accessible only through a Game Genie code), but the graphics have been replaced with the UMK3 "choose your destiny" background. The music that is played in this stage is the same as in MK3. Sonya's Friendship from MK3 is used, as opposed to her Friendship from the arcade version of UMK3. Ermac's Fatality is altered. Rain and Noob Saibot were given Babalities, Brutalities and Stage Fatalities, but had no regular Fatalities or other finishing moves. Scorpion's "Hellraiser" Fatality is different: he just takes the opponent back into the Hell stage where they just catch on fire and explode. Kitana's "Kiss of Death" only inflates heads, the same effect as Kabal's "Air Pump" Fatality.
port of the game. The character roster is the same as its 16-bit counterparts. The GBA version features two less buttons than those used in UMK3, which resulted in many special moves' button sequences being consolidated or changed.
The violence in this game was toned down due to a younger fanbase using the GBA (though the game is still rated "M for Mature"). Blood is seen less in this version of the game. Each character (except for Noob Saibot and the bosses) has one individual Fatality
and one Friendship. Three hidden characters can be unlocked by completing any tower other than Novice. The hidden characters are Human Smoke (Warrior), Motaro (Master) and Shao Kahn (Grand Master).
MK Advance was widely panned by critics and fans alike. Some players complained that the CPU difficulty had increased dramatically from UMK3, with computer opponents executing excessively long and difficult combos, along with poor controls. Electronic Gaming Monthly
editor Dan Hsu
gave it the first "0" rating in the magazine's history. It currently has a rank of only 34% at Game Rankings
. Mortal Kombat Advance tied with three other titles for the Flat-out Worst Game award on GameSpot in 2002.
, rather than a port, so there were few changes made from the arcade original. Though, there were some minor glitches in their programming such as when playing multiplayer (network play on Xbox Live), there would only be one level all the time (unless a code was entered when starting a battle). There was also glitches regarding not being able to save the Kombat Kode players unlocked such as, masked Sub-Zero, Ermac and Mileena. Xbox Live online support was added like what was in UMK3 Wave Net. Online leaderboards were created to keep track of all time network stats and friends. The screen size was adjustable for anything between 4:3 and 16:9 televisions. Unlockable Achievements
were also included.
The game was accidentally released on the digital download service on the evening of Friday, October 20, 2006. It was quickly pulled about 20 minutes later. According to Xbox Live Director of Programming, Major Nelson, an emergency meeting was called to discuss what to do about the game's release, knowing some keen users already purchased the game. The decision was made to go on and release the game on Saturday morning, four days before its scheduled release date. As of 2010, it remains as the only post-launch XBLA game to be released on any day other than Wednesday. GameSpot
's "Best and Worst of 2006" named the XBLA version as the best fighting game of the year.
As of June 2010, the game can not be downloaded as it was removed from XBLA due to "publisher evolving rights and permissions". Those who have purchased the game before this date can redownload and play online. This game has been re-released on the Xbox Live Arcade as part of the arcade collection of Mortal Kombat.
, releasing the very first inside report and new screenshots on IGN
. The game is an arcade-perfect port of UMK3, and includes Wi-Fi
play and brings back the mini-game "Puzzle Kombat" from Mortal Kombat: Deception
. Additionally, when unlocking Ermac, Mileena and classic Sub-Zero with Kombat Kodes on the V.S. screen, they remain unlocked even after the game is reset, this is because the game now includes game profiles to which players can access. It was released on November 12, 2007, and rated M for Mature.
developed a remake of the game for iOS, which featured a wireless two-player mode that could function over either WIFI or bluetooth connections. Although the gameplay remained true to the 2D original, the graphics had been updated from the digitized sprites of the arcade machine, and were then rendered in 3D. Control was implemented via an on-screen joystick and buttons, utilising the iOS-based device's capacitive touchscreen. Network communication allowed for scores to be posted online, and a 'simple' control scheme was also included to improve accessibility. The character roster was incomplete, featuring only nine playable characters (Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kitana, Nightwolf, Jax, Sheeva, Sonya, Liu Kang and Stryker). Success at playing the game would unlock two additional fighters (Ermac and Jade). Both boss characters were included as CPU-only opponents. The game also featured achievements. In June 2011, EA updated the game to include the full roster and six new arenas.
In late 2010, EA Mobile released a Java-based port of the game for mobile phones. The game featured six playable fighters and a boss character.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
in 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
. It is an update of Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
(MK3) and was later updated again into Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mortal Kombat Trilogy is a fighting game developed and published by Midway in 1996. It is a compilation of content from the previous Mortal Kombat titles, based primarily upon the gameplay mechanics of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3...
. According to Ed Boon
Ed Boon
Edward J. Boon is an American video game programmer who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway. He now works for Warner Bros...
in 2008, this game is his favorite 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
Mortal Kombat title.
In 2006 an arcade-perfect version of UMK3 shipped with the premium versions of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is the seventh game in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The PlayStation 2 version was released in stores on October 11, 2006 while the Xbox version was released on the October 16, with a Wii version released on May 29, 2007 in North America.The game was not released...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. Midway had also released an online version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
prior to bankruptcy. The game was released to the marketplace in North America accidentally on October 20, 2006; it was then taken off, before being released officially on October 21. In 2007 the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version called Ultimate Mortal Kombat was also released. In 1995 through 2000, the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
versions for 95, 98, 2000 and Me also known as Ultimate Mortal Kombat: Third Legions were released.
This game is rated M on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Xbox 360, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
versions. On the last three versions, it is rated M for Realistic Violence and Realistic Blood and Gore; for the Nintendo DS and Xbox 360 the M rating is for Blood and Gore and Intense Violence. The game is not rated in the Arcade version, but it has the AAMA
American Amusement Machine Association
The American Amusement Machine Association governs all amusement machines in North America including video arcade games since 1988. It is considered to be an advocate before the United States Government and the United States Congress dealing with issues about video games...
rating of Life-Like Violence-Strong.
Gameplay
GameplayGameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
was identical to MK3 but introduced a few new elements. New MK3 characters were added in UMK3, including Kitana, Jade, Reptile and Scorpion on the prototype version; new Ultimate Kombat Code added in revision 1.0 to enable Mileena, Ermac and Classic Sub-Zero. Two new gameplay modes were introduced: the 2-on-2 Kombat Mode which was similar to an Endurance match but with human players on both sides, and a new eight-player Tournament Mode.
Some characters were given new moves and some character moves were altered a bit, in most cases to balance the gameplay. Some characters were given extra combos and some combos were even damage reduced. Chain combos could be started by using a jump punch (vertical or angled) or a vertical jump kick, which created more comboing opportunities. Combos that knock opponents in the air would no longer send one's opponent to the level above in multi layered levels (only regular uppercuts would allow for this).
Additionally several miscellaneous features were added and changed to UMK3. The original red portal background used for the "Choose Your Destiny" screen is now replaced with Blue Portal and an extra Master difficulty is added as well. In the additional "Master" difficulty setting, Endurance Matches return, in which the player can face as many as three opponents in a given round. These were not seen since the first Mortal Kombat. Shao Kahn's Lost Treasures - selectable prizes, some are extra fights, others lead to various cutscenes or other things - are introduced after either the main game or the 8-player tournament are completed. The smallest alterations to the game include character announcements when Shang Tsung transforms and the "Toasty!" sound is now played during the game's end credits and when the players inserting a coin, when Dan Forden
Dan Forden
Daniel "Dan" Warner "Toasty" Forden is an American sound programmer and music composer, and was the lead programmer on several high-profile arcade and pinball games...
's image is shown.
Some elements from MK3 were missing in UMK3. The only biographies featured are for Kitana, Jade, Scorpion, and Reptile, the ninja characters who were not included in MK3, but were added to the lineup for this release, while all of the biographies and the full-body portraits of the MK3 characters are missing. The biographies that are featured use their Versus screen portrait, with text, on the portal/battleplan background. All of the character endings show each character's versus screen picture accompanied by text, instead of using original art as MK3 did. The storyline intro pictures and accompanying text are never shown. Finally, The Bank and Hidden Portal were the only stages missing from UMK3. They were removed completely from gameplay.
The CPU AI was improved in the game. However, two new flaws were introduced along with the revisions: while backflipping away from an opponent, if the player performs a jump kick, the CPU will always throw a projectile. This leaves the CPU vulnerable to attacks such as Sektor's teleport-uppercut, which can easily lead into a devastating combo. If the player walks back-and-forth within a certain range of the AI's chosen character, the CPU will mimic the player's walking movements for the whole round and never attack (this gameplay flaw remained and was not corrected for Mortal Kombat Trilogy). In addition, an earlier version of the AI was used in UMK3 -- version 1.1 of the AI was used instead of version 1.2, which caused issues with its less-developed code.
Characters and cast
Playable characters returning from Mortal Kombat 3:- Cyrax (Sal Divita)
- Liu KangLiu KangLiu Kang is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing in the series' first title, Liu Kang is portrayed as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save his world, Earthrealm, from being destroyed due to having lost nine consecutive...
(Eddie WongEddie WongEddie Wong is a Hollywood stuntman, best known among Mortal Kombat fans for playing Liu Kang, the series' protagonist, in the video game Mortal Kombat 3 and its updates Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Mortal Kombat Advance.-External links:...
) - Kabal (Richard DivizioRichard DivizioRichard Divizio is an American actor best known for his work in the Mortal Kombat video game series...
) - Kano (Richard Divizio)
- Kung LaoKung LaoKung Lao is a player character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.Kung Lao is a former Shaolin monk and a former member of the White Lotus Society. He stands in the shadow of his great ancestor, the Great Kung Lao, but unlike his great ancestor he has no desire to be champion and would...
(Tony Marquez) - Stryker (Michael O'Brien)
- Jax Briggs (John Parrish)
- Nightwolf (Sal Divita)
- Sektor (Sal Divita)
- Shang TsungShang TsungShang Tsung is a boss and player character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. A powerful and deadly sorcerer and a primary antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung is a shapeshifter who absorbs the souls of those he slays in order to maintain his youth and power...
(John TurkJohn TurkJohn Turk is an American model, bodybuilder, personal trainer, former Chicago police officer, and actor.He has three siblings...
) - Sheeva (stop motionStop motionStop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
) (not available in Genesis and SNES versions) - Sindel (Lia Montelongo)
- SmokeSmoke (Mortal Kombat)Smoke, whose real name is Tomas Vrbada, is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing as a hidden unplayable opponent in Mortal Kombat II, Smoke makes his playable debut in Mortal Kombat 3 as an unlockable character. While Smoke is human in MK2, he becomes a...
(Sal Divita) - Sonya BladeSonya BladeSonya Blade is a player character from the Mortal Kombat series. She is portrayed in the games as an officer of the United States Special Forces.-In video games:...
(Kerri HoskinsKerri HoskinsKerri Hoskins is a former glamour model and video game actress.Hoskins is best known for portraying Sonya Blade in several incarnations of the game beginning with Mortal Kombat 3. She toured the United States and Europe portraying Sonya Blade in the Mortal Kombat: Live Tour, appearing at venues...
) - Sub-ZeroSub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)Sub-Zero is the name given to two video game characters from the Mortal Kombat series. The older Sub-Zero first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, being replaced by his younger brother in Mortal Kombat II and the subsequent games...
(John Turk)
Bosses and sub-bosses from MK3:
- Motaro (stop motion)
- Shao KahnShao KahnShao Kahn is a boss, announcer and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The main antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld known for his godlike strength, extreme brutality and knowledge of black magic...
(Brian GlynnBrian GlynnBrian Thomas Glynn is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played six seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, voiced by Steve RitchieSteve RitchieSteven Scott Ritchie is an acclaimed pinball and video game designer. He has been called "The Master of Flow" by pinball aficionados due to the emphasis in his designs on ball speed, loops, and the like....
).
Additional characters:
- Jade (Becky Gable)
- ReptileReptile (Mortal Kombat)Reptile is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat series of video games. Created for Midway Games by John Tobias and Ed Boon, Reptile debuted in Mortal Kombat as a hidden boss and appeared in subsequent titles as a playable character. The character has also appeared on various merchandise,...
(John Turk) - KitanaKitana (Mortal Kombat)Kitana is a recurring player and a one-time boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. One of the lead characters of the Mortal Kombat saga, Kitana is the princess of the otherdimensional realm of Edenia and the daughter of Queen Sindel...
(Becky Gable) - ScorpionScorpion (Mortal Kombat)Scorpion is a recurring player and boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He has been a playable character in all the games, with the exception of the original version of Mortal Kombat 3.-In video games:...
(John Turk)
Unlockable characters:
Players can unlock characters via Ultimate Kombat Kode after playing.
- Classic Sub-Zero (John Turk) - Unlocked by Ultimate Kombat Kode. He returned from Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (video game)Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat...
. - Ermac (John Turk) - Unlocked by Kombat Kode. The new male red ninja who was rumored to have appeared in the original Mortal Kombat.
- Human Smoke (John Turk). He returned from Mortal Kombat II, but is a palette swap of Scorpion.
- Mileena (Becky Gable) - Unlocked by Kombat Kode.
Hidden opponents and console exclusives:
- Noob SaibotNoob SaibotNoob Saibot is a video game character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He debuted as a hidden character in Mortal Kombat II , although the later game Mortal Kombat: Deception established his true identity as that of the original Sub-Zero, who was killed by his nemesis Scorpion after...
(John Turk) - Although he was featured in the original MK3, he is no longer a palette swap of Kano but that of a ninja. Like before, he is fought via Kombat Kode. (Some machines known as Wave Net machines had a hidden code to play as Noob Saibot.) - Rain (John Turk) - Featured in the game's opening montage (except on Saturn), he is actually a fake hidden character that is not found in the arcade game, being playable only on the 16-bit console versions.
In the SNES and Mega Drive versions of the game, both Noob Saibot and Rain are playable, although Sheeva is not present. The boss characters Motaro and Shao Kahn are also selectable, being enabled via a cheat code menu.
The female ninja characters (Mileena, Kitana and Jade), returning from Mortal Kombat II, were portrayed by a different actress (Becky Gable) due to the lawsuit issued by Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren is an American martial artist, sportswriter and actress.-Biography:...
and some of the other MKII actors against Midway. They were also given a different set of outfits and hairstyles, but again identical for all of them (in the game there are just three palette swap
Palette swap
A palette swap is a practice used in video games, whereby a graphic that is already used for one element is given a different palette, so it can be reused as other elements. The different palette gives the new graphic a unique set of colors, which make it recognizably distinct from the original...
character models for male, female and robot ninjas, not counting the MK3 Sub-Zero but including Classic Sub-Zero).
Returning characters were greeted by critics as an improvement the "lackluster roster" of MK3 with "the greatly missed" Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion and Reptile.
Arenas
Including all of the original backgrounds from Mortal Kombat 3, minus The Bank and the Hidden Portal (which were removed), UMK3 features several new backgrounds: Scorpion's Lair / Hell (this stage also contains a new Stage Fatality, where the opponent is uppercut into a river of lava); Jade's Desert (in a reference to his MK3 ending, Cyrax is seen stuck waist-deep in sand in the background); River Kombat / The Waterfront; Kahn's Kave / The Cavern; Scislac Busorez/Classic Sub-Zero / Blue Portal / Lost (a combination of the background from the UMK3 "choose your destiny" screen, The Pit 3 bridge, and the mountains and bridge from The Pit II in MKII); Noob's Dorfen/Boon's Forden (a knock-off of The Balcony stage, which can now be played using a Kombat Kode unlike having to fight Noob to see it like in MK3).Before reaching any of the original MK3 backgrounds in 1 or 2-player mode, the game must cycle through all of the UMK3 exclusive backgrounds twice. Jade's Desert also serves as a placeholder where The Bank stage used to appear once the player reaches the original MK3 level cycle. The background music used for The Bank is also incorrectly played on Jade's Desert during the MK3 level cycle. Scorpion's Lair, Secret Cave and Abandoned River stages are selectable by using a password while on the missing Bank Stage cycle. In some of the Kombat Zones where a character can be uppercut into different backgrounds: The River, Jade's Desert and Scorpion's Lair → Kahn's Kave.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wave Net
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wave Net was a rare networkComputer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
version of the game. It was tested only in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and San Francisco areas that used a dedicated T1 line, connected directly to Midway's Chicago headquarters; many people outside the test area were not aware of its existence during its release. One store kept the T1 line installed after the test concluded, but eventually removed the Wave Net game in favor of a Golden Tee
Golden Tee
Golden Tee Golf is a golf arcade game series by Incredible Technologies.- About :There are many versions of the game that have been created throughout the years, but a fairly consistent feature between them all is the availability of a variety of 18-hole courses with different themes and levels of...
game that uses a dial-up connection. It is highly unlikely that any Wave Net test games were ever released to the public after the infrastructure was dismantled, and so there are no known dumps of the ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
s used by the games designed for it.
One of the reasons this version was not widely adopted was the rarity and cost of T1 lines at the time. The game was released before alternative broadband access was available. At the time, a T1 was the only guaranteed way to get broadband into an arcade, but the game didn't utilize the full bandwidth of the T1. Midway subsidized the cost of the line during the tests to make it more attractive to the arcade owners.
Ports
Like most Mortal Kombat games of its time, this one made its debut in the arcades. It was ported to many home consolesVideo game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
; some were more faithful ports than others.
Sega Saturn
This version is based directly on the version of Mortal Kombat 3 that was released for the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and PC. It has the same graphical quality and menu system, though in many places remnants of MK3 removed from UMK3 for the arcade remain. The content that differentiates UMK3 from MK3 was added to this version in a haphazard way, which decreased the overall gameplay quality and ruined the balance and depth present in the arcade version.
"The Bank" level that was present in MK3 but was missing from the arcade UMK3 returns. Shang Tsung was given a morph for the Robot Smoke, which was not possible in the arcades. The secret characters can be unlocked via a secret options screen, eliminating the need to enter three separate Kombat Kodes to unlock them. This is much faster, especially since unlocked characters cannot be saved. The Kombat Kodes (to unlock the secret characters) were shortened to have six slots instead of ten (probably in order to allow it to be performed with only one controller), but this method is still slower than entering one code to access the secret options screen.
There were a few deviations from the arcade version that did not necessarily improve upon the game. There are a few new Kombat Kodes, but several that were present in the arcade release do not work any longer. Noob Saibot is a shadow Kano as in MK3, not a black ninja as in the arcade version of UMK3. Since the arcade intro is missing, Rain does not appear in the game, yet the message Kombat Kode "Rain can be found in the Graveyard" is still displayed. When watching the Supreme Demonstration mode it would take almost 30 minutes to complete the whole demonstration: the Saturn would read the CD data to load each finishing move. This would lead the game to stop (or load) the Finishing move. However, when doing it on an animated stage, the animation would still move, while the fighters would stop.
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Due to the limitations of the system's hardware, this port featured inferior graphics and sound than the SNES port. It did, however, have exclusive features in comparison to the arcade. Again, like the SNES port, Rain and Noob Saibot are made playable characters along with bosses Motaro and Shao Kahn. Mileena, Ermac and Classic Sub-Zero are playable without any need of codes. Brutalities are also included in this version. Shang Tsung can morph into Robot Smoke, Noob Saibot, and Rain, which is not possible in the arcades. Nightwolf has his Red shadow shoulder move from MKT. This version contained a rendition of PongPong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
entitled MK4, which is the same as the one that appeared in the Mega Drive/Genesis port of MK3.
Some sacrifices were made with this port however. Animalities and Mercies were removed, reducing the number of finishing moves. Shao Kahn's treasure chest has only 10 boxes instead of 12. The announcer no longer says the characters' names. Most of the MK3 levels are missing, including The Balcony and The Street, so uppercutting in the Subway and Soul Chamber does not take the player to the level above. Although the Bell Tower has been removed, the Stage Fatality is still in the code and executable. Another leftover from MK3 that wasn't totally deleted was code data for the 'Endurance Mode', which is still accessible through a Game Genie
Game Genie
The Game Genie is a series of cheat systems designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various...
code. Sheeva has been removed, although her sound clips are still available in the sound test. Sonya's Friendship from Mortal Kombat 3 is used, as opposed to her Friendship from the arcade version of UMK3. Scorpion's "Hellraiser" Fatality is different this time: he takes the opponent back to the Hell stage, where they just catch on fire and explode. Kitana's "Kiss of Death" only inflates heads — the same effect as Kabal's "Air Pump" Fatality. Rain and Noob were given a Brutality, but no other finishing moves. Human Smoke shares Scorpion's combos, rather than having unique ones. In Stryker's Friendship, the running characters are replaced by dogs.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The limitations of the SNES led to many changes in this port. Despite this, there were a few improvements. This version is considered to have buggy gameplay, and also considered by some to be inferior to the SNES port of the original Mortal Kombat 3. This version has been nevertheless nominated to Nintendo Power Awards '96 in the category Best Tournament Fighting Game.While removing Animality finishing moves, the Brutalities were introduced, a finishing move that allows the player to attack their opponent with a series of kicks and punches which result in the victim exploding. Rain and Noob Saibot are made playable characters for the first time (although they don't possess Fatalities of their own). Mileena, Ermac and Classic Sub-Zero are playable without any need of codes. Motaro and Shao Kahn are unlockable characters for two player fights, although only one player can choose a boss at a time. An exclusive easter egg was present that allowed access to three separate cheat menus. The player can drastically alter gameplay, access hidden content or view the ending, among many other things.
Many sacrifices were made, however, to fit everything on a SNES cartridge. The announcer no longer says the characters' names. Sheeva has been removed, although launching the 8 vs. 8 Tournament Mode and then selecting random characters will in some cases select the icon for the endurance matches (a large E), which actually represents Sheeva. The graphic data for this character is removed, meaning that she is effectively invisible, but her moves can be performed; she is incredibly fast and very glitchy. Using her normally causes the game to crash after so many moves. Shao Kahn's treasure chest has only ten boxes instead of twelve. The portal stage from MK3 (where Robot Smoke is fought) is present (accessible only through a Game Genie code), but the graphics have been replaced with the UMK3 "choose your destiny" background. The music that is played in this stage is the same as in MK3. Sonya's Friendship from MK3 is used, as opposed to her Friendship from the arcade version of UMK3. Ermac's Fatality is altered. Rain and Noob Saibot were given Babalities, Brutalities and Stage Fatalities, but had no regular Fatalities or other finishing moves. Scorpion's "Hellraiser" Fatality is different: he just takes the opponent back into the Hell stage where they just catch on fire and explode. Kitana's "Kiss of Death" only inflates heads, the same effect as Kabal's "Air Pump" Fatality.
Game Boy Advance (as Mortal Kombat Advance)
Mortal Kombat Advance is the title given to the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
port of the game. The character roster is the same as its 16-bit counterparts. The GBA version features two less buttons than those used in UMK3, which resulted in many special moves' button sequences being consolidated or changed.
The violence in this game was toned down due to a younger fanbase using the GBA (though the game is still rated "M for Mature"). Blood is seen less in this version of the game. Each character (except for Noob Saibot and the bosses) has one individual Fatality
Fatality (Mortal Kombat)
In the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, a Fatality is a finishing move that can be used against one's defeated opponent at the end of the final match, after the boss character says "Finish Him/Her." The Fatalities are usually lethal, featuring a brutal and morbid execution of the defenseless...
and one Friendship. Three hidden characters can be unlocked by completing any tower other than Novice. The hidden characters are Human Smoke (Warrior), Motaro (Master) and Shao Kahn (Grand Master).
MK Advance was widely panned by critics and fans alike. Some players complained that the CPU difficulty had increased dramatically from UMK3, with computer opponents executing excessively long and difficult combos, along with poor controls. Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
editor Dan Hsu
Dan Hsu
Dan "Shoe" Hsu is the former editorial director of the 1UP Network, as well as former editor-in-chief of the video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly, a position he held from 2001 to 2008. Hsu attended the University of Michigan. His nickname, "Shoe", refers to the pronunciation of his...
gave it the first "0" rating in the magazine's history. It currently has a rank of only 34% at Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. Mortal Kombat Advance tied with three other titles for the Flat-out Worst Game award on GameSpot in 2002.
PlayStation 2
On all "Premium Edition" copies of the PS2 version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, a near arcade-perfect version of the game is included on the first disc. However, it is impossible to save unlocked characters in this version.Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade)
This is essentially an emulationEmulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
, rather than a port, so there were few changes made from the arcade original. Though, there were some minor glitches in their programming such as when playing multiplayer (network play on Xbox Live), there would only be one level all the time (unless a code was entered when starting a battle). There was also glitches regarding not being able to save the Kombat Kode players unlocked such as, masked Sub-Zero, Ermac and Mileena. Xbox Live online support was added like what was in UMK3 Wave Net. Online leaderboards were created to keep track of all time network stats and friends. The screen size was adjustable for anything between 4:3 and 16:9 televisions. Unlockable Achievements
Achievement (video gaming)
In video gaming parlance, an achievement, also sometimes known as a trophy or challenge, is a meta-goal defined outside of a game's parameters...
were also included.
The game was accidentally released on the digital download service on the evening of Friday, October 20, 2006. It was quickly pulled about 20 minutes later. According to Xbox Live Director of Programming, Major Nelson, an emergency meeting was called to discuss what to do about the game's release, knowing some keen users already purchased the game. The decision was made to go on and release the game on Saturday morning, four days before its scheduled release date. As of 2010, it remains as the only post-launch XBLA game to be released on any day other than Wednesday. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's "Best and Worst of 2006" named the XBLA version as the best fighting game of the year.
As of June 2010, the game can not be downloaded as it was removed from XBLA due to "publisher evolving rights and permissions". Those who have purchased the game before this date can redownload and play online. This game has been re-released on the Xbox Live Arcade as part of the arcade collection of Mortal Kombat.
Nintendo DS (as Ultimate Mortal Kombat)
On June 27, 2007, MK co-creator Ed Boon officially confirmed a NDS port entitled Ultimate Mortal KombatUltimate Mortal Kombat
Ultimate Mortal Kombat is the 18th game in the Mortal Kombat series, released exclusively for the Nintendo DS. The release combines updated versions of the previously available Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and the Puzzle Kombat minigame from Mortal Kombat: Deception into a single...
, releasing the very first inside report and new screenshots on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. The game is an arcade-perfect port of UMK3, and includes Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
play and brings back the mini-game "Puzzle Kombat" from Mortal Kombat: Deception
Mortal Kombat: Deception
Mortal Kombat: Deception is a fighting game developed and published by Midway as the sixth installment for the Mortal Kombat series. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October 2004, while a Nintendo GameCube version was published in March 2005. Mortal Kombat: Deception follows the...
. Additionally, when unlocking Ermac, Mileena and classic Sub-Zero with Kombat Kodes on the V.S. screen, they remain unlocked even after the game is reset, this is because the game now includes game profiles to which players can access. It was released on November 12, 2007, and rated M for Mature.
Mobile and iOS
In December 2010, Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
developed a remake of the game for iOS, which featured a wireless two-player mode that could function over either WIFI or bluetooth connections. Although the gameplay remained true to the 2D original, the graphics had been updated from the digitized sprites of the arcade machine, and were then rendered in 3D. Control was implemented via an on-screen joystick and buttons, utilising the iOS-based device's capacitive touchscreen. Network communication allowed for scores to be posted online, and a 'simple' control scheme was also included to improve accessibility. The character roster was incomplete, featuring only nine playable characters (Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kitana, Nightwolf, Jax, Sheeva, Sonya, Liu Kang and Stryker). Success at playing the game would unlock two additional fighters (Ermac and Jade). Both boss characters were included as CPU-only opponents. The game also featured achievements. In June 2011, EA updated the game to include the full roster and six new arenas.
In late 2010, EA Mobile released a Java-based port of the game for mobile phones. The game featured six playable fighters and a boss character.