David’s Retro Rewind - Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

You know, folks, I’ve been thinking about something off and on lately. The subject of those thoughts is starting to bug me to some extent, so I think it’s high time I transcribe and share what’s on my mind. You might recall that NetherRealm Studios revealed the existence of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate a couple of months ago. I mentioned in my initial report on that announcement that until this new version of MK11 came along, the word “ultimate” hadn’t been attached to the title of a Mortal Kombat game since 1995’s Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

The mention of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in that article of mine is what sparked this train of thought in the first place. You see, Ultimate MK3 was the first of two prominent updates to the base version of Mortal Kombat 3. The second of these updates was the somewhat-controversial Mortal Kombat Trilogy. This more comprehensive version of the game combined fighters, stages, and various other elements from Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in what I consider an attempt to roll all four of those games into one all-encompassing package.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy’s primary additions to the foundations put in place by its predecessors take the form of characters who were absent from Mortal Kombat 3 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. For example, Scorpion was conspicuous by his absence until he was added back to the roster in MK Trilogy. That strikes me as odd, yet simultaneously somewhat amusing. Allow me to elaborate.

Scorpion is arguably one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters. At the very least, his “spear” special move and its accompanying “get over here” voice line are quite widely-known. If I’m not mistaken, I seem to recall series co-creator Ed Boon saying at one point that having a Mortal Kombat game without the fighter Liu Kang being playable (which was done in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance) would be like “having a Star Wars movie without Luke Skywalker. You don’t do that.” That’s why I find it amusing that Scorpion would be temporarily omitted from a game’s roster well before Liu Kang ever was.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy wasn’t Midway Games’ only attempt to make a preeminent port of one of their Mortal Kombat titles, however. A full decade after Trilogy, there came another game that had similar aspirations to that particular title in the form of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. As you’ve probably gleaned from this article’s title, that’s the game about which I’ll be reminiscing for today’s monologue.

Before we get too deep into that topic though, allow me to complete the point I started to make within this article’s first few paragraphs. I hope NetherRealm Studios hasn’t gone down a dark path by announcing Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. By that, I mean to say that I hope there will not arise another situation in which there exist two (or possibly even more) competing, updated versions of the same MK game released so soon after one another.

I had to do quite a bit of research to make sure I had my facts straight in this article’s opening spiel because I find the Mortal Kombat 3 saga so confusing. I think that point leads me succinctly enough to the topic of today’s discussion, the aforementioned Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The title in question was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October of 2006, with a Wii port also coming along in mid-2007.

I find that Armageddon does with its two immediate predecessors (Deadly Alliance and Deception) what Mortal Kombat Trilogy sought to do with the first three or so Mortal Kombat titles. Armageddon combines several aspects of Deception and Deadly Alliance, such as playable fighters, stages, and character models, into one comprehensive “collection” of sorts. However, that’s not to say that Armageddon doesn’t bring anything new of its own to the metaphorical table. That’s the main advantage I would say this title has over MK Trilogy.

As I mentioned a few moments ago, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Trilogy serve mainly to add new “kombatants” and a few updated gameplay mechanics to the existing Mortal Kombat 3 formula. This means, among other things, that all three games have the exact same overarching plot. One of the major things Armageddon does differently, by comparison, is expand upon the stories told in Deception and Deadly Alliance rather than just recycling any aspects of the plot.

In order to properly explain how Armageddon goes about that though, I think it would be best for me to first establish some baseline facts, in case any portion of our audience is unfamiliar with the foundation of this MK title. First and foremost, one of the major selling points touted by Midway about MK: Armageddon is the fact that it features every single playable fighter from all six of its mainline predecessors (excluding titles such as Shaolin Monks and Special Forces).

Depending on which console port of the game you’re playing, this means you have access to a roster of either 62 or 63 fighters. This number is a combination of previously established MK contestants and newcomers. The Wii version of MK: Armageddon features a unique iteration of the character Khameleon that was excluded from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox ports, hence the sixty-third playable warrior. The concept of the game having so many belligerents simultaneously warring with one another helps to set the stage for the game’s plot. I’ll explain why that is momentarily.

Secondly, players could further increase the size of their available roster by creating a maximum of two of their own characters. This is done via a system that constitutes another first for the Mortal Kombat franchise. It has been reported, however, that quite a bit of content that was planned to be part of the character creation system ended up being cut from the final version of the game. Part of me can’t help but wonder if this mode might have been more enjoyable and/or humorous if everything that was ultimately cut could’ve been fully implemented.

Finally, Midway was likely quite aware that Armageddon wouldn’t be a true Mortal Kombat game if it didn’t feature the series’ trademark finishing moves, known as Fatalities. In what appears to have been an effort to increase player autonomy, Midway introduced the “Kreate-a-Fatality” system in lieu of the normal, more scripted, and cinematic finishing maneuvers for each playable fighter. This mechanic allows players to chain multiple attacks together (such as ripping out a defeated opponent’s heart and then decapitating them) in order to finish off their foes.

Having said all that, let us now return to the subject of MK: Armageddon‘s story. The game’s introductory cutscene explains that the various forces of righteousness and evil throughout the in-game universe will soon clash in a final battle classified as Mortal Kombat. Unlike the previous clashes in earlier games in the franchise, this conclusive conflict isn’t structured as a normal Mortal Kombat tournament organized and sanctioned by the Elder Gods.

That is to say, this certainly doesn’t appear to be just another instance of Shao Kahn being an imperialistic jerk and threatening to conquer Earthrealm as has been the case in most other MK titles. However, I mentioned earlier that the concept of every fighter in Mortal Kombat history participating in this massive melee ties neatly into Armageddon’s plot. That’s because of the structure and ultimate goal of the battle.

Before this instance of Mortal Kombat can “kommence,” the Elder God known as Argus constructs a pyramid in the middle of the desert and places a massively-powerful fire elemental called Blaze at the top of this structure. Whosoever can reach the peak of the pyramid and defeat Blaze in Mortal Kombat shall be granted the powers of an Elder God to do with as they see fit. The uncertainty as to who will wind up claiming these powers is the factor that dictates whether or not all the realms in the universe will be saved or destroyed.

The premise I’ve just described sets the stage for the game’s arcade mode. Within this mode, you’re tasked with fighting off various challengers as you make your way up the pyramid to eventually duel against Blaze. Should you prove victorious against the flame elemental, your character’s arcade ending details the ways in which they use their newfound godlike powers. However, due to the events that take place in the game’s “Konquest” mode, these arcade endings aren’t necessarily entirely canonical.

“Konquest” mode follows the quest of the aforementioned Elder God’s two sons, Taven and Daegon. These two newcomers were placed in magical stasis by their parents leading up to Armageddon’s events. They were meant to be awoken simultaneously a few moments before the final battle was set to begin so that they could participate in the brawl. However, due to a critical miscommunication of some description, Daegon was stirred first. This meant he was able to gain a considerable head start over his brother.

The Elder Gods put the two men in stasis and intended to rouse them at the same time because it falls to one of them to decide the fate of the realms. Taven, the protagonist you control throughout Armageddon‘s Konquest mode, is the more virtuous of the two siblings. It is, therefore, expected that if Taven were to emerge victorious against Blaze and anyone else who challenged him along the way, he would use the powers bestowed upon him to preserve the realms and prevent Armageddon. His brother Daegon would presumably do the opposite in order to amass more power for himself.

Some critics have compared Armageddon’s Konquest mode more favorably to that of Mortal Kombat: Deception. Deception’s Konquest mode was referred to by a handful of reviewers as a “low point” for the game, whereas the story told in Armageddon’s Konquest was said to have considerably improved upon the concept. I’m honestly not sure whether or not I agree with this comparison, considering how much I remember enjoying Deception’s story. I do, however, readily concede that Armageddon‘s plot stands firmly upon its own merits in my opinion.

Honestly, folks, I think I’ve said the majority of everything I wanted to say about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. I could go on for a while about the story, the gameplay, the aforementioned “Kreate-A-Fatality” system, or even the Mario Kart-inspired mini-game known as “Motor Kombat.” However, despite everything I could still talk about for some length of time, all I really want to say is that I feel like Midway kind of awkwardly and amusingly wrote itself into a corner with Armageddon.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know many developers from Midway have moved on to become NetherRealm Studios by this point. I know NetherRealm subsequently toyed with the notion of the series’ entire canon in Mortal Kombat 11. I just find it somewhat amusing that they essentially pulled the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate “everyone is here” gimmick way back in 2006 and then proceeded to add several new characters to the in-game universe nine years later. Perhaps I’m on the wrong track here, though. That’s why I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic, dear reader. Do feel free to sound off on any aspect of the Mortal Kombat series in this article’s comments!