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This iconic fighting game continues to hold its share of secrets and the ability to amaze, more than 30 years after its first appearance in arcades. A new collection spanning the series' initial period, comprising four original arcade titles, several home system versions, and related titles, goes beyond only a accurately simulated series of classics and not-so-classics — it functions as a comprehensive historical account about the making of the iconic franchise.

Even as a lifelong enthusiast of the series who has carefully followed its origins and transformation, there was plenty new for me to discover and admire about the series.

What Defines the Legacy Kollection

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection comparable to other vintage game anthologies from developer Digital Eclipse, portion educational film, portion interactive museum. This compilation features emulated versions of the pioneering arcade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, along with home system and portable adaptations of several of these titles. This compilation also features the brand's experiments at spin-off titles, like action games Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — some of the brand's least successful installments.

The Legacy Kollection thus isn't a greatest hits compilation, but an examination of Mortal Kombat's early days, when the development team Midway and franchise originators the visionary developers were discovering methods to make a fighting game, produced using film material of live performers, as they went along. Watching the documentary — containing historical videos, new interviews, and scans of old flyers, illustrated stories, and even company memos — it's astonishing to observe how Mortal Kombat went from humble beginnings to a global sensation. It's frankly astounding to watch a handful of early video game creators, developing without clear direction or guidance, channel their pop-culture interests into establishing an enduring gaming brand.

Educational Component

The educational segment of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection documents the ascent of the fighting series and the founders' vocational paths at the no-longer-operating Midway. It then goes on to show how the very same individuals contended with how to regularly outdo their previous work, facing no small amount of demand to replicate their achievements. It represents an intriguing historical record made from VHS tapes and traditional photos and manual drawings, which showcase the DIY nature of Mortal Kombat's development and how oral tradition helped spread its rumors and undisclosed elements of the series in its peak period in gaming halls. Presented in manageable segments, it's highly engaging collection of mini-documentaries that covers video games, graphic novels, movies and even the silly live-action tour. The compilation also contains some never-implemented techniques and digital fighter representations among its archived development assets.

Interactive Experience

Placed within the five-segment historical film's chronology are invitations to experience the original releases. During specific moments, viewers can hop into a combat game session or a home system version to reexperience its mechanics and visual presentation, emulated nearly perfectly on modern hardware.

I spent the bulk of my time playing the arcade classics, particularly Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Many of the games here remain enjoyable, particularly during local multiplayer matches. Yet competing with the computer-controlled adversaries in these titles is a testament to how primitive and unfair the development approached in early Mortal Kombat games. Computer-directed fighters clearly employ dishonest tactics or are alternatively incredibly stupid. Without having another person to compete with — network gaming is included in the majority of included games, but rather basic in functionality — you'll miss the full enjoyment.

Display Features

The twenty-three accessible Mortal Kombat titles in the compilation, a blend of gaming hall, television, and mobile releases, are accurately emulated, though I detected a handful slight anomalies — mainly control latency and sporadic glitches, particularly in Mortal Kombat 4. Although the titles are largely presented as-is, developer Digital Eclipse has included some smart user experience improvements and graphical adjustment settings. For example, you can choose to show each character's special moves during gameplay and select to activate infinite time to complete lethal techniques. There are also options for accessing hidden fighters, eliminating the need to execute obscure techniques to obtain them.

Visually, the games can be played with a variety of graphical effects and display options. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection includes remarkably accurate effects that reproduce the cathode-ray tube displays of gaming halls or home televisions, or the greenscale screen of a Nintendo handheld. A particularly nice touch is the setting to activate coin-op-inspired frames encircling the display, with the specific combat game you're playing precisely and gently mirroring against the simulated dark plastic edges. It's remarkably visually appealing.

Extra Content

Players will discover multiple nice touches beyond the educational material and simulated classic games, containing a soundtrack mode that enables players to reexperience the music from multiple fighting releases without the din of two kombatants viciously slaughtering each other. Additionally included are character profiles that contain backgrounds and multiple story elements shown through arcade games' attract mode screens and endings.

Lost Media Recovery

Among the most significant features for hardcore Mortal Kombat fans is the chance to experience a piece of "lost media" in the form of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wavenet Edition. This particular edition, a slightly updated version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, was an initial venture by the company at one-on-one internet-based play in arcades. The online-enabled release of the game is practically indistinguishable to UMK3, but featured the capability to battle network competitors and included some minor glitch repairs and refinements. But the Wavenet update didn't find widespread adoption, in part