Mortal Kombat is a landmark 2D fighting game released for the SNES in 1993. Famous for revolutionizing the genre with its fully digitized character graphics, the game pits Earth’s best martial artists against the champions of Outworld. The SNES port is historically notable; to meet Nintendo’s strict family-friendly guidelines of the era, the arcade version’s extreme blood was recolored as “sweat” and the gruesome Fatalities were heavily censored. Despite these changes, it remains an incredibly tight and responsive fighter that perfectly captures the fast-paced gameplay of the arcade original.
How to Play
The objective is to win a best-of-three bout against your opponent by depleting their health bar, eventually climbing the single-player ladder to defeat the shape-shifting boss, Shang Tsung. The game uses standard SNES controls, typically mapped to the arrow keys for movement and jumping, with Z, X, A, and S acting as your high and low punches and kicks. Press Enter to start the game. Keep in mind that Mortal Kombat uses a dedicated block button (often mapped to Q, W, or Shift in the web emulator) to defend against attacks, rather than holding back on the directional pad.
Tips
- Master the Uppercut: The crouching uppercut (Down + High Punch) is the most damaging standard attack in the game and an excellent anti-air defense against jumping opponents.
- Learn a Special Move: Characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero have iconic special attacks. Scorpion’s Spear (Back, Back, Low Punch) pulls enemies in for a free hit, while Sub-Zero’s Ice Blast (Down, Forward, Low Punch) safely freezes them in place.
- Sweep the Leg: The crouching sweep (Back + Low Kick) is a highly effective way to knock down approaching enemies while maintaining a safe distance.
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