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The Mortal Kombat series continues to hold numerous undisclosed elements and the ability to amaze, more than 30 years after its first appearance in coin-op establishments. This latest compilation covering the series' initial period, which includes four arcade games, several home system versions, and spinoffs, transcends simply a faithfully reproduced collection of iconic titles and not-so-classics — it's also a comprehensive historical account about the creation of the legendary series.

As a dedicated devotee of the franchise who has closely monitored its development and progression, there was much to discover for me to discover and admire about the series.

What Defines the Historical Compilation

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is, like other retro collections from developer Digital Eclipse, part historical documentation, part playable archive. This compilation features digitally recreated editions of the first arcade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, plus console and handheld ports of certain releases. The anthology additionally contains the brand's experiments at derivative games, like combat-focused releases Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — among the series' least successful installments.

The Legacy Kollection thus isn't a greatest hits compilation, but an examination of the franchise's initial era, when the creators at Midway and brand founders the visionary developers were determining how to create a combat title, produced using film material of live performers, as they went along. Observing the archival material — containing archival footage, recent conversations, and reproductions of classic advertisements, comics, and including internal communications — it's remarkable to see how Mortal Kombat went from modest origins to a global sensation. It's truly remarkable to watch a handful of pioneering developers, working with minimal planning or guidance, focus their cultural enthusiasms into birthing an iconic game franchise.

Historical Section

The historical documentation of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection charts the rise of the fighting series and the founders' vocational paths at the now-defunct Midway. It subsequently demonstrates how these identical developers contended with how to consistently surpass their achievements, experiencing considerable demand to replicate their achievements. It serves as a compelling period piece constructed using VHS tapes and traditional photos and pencil sketches, which showcase the DIY nature of the series' creation process and how word of mouth helped spread its rumors and secrets of MK in its peak period in gaming halls. Delivered in easily digestible portions, it's an eminently watchable collection of mini-documentaries that includes titles, illustrated stories, cinematic adaptations and including the humorous real-world tour. It also includes some unused moves and game character images among its archived development assets.

Interactive Gaming

Distributed throughout the five-segment historical film's chronology are prompts to play the games themselves. At various points, users can directly access a combat game session or one of its home console ports to revisit its gameplay and visual presentation, simulated with remarkable precision on current technology.

I spent the bulk of my time playing the arcade classics, particularly Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Numerous titles here hold up, notably with local multiplayer matches. But playing against the artificial intelligence fighters in these releases is a testament to how primitive and unjust the programming was in the series' initial installments. Computer-directed fighters blatantly cheat to win or are conversely remarkably unintelligent. If you don't have a human opponent — online play is available in the majority of included games, but somewhat limited in options — you'll be missing out.

Visual Options

The twenty-three accessible Mortal Kombat titles in the anthology, a mix of coin-op, home system, and portable titles, are precisely simulated, though I've observed a few small quirks — mainly control latency and the occasional bug, notably within Mortal Kombat 4. And while the games are mostly shown in their original form, the development team has added several intelligent user experience improvements and display customization choices. For instance, users can elect to reveal combatant-unique actions during gameplay and opt to have infinite time to perform a Fatality. Also included are choices for unlocking secret characters, eliminating the need to execute complicated methods to obtain them.

Artistically, the releases can be experienced with numerous graphical effects and display options. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection includes remarkably accurate options that simulate the cathode-ray tube displays of gaming halls or home televisions, or the limited color monitor of a Game Boy. A notably appreciated element is the setting to activate arcade-like bezels framing the gameplay, with the MK game of your choice precisely and gently mirroring against the simulated dark plastic edges. It's quite aesthetically pleasing.

Bonus Elements

The collection includes numerous welcome features besides the documentary and emulated arcade classics, including a music player that allows users to rediscover the music from multiple combat titles excluding the sounds of two kombatants viciously slaughtering each other. Also present are combatant descriptions that feature histories and multiple story elements displayed via the demo sequences of coin-op titles and conclusions.

Historical Preservation

A particularly notable inclusion for committed franchise followers is the ability to access a piece of "lost media" in the form of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wavenet Edition. This version of the game, a somewhat revised iteration of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, was an pioneering effort from the developer at head-to-head network battles in gaming halls. The online-enabled release of the game is virtually identical to UMK3, but featured the capability to challenge online opponents and contained several small bug fixes and balance. However, this network version didn't find widespread adoption, in part