A popular and very controversial series of fighting games released in the 1990s. The original Mortal Kombat game was released in the arcade and was subsequently ported to various console systems. Graphically, the game was rather advanced in that it used digitized images of real actors to represent the on-screen action as opposed to the hand drawn sprites prevalent in most games. Mortal Kombat was also known for its extreme depictions of violence and gore. Each character had a unique “fatality” which essentially was a graphic method of killing your opponent by pressing a combination of buttons. Actions such as decapitation or the ripping out of organs were a common sight while playing. Later versions would incorporate suicide moves to prevent your own opponent from killing you. Mortal Kombat eventually became subject to intense criticism by both the U.S. government and parents groups who were eager to have the game banned. The end result was the creation of the ESRB, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, to ensure stricter ratings and to prevent sales of adult games to minors. Despite the controversy, Mortal Kombat’s popularity only grew spawning more sequels and even two hit motion pictures. Its legacy is part of video game history.
A popular and very controversial series of fighting games released in the 1990s. The original Mortal Kombat game was released in the arcade and was subsequently ported to various console systems. Graphically, the game was rather advanced in that it used digitized images of real actors to represent the on-screen action as opposed to the hand drawn sprites prevalent in most games. Mortal Kombat was also known for its extreme depictions of violence and gore. Each character had a unique “fatality” which essentially was a graphic method of killing your opponent by pressing a combination of buttons. Actions such as decapitation or the ripping out of organs were a common sight while playing. Later versions would incorporate suicide moves to prevent your own opponent from killing you. Mortal Kombat eventually became subject to intense criticism by both the U.S. government and parents groups who were eager to have the game banned. The end result was the creation of the ESRB, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, to ensure stricter ratings and to prevent sales of adult games to minors. Despite the controversy, Mortal Kombat’s popularity only grew spawning more sequels and even two hit motion pictures. Its legacy is part of video game history. 
