When
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon hit the PS2 and Xbox late last year, it represented a
hallmark of sorts for the series, offering all of the characters from the series
in one complete package. Now the title is hitting the Wii, complete with a new
control scheme utilizing the Wii’s motion-sensing controls. While the Wii-mote/nunchuck
scheme might not be ideal for a fighting game of this kind, requiring a great
deal of accuracy in order to perform special moves and projectiles, this is
still a great package for Wii owners looking to play through all that the MK
series has had to offer over the years.
In MK
Armageddon, you get to play as every single fighter from the series’ canon,
ranging from the essentials to the esoteric. Liu Kang, Baraka, Stryker, Bo’ Rai
Cho, Goro, Shao Kahn, the gang’s all here. You can even unlock a few more by
completing the game’s varied modes. When all is said and done, over 60
characters are at your disposal. They are all fairly balanced too, and each
boasts two fighting styles as well as a weapon (not to mention their own sets of
special moves and combos), making for a ton of different unique fighting
possibilities.
However,
for those of you out there who find 60-plus fighters to be a dismal showing,
Armageddon has a new Create-A-Fighter mode that allows you to build your own
fighter. This mode offers a lot of different customization options, letting you
change your character’s appearance, fighting styles, moves, and so on with a
great amount of depth.
The
motion-sensing controls are a bit of a mixed bag. In order to perform moves, you
have to hold down the B button while performing gestures, be it moving back and
forth, in a half-circle, up and down, and so on. This raises some problems, as
the motion-sensing isn’t quite as accurate as gamers weaned on D-Pads would hope
for. Oftentimes, moves are either done wrong or aren’t completed at all. There’s
a huge learning curve to get down all the moves just right, and the payoff isn’t
especially huge, as playing game with a classic controller or a GameCube
controller is a lot more conducive. To further exacerbate things, basic attacks
are done with the Wii-mote’s D-Pad, making combos unnecessarily difficult with
this control set.
Aside from
the standard combat tier, the game gives you a few different game modes to
switch things up. The Konquest mode from Deception has returned, presenting a
single-player adventure mode, where you can explore a world and learn the game’s
back story while fighting battles against characters from the MK universe. You
can also score some unlockables in this mode, which is added incentive for
completing it.
A brand
new addition is Motor Kombat. This is basically a go-kart mode with some obvious
inspiration being drawn from Mario Kart. This mode uses the Wii controls a bit
better than the fighting does, allowing you to hold the Wii-mote sideways and
steer your kart like a driving game. While the lack of Puzzle Kombat and Chess
Kombat from Deception is a crying shame, this mode is actually a lot of fun in
multiplayer settings.
Graphically, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is a decent enough looking game and
compares to the PS2 version, but unfortunately doesn’t take any advantage
whatsoever of the Wii’s increased horsepower, however small. That said, the
framerate is pretty smooth, keeping the action strolling along at 60 frames per
second, and the dynamic environments (complete with some great stage fatalities)
are pretty cool.
The sound
is also a bit of a mixed bag. The dialogue is very cheesy, and the voice acting
in the Konquest mode is just painful. The music is pretty decent, but not really
outstanding for the series. The sound effects are pretty good though, offering
plenty of back-breaking boom.
For
players who’ve kept up with the series over the past few 3D iterations,
Armageddon will offer more of the same, not really stirring the pot a whole
bunch. However, if you’re new to the series or have been out of it a while, then
Armageddon is the one to check out. Just make sure you have a classic or GC
controller handy.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Basically every
fighter from the MK universe is now at your disposal. The new create-a-fighter
mode is a nice addition, allowing you to create your own brawler however you see
fit. The gameplay mechanics are largely the same as the past two games in the
series, save for the new Wii-mote/nunchuck control configuration. However, this
mode isn’t terribly practical for a fighting game, lacking the intricacy of a
good D-Pad. Most traditional fighters will want to play this one with the
classic controller or GameCube controller (which the game thankfully supports).
Graphics: 7.0
The game looks
about as good as it did on the PS2, but that doesn’t say much considering that
the Wii is capable of much more. The framerate is pretty smooth, however.
Sound: 8.0
Goofy dialogue
(painfully delivered in the Konquest mode), solid sounds, and a decent score sum
the audio up.
Difficulty: Medium
Multiplayer: 7.5
No online hurts
(no fault of Midway’s however, this is Nintendo’s wrongdoing), but the fighting
is pretty fun and Motor Kombat is a pretty cool party game.
Concept: 7.0
Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon doesn’t really offer wildly different gameplay from Deadly Alliance
and Deception, but rather offers a complete version with 60+ characters to
choose from and a nice create-a-fighter mode.
Overall: 7.5
While the Wii-mote
controls are pretty gimmicky and not very practical, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
offers a robust amount of features and game modes, plus plenty of fighters and
unlockables to keep you busy.
