Some game
series are so good that they require the collector’s edition treatment or
certainly need to be packaged for those that might have missed them when they
were released individually. Midway decided to pack three of the best fighting
games from the much-loved Mortal Kombat series with its Mortal Kombat
Kollection and let me tell you that this is definitely the right time to
jump in on the brutal brawling action found in these fantastic three games.
Trust me when I say that there’s something to love about all three of these
PlayStation 2 classics … sorry, Klassics.
Mortal
Kombat Kollection
brings gamers the last three games in the Mortal Kombat series. Starting
with Mortal Kombat: Deception and adding the story-based adventure
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks and finally returning to its arcade-styled
fighting roots with Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Each of the three games in
the collection brings its own style and content to the table so while all three
games include familiar faces such as Sub-Zero, it doesn’t mean that each of the
games will play alike and that‘s a very good thing. Plus, both Deception and
Armageddon also included interesting mini-games … a first for the series.
The
art of Deception
Personally
speaking, ask me what Mortal Kombat game still spins in my PS2 and I’ll
cheerfully bring up Mortal Kombat: Deception. While Deadly Alliance
was not a bad entry in the MK franchise, it was Deception
that took the series to a new level on the PS2. For one thing, Konquest mode was
far deeper and involving in Deception and the free-roaming story mode was
actually really entertaining enough to give the game’s arcade mode a run for its
money. The roster was also better than Deadly Alliance and it was good to
see some returning favorites such as Frost and Bo’ Ra Cho make the cut.
Aside from
an amazing roster of fighters and a deep Konquest mode, the action felt more
diverse thanks to interactive environments and the solid controls. Deadly
Alliance introduced the concept that each fighter would have two different
fighting styles and Deception is no different. This gives fighting fans a
chance to pull off unarmed and armed combat moves to mix up the action. This
game also introduced fun mini-games such as Chess Kombat (basically chess with
MK characters as chess pieces) and Puzzle Kombat (an MK version of
Capcom’s Super Puzzle Fighter). This is also the game that brought online
multiplayer to the series.
The
Shaolin way
While
Deception brings arcade fun, Shaolin Monks is more of a story-based
adventure rather than a traditional fighter. The game follows the interesting
pairing of Liu Kang and Kung Lao who have been summoned by the powerful God
Raiden. They go on a quest through Outworld to find and defeat Shang Tsung once
and for all. Shaolin Monks was not only an interesting concept to take
familiar Mortal Kombat characters out of the ring but it actually worked.
While you
can play the game on your own, the real fun comes in playing the game with a
friend in Co-op mode that has the second player taking up the role of the
powerful Liu Kang and his powerful fists or Kung Lao and his cool bladed hat.
The game also contained Fatalities and cool move, combos and acrobatics such as
wall running and swinging. You also earn experience points to level up your
characters … which come in handy seeing as the game is actually very
challenging.
Let’s
armaged-it-on
Ask me
what other Mortal Kombat game also spins in my PS2 and I’ll immediately
tell you that it’s Armageddon. A direct sequel to Deception,
Armageddon not only brought back fighters from the all MK games even
early ones such as the return of Night Hawk but it also introduced a very deep
character creation feature that allowed you to come up with your own fighters.
You can also create your own Fatality, which was a major plus seeing as you can
be as gruesome as you want.
While
Konquest mode in this game wasn’t as open or as good as Konquest mode in
Deception, the story found in this one isn’t so bad. It follows the
adventures of Taven, a young man and son to a royal throne that is sent to
protect a god-like power that might fall into the wrong hands. He follows a
linear path but it is one filled with familiar faces such as Sonja and Kabal
just to name a few of the characters you’ll meet along the way.
Armageddon also
comes with a mini-game and it’s a fun one called Motor Kombat. Motor Kombat is
essentially a Mario Kart-styled game with a number of carts and cartoon
MK characters attempting to win a series of races. The great part is that
you can also play Motor Kombat online with up to 8 players. Believe me when I
tell you that it’s one of the bloodiest and amusing kart games you’ll get to
play.
Visually,
all three games have their own distinct look as well and each one actually looks
good on the PlayStation 2. It’s clear, however, that Armageddon is
slightly better to look at than the other two games but not by very much. The
blood does fly in all three the way we would expect from the Mortal Kombat
franchise and watching the dismemberments, gory finishing moves and variety
of Fatalities offer enough
All three
games also have great sound whether it’s the solid soundtrack or the decent
voice acting. Shaolin Monks has the best tunes of the three games with
its lovely Asian melodies mixed with the familiar rock riffs that pop up when
things get really hairy. The voice acting isn’t bad considering the fact that
the dialogue in each Konquest mode isn’t particularly strong and the sound
effects work wonderfully for all three.
Few
collections rarely push three equally gratifying and near perfect titles but
Mortal Kombat Kollection for the PlayStation 2 brings three of Midway’s best
fighting games wrapped up in one 3-disc package. Individually, each game has a
lot to offer fighting fans and all three do justice to the Mortal Kombat
series that isn’t short on surprises or fun. If you missed all three, this is
your chance to experience three of the most entertaining and addictively
enjoyable brawling games available on the PS2.
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Gameplay: 9.0
There’s a lot to
love about all three games and the fun puzzle, kart racing and chess mini-games
add an extra incentive to keep on playing. Both Deception and
Armageddon have more than enough characters to try out and Shaolin Monks
is an overall exciting action game fit for two-players or solo. The controls
work well for all three games as well and there’s online multiplayer for
Deception and Armageddon.
Graphics: 8.5
Even on the
PlayStation 2 the three games look really good despite a few square faces during
Konquest mode in Armageddon. In all three games the blood flies quickly
and in odd-looking gobs but it’s still a gruesome sight to see the
dismemberments and cool Fatalities.
Sound: 8.5
The music for all
three games isn’t bad at all and the voice acting is good enough to make the
story in Shaolin or the two Konquest modes interesting. I still get a
kick out of hearing Scorpion yell “Get over here!”
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
All three games
really amp up the challenges and there are a number of opponents that will
certainly put you through hell. At some point in all three games you will find
yourself replaying a match or level repeatedly against tougher foes.
Concept: 9.0
Deception,
Armageddon and Shaolin Monks are not only the best MK games
ever released but they’re one of the three best fighting games on the
PlayStation 2. The fact that both Deception and Armageddon added
fun side games plus a story-based game mode just made these two titles utterly
addictive. Shaolin Monks is also a solid game with a good story and
plenty of bloody battles.
Multiplayer: 8.5
Sadly, there aren’t
too many Mortal Kombat fans playing the game online but the fighting
action does run smoothly when you do find a challenger. You can also the Kart
racing game is fun with more players and the co-op action of Shaolin
Monks is a real gem.
Overall: 9.0
These three games
are the best Mortal Kombat titles to hit the PlayStation 2 and thus make
the Mortal Kombat Kollection set a real "must have," especially if you
missed out on them when they were originally released. Whether you like
Deception and its brutally superior sequel Armageddon or the
story-based Shaolin Monks, there’s something for all fighting fans in this
set. In other words, this one has it all, Kombat fans.
