Mortal Kombat (ARC, 1992) | The Jeff Gerstmann Hall of Fame 012

Between its recent 30-year anniversary and the recent release of Mortal Kombat 1, I've been thinking a lot about the original Mortal Kombat. It seemed like a good time to revisit the game that launched the franchise, something that hasn't aged all that well when compared to even its immediate sequel, Mortal Kombat II. But its impact on gaming is undeniable. Its impact on my career, weirdly enough, is similarly undeniable. As someone who has been doing this for about as long as there's been a Mortal Kombat, it's weird to think that MK has more or less always been there, continuing to release sequels regardless of whatever weirdness its parent company has been going through. The larger story of the franchise is perhaps a topic for another day, but for now lets take a long look at the arcade game and discuss its impact, both in and out of the home.