Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat I is an infamous arcade game that was a response by Midway to Capcom's successful Street Fighter II title. It used a different kind of fighting system from Street Fighter's formula; the controls followed an "X" pattern with high punch, low punch, high kick, low kick, and block buttons a long with an eight-way joystick. The game also introduced the concept of juggles, or the ability to attack the opponent while he or she is still in mid-air. One of the most famous (and discouraged by some) features was the fatality, a finishing move executed on a defeated opponent in a gruesome fashion.

The game featured seven playable characters, all of whom are unique in their own way, with different special moves and fighting styles. Once the player chooses a character, he or she must face seven other combatants (including yourself) until they reach three endurance matches (which is a handicap match, or two against one) and the two bosses (a sub-boss named Goro and the final boss: Shang Tsung).

To see complete move lists for all of the characters, visit the Mortal Kombat I move list page.

Mortal Kombat I universe
500 years ago, the annual Shaolin Tournament, long the most prestigious fighting tournament in the world, was interrupted by the appearance of an old sorcerer and a strange four-armed creature, who entered the tournament and defeated the Great Kung Lao. This Shokan warrior was the half-human, half-dragon fighter named Goro, who became the ultimate fighting champion for the next five hundred years. This was all part of Shang Tsung's plan to tip the balance into chaos and help Outworld conquer the Earth Realm. With Outworld already having won nine tournaments in a row, the heroes would have to avoid handing Earth Realm its tenth loss, or all of humanity would crumble into the darkness of the Outworld.

Playable characters

 * Johnny Cage: A martial arts superstar trained by great masters from around the world, Cage uses his talents on the big screen. He is the current box-office champ and star of such movies as Dragon Fist and Dragon Fist II as well as the award-winning Sudden Violence. He enters the Tournament mostly for fame.
 * Kano: Mercenary, thug, extortionist, and thief - Kano lives a life of crime and injustice. He is a devoted member of the Black Dragon, a dangerous group of cut-throat madmen feared and respected throughout all of crime's inner circles. He enters the Tournament for the supposed wealth involved.
 * Sub-Zero: The actual name or identity of this warrior is unknown. However, based on the markings of his uniform, it is believed he belongs to the Lin Kuei, a legendary clan of Chinese ninjas. He enters the Tournament for reasons unknown.
 * Sonya Blade: Sonya is a member of a top U.S. Special Forces unit and paramilitary police force. Her team was hot on the trail of Kano's Black Dragon organization. They followed them to an uncharted island where they were ambushed by Shang Tsung's personal army. She enters the Tournament to save her comrades and get Kano.
 * Raiden: The name Raiden is actually that of a deity known as The Thunder God. It is rumored he received a personal invitation by Shang Tsung himself and took the form of a human to compete in the Tournament. He enters the Tournament solely for competition.
 * Liu Kang: Once a member of the super-secret White Lotus Society, Liu Kang left the organization in order to represent the Shaolin temples in the Tournament. Kang is strong in his beliefs and despises Shang Tsung. He enters the Tournament to defeat Shang Tsung and emerge victorious.
 * Scorpion: Scorpion's true name and origin are not known. He has shown from time to time distrust and hatred towards Sub-Zero. Between Ninjas, this is usually a sign of opposing clans. He enters the Tournament to seek revenge.

Opposing characters

 * Goro: Goro became Grand Champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament after defeating the Great Kung Lao. For over 500 years, he has remained undefeated and currently serves Shang Tsung to help Shao Khan, Tsung's master, gain control of Earthrealm.
 * Shang Tsung: A powerful and deadly sorcerer, Tsung was a Grand Champion of Mortal Kombat until the Great Kung Lao defeated him. Years later Tsung returned with Goro, a Shokan prince, and entered the Tournament. He had been ordered to by Shao Khan, his master, to win Mortal Kombat in order to weaken the portals between Earthrealm and Outworld so Khan can conquer it. After Goro defeated the Great Kung Lao, the Outworld's domination of Mortal Kombat had begun.

Controls
One player may compete against the computer or two players may simultaneousy compete against each other. Each player has an eight-way joystick and five buttons.

Buttons
The buttons on the arcade panel are typically laid out in the following fashion: The L and H stand for Low and High while the middle punch icon stands for a Block. Low attacks are directed at the opponent's low to mid-section while high attacks are directed at the opponent's upper-section. Holding down the Block button allows you to block high or low enemy attacks.

Joystick
The joystick works intuitively in that pressnig left will generally move your character left and pressing right will generally move your character right. But it is more important to think in terms of relative direction. For this reason, all instructions are given with respect to forward and backward since the left and right directions change purpose when your character switches directions.
 * If your character is facing to the right, then pressing left on the joystick means backward, and pressing right on the joystick means forward.
 * If your character is facing to the left, then pressing left on the joystick means forward, and pressing right on the joystick means backward.

The following directions assume that you are facing right, the starting direction of every fight for player one, who begins on the left side:

Rules
Each battle consists of best-of-three round match between you and your opponent. At the start of each round, both player's health bars are full. The first player to cause the other player's health bar go to zero wins the round. The first player to win two total rounds wins the match and moves on to the next opponent. If a single player loses to the computer, the game is over and the player must continue to rematch the recent opponent.

Attacking
To win a round, the player must use his or her character's attack moves to damage the opponent and block or dodge the opponent's attacks. Each player may attack from a standing or crouching position or they may jump in to the air and attack. To attack from a standing position, press any single attack button. To attack from a crouching position, pull the joystick in a downward direction (including both diagonals) and press any single attack button. To attack from the air, direct your character to jump straight up, or jump in a diagonal position, and press any single attack button in mid-air.

Blocking
To block an attack, a player must hold the block button when the opponent attacks. Blocking can be done while standing (which blocks middle and high attacks), as well as attacks in the air, but does not block attacks which are low to the ground. Blocking can also be done by holding down the joystick and then pressing the block button, which will deflect low attacks. High attacks (and some mid attacks) will usually break crouching blocks. A block can be interrupted at any time by throwing your opponent.

Special attacks
In addition to normal attacks there are attacks known as command moves and special moves. Command moves are special combinations of a joystick direction and a particular attack button that produces a different attack than when the button is pressed alone; these moves cannot be used by other characters as each one is unique in its own way. A special move is a move that requires different button and joystick combinations. For example, Liu Kang's high fireball needs an input of two forward joystick directions and then a high punch button press. This causes Liu Kang to shoot a fireball at the opponent. Special attacks can be blocked like any other attack, but they do what's known as "tick damage." That is, even when blocked, they remove a single hit point from your health bar. Most special moves have a pause associated with them that leave you vulnerable to attack if you miss the opponent, or "whiff".

Throwing
The last form of attack available in Mortal Kombat I is a throw. Throws are executed by standing immediately next to your opponent and pressing an attack button. If performed correctly, your character will grab the opponent and toss them to the ground in a manner specific to your character's fighting style; throws are unblockable.