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The Mortal Kombat series continues to hold its share of secrets and the ability to amaze, well past its 30th anniversary after its initial debut in gaming halls. This latest compilation covering the franchise's earliest days, comprising four arcade games, several home system versions, and related titles, goes beyond simply a faithfully reproduced series of classics and not-so-classics — it's also a comprehensive historical account about the creation of the legendary series.

As a dedicated Mortal Kombat fan who has carefully followed its development and progression, there was plenty new for me to discover and admire about the series.

What Constitutes the Legacy Kollection

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection similar to other retro collections from developer Digital Eclipse, part historical documentation, part playable archive. This compilation features emulated versions of the original arcade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, along with home system and portable adaptations of certain releases. The anthology additionally contains the series' ventures at spinoffs, like combat-focused releases Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — among the series' worst entries.

The Legacy Kollection consequently doesn't represent a “best of” collection, but an examination of the franchise's initial era, when developer Midway and brand founders the visionary developers were determining how to create a combat title, created from video recordings of actual people, as they went along. Viewing the historical footage — which includes vintage recordings, new interviews, and digital copies of vintage posters, graphic novels, and even interoffice faxes — it's astonishing to observe how Mortal Kombat went from modest origins to a international craze. It's genuinely amazing to observe several early video game creators, developing without clear direction or oversight, direct their entertainment passions into establishing an enduring gaming brand.

Educational Component

The educational segment of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection documents the ascent of Mortal Kombat and the founders' vocational paths at the currently closed Midway. It then goes on to show how those same creators reckoned with how to consistently surpass their achievements, encountering significant pressure to repeat their triumphs. It represents an intriguing historical record constructed using VHS tapes and traditional photos and hand-drawn illustrations, which demonstrate the hands-on approach of the series' creation process and how personal recommendations helped circulate its mysteries and undisclosed elements of the series in its peak period in gaming halls. Presented in manageable segments, it's an eminently watchable set of brief historical films that includes titles, illustrated stories, cinematic adaptations and including the humorous real-world tour. The compilation also contains some never-implemented techniques and digital fighter representations among its cutting-room-floor content.

Playable Component

Placed within the five-part documentary's timeline are opportunities to engage with the original releases. At certain intervals, audience members can jump into a Mortal Kombat title or a console adaptation to reexperience its mechanics and visual presentation, simulated with remarkable precision on current technology.

I dedicated most of my time experiencing the original arcade titles, particularly Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Numerous titles here remain enjoyable, notably with local multiplayer matches. But playing against the artificial intelligence fighters in these releases is a reminder of how crude and unbalanced the programming was in early Mortal Kombat games. Computer-directed fighters clearly employ dishonest tactics or are alternatively incredibly stupid. If you don't have another person to compete with — online play is available in most titles in the collection, but rather basic in functionality — you'll miss the full enjoyment.

Display Features

The twenty-three accessible Mortal Kombat titles in the anthology, a mix of coin-op, home system, and portable titles, are precisely simulated, though I have noticed a few small quirks — primarily delayed responses and the occasional bug, especially with Mortal Kombat 4. And while the games are primarily displayed authentically, developer Digital Eclipse has included some smart convenience enhancements and graphical adjustment settings. As an illustration, you can choose to reveal combatant-unique actions on the display and select to activate unlimited duration to perform a Fatality. There are also options for accessing hidden fighters, without having to perform some esoteric trick to obtain them.

Artistically, the releases can be experienced with numerous filters and visual treatments. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection includes remarkably accurate options that simulate the traditional television screens of arcades or home televisions, or the limited color monitor of a Game Boy. A particularly nice touch is the choice to enable arcade-like bezels encircling the display, with your selected Mortal Kombat title faithfully and subtly duplicating against the artificial ebony plastic frames. It's very artistically charming.

Extra Content

The collection includes numerous appreciated elements beyond the documentary and emulated arcade classics, featuring an audio component that lets you revisit the soundtracks of different combat titles excluding the sounds of fighters brutally eliminating opponents. Additionally included are fighter biographies that contain backgrounds and numerous narrative components shown through arcade games' attract mode screens and endings.

Historical Preservation

Among the most significant features for committed franchise followers is the ability to access a example of historically missing material in the guise of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wavenet Edition. This version of the game, a moderately improved edition of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, was an initial venture by the company at one-on-one internet-based play in arcades. The online-enabled release of the game is virtually identical to UMK3, but included the option to compete against internet adversaries and included some minor bug fixes and balance. Yet this online edition never gained traction, in part