A worthy kompetitor.
Within seconds of booting up the newest entry in the franchise, simply titled Mortal Kombat, I could tell my biggest problem with the franchise had been addressed - this game has more substance than you can shake a disembodied head at. 24 characters, all unlocked from the get-go, a full-fledged Story Mode, a huge Challenge Tower, a giant set of multiplayer options... This is as complete a package as you could ever hope for from a fighting game, and the sheer amounts of content make it seem almost laughable that other fighting games are asking the same price.
Of course, all the content in the world means nothing if the core fighting mechanics aren't fun, and new developer NetherRealm is fully aware of this. Mortal Kombat goes back to the series' 2D roots, which is a good thing, as it allows the fights to go very quickly. It's all about recognizing which attack your opponent is using and being able to either dodge, block or counter it, all within a split second. You can play with two characters for tag-team matches, and switching between them is a breeze - you can also call them to the field briefly to do one of their special moves before exiting, Marvel vs Capcom style. Thanks to great sound-effects the fights seem really visceral and satisfying; it just feels good to land a punch.
Along with the usual array of combos and special moves there is a new Super Meter, which fills up as the player lands attacks or gets damaged. One bar of super allows for an enhanced version of any special attack; these make the attacks viable in different situations, which add to strategy. Two bars lets you use a Combo Breaker, but the timing for this is so frustratingly precise I could rarely pull it off. When the meter is full you can unleash an X-Ray attack, which takes away about 30% of your opponent's life bar, and treats you to a charming view of their bones and internal organs being pulverized. These are always stylish and fun to watch, although I'm a bit fuzzy on how I can bash a person's skull in and break their back only to watch them get up seconds later and keep fighting like it was nothing.
The problem with the Super Bar is that the developers try and "level the playing field" by rewarding the losing player with the more powerful moves. This discourages both skill development and fair play - whenever I had close to three bars of super, I found myself letting my character get smacked around so I could fill up the remainder. You are given much more super for getting hit than you are for hitting, which seems pretty backwards to me. I also had issues with the combos, which lack rhythm - or more accurately, all have the exact same rhythm. You input the button commands as fast as you possibly can and then sit back as your character performs the attack. There are no skills or nuances to learn in the timing, and it makes the fights feel stiffer and less fluid than they should.
So then, about those modes? There's all the standard stuff: a practice room to master the basic skills, Arcade Mode, which is called Ladder, in which you fight your way through ten different opponents, and options for online or offline grudge matches or tournaments.
Story Mode is a pretty simple affair, as it's really just a series of fights broken up by story cutscenes. You can't choose your character in this mode; I guess the idea is to familiarize the player with most of the roster, and it usually works, but if you get stuck with a character you're no good at it gets fairly difficult, especially in the ridiculous 2-on-1 matches. The story itself is fun, B-movie stuff that thankfully never takes itself too seriously.
But the centerpiece of the thing is the Challenge Tower, a set of 300 different challenges with different objectives These include winning matches doing only 50% damage or while dealing with environmental hazards such as falling icicles. The fighting is also broken up with minigames, such as series staple Test Your Might, and fun ones in which you use a character's special moves to clear ever-advancing lines of enemies. Like Story Mode, you don't get to choose your character. The challenges are more fun and varied than those in Story Mode, and I found this mode is a much better introduction to the characters.
The online component is very robust - the best option lets you enter a lobby of up to nine other players, in which you can challenge any player to a match, view existing matches, or enter a tournament all together. No game will ever be able to recreate the arcade experience at home, but I'll be damned if any game ever comes this close. Because of the PSN outage my time with Mortal Kombat online was limited to a short session on my friend's XBOX, so I can't comment on things like connection.
Each mode will award you Koins (no, not "coins," due to the series' inordinate hatred of the letter C) based on your performance. These can be used to unlock concept art and character costumes. These bonuses are great and add incentive to see all the modes through.
In short, this was the game that finally made me "get" why so many love this franchise so dearly. As far as fighting games go this is one of the smartest purchases you can make; there's enough here to keep you busy for quite some time. Is it finally capable of taking away Street Fighter's crown? Not quite, but for the first time in the franchise's twenty-year history, it's a kompetitor.