UMK3 surfaces on XBL

[UPDATE] Midway fighter goes up on Microsoft download service, gets pulled, goes back up again...

On Friday evening, many gamers with little--or, more often, no--Friday-night plans logged onto Xbox Live Arcade. More than a few who cruised through the end of the alphabet on the service's catalog noticed a new game was available for download--a game whose release had not been publicized at all.

The game in question was Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which was announced back in March. The classic Midway brawler was downloadable in both a free trial form and a full-fledged version for 800 Microsoft points ($10). According to the description, the game supported two- and four-person multiplayer on Xbox Live.

However, according to various forum messages, once downloaded, UMK3 was riddled with bugs. GameSpot editors who played the trial version of the game also noticed that it was clearly an unfinished build.

Indeed, within hours of its surfacing, UMK3 was unceremoniously pulled from Xbox Live Arcade, indicating its posting was a mistake. As for when it might return, Midway recently pegged a mid-November release date for the game.

[UPDATE 10/21] Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is back up on the Marketplace now...sort of. Some users are still reporting trouble finding and downloading the game, but Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb said on his blog Saturday morning that both UMK3 and the promised Tony Hawk's Project 8 demo are going up.

"If you don't see it yet, give it time as the team is actively working on this... meaning it may appear/dissapear/re-appear," Hryb wrote. "Both titles will be available as soon as they can address the issue."

189 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 6:06 pm PT

    too bad I don't have a 360

  • CKYBam06

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:10 pm PT

    stop making labels.

  • SnuffDaddyNZ

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 7:26 pm PT

    I'd like to address Tor Thorsen's first paragraph.

    Anyone who has a life outside of games is a casual Gamer. People who browse Marketplace on Friday nights ARE HARDCORE.

    I have no life, therefore I am classed as a hardcore gamer.

    If you go to the movies, you are not hardcore. When you are at the movies, I am gaming. When you are at a party, I am gaming. When the rest of the world is sleeping, I am gaming.

    However, I was not browsing Marketplace on Friday night. Nope, I was grinding out Argent Dawn rep in World Of Warcraft till 6am - I am hardcore.

    I dont like games, I love games.

  • final_cut_hugo

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 4:55 pm PT

    Of course 3rd strike is better than MK, that is without question. but this iteration is still a lot of fun for arcade nostalgia purposes. Third strike is by far my favorite fighting game. Having said that, I don't think it is anywhere near as technical as GG Slash. Its too bad they never made a Tourney worthy MK, once someone learns an infinite, the game is over, even in the new one.

  • WESLY_SNYPES

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 4:50 pm PT

    They don't need to put Third Strike on XBL it was already on the Anniversary Edition. It's a matter of Microsoft making the program to put it on the BC list.

  • Fusekazuki

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 4:12 pm PT

    Good to see a MK game on the XBL marketplace. Not sure if I would have chosen MK3 but beggers can't be choosers. I'm gonna throw down the gauntlet and state that Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike is the absolute best Tournament fighter in existance. I'm sure people are gonna toss out MvC2 and GG:XX #Reload. While both are very good they just didn't have the technical level that SF3:3rd had. Where Parrying and frame counting made you a beast in the local arcade. I would mess my pants if capcom ever released that game on XBL.

  • PiMacleod_basic

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 2:19 pm PT

    Suprsoldier is pretty correct. although I like Deception over D.A. (didn't like the 'stick the weapon in your foe' attack -- seemed broken)

    As soon as Capcom realized that there's more money to make off of SF, and makes a NEW one (GASP!!!) like Street Fighter FOUR (OMG!!!), all these other wannabe 'tournament' fighters can sit down.

    I'm NOT downloading UMK3, because SF requires more skill, and because I don't wanna just go online to watch the same 4 characters do running combos all day long. Kinda repetitive. You could argue it about Street Fighter, but you'd be wrong. (sounds egotistical, but ask the people who make money off of fighting games -- Capcom has it pretty well locked down, with SNK and Sammy and even SSBM running closer than any MK game will)

  • WESLY_SNYPES

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    Suprsoldier

    MK2 being the best MK - OPINION (it didn't even have a way of using combos only juggles) if we took opinion as fact then my fact is DEADLY ALLIANCE is the best MK.

    Mortal Kombat was created in response to the success of Street Fighter which was a deeper fighting game than Mortal Kombat untill Deadly Alliance. Also, when was the last time a Mortal Kombat was played in any major tournament? Capcom spent more time refining their fighting system while Midway spent more time making a better storyline.

  • SolidSnake1810

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 12:35 pm PT

    Suprsoldier- I agree with you on MK2 that game was awesome for it's time.

  • suprsolider

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 12:32 pm PT

    Big deal,

    MK3 was the worst of the series (the game that put me off playing Mortal Kombat)

    MK2 is and will always be the best Mortal Kombat - FACT

    Now as for the person that said Mortal Kombat is inferior to Street Fighter.
    All I say is HA, that's a good one. Mortal Kombat was always better than Street Fighter. Also, at least Midway can count past 3 unlike Capcom who likes to milk it dry, then release Street Fighter 4.

  • Toadstool1969

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:54 am PT

    icemancell asked, "before i buy the FULL version, can i stretch the screen to fit full screen?"

    Yes. I bought the full version and you are able to stretch the screen to fit a widescreen HDTV.

  • icemancell

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:29 am PT

    before i buy the FULL version, can i stretch the screen to fit full screen?

  • blazinpuertoroc

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:23 am PT

    i got it download =] Motaro is hard as ever

  • Kuruption84

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:00 am PT

    It looks very clean compared to the other versions, I'm just on the fence about paying for a title that I already have the cart for Snes, the Rom, and I have it on the Midway collection. Even if this version look better that all of them.

  • Ivoryblaze

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 10:22 am PT

    I'll at least check out he trial version, but definitely interested......

  • terrabreak13

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 10:05 am PT

    aikao -
    You are full of crap. The game looks better than it ever did. I'm playing on a HDTV and I expected it to be pixelated but obviously they resampled the sprites and backgrounds so that they look good in high resolution. The color quality is also a big improvement over the SNES version. It actually looks better than Trilogy. Stop trolling.

  • keinuveye

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 10:01 am PT

    4 achievements already, heavenly

  • kaziechameleon

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:15 am PT

    ha alas ether net brought the most major downfall of pc games to consoles, glitchy games and patches.

  • final_cut_hugo

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:53 am PT

    Button config????? Playing this game on a pad is terrible. I hope they add button config!!!

  • exbrklyngangsta

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:48 am PT

    this game is pretty sweet!

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:31 am PT

    FINISH IT!

  • scruffybawls

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 7:50 am PT

    *yawn* why do they make us play a bug riddled MK3 when MK2 is much better, then again, both games were just pathetic gimmicks compared to the Street Fighter series. thanx for nothing midway

  • paradyme777

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 6:23 am PT

    Yeah I was thinking of getting this but I've been awfully busy snapping peoples necks in Splinter Cell. Love that game. Anyways, maybe after this holiday rush I'll consider this game.

  • LiK

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 5:03 am PT

    i can't map the controls! this sucks if you got an arcade stick. SF2 allowed customized controls at least...

  • aikao

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 2:14 am PT

    Midway or Ed Boon (whom ever has control) should not have allowed UMK3 to be released as an XBOX Live Arcade game. Since the memory size restrictions have been set by Microsoft for all downloadable games, this hurts UMK3 by forcing on us a version that is extremely low resolution, highly pixelated, and lacking original content. UMK3 is better remembered elsewhere, and on XBL the game has come to the point that it is not worth the 800 points they're asking. Even the fact that it is online, does not make up for the lack of visual quality. I recommend to any fan or new UMK3 player to download the free trial first before committing to its full version. I give it a 5.1. If you are expecting arcade quality, don't waste your points. If you are expecting SNES quality, don't waste your points. If you want GBA quality, go buy a MK game that plays on your GBA, at least then you can take it with you.

  • zallapo

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:00 pm PT

    Is this REALLY the final version of the game???

    Just Keeps recycling 5 levels over and over again. Where are the other BG levels??? At least i unlocked Ermac, Mileena and Classic Sub-Zero, and managed to save em on my Xbox 360. Once unlocked, pause QUIT to main menu, then select 'Return to Arcade'. It will then save ur settings.

  • Bathyj

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 10:55 pm PT

    thebrazenone
    "the d-pad on the 360's controller completely sucks"

    Yeah, I noticed the same thing with Street Fighter. Oh well. MK is more direction tapping than quarter circles and dragon punches. Still, trying to remember the moves for Fatalities and whatnot. They might be hard to pull off.

    Hehe, I said "hard to pull off"

  • kenerhai

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 9:57 pm PT

    what the heck is going on over at microsoft, cause i dont even think they know anymore. theyre just winging it anymore.

  • WESLY_SNYPES

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 9:27 pm PT

    If only there were Brutalities... Anyway I still love this MF game!

  • LuiKang_is_dead

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 8:01 pm PT

    Just as good as the first time I played it ten years ago!

  • Squids-Ahoy

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 7:27 pm PT

    Drama, uncouth for such a fine microsoft product.

  • fonzieahmed

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 6:29 pm PT

    how does it play live?

  • bossjimbob

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 5:28 pm PT

    Downloading both demos now.

  • cesarotromundo

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 5:13 pm PT

    its awesome!

  • drangel_jam

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 4:16 pm PT

    I got it and I'm loving it!

  • Nintendus

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 3:58 pm PT

    Wish Trilogy was there instead, but it's still good......

  • gta11

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    YYYYEEEESSSS

  • Kai_Ozu

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 1:46 pm PT

    This game still holds up after all these years.

  • GTKyle5

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 1:42 pm PT

    Is UMK3 still bugged?

  • mikekabal

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    corpusse they are only saved in the chache, and will eventually disapear. There is no save file related to the game as far as I can tell, just the game file itself. So yeah the code needs to be entered ever so often. They need to patrtch that, plus add an option to re map the controlller, because I hate my blcok button on the right shoulder/trigger, I need to swap them up.

  • nikefreak

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:33 am PT

    A. Any characters missing would be the additional ones in the ports to the SNES/Genesis (from what I have read, they had extra chars, been too long for me to remember lol)

    B. Yes, its online, with leaderboards and achievements.

    C. This is a direct port (as are most retro titles) of the origional arcade version. That is the reason for platform specific ports having things this doesnt.

  • FiveFist

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:32 am PT

    When are they gona release a street fighter game on Live : /

  • corpusse

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:26 am PT

    Is it possible to save the unlockable characters? its a real pain to have to unlock original sub zero everytime. Especially if you are playing by yourself.

    Also does Noob work in this version? I tried to unlock him but it didnt work. Ended up getting killed as Kano.

  • ribbz22

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:24 am PT

    haha, i bet the dude i just did a friendship to was pissed as hell after he figured out i didnt block in the last round


    love this game, currently in the top 30 on xbl

  • Icepick2137

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 11:19 am PT

    Hell yeah Majorwes, Noob Saibot, the only character worth playing as in MKU3, but you have to unlock him , I still have this on Sega Genesis, its sitting 3 feet away from me, so I wont be buying it, but I'm glad they put it on live it cause thats one of my favorite games of all time and the only MK I have ever liked, and they reminded me of it

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 10:53 am PT

    mk rules

  • rl_41

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 10:49 am PT

    I love old mortal kombat...

  • henry4th

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 10:46 am PT

    $10? Geez.... let me see, my friend's xbox has about 20,000 old games on the harddrive. I understand with this kind of download, you can play it online (I assume), but still, $10? It's 1/5 of the full fledged A++ titles, 1/2 of full fledged games in bargin bin

  • Korubi

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 10:28 am PT

    Hm, so it was really buggy and then the next day it was fine? Is the final build buggy? I guess I'll wait for GameSpot's review.

  • thebrazenone

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 9:31 am PT

    the d-pad on the 360's controller completely sucks

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