Mortal Kombat (8-bit)

From Sega Retro

For the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Mega-CD game, see Mortal Kombat.

n/a

  • Master System
  • Game Gear

MK001MasterSystem.png

MK GG Title.png

Mortal Kombat
System(s): Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Arena Entertainment (US/EU)
Sega Game Gear
Acclaim Japan (JP)
Sega Master System
Tec Toy (BR)
Developer:
Distributor:
Sega Master System
Sega-Ozisoft (AU)
Licensor: Midway Manufacturing
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Peripherals supported:
Sega Game Gear
Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Action[1][2][3]

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Master System
EU 		MK-29021-50
Sega Master System
DE 		DM 120120[5] MK-29021-50
Sega Master System
PT 		11.900$11.900[10] MS29021
Sega Master System
UK 		£34.9934.99[9] MK-29021-50
Sega Master System
AU 		FMOR00SEC
OFLC: MA15
Sega Master System
BR 		028240
Sega Game Gear
JP 		¥4,8004,800 T-81017
Sega Game Gear
US 		T-81198
Videogame Rating Council: MA-13
Sega Game Gear
EU 		T-81198-50
Sega Game Gear
PT
Sega Game Gear
UK 		T-81198-50
Non-Sega versions

Mortal Kombat (モータルコンバット) is a fighting game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, based on the arcade game of the same name by Midway Manufacturing. The 8-bit ports were released on "Mortal Monday" in September 1993 by Arena Entertainment, simultaneously in North America and Europe. The Game Gear version was released in Japan by Acclaim Japan a few months later, and the Master System version was released in Brazil by TecToy the following year.

Story

The game takes place in Earthrealm, where a tournament is being held on Shang Tsung's Island. Shang Tsung was banished to Earthrealm 500 years previously and, with the help of the monstrous Goro, is able to seize control of the Mortal Kombat tournament in an attempt to doom the realm. For 500 years straight, Goro has been undefeated in the tournament and won nine consecutive tournaments. If Goro wins again, Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld, will be allowed to take Earthrealm. In order to prevent this, a new generation of warriors must challenge Goro.

Gameplay

MK GG ChooseFighter.png

Choose Your Fighter

The game is a one-on-one fighting game where matches are fought to the best of three rounds. The player can choose from six characters and fight a series of matches against every other character in the game, then a "Mirror Match" against the same character, three endurance matches against two opponents, and two final battles against the end bosses, Goro and Shang Tsung. In the Master System version, a second player can join at any time for a versus match by pressing 1. In the Game Gear version, a two-player game can be started by starting the two Game Gears simultaneously while connected by a Gear-to-Gear Cable.

Characters move with Left and Right and crouch with Down. They jump with Up and jump back and forth with Up-left and Up-right. Characters punch with 1 and kick with 2. Blocking is done by holding  START  in the Game Gear version or by holding 1+2 in the Master System version. Blocked attacks still inflict a small amount of damage. Each character has special techniques that are performed with particular button combinations and one finishing move called a "Fatality" that can be performed after defeating an opponent in the final round.

All characters can perform roundhouse kicks with Left+2 (or Right+2 if facing left), which knock the opponent away; leg sweeps with Down-left+2 (or Down-right+2 if facing left), which cause the opponent to fall down; and uppercuts with Down+1, which knock the opponent into the air. Throws are performed by pressing Right+1 when next to an opponent (or Left+1 if facing left).

There are three difficulty settings (Easy, Medium, and Hard) and no other options. The violence is toned down by default but can be enabled via a cheat code.

Characters

Note: Move lists assume that the character is facing right. When facing left, Left and Right should be reversed.

P Punch
K Kick
 BL  Block

Fatalities often require being a certain distance from the opponent in order to execute. The "blood code" must be entered to see the Fatalities as described.

Playable

All of the characters from the original arcade game are present except Kano and the hidden character Reptile.

Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Sonya Blade
A member of a top-secret special forces unit. She was pursuing the criminal Kano when she was ambushed by the forces of Shang Tsung, who has taken her compatriots hostage, and forced into the tournament.
Move list
Name Command Description
Sonic Rings Left Left P Sonya Blade throws sonic rings across the screen.
Leg Grab Down+P+K (sweep distance) Sonya Blade does a handstand and uses her legs to grab and slam her opponent against the ground.
Square Wave Punch Right Left P Sonya Blade jumps into the air and shoots across the screen with her fist extended.
Fatality Right Right Left Left  BL  Sonya Blade blows a kiss that incinerates her opponent.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Johnny Cage
A famous martial artist and movie star who entered the tournament for the publicity.
Move list
Name Command Description
Green Flame Left Right P Johnny Cage throws a fireball across the screen.
Shadow Kick Left Right K Johnny Cage slides forward while kicking.
Fatality Right Right Right P (close) Johnny Cage does an uppercut that decapitates his opponent.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Liu Kang
A Shaolin monk, once a member of the secretive White Lotus Society. He has entered the tournament to represent the Shaolin temples and defeat the despised Shang Tsung.
Move list
Name Command Description
Fireball Right Right P Liu Kang shoots a fireball across the screen.
Flying Kick Right Right K Liu Kang launches himself across the screen in a kicking pose.
Fatality D-Pad in a 360° rotation clockwise (half screen away or closer) Liu Kang does a cartwheel and then uppercuts his opponent.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Scorpion
A mysterious ninja believed to have been defeated by members of the Lin Kuei clan and seeking revenge.
Move list
Name Command Description
Harpoon Left Left P Scorpion throws a harpoon across the screen, then uses it to pull his opponent toward him. The opponent is momentarily stunned.
Decoy Punch Down Down-left Left P Scorpion teleports to the other side of the screen, flying in with a punch.
Fatality HOLD  BL Up Up (half screen away) Scorpion removes his mask, revealing a demonic skull, and incinerates his opponent with his fire breath.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Rayden
A mystical thunder god believed to have been personally invited to the tournament by Shang Tsung.
Move list
Name Command Description
Lightning Down Right P Rayden shoots a bolt of lightning across the screen.
Flying Thunderbolt Left Left Right Rayden flies across the screen, grabbing and slamming his opponent against the wall.
Fatality Right Left Left Left P (close) Rayden sends a lightning bolt that causes his opponent's head to explode.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Sub-Zero
A male ninja who possesses cryokinesis. His identity is unknown, but he is believed to be a member of the Lin Kuei clan, a legendary clan of ninja assassins.
Move list
Name Command Description
Deep Freeze Down Right P Sub-Zero shoots a burst of ice across the screen, freezing his opponent on contact. Hitting an already frozen opponent "backfires" and freezes Sub-Zero while unfreezing his opponent.
Slide Left+P+K Sub-Zero slides forward with a leg sweep.
Fatality Right Down Right P (close) Sub-Zero tears off his opponent's head, ripping out the spine with it.

Bosses

Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Goro
A 2,000-year-old half-human, half-dragon with four arms and a massive stature. He has been the undefeated champion of the Mortal Kombat Tournament for 500 years. He is the game's penultimate boss.
Mortal Kombat GG, Characters.png
 Shang Tsung
An evil sorcerer who steals the souls of his opponents. He can shapeshift into the form of any other fighter. He has hosted the tournament for 500 years, and he is the game's final boss.

Stages

There are only two stages, which alternate until reaching Goro and Shang Tsung (who are always fought in Goro's Lair). The stage-specific Fatality for the Pit is absent.

Mortal Kombat GG, Stages, Goro's Lair.png

Goro's Lair
Mortal Kombat GG, Stages, Goro's Lair.png

Mortal Kombat GG, Stages, The Pit.png

The Pit
Mortal Kombat GG, Stages, The Pit.png

Versions

Predictably, the Master System version is toned down for the weaker hardware, and is censored until a cheat code is inputted. Kano and Reptile have been omitted from this version, presumably to save space. It includes only Goro's Lair and The Pit stages, the latter having stage fatality removed. The music is based on Allister Brimble's arrangement, the arrangement shared with PC floppy and Game Boy ports. Like all Master System games after 1991, this version was not released in North America.

The Game Gear version is almost identical to the Master System port, except for the smaller screen size.

Production credits

Mortal Kombat Cast of Characters
  • Daniel Pesina as Johnny Cage
  • Carlos Pesina as Rayden
  • Ho Sung Pak as Liu Kang
  • Daniel Pesina as Scorpion
  • Daniel Pesina as Sub Zero
  • Elizabeth Malecki as Sonya
  • Goro Character Design by: John Tobias
  • Stop Motion Miniature by: Curt Chiarelli
  • Ho Sung Pak as Shang Tsung
  • Programming by: Keith Burkhill
  • Backgrounds by: Lee Ames
  • Other Graphics by: Keith Burkhill
  • Music by: Allister Brimble
  • Produced by: Gary Liddon
  • Quality Assurance by the Probe Quality Assurance Department Who Are: Simon Bland, Barg, James Stewart, Tim Bradstock
Acclaim Development by the Grey Team
  • Producer: Rob Leingang
  • Associate Producer: Stacy Hendrickson
  • Analysts: Tyrone Miller, Joe Libertella, Tom Rademacher, Jim MK Fink
  • Special Thanks to: Eric
Source:
In-game credits
Mortal Kombat SMS credits.pdf
[12]

Magazine articles

Main article: Mortal Kombat (8-bit)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Mortal Kombat (8-bit)/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Master System version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
60
52
Sega Master System
 56
Based on
2 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
75
[13]
Digitiser (UK)
91
[14]
Joypad (FR)
82
[15]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
71
[5]
Mega Force (FR)
71
[16]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
68
[17]
Player One (FR)
94
[18]
Sega Magazin (DE)
80
[19]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
93
[20]
Sega Master Force (UK) PAL
92
[21]
Todo Sega (ES) PAL
91
[22]
Video Games (DE) PAL
55
[23]
Sega Master System
 80
Based on
12 reviews

Mortal Kombat (8-bit)

Master System, EU
MK SMS EU Box.jpg
Cover
MK SMS EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mortal Kombat SMS EU Manual.pdf
Manual
Master System, PT
MortalKombat SMS PT cover.jpg
Cover
Master System, AU
MortalKombat SMS AU Box.jpg
Cover
MortalKombat SMS AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, AU (Hotline sticker)
MortalKombat SMS AU hotline cover.jpg
Cover
MortalKombat SMS AU Cart.jpg
Cart
Master System, BR
MK SMS BR Box.jpg
Cover
MortalKombat SMS BR Cart.jpg
Cart
Mortalkombat sms br manual.pdf
Manual

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
60
82
73
Sega Game Gear
 72
Based on
3 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
67
[13]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
70
[24]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
80
[25]
Game Power (IT) PAL
90
[26]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
83
[27]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
60
[28]
Joypad (FR) PAL
93
[29]
Mega Force (FR)
92
[30]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
68
[17]
Player One (FR)
94
[18]
Power Unlimited (NL)
90
[31]
Score (CZ)
75
[32]
Sega Magazin (DE)
80
[19]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
89
[33]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
91
[34]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
89
[35]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
72
[36]
Todo Sega (ES) PAL
92
[22]
Video Games (DE) PAL
75
[23]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
80
[37]
Sega Game Gear
 81
Based on
20 reviews

Mortal Kombat (8-bit)

Game Gear, JP
MK GG JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
MortalKombat GG JP Cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, US
MK GG US Box Back.jpgNospine.pngMK GG US Box Front.jpg
Cover
MK GG US Cart.jpg
Cart
Mortalkombat gg us manual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, EU
MK GG EU Box Back.jpgMortal Kombat GG EU BoxSpine.jpgMK GG EU Box Front.jpg
Cover
MortalKombat GG EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Mortal Kombat GG EU Manual.jpg
Manual
Game Gear, FR (Blister pack)
MK GG FR blister back.jpgMK GG FR blister front.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, PT

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Master System
✔
CRC32 302dc686
MD5 a429ed37b51cc9f46c943f968d88e29f
SHA-1 3f67e0e702f391839b51a43125f971ae1c5fad92
512kB Cartridge (EU/BR)
Sega Game Gear
 ?
CRC32 dbff0461
MD5 ff2bba2287edbd90a560dbbaab18a260
SHA-1 f28e50f1283d7a2516267a13a16a3e6914ae0a18
512kB Cartridge (JP)
Sega Game Gear
 ?
CRC32 07494f2a
MD5 f9971dc9d78214f94856f6e886b1c8c2
SHA-1 ef634649b846b3f49d2c68739b36019e4fae0464
512kB Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Game Gear
 ?
CRC32 16db4f6a
MD5 efd7bc7767e9c87d1027627ba814cddd
SHA-1 0d2ca2de933993ed45b20ef736237bc774dd3914
512kB Loose EPROMs Page

References

  1. ↑ File:MK GG EU Box Back.jpg
  2. ↑ File:MK GG JP Box Front.jpg
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://sega.jp/fb/segahard/gg/soft_licensee.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-01-01 20:24)
  4. ↑ Sega Pro, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 34
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 MAN!AC, "11/93" (DE; 1993-xx-xx), page 79
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:DailyExpress UK 1993-09-09 11.jpg
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 File:DailyMirror UK 1993-09-13 16.jpg
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 File:DailyMirror UK 1993-09-10 13.jpg
  9. ↑ Sega Force Mega, "January 1994" (UK; 1993-12-16), page 59
  10. ↑ Jogos Vídeo, "Dezembro de 1993; Ano 1, Nº 2'"`UNIQ--ref-0000000C-QINU`"'" (PT; 1993-12-xx), page 27
  11. ↑ GamePro, "September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 7
  12. ↑ File:Mortal Kombat SMS credits.pdf
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Aktueller Software Markt, "Dezember 1993" (DE; 1993-11-08), page 156
  14. ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1993-09-24)
  15. ↑ Joypad, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 40
  16. ↑ Mega Force, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 116
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Mega Fun, "11/93" (DE; 1993-10-20), page 92
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Player One, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 152
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Sega Magazin, "November/Dezember 1993" (DE; 1993-11-03), page 24
  20. ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-12), page 40
  21. ↑ Sega Master Force, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-08-19), page 58
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Todo Sega, "Diciembre 1993" (ES; 1993-1x-xx), page 44
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Video Games, "11/93" (DE; 1993-10-27), page 110
  24. ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "January 1994" (JP; 1993-12-08), page 29
  25. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 36
  26. ↑ Game Power, "Novembre 1993" (IT; 1993-1x-xx), page 76
  27. ↑ GamePro, "September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 64
  28. ↑ Hippon Super, "February 1994" (JP; 1994-01-06), page 42
  29. ↑ Joypad, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-xx-xx), page 92
  30. ↑ Mega Force, "Octobre 1993" (FR; 1993-10-08), page 122
  31. ↑ Power Unlimited, "Nummer 5, December 1993" (NL; 1993-12-01), page 51
  32. ↑ Score, "Březen 1994" (CZ; 1994-03-14), page 46
  33. ↑ Sega Power, "December 1993" (UK; 1993-11-xx), page 100
  34. ↑ Sega Pro, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 49
  35. ↑ Sega Zone, "November 1993" (UK; 1993-10-28), page 62
  36. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 88
  37. ↑ VideoGames, "October 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 61


Mortal Kombat (8-bit)

MK001MasterSystem.png

Main page | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Promotional material | Technical information


Sega Game Gear
Prototypes: Prototype



Mortal Kombat II, Dragon.png
Mortal Kombat games for Sega systems
Sega Mega Drive
 Mortal Kombat (1993) | Mortal Kombat II (No results?) | Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) | Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
Sega Master System
Sega Game Gear
 Mortal Kombat (1993) | Mortal Kombat II (1994) | Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
Sega Mega-CD
 Mortal Kombat (1994)
Sega 32X
 Mortal Kombat II (No results?)
Sega Saturn
 Mortal Kombat II (No results?) | Mortal Kombat 3 (unreleased) | Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) | Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1997)
Sega Dreamcast
 Mortal Kombat Gold (1999)
Unlicensed Mortal Kombat games for Sega systems
Mortal Kombat 5 (1999)
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