FINISH HIM; it’s time to check out all the Mortal Kombat games in order!
That’s right, folks; we’re about to delve into the gruesome, skin-shredding, blood-curdling world of Mortal Kombat, the game with all the complicated button moves and insane killing moves.
I can still remember playing my cousin at Mortal Kombat 3 and him calling me all the names under the sun for using Strykers slide move continuously.
Lui Kang’s whoop noise, Cyrax’s net; those were the days, and the series only became more nerve-wrackingly intense as the years went on.
With story-based spin-offs and ‘kollections’ galore, there are probably more Mortal Kombat games than you first realised.
Let’s take a look at them in order, shall we?
1. Mortal Kombat (1992)
The first title that kicked off the most savage fighting series of all time. Arcade action in your living room and one of the very first titles I ever played on the SNES.
Can you remember the first time you pulled off a fatality on your opponent? I wouldn’t like to be the one cleaning up all that blood!
2. Mortal Kombat II (1993)
How do you make the original Mortal Kombat game better? How about by adding even more fighters into the mix for a brutal tournament and multiplayer action?
Shang Tsung has called a tournament, and it’s up to you to defeat him, Kintaro, and the vengeful Shao Kahn.
As always, Sub Zero is my favourite character in this game; he’s too ‘cool’ for school.
I hate myself for that joke…
3. Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Sektor and Cyrax were unreal in this game. That net move and the teleport punch were my go-to moves against my mate Andy as a kid … and also the reason why Andy and I are no longer friends.
Turns out Shao Kahn was trying to revive Sindel in the last game while the tournament was running, and he succeeded. Now, Raiden’s finest warriors are back and ready to fight.
N.B – these first three Mortal Kombat games in order are the only main games in the series to use motion captured digitalised graphics. That’s something you can tell your mates at parties!
4. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
A best of of the first three games. 23 characters, all the levels, maximum carnage.
5. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996)
Essentially the same as Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 but for the next generation of consoles; N64, PS1, Sega Saturn, and Windows PCs.
6. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997)
Side-scrolling story-driven game where players take control of Sub Zero. fights and boss battles are very reminiscent of the Mortal Kombat games thus far.
Mythologies acts a a precursor for MK4, introducing new characters into the mix. Sub Zero can gain experience points on the way, making this a kind of RPG-lite title.
7. Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)
Buckle up folks; of all our Mortal Kombat games in order, this is the first one to feature 3D ‘Kombatants’.
Gameplay doesn’t change much from the first few titles, but players can now used weapons ala Streets of Rage.
8. Mortal Kombat Gold (1999)
The Dreamcast only ever had one Mortal Kombat game, and Mortal Kombat Gold was essentially a direct copy of MK4.
Still, if you’re going to play any version of MK4, make it this one. It runs smoother than freshly poured cream and looks stunning.
Same characters plus some new features to enjoy. What’s not to love!
9. Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000)
Another story-led game, this time featuring metal-armed Jax as the protagonist.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find Kano through epic 3D levels.
Pull off moves the Hulk would be impressed with and immerse yourself in one of the best PS1 games for the console!
10. Mortal Kombat Advance (2001)
Portable version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the Gameboy Advance.
11. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
Let’s take things up a notch with the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox. From Scorpion to the newly playable Quan Chi, take part in 3D fights while using different stances.
For the first time, there are tonnes of extra features to unlock, over 600, in fact!
12. Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003)
Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition isn’t a direct sequel to Deadly alliance, but it can be linked up with the GameCube title in order to play some of the multiplayer modes.
Race to Raiden ending in a battle with the big man himself is a cool feature, as is the 4-player tournament mode.
Plus this is Cyrax’s first outing on the GBA as well, so it’s definitely worth playing!
13. Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)
Things started to get real when online play became more widely appreciated by gamers. Playing as Nightwolf and fighting off new characters such as Kobra across the internet felt unreal back in the day.
If you had a GameCube, then online play wasn’t possible, but you did get Shao Kahn and Goro as exclusive characters. Swings and roundabouts!
14. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005)
Fancy another specific character story-based fighting game? This time Liu Kang and Kung Lao are the ones taking on the starring roles.
Fight through different realms as you battle to save earth, teaming up with a friend in ‘Ko-Op- mode. Midway really love this swapping ‘c for k’ lark, don’t they!
15. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)
62 Characters, 64 arenas, maximum fatalities. It’s a blood bath, alright, with limbs flying all over the place.
‘Kreate a character’ and ‘Kreate a fatality’ modes are new to the series, as is a weird racing game that’ like a sordid version of Mario Kart.
16. Mortal Kombat: Unchained (2006)
Portable version of Mortal Kombat: Deception on the PSP. As always, the graphics look far better than the PSP should be capable of producing, certainly one of the best PSP games to show off how smooth the handheld is.
Play as exclusive characters including Jax and Blaze, pulling off fatalities on the bus, the toilet, or in the office.
17. Ultimate Mortal Kombat (2007)
DS version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
The Puzzle Kombat mini game from Deception makes a reappearance, and players can connect wirelessly to beat each other senseless without link cables.
18. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)
Just when you thought the tried and tested formula in the previous Mortal Kombat games in order couldn’t get any better, along come DC characters to mix things up a little.
In order to prevent their universes from merging, heroes and villains have to work together to stop Dark Khan. Take part in ‘Klose Kombat’ battles and pull off epic fatalities once more.
Unless you’re a DC character, then you pull off a ‘Heroic Brutality’ where you don’t kill your opponent… lame.
19. Mortal Kombat (2011)
I suppose even better than seeing Scorpion vs Batman is having the chance to play as Kratos, the god of war himself!
Mortal Kombat rightly took the top spot in our best PS3 fighting games for its stunning level design and insanely detailed ‘Karacters’ (I’m not fighting the gimmick anymore).
20. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (2011)
PS3 ‘Kompendium’ featuring the first three Mortal Kombat games in order; Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3.
The games haven’t been altered at all, sticking true to the look and feel of the originals.
21. Mortal Kombat X (2015)
In stark contrast, Mortal Kombat X looks so realistic that you might actually wince when the fatalities are being carried out. Horror fans will definitely be all over this one!
Play as one of 24 characters with others appearing through DLC. Pull off brutal attacks in multiple modes including Survival and King of the Hill.
Oh, and Sub-Zero is still my favourite fighter…or is it Predator?
What, you can play as Predator?!
22. Mortal Kombat Mobile (2015)
Forget Candy Crush (or should that be Kandy Krush), Mortal Kombat Mobile is the only game you need for your smartphone.
The gameplay is simplified, but it still packs a punch. Kollect karacters as you move through the game, squaring off against all the faces you know, love, and detest from the series.
23. Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
Mortal Kombat 11 is an unprecedented tour de force. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to actually be in a MK fight, then this is as close as you’re ever gonna’ get without being obliterated in seconds.
The graphics, the gameplay, the moves… it’s all horrifyingly real and an absolute gore-fest from start to finish.
Just how we like our MK games!
24. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection (2020)
Game for Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch that includes MK11 and two DLC packs; Aftermath and the Kombat Pack.
25. Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate (2020)
Ending our Mortal Kombat games in order kollection is the ultimate version of Mortal Kombat 11, boasting all the DLC ‘kontent’ of Aftermath with an extra Kombat pack.
Too many K-word puns…
Plus, the updated graphics on the PS5 look out of this world!
How Many Mortal Kombat Games Are There?
In total, there are currently 25 Mortal Kombat games.
That’s a lot, right? There might only be 11 main games in the series, but with spin-offs and add-ons, the total is over double the ‘proper’ canon.
Which Is The Best Mortal Kombat Game?
In our humble opinion, Mortal Kombat (2011) for the PS3 is the best Mortal Kombat game. Liu King and Jax are great, but playing as Kratos takes the action all the way to 11!
When Did The First Mortal Kombat Game Come Out?
The original port of the arcade game dropped onto consoles back in 1992. 30 years later, the series is still thriving!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
