Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

When it comes to ring-style martial arts combat, very few games do it better than the Mortal Kombat franchise. The Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 SNES version earned itself a slot in the hearts of many arcade game lovers, and it is still a force to be reckoned with even today.

Graphics

The graphics might not be the best, but they are a reminiscence of the arcade gaming world when everything was all about the combos, fatalities and the competition. Even though you still get to enjoy the action and fury of a Mortal Kombat battle, you can’t help but notice a few intentional graphical glitches here and there. For instance, the stages will have a couple of backdrops while the characters will appear sort of jagged around the edges. While these flaws might be unacceptable when playing on a modern game console or PC, they are what make MKU 3 what it is when played on SNES.

Gameplay

While the game might have some graphics rendering, character appearance, battle combos and stance issues or reuses, all the efforts to cut down on game heaviness and resource dependency don't go unnoticed when it comes to the gameplay.

Since the developer shed so much weight when developing the game, you get impressive gameplay that brings the spirit of arcade gaming to life. All the moves are easy to implement, and they respond fluidly to your commands on the Super NES. You will, however, need some time to master the Brutalities, Fatalities, Animalities and other moves that make Mortal Kombat Ultimate so interesting.

Once you master the fighting moves, you will really enjoy blasting yourself through the competition or even taking on superior opponents and winning. The fact that there is so much to learn and so many game glitches to exploit along the way makes MK3 an interesting piece that is an undeniable classic that will be around for long.

Controls

The SNES controls have never been ones to disappoint especially when you are playing an arcade game. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 digs deep into these intuitive controls to give you no option but to love the game. However, I have to mention that there are so many key combos to cram and perhaps discover if you are to learn all the combos and fatalities each character can do. This exploration and dedication to doing it right is what makes this game so interesting and gives you a chance to overlook the graphical glitches and focus on the action.

Lasting Appeal

There are so many options in MKU 3. This means that the game will definitely have a huge lasting appeal. You will need time to master the combos. You will need time to play through all the VS scenarios. It is a fluid title that plays well, keeps throwing challenges at you and keeps forcing you to learn the best moves and use them when it counts. You will definitely be playing this title for a long time to come. It is hard to stop once you start.

The Verdict

Do I love the graphics? No. Would I play the game? Definitely yes. There’s something about Mortal Kombat games that puts them on a different pedestal, a zone where simple graphics glitches never get in the way as long as the gameplay is good enough. Mortal Kombat 3 focuses on getting the combos right and outwitting your opponent – and it does so with flair and style that you won’t overlook easily.