MORTAL KOMBAT ARMAGEDDON
THE FINAL DROP OF BLOOD

"The theme of finality came up when we were determining whether we should move on to the next generation or create one last game for the current consoles," recalls Mortal Kombat's creator, Ed Boon. "Finality drove the whole story. It drove the feature sets. It's the last step in this generation. By wrapping things up, we can move on to the next generation with the slate wiped clean."

Leaving the current generation with the series in it's current state is comparable to turning off Star Wars before the Death Star is destroyed, or The Lord of the Rings before the One Ring is cast back into the fire. In a way, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon will bring with it an end to an era -- the final battle for a generation. When the last drop of blood is spilled, Shang Tsung's deadly tournament will likely reach its conclusion. "I want to see a pan shot over a battlefield that is smoldering and littered with bodies," says Boon. "It's going to be this massive culmination of things. I can't imagine that we'll come back [in the next generation] and not have a Sub-Zero or Scorpion, but my feeling is that I would like to introduce as much newness as is possible."

To ensure that all of the loose ends are properly tied up, every character that has ever thrown a punch in a Mortal Kombat tournament is suiting up for another round in Armageddon. "We really want to play up the nostalgia factor of it," comments Boon. Just looking at the roster of 60-plus combatants will assuredly bring back a flood of memories for fans. Did you ever really think you would see Stryker again?

This immense roster is just a small taste of the new material that will be included in this explosive finale. This installment will also house the reinvention of the Fatality system, the implementation of the series' first create-a-fighter mode, the evolution of combat through aerial maneuvers, plus the transformation of Konquest mode -- which could very well double as a stand alone game like Shaolin Monks.

"We can only do this mass amount of content because it's the current generation," injects Boon. "We're not reinventing the display engine." As the future of the series looms ever closer, Armageddon will serve as a bridge between generations, bringing with it a sense of closure for fans, while still leaving the series open for rebirth.

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CHARACTERS

Bottom: Shang Tsung, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Shinnok
Row 1: Shujinko, Kai, Kung Lao, Quan Chi, Reiko
Row 2: Kabal, Kano, Cyrax, Sonya, Jarek, Stryker, Rain
Row 3: Ashrah, Sindel, Kitana, Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Reptile, Baraka, Raiden
Row 4: Kenshi, Li Mei, Dairou, Sareena, Tanya, Darrius, Noob, Smoke
Row 5: Nightwolf, Ermac, Mavado, Kobra, Kira, Fujin, Frost, Havik, Jax
Row 6: Bo' Rai Cho, Hotaru, Drahmin, Mokap, Mileena, Jade, Sektor, Hsu Hao, Nitara
Row 7: The Dragon King, Kintaro, Shao Kahn, Goro, Sheeva, Moloch
Row 8: Blaze

Not Picured: Motaro (might not make the cut)

I've removed the link to the picture. I could not access the page myself to confirm it was the GI scan, but from the description it sounds like it was. Sorry, but as you know we can't post scans here. ~Crow~