To access Survival Mode, you must be in the Foundry. Grab the infamous Axe weapon from the MKII background, go into the room with lava that is available in the beginning by breaking the wood door down, jump into the lava and back out, go to room to the right of the save statue, smash the barrel at the end of hall (using the O button ONLY), go up the ramp and to the left where there are two barrels and smash ONLY the barrel on the right, go to the area with the Nitara-type weapon, smash ONLY the barrel on the right, go to the area with the "smashers" and smash that barrel, go back to the Nitara weapon and smash the barrel on the left, and go back to the other area where there were two barrels and smash the one on the left. Be sure you use the O button only. Now, stay there and press and hold the O button down to smash the ground. If you do this correctly, you will see green sparks. Press R2 and you will enter Survival Mode.
It looks like there are a couple exclusive backgrounds to Survival Mode, as well.
Thanks to both
UPDATE: We now have video that demonstrates how to access Survival Mode in MPEG format. Click the link below to download the video and see for yourself how it's done!
ANOTHER UPDATE: We now have videos for all nine levels of gameplay that in Survival Mode, also in MPEG format. Check out the links below to select a video and see it in action!
- Survival Mode Lev. 1 - Baraka, Nomads, Masked Guards
- Survival Mode Lev. 2 - Demons - Handlers, Archers, Generals, Captains
- Survival Mode Lev. 3 - Onis and Warlords
- Survival Mode Lev. 4 - Reptile and Bloody Skeletons
- Survival Mode Lev. 5 - Inferno Scorpion and Orochi Hellbeasts
- Survival Mode Lev. 6 - Clay Soldiers and Brothers of the Shadow
- Survival Mode Lev. 7 - Kano and Black Dragon Mercenaries
- Survival Mode Lev. 8 - Goro and Kintaro
- Survival Mode Lev. 9 - Reptile, Ermac, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero