Klassic Mortal Kombat and its arcade & ported sequels are back in player's hands thanks to the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, but one obscure version you might not remember has been freshly unearthed as part of a massive collection of retro curiosities for preservation. Take a closer look:

Decades before there were streaming media platforms and digital store fronts - Sega delivered fully playable games, demos, content, and more, all piped direct into player's homes through cable subscription as The Sega Channel!

The service launched in 1994 and was ahead of its time, providing magazine style content, in addition to modified playable versions of major Sega Genesis video game releases, direct to the 16-bit console. Because of its live nature, much of this classic content was lost to the ether, but the Video Game History Foundation and their collaborators have gathered 100 Sega Channel ROMS for preservation, including Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat 3.

Far from just your standard Sega Genesis games, these unique versions feature interesting compromises made to accommodate the limited technology of the time. As pictured below, you can see that this included reduced character rosters, as in "Mortal Kombat 3, Part B", with games scaled down and divided into two halves.

Curious gamers and Kombat diehards can find MK amongst 142 Sega Channel ROMs preserved at Gaming Alexandria. Will you be revisiting this curious piece of MK history? Share your thoughts about Sega's cutting edge history in the comments below and dig deeper into retro in the 2D Kombat Klassics category!

We still have a short wait before the theatrical release of Mortal Kombat II, but in newly released preview images from the movie sequel, we have a toasty new look at franchise icons renewing their rivalry on the big screen. All this plus an interview with Johnny Cage actor Karl Urban! Take a look:

It seems the fourth season of The Boys was key to delivering Urban to Mortal Kombat II. In a new preview feature for Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained storylines for his character left him looking for "heavy-action" in new roles: "I didn't really have much action that season.... I had fuel in the tank. I just wasn't satiated." Cage stands along his fellow Earthrealm fighters in new images [below], which also features an exciting preview of the battle between Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin).

The MK sequel came at the right time for Urban, but it wasn't easy. "I asked for a heavy-action content movie, and for my sins, they gave me one." Urban describes it as the "most challenging role" he's ever performed in -- no small feat for a career spanning four decades, and roles in blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Supremacy, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Thor: Ragnarok. Johnny Cage's iconic fighting prowess pushed the New Zealand actor further: "It's the martial arts. The form and the style of martial arts is so specific, and the choreography, at times, is so definitive in its movement, and there's a precision of execution for it to look good. It was a huge challenge."

Mortal Kombat II is currently scheduled for theatrical release May 8th, 2026 after being pushed back from a 2025 release. The martial arts fantasy blockbuster will arrive as parent company, Warner Bros, navigates on-going developments surrounding a prospective purchase by Netflix.

[Related Article: Shang Tsung Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Passes Away]

What do you think of the new previews? Will you be there opening night? Check out the official trailer, special featurette, and more preview images from EW. Find and discuss more movie news in the Media & Merchandise category!

The movie and video game worlds are saddened today to learn of the passing of iconic & beloved actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. The star had many memorable roles, but was indelibly linked with his performance as Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat feature film.

Deadline reports the sudden passing of the actor, age 75, due to complications arising from a stroke. He was surrounded by his children according to family, who confirmed the news.

Tagawa was a steady presence in film & television for almost forty years, making early appearances in MacGuyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Miami Vice, among others. He rose to prominence on the big screen in the sympathetic role of Chang in The Last Emperor, and a narcotics agent who detains a rogue James Bond in License to Kill, before becoming a villainous presence in cult action films like Kickboxer 2, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Nemesis, and Rising Sun, opposite stars like Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Dolph Lundgren.

The role that would follow Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa came in 1995 when he gave a sinister new face to Mortal Kombat's Shang Tsung. Though mortally defeated in the movie's climax, he would return to the arch-villain in 2015 for the second Mortal Kombat: Legacy webseries. A third was filmed but never officially released, based on the Mortal Kombat X video game. Leaked raw footage allowed fans to enjoy Tagawa's trademark cool evil in an interrogation scene with Casper Van Dien's Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat 11 officially brought Tagawa into MK canon when his voice & likeness was used for Shang Tsung -- a featured villain and pre-order incentive character who speaks to players as they navigate Shang Tsung's island in The Krypt mode, and whose role expanded in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC story mode.

Co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias paid homage to Tagawa via social media. The NetherRealm Studios Chief Creative Officer said: "We lost a legend today. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa @CHTOfficial played Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film and sadly passed away at age 75. We had the privilege of his portrayal on the first MK film but also as an amazing voice actor in the Mortal Kombat 11 game. Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, swagger and athleticism to his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on film. Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal." Tobias noted "Immortal in our hearts… Rest in Peace Cary"

"Your soul is MINE!" Often imitated, never equaled, Tagawa menaced the very audience in the 1995 feature.

Prior to his return to the role, Tagawa collaborated with Mortal Kombat Online in 2011 for the launch of his Shang's Army initiative. The membership driven club promoted spiritual training and breathing techniques, which saw him connect with fans online, and at live events, such as Final Kombat 2020.

In more recent years Tagawa was recognised by fans from featured roles in Memoirs of a Geisha, Pearl Harbor, Elektra, Tekken and 47 Ronin, as a voice in Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, Star Wars: Rebels, Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and in the streaming TV series The Man in the High Castle. Roles fans will no doubt continue to enjoy.

What was your favourite performance by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa? Share your thoughts and well wishes in the comments below, and discuss the star's iconic work in MK in the Media & Merchandise and Mortal Kombat 11 categories.

Earlier this year Mortal Kombat took the online battle royal of Fortnite by storm with limited game modes and items based on the klassic fighting game series. If you missed out on all the island fun - you now have a short time to experience the action again and unlock items in two Epic Games!

Blitz Royale brings the fire & ice back to Fortnite for an intense game mode channeling Mortal Kombat into a shortened, hyper-focused version of the online contest. You'll be able to wield the powers of Sub-Zero and Scorpion throughout this week, with all available Mortal Kombat skins back in the Fortnite Shop. You can also find Mortal Kombat tie-in items in the Rocket League store!

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Makes Fools of Fortnite Lawless in Klassic Kombat Trailer]

Have you experienced the thrill of the Mortal Kombat x Fortnite collaboration? Has it given you a taste for island-based battle? Share your thoughts about the crossover in the comments below and revisit the original reveal trailer!

The official release of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is imminent and with much talk about available function at launch amongst fans, developer Digital Eclipse has outlined exactly which games will offer online matchmaking, and how it works. Get the details here:

Multiple versions of your favourite klassics will be available for online competition at launch, but initially these options will be restricted to randomized opponents. Online Options will allow you to filter random opponents based on connection strength, input lag, and other unspecified details, but challenging your old arcade buddy -- or mortal nemesis who killed your family and clan -- will have to wait. Public & Private Lobbies are expected at a later date, with more details to come.

Fortunately there will be multiple versions of most of your favourite klassic titles ready to host random online battles with first adopted with Mortal Kombat X. These include definitive Arcade builds of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, as well as console-specific ports.

Nintendo's original Switch won't have access to MK4 online, but otherwise there'll be plenty of retro rumbling ready to satiate your hunger for klassic kombat. Thanks to Legacy Kollection's extensive customization and secret options -- you'll also have no trouble with the Blood Code!

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection Physical Editions Preview]

Online competition isn't your thing? Single player options are well and truly covered with the inclusion of MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero and MK Special Forces! Preview examples of MK4 enhancement options and watch the latest trailer.

Will you board the online nethership to be part of the first randomized online match-ups? Tell us which version of MK Legacy Kollection you'll be playing and which games you're most excited to revisit in the comments below! Dig deeper into the phenomenon in the 2D Kombat Klassics and 3D Kombat Klassics discussion categories!