The folks over at IGN have really outdone themselves this time. Check out part 2 of their article, The Legends of Kombat, complete with 3 downloadable videos.

The first video explores Goro, Baraka, and the Masked Guard. Their histories and backstories throughout the MK universe are explained, as well as how they are represented in MK: Shaolin Monks. Another neat trivia fact is that John Vogel played the Masked Guard in MK1!

The next video deals with Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Kano. This one shows a little bit of rivalry between Johnny Cage and Kung Lao which may sound surprising, but it's really well done here. It also explains that Sonya and Kano are chained up in a level in the game, and it's possible to free them. If you free Kano, you have a boss battle with him.

The last video features Sub-Zero, Shang Tsung, and Reptile. This video shows that the rivalry between Sub-Zero and Scorpion is going on strong, and while they don't quite say that it's the younger Sub-Zero, they do show that he has a scar in a scene where he announces that he is going to the Netherealm to battle Scorpion. (More than likely, both of the Sub-Zero brothers will appear in the game.) They also key moments in MK history such as Shang Tsung going from old to young, and they showcase the "Acid Snake" boss battle with Reptile.

All the videos have commentary from official MKSM team members such as Ed Boon, John Vogel, and Shaun Himmerick, and have video footage from the game mixed in as well. To read the article in its entirety and download the videos, click here. Thanks to MK Online forum member redsoul for the word on this update!

It looks like Midway Games sent out another e-mail to announce the updating of the MK: Shaolin Monks web site. They've updated with a ton of material, including new character renders, downloadable developer movies, and some extra koncept art - so be sure to check it out!

Also, here are the pics of the action figures, included with the email:


Be sure you pre-order the game at your local retailer to ensure that you can get ahold of these action figures, and don't forget to visit the the official MK: Shaolin Monks site with the content there as well! Thanks go to Midway themselves for this update.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks has gone gold, Cinder over on the Midway Boards has posted two more pieces of koncept art! This time, the two pieces of koncept art feature the heroes of MK: Shaolin Monks: Liu Kang and Kung Lao (who is featured with a furry little familiar friend)!

To see the original thread in which the Liu Kang koncept art was posted, click here. To see the original thread in which the Kung Lao koncept art was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat members Subzero2 and DECEPTION for the heads-up on these new pieces of koncept art!

After years of brain-storming, story-boarding, and development, Midway Games has announced that their epic title Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks has gone golden!

For those who are not aware, a "gold title" is a piece of software that has been completely finished, and is now being sent to manufacturing. A gold title does not refer to how many copies of the game have been sold.

With the game now complete, gamers who have read the Developer's Diary, scanned through the promotional renders, and watched the movie clips in awe will finally be able to step into the shoes of their favorite Mortal Kombat legends, and whup some Outworld tail within the next few weeks.

Check out GameSpot for the full story!

With the Epic Battles Trading Card Game release right around the corner, the folks over at Score Entertainment have been kind enough to send us some sample cards that we may show you here. In this update, we've got four of the Mortal Kombat: Deception cards and four of the Street Fighter III: Third Strike cards as well. Not only does the game play really well, but the artwork from Udon Comics is astounding. Our thanks again to Score Entertainment for providing us with the exclusive images for this update!

UPDATE: To see more previews of thes cards, head on over to Mortal Kombat Guides as well as Top Tier Gaming!