Anyone who picks up the latest copy of GamePro Magazine (Issue 200, May 2005) will be able to read the winners of the 2004 GamePro GamePro Reader's Choice Awards which people have been voting on since January. From the article:

Deception's combination of Puzzle Kombat, Chess, and the time-consuming Konquest mode shot it to the number one slot. Fan favorite Dragon Ball Z ranked a surprising third, with the lovely ladies of DOA Ultimate landing at a solid second.

Congratulations to the folks at Midway for snagging yet another award for Mortal Kombat: Deception!

Midway Games announced today that Unreal Championship 2 has gone Gold, and is set to hit store shelves on Monday, April 18th exclusive to the Microsoft Xbox video game system. Mortal Kombat Online has followed this game since our Summer Gamers Day Coverage last year, when it was announced that Raiden would be making a special appearance with his unique move sets and abilities from the Mortal Kombat realm. From the press release:

The publishing & development tandem of Midway and Epic Studios have joined forces to take FPS gaming to an entirely new level by combining melee combat with proven 1st and new 3rd person FPS mechanics in its latest blockbuster endeavor, Unreal Championship 2. The highly anticipated sequel amplifies the explosive action fans have become familiar with when playing Unreal games complete with a full arsenal of new and classic ranged weapons for you to use at your disposal; plus new acrobatic, agility-based moves that will have you jumping and dodging for your life while fighting for the Ascension Rites and/or fighting against the world on Xbox Liveâ„¢!

To read the press release in its entirety, click here.

Looks like Jakks Pacific is going all the way as far as advertising their TV Games products! In addition to TV commercials, there are also advertisements placed in several gaming magazines – including, but not limited to, the May 2005 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (Issue #191).

It just doesn't get much cooler than seeing 3-D renders of the classic Mortal Kombat characters in their original MK1 outfits!

The latest issue of Wizard Magazine (Issue 163, May 2005) reveals a bit of new information on the Mortal Kombat: Deception comics slated for release sometime this April. From the article: Wanna know what happened to your favorite Mortal Kombat warriors between Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat: Deception (the last two games in the series)? Then you must get this book. Small press publisher Atomeka is primed to hit the big-time with this hot video game adaptation by Brian Hill, John Vogel, and Walter McDaniel. The book comes in three covers, one by McDaniel, one by Mark Texeira, and this Limited Edition Chrome variant. It should be noted that they are referring to issue #0, and the chrome variant will look just like the MK: Deception box art. They're slated to be $4 each, except for the chrome variant, which will be $10. Look for this issue of Wizard on newsstands now!

FileFront has posted a new preview of Midway's upcoming action/adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! The preview doesn't really tell much that we didn't already know, but it still provides a good summary of what to expect. From the article:

Paradox Entertainment is taking the straight combat style of the original Mortal Kombat and putting it into an adventure style that is sure to fulfill any Kombat fan's desires to see the series taken to new levels. The game will revolve around the two Monk characters in the lineup: Liu Kang and Kung Lao, though a few more familiar faces will make an appearance. And even though you are not going to be taking on single opponents in the usual fighting style, there are going to be references to the original games that will make gamers happy the developers decided to embrace the nostalgia.

For instance, Mortal Kombat II had quite a few maps and backgrounds that held a lot of ground with the original fighting areas. With Shaolin Monks, players will get these same backdrops and fighting areas, but in a completely new 3D style. Like other old games that are slowly being swept up into the newly envisioned mainstream, new replicas of the past are going to become awesome places to explore, as you challenge enemies in a familiar landscape.

The developers started with concepts and the actual maps from the Mortal Kombat II game and created entire levels around them. In the case of the spiked ceilings, for example, levels have been designed in order to use those spiked ceilings in order to cast your characters into the eternal abyss. There are going to be quite a few surprises throughout the game, including fatalities worked into various areas of the levels, and other various attributes that will make the game an interesting venture.

To read the preview in its entirety, click here.

Our thanks to forum member mikemcdnet for the heads-up on this preview!