Today, we got the opportunity to play the
Game Boy Advance exclusive sequel to
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,
Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition! Based on our time on the game, it appears that MK:TE is poised to be a worthy title in the Mortal Kombat series of games.
The game was shown on four display units linked together. Interestingly enough, the system used to demonstrate the games was the new
Game Boy Player for the
Nintendo GameCube. As a result, it was just like playing on a Game Boy Advance, but on an actual display screen. The main difference was that the X and Y buttons on the GameCube controller acted as the GBA Select button.
The version of MK:TE that was shown at E3 was considerably more complete than the version of MK:DA that was shown at E3 last year. In fact, aside from a few extremely minor bugs (such as Shinnok's name being misspelled in Sareena's bio), this version of MK:TE is remarkably complete. None of the locked characters were available; the only playable characters were
Quan Chi,
Shang Tsung,
Scorpion,
Raiden,
Johnny Cage,
Sareena,
Bo'Rai Cho,
Mavado,
Cyrax, and
Nitara. The hidden characters returning from MK:DA are
Hsu Hao,
Reptile, and
Drahmin.
The biggest news is the identity of the two hidden characters who did NOT appear in MK:DA. As indicated by the "ketchup" rumor started by
Ray DeGuzman, the first secret character is
Sektor. As for the second secret character... those of you who heard whispers in the console version of the Krypt that say, "Time will lead you to Saibot" were partially right. You just have to wait until MK:TE comes out for it to be a reality.
In addition to the arenas from the original GBA game, three new arenas were added:
Sarna Ruins,
The Lost Tomb, and
Moloch's Lair, with the possibility of others being unlocked in the Krypt.
The game engine is unchanged from the GBA version of MK:DA. Each character has two unarmed fighting styles, and the weapon attacks are considered special moves. The movement is slow compared to the original console versions, but the control response is still fluid. More interesting is the added game modes from which this game derives its name. We did not get a chance to play
Tournament mode; we will have information on it tomorrow. In the meantime, we got to play
Tag Team mode. If four players are playing, each character plays one character; otherwise, each player plays both characters. Characters tag out using the Select button; one interesting detail we noticed (that was intentionally left in) is that when a character is inactive, his health does not recharge. Also, Tag Team mode is available in single-player, and the final tag team you face is ALWAYS Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.
Also, one of the reports we heard from one of the playtesters at the show was that
weapon fatalities are confirmed to be in the game. We have not seen the weapon fatalities yet; it could be something that is yet to be added before the game's release.
The game is set for a release date of
November 2003.
Included below are some of the images from the
Midway press CD, including screenshots from the game. Tomorrow we will present more information from the game, and hopefully an interview with series creator
Ed Boon on several topics!
From Los Angeles, this is
D'Arque Bishop, with
CCShadow and
]{0MBAT, reporting from E3. We will speak to you all again tomorrow!
Our
coverage from the Electronic Entertainment Expo might be over, but the
same isn't true for our coverage of Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition! If
you've seen any of the videos from the previous update, you can be rest assured
that this will be a worthy entry into the Mortal Kombat Series. To the right is
one of the latest advertisement spots that will eventually make its way into
circulation as the release draws closer. On a side note, we have a correction to
make from our E3 Coverage. What we referred to as yellow coins in the
Krypt of MK:TE are actually gold coins. We apologize for the mistake.
