The movies department of gaming website IGN has posted a few new tidbits regarding the tentatively titled Mortal Kombat III movie. The long rumored movie seems to have once again been scrapped and replaced with a new, which seems to be mimicking other movie series' idea to breathe new life into the franchise. Rumors of the third MK movie ignoring the poorly received Mortal Kombat: Annihilation seem to be true, but apparently this movie may also ignore the original movie as well, completely starting from scratch. Though no real details were confirmed, it was revealed that the supposed director, Mink, has been posting in the section dedicated to this film at IMDb. Other notes include Christopher Lambert and Robin Shou being approached regarding the film, but no member of the cast is yet confirmed.

It seems you can forget about seeing Mortal Kombat III. Instead, the whole franchise will reportedly be getting the reboot treatment, a la Casino Royale and Batman Begins.

"The movie is not going to be a prequel, sequel, or in any form be related to the previous 2 movie. Pretty much like Batman Begins, is going to restart the series with new concepts, stories, etc.," a scooper informed Moviehole.net.

To view the entire article, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending in this story.

Note: MKO Network site member, the Unofficial MK3 Movie Page carried this story before IGN reported on it. Check out the main page of said site to read more.

Looks like Sony Entertainment has posted a brand-new trailer for everyone's favorite MK game, Mortal Kombat II, available "exclusively" for the PS3! The trailer has an original kickin' soundtrack playing to MK2 gameplay, showing what looks to be 100% faithful graphics and sound. This trailer is EXTREMELY hi-res at 1920 x 1080.

From the trailer, there appears to be no glitches whatsoever as with previous recent ports of the game (e.g. in MK Shaolin Monks and in Midway Arcade Treasures) other than the fact that the characters appear to have no shadows in the Dead Pool.

To download the trailer yourself, go here and then click on the thumbnail. Our thanks to forum member samus_aran3900 for this informative news post!

The folks over at GameSpot have announced the lineup for tomorrow's On the Spot, their weekly news and interview show. Among the scheduled guests for tomorrow's show is Midway's Ed Boon, who will be there to demonstrate the upcoming Nintendo Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! From the On the Spot main page:

It's a star-studded show as various icons from the world of video games vie for your attention! Mortal Kombat's Ed Boon stops by to personally demonstrate Armageddon for the Wii.

This episode will air tomorrow at 7 PM EDT. To view the main On the Spot page where you can watch the show when it is released, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for letting us know about this upcoming show!

Midway's storyboard crew has posted the 12th bio from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! The featured character is none other than the original boss of Mortal Kombat, the soul stealing sorcerer Shang Tsung. The bio covers the time period from the beginning of MK: Deception to the present day and explains the method in which Shang Tsung was able to return from the dead after Raiden's sacrificial blast destroyed his body during MKD's intro. Shang Tsung's soul seems to be "bound" to Shao Kahn by a vow he had made long ago. The emperor forged Shang Tsung a new body and reinstated his role as one of his highest minions. Along with Goro, the two recaptured Kahn's throne, which reveals how Shao Kahn was able to return to his position as emperor of Outworld during MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode. As always however, Tsung has his own agenda and wishes to sever his soul's ties to Shao Kahn and claim the world for himself.

In an instant, Raiden's blast destroyed us all! Our souls intertwined, we did battle in the ether. But I was drawn away by a magic more powerful than death. My essence returned to Outworld, where I found myself face to face with Shao Kahn!

He was alive! Quan Chi and I had slain him in his fortress -- or so we thought. Yet here he stood. At his side was the Shokan prince, Goro! My ghostly visage startled them at first, but Shao Kahn knew what had transpired.

Long ago I had pledged my soul to the emperor. That pledge was binding even beyond death. But if he were to die, so too would those who served him. At the time I believed it to be merely another empty vow, yet here I am. My soul has returned from beyond to rejoin Shao Kahn.

He had need of me. But I required a host body in which my soul could reside. At the flesh pits, he forged for me a new body. It was weak and grotesque to behold, but it functioned well enough. I craved mortal souls to heal and fortify my new flesh. I found more than enough at a place all too familiar to me: the village where Li Mei was born. I consumed each peasant's life force as Shao Kahn and Goro slew them one by one. I was renewed!

Shao Kahn then commanded me to aid him in an assault on occupying Edenian forces, in an effort to retake his stronghold. United once more, Shao Kahn, Goro and I laid waste to all who stood in our way! In a flurry of brute strength and magic, we forced our way up to the throne room. The door was reinforced by some magical spell, but it was no match for our combined might. With a final swing of Shao Kahn's hammer, the door was breached, and Shao Kahn was Emperor of Outworld once more.

Though I am bound to him eternally, an opportunity has arisen that might give me the means to free myself. It seems Quan Chi has also survived death, and he has brought word from Shinnok of a plan to take a mighty power for the Forces of Darkness. If I claim that prize for myself, I could sever my bond with Shao Kahn! Until that time, I will continue to play my role as his servant and redirect any suspicions he may have of betrayal to others within our new dark alliance. Once I have the power and I am free of Shao Kahn, I will finish him and finally take the throne of Outworld for myself!

To see the bio page on the official site, click here.

Thanks to forum/chat member for first alerting us to this story.

Video game preview and review magazine Game Informer has posted an exclusive look at the Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as well as an accompanying video! Midway's JGI team, headed by Shaun Himmerick, visited Game Informer recently and allowed GI a hands-on experience of MKA's first apperance on a Nintendo console. The article's main feature is to explain how the game will be compatible with the Wii's controls. The motion sensor controls are only used for special moves and fatalities, while the regular punches and kicks will be made by simply using the D-pad (players will also have the option of playing MKA with the Gamecube controller or the Wii Classic controller, if they prefer). Some special moves are explained in detail within the article as well.

Before you think that Armageddon for Wii will have you constantly flailing your arms about, punching all over the place, have no fear. Motion controls are only used for super moves and fatalities. General moves, such as punches and kicks, are mapped to the D-pad, A is used for throw, Z blocks and C switches fighting st

yles. For motion controls, pressing the B trigger initiates the recording of the motion, and after you perform the gesture, the move is carried out by your character.

Midway’s goal was to keep everything simple and make any motion controls make sense and match the action of the move to be carried out. You might have to do a quick up-down or down-up motion, or left-right to perform a special. While the move set isn’t quite finalized, such things like Scorpion’s spear (left to right or right to left, depending on enemy location), Sektor’s teleport (down and then up), Sub Zero’s frost blast (left to right or right to left, depending on enemy location) and Bo’ rai cho’s puke attack (right then down or left then down, depending on enemy location) are easily pulled off with a flick of the wrist. Just like other Wii games, if you really get into it you can be over physical, but you generally don’t have to get too wild. While it takes a little while to get used to the moves, you’ll know you successfully performed a correct gesture with a sound effect from the Wiimote’s speaker.

Fatalities are a bit more involved, and will sometimes include additional motions from the Nunchuk. The full move list is still being finalized, but all of the brutal forms of fatalities from Armageddon will make their transition to the Wii. For example, to rip out your opponent’s heart, you make a stabbing motion with the Wiimote. To snap off arms, you push both the Wiimote and Nunchuck forward and then split them apart. My personal favorite is tearing off an opponents head by pushing the Nunchuk forward, and pulling the Wiimote backward, simulating the action of twisting a head off. Tasty!

In addition to this, the exclusive content for the Wii version of this game is reviewed. In addition to Khameleon's apperance, Endurance mode from MK: Unchained will make a revised apperance along with an additional tutorial mode which aims to instruct the players how to use the Wiimote during gameplay. A new gameplay feature will be given as well; the ability to lie down whenever one wishes, giving more open access to MKA's present wakeup game.

Game Informer also included four images showing how to perform special moves with the Wiimote. Two are sequences while the other two are larger solo images. Featured are Daegon, Bo Rai Cho, Liu Kang and a Motor Kombat preview.

To view the rest of the article, click here. To view the exclusive video, which is a MKA gameplay montage, click here.

Thanks to forum member for originally notifying us of this story.

The folks over at Midway Games have released another bio from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This time, the bio is that of the game's main boss, Blaze! In his bio, he talks about his part in events surrounding the quest given to him by Argus and Delia, and also touches on his imprisonment by Onaga's holy men and its ramifications. From the bio:

My initial quest was interrupted when I was forced to guard a dragon egg for many years. When I awoke from enslavement, I felt altered in some way. Though I understood the reason I was created, I sensed that something was fundamentally wrong.

Casting my uncertainty aside, I returned to my given task. I searched the realms to find a concentration of warriors with the ability to tap into the forces that bind the realms. What I discovered alarmed me! The number of kombatants had grown since I last walked among them. I also learned that Onaga, the former ruler of Outworld, had somehow been resurrected. I could feel the strain upon the realms and concluded that the time had come: I would awaken the brothers and begin the second phase of the quest.

In Earthrealm, atop the temple of Argus, I let loose a psychic scream, the signal to the dragons to awaken the sons of Edenia. Shortly thereafter I searched for the brothers to monitor their progress. It seems that Daegon was awakened centuries too early and is under the influence of some evil emanating from the Netherrealm. I must further assess this situation by traveling to that realm. It seems my task has been interrupted once again. I was not created to interfere, but the time may come when I will have to intercept the brothers to help insure my quest concludes as Argus and Delia planned.

This is the tenth bio released by Midway; we'll be keeping an eye out for the other fifty-two. As more are released, we'll be sure to report it here!

Our thanks to forum member for letting us know about this new bio!

The folks over at Midway have gone ahead and released five more screenshots from the upcoming Nintendo Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! Unlike previously released sets of screenshots of MK Armageddon for Wii, these screenshots are all demonstration screenshots showing how the Wii Remote controller would be used to control the game in the given circumstances. The first three screenshots are from Konquest mode; the first shot shows Taven being knocked back by a demon. The second shot shows Taven at rest. The third shot is a demonstration of Taven's Ground Pound special move. The other two screenshots show demonstrations of two kombatants' special moves. The first one demonstrates using the Wii Remote to use Ashrah's Torpedo move. The final screenshot shows how to use the Wii Remote to perform Jax's Ground Pound.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for the Wii is still on schedule for a May 15th release. As we learn more, we'll be sure to report it here!

Our thanks to our contacts at Midway for providing us with these new screenshots!

After a brief period of silence, Midway has released a new bio for MK: Armageddon! The new subject of interest is the former ruler of Outworld, the Dragon King himself, Onaga. This bio ties together numerous plot points from the end of MK: Deception and into the storyline of MK: Armageddon. The endings of both Shujinko and Nightwolf are revealed to be canon as Onaga was eventually defeated by Shujinko's gained abilities and bound to a rune in the Netherrealm by Nightwolf. Also of note is the manner in which Onaga was seperated from Reptile's body. Onaga's new role seems to be a pawn for the fallen Elder God Shinnok in his plan to allow Daegon to defeat Blaze. The alliance formed in MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode is explained a bit further, as well as Onaga's attack on Shao Kahn in the MK: Armageddon intro. Though serving Shinnok's wishes for now, Onaga pledges allegiance to no one and seeks Blaze's power for himself alone.

I had nearly regained my throne as Emperor of Outworld when my plans were undone. My pawn Shujinko had grown more powerful than I ever anticipated. Rallying warriors to his cause, he absorbed their fighting abilities and shattered the six Kamidogu, rendering me vulnerable. Only the amulet I had retrieved from the sorcerer Quan Chi gave me protection.

But as Shujinko landed his final blow, an outside force simultaneously ensnared my soul and expelled me from my host body. I found myself bound to a rune in the Netherrealm. I languished there until I was found by Shinnok, a fallen Elder God. Like me he was trapped in that accursed place, denied domination of the realms by lesser beings. Shinnok offered me a chance at revenge: I would regain my rightful place as ruler of Outworld in return for my unquestioned servitude. I bow to no one, but I considered his offer.

Shinnok was nearing his ascension from the Netherrealm, but he feared another defeat -- either by his enemies or his allies. He would emerge unchallenged if they were all eliminated. To achieve this, he needed an Edenian half-god named Daegon to defeat a fire elemental. The godlike energy Daegon would receive from that victory would bring about this slaughter. However, many other warriors also sought that power. Should Daegon fail, should some other warrior defeat Blaze, Shinnok's plans would go unfulfilled.

Shinnok was most concerned with Shao Kahn, my most hated enemy. He proposed that I feign reluctance, but join Quan Chi's new alliance in order to stay close to the traitor. I would then follow him to the final battleground and prevent him from reaching Blaze. When Daegon finally won the prize, the kombatants would all be slain and I would be given Outworld to rule once more. As an added incentive, Shujinko, languishing in Shao Kahn's dungeon, would be mine to do with as I pleased.

I did not trust this fallen Elder God. I suspected treachery. If all went as he had planned, I would most likely be among the dead. But I accepted his offer in order to free myself from that accursed Netherrealm. Satisfied, Shinnok conjured a portal and spoke through it. He then raised his hands and clenched his fists. With a demonic shout, my soul was freed from the binding symbol and I was released from the Netherrealm. I awoke in my original body, covered in dragon's blood. Before me stood Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, and my hated enemy, Shao Kahn.

I will pose as Shinnok's pawn and join Quan Chi's alliance. Shao Kahn will never reach Blaze. But I would be a fool to allow Daegon victory. Once I have slain the fire elemental and have taken the prize for myself, I will have Shinnok's head. Onaga serves NO ONE!

To see this bio's original location, click here.

Thanks to forum member for getting this newslead in first!