Evolution 2005 MK: Deception Pre-Registration Opens!
PRE-REGISTER TODAY!
We are pleased to announce that the Evolution 2005 Fighting Game Championship pre-registration program has officially opened! Mortal Kombat Online and the rest of the community is asking you to come forward and help get Mortal Kombat: Deception in the nation's largest tournament this August in Las Vegas, Nevada during August 12-14, 2005. This is the chance for the Mortal Kombat Community to rise and give Mortal Kombat: Deception the chance to show the gaming elite what they have been missing. Only you can help prove that Mortal Kombat: Deception can deliver the same true tournament caliber play of games like the Tekken series!

In order for Mortal Kombat: Deception to become officially inducted in the Evolution 2005 tournament this August, Evolution is requesting that 100 people must pre-register for the MK: Deception tournament and commit to going. Mortal Kombat Online is asking the entire MK Community and all Mortal Kombat fan sites to spread the word, pre-register, and become a part of Mortal Kombat history. The fee for entering the Evolution tournament itself is $20 USD, with an additional $10 USD pre-registration fee for entering the Mortal Kombat: Deception tournament. So the complete entry fee totals out to $30 USD. If Mortal Kombat: Deception does not meet the required 100 minimum registrations, money will be refunded, according to the Evolution staff. From the voting/registration page:

For any of the provisional games (click here for the list) to be included in Evo2k5, it will need to receive at least 100 registered votes. The top two games receiving over 100 pre-entries will become official Evo2k5 tournaments. In the event that more than 2 games have over 100 entries, the two games with the highest number of votes will be included. For example, suppose that Capcom Fighting Evolution had 134 votes, Alpha3 had 112 votes, and Mortal Kombat: Deception received 104 votes. That means CFE and A3 would be included, and even though MK:D had over 100 votes, it would not make the cut.

yle5">If you have registered for a tournament that is not ultimately included in the final Evo2k5 lineup, you will receive a full refund for that registration. For instance, if you register to play in the Marvel vs Capcom 2, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, and Vampire Savior tournaments, but Vampire Savior is not included, you would be eligible for a refund *only* for Vampire Savior. You will receive your refund in the manner you have selected in the profile field.

Evo2k5 reserves the right to add any game to the final Evo2k5 final lineup at their sole discretion, at any time. This means you should be fully prepared to enter any tournament that you pay for, as the directors may add it even if it does not receive 100 votes (for instance, if no game receives more than 100 votes, but Virtua Fighter 4 received 92 votes, it might be included anyway). Any games that are included in the Evo2k5 final lineup will have a strict no refund policy.

To begin the registration process visit the links below.

You must be a member of the Shoryuken.com Forums in order to pre-register for the Mortal Kombat: Deception tournament. We encourage everyone to pre-register to get enough votes for Mortal Kombat: Deception!

Jazwares to Make 10-inch Roto-Cast MK Deception Figures
According to Toys News International as well as ToyWiz, the folks over at Jazwares will be producing a line of ten-inch Roto-Cast Mortal Kombat: Deception figures in addition to the six-inch line. They've posted pictures of Sub-Zero and his brother Noob Saibot (already been seen) and they've also confirmed another fan favorite: Goro (though, no image yet available, except for a silhouette teaser).

To read the entire article, click here. Also check out the Mortal Kombat section of Toywiz's online store here. Thanks to MK Online chat member MickXII for the heads up!
Rock Band Challenges Fans to MK: Deception
Team X-Box is reporting that the band Rise Against is challenging gamers on X-Box Live to take them on in Mortal Kombat: Deception. For two hours on June 3, gamers will be able to take them on as part of the "Game With Fame" promotion. From the article:
Chart-climbing rock group Rise Against is calling on all Xbox gamers to challenge them as part of the latest Xbox Live "Game with Fame" on June 3, 2005. Xbox Live players can look for the gamertag riseagainstgwf from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. CDT / 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT to test their skills against the band in Midway’s Mortal Kombat: Deception.

The band’s debut album under the DreamWorks label, Siren Song of the Counter-Culture, has held a firm place in the Billboard Top-20 for New Artists since its arrival on store shelves in August 2004. Rise Against will do 'kombat' with gamers from their hometown of Chicago, Ill., where the band will perform at YMCA Field on June 4 as part of the Q101 Block Party powered by Xbox.
To read the article in its entirety, click here. To see the official X-Box Live Game With Fame page about Rise Against's challenge, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member CAMK for the heads up on this news story!
Mobster4Christ Presents: Ten Minutes with E3 2005
Take the whirlwind tour!
Sadly, E3 2005 is over - along with your chances of ever being able to see what it was like. Bummed out? Don't be! Mortal Kombat Online is proud to bring you "Ten Minutes with E3"! Join Mobster4Christ as he takes you on a blitz through the South and West Halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center! You'll see all the major players in the video game world, along with the fantastic booths and displays they have set up. But be careful! If you blink, you just might miss something!

Click on the link below to see what all the buzz is about:
E3 MK:SM Final Impressions, Direct Feed, Fan Interview, & Screenshots!
Final E3 Update!
The final day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo has come to a close and Mortal Kombat Online is proud to present our final impressions of the E3 Build of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. Having performed a 121-hit combo, there's not too much left to say about the game that we haven't covered already. We love all the little details like the piles of skulls that can be knocked apart, and spikes in the ceiling that you can actually impale enemies on. If you miss one of the hidden secrets early on in the game, you will actually be able to go back to some of the earlier levels by way of the "Nexus". This will come in handy since some areas will require you to have advanced moves in order to access the secrets, such as a "running on walls" move that won't be accessed until later in the game. As revealed yesterday, whenever you access these secrets, you then unlock a new piece of content - one such piece of content being a new arena in Ko-Op mode.

Other cool tricks include cooperative moves that are pretty hard to pull off because both players have to work in unison, but the results are well worth it. For example, if you are Liu Kang and you do a fireball against Kung Lao while he's spinning, instead of going right through Kung Lao, it will bounce off of him spinning and spin-off a bunch of fireballs in multiple directions. Also, while this didn't work in the X-Box version of the game (which is about a week behind), in the PS2 version we were able to both select the same character in Ko-Op Mode. The second player would wear a different color costume - the same alternate colors as in MKII, so the second Liu Kang would wear blue or the second Kung Lao would wear brown.

In addition to our impressions, today was spent getting direct feed of the MK: Shaolin Monks demo that provides an in-depth look at the game including direct footage of fatalities, as well as exclusive footage of the unlocked Rooftop stage in versus mode. Liu Kang is controlled by Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks producer Shaun Himmerick, with our correspondent ]{0MBAT as Kung Lao. You can download the video at the links provided below:

The next part of the day was spent recording our Mortal Kombat Online Fan Interview with Ed Boon and Shaun Himmerick on various different topics. We answered questions from users: Baraka407, SmokeNc-017, Fedegita, SubScorpTile, DECEPTION, and Bodzio, as well as one question that was asked by a ton of our users (try and spot which one!). Download the interview at the link below: In adition to our interview, we invite you to visit our friends at TRMK who have also been covering the game at this year's E3. They have posted another detailed question and answer video interview with Shaun Himmerick, as well as a few extra fatality videos we were unable to grab. These can be located at their torrent download page. Also, last is our last batch of screenshots taken throughout the final day at the Midway Booth:
Also keep in mind, that the demo that was previewed during this event will be available for all to play in a future issue of the Official Xbox Magazine, as well as Official PlayStation Magazine. This will surely be a treat for all fans. This proudly concludes our coverage of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Special thanks to all the guys at Midway Games for the opportunity once again to cover the Mortal Kombat franchise. We'll see you live next year!

Update – May 22 – We'd like to thank MK Online forum member TonyTheTiger for helping out with a transcript of this interview. You can read the entire transcript here.

MK Deception PSP Trailer Displayed on 16 TVs
In addition to our update from the other day, which included pictures of the MK: Shaolin Monks on the 16 TV's (four rows by four columns), we also grabbed a couple pictures of the same TV's playing a trailer of the PSP port of Mortal Kombat: Deception.


Enjoy the pics, and prepare yourself for the updates to kome with the last day of E3!
Complete Walkthrough of MK:SM E3 Build!
Video footage of the entire demo.
Join Mortal Kombat Online as we take you on an all-access tour of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! On this exclusive video tour, Mobster4Christ and ]{0MBAT demo the game in its entirety, showcasing the individual levels, characters, and features of the entire build made available to us. Enjoy this exclusive footage! (Note: Ignore the idiot commentary from Mobster4Christ and ]{0MBAT!) Note: We seem to have resolved the download queue issues for SP2 users. Hopefully video downloads will work for all users now. Please still continue to use the mirrors whenever possible, and alert any moderators to conflicts.
MK: Shaolin Monks Second Impressions and Pictures
Aside from what we said in yesterday's rather lengthy update, there are a couple extra cool details in MK: Shaolin Monks we'd like to go over - such as how the game starts off by showing the 2 heroes falling down into Goro's Lair, but if you look carefully, you can see that they're coming from Shang Tsung's Palace as shown in the intro video. There are also rocks that fall down periodically in Goro's Lair which can hurt you (or the enemies) if you happen to be underneath them.

As is well known by now, every area of the game has some secret. These can range from throwing an enemy to destroy the skeleton to knocking someone into a chandelier on the ceiling. Each time you unlock one of these secrets, a new piece of content is revealed. This can range from a piece of concept art or render to a video clip or even a whole character. (Even more characters can be unlocked by completing the game with some of the unlocked characters.) Although there is no Krypt/Koffin system as in MKDA/MKD, the amount of actual content there is to unlock will be about the same.

Lastly, Midway has hired a continuity expert who was several years of experience in the comics industry to go over the story of MK: Shaolin Monks and make sure there are no errors in the storyline. (This may explain why, for instance, that it refers to certain events well known to long-time MK fans, such as Shang Tsung's island crumbling or Baraka's attack on the Shaolin Temple.) While we can't reveal who this person is yet, this should put a lot of fans' minds at ease who are story purists. Enjoy the pics!
And also, check out the video of Kung Lao's arm slice: Kung Lao Arms Fatality Stay tuned, there's even more updates on the way as our E3 koverage kontinues!
MK:SM Fatality Triple Shot!
Three MK:SM Fatalities Showcases
In a trifecta of perfect bloodiness, Mortal Kombat Online is proud to showcase video of three fatalities from Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!

Fatality Videos:


Note: For Internet Explorer SP2 users, we are aware that you may not be able to use the download queue. We are working on this problem and will have it fixed ASAP. For now, please use the mirrors of the files if and when they become avaliable.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks E3 Screenshot Update
Image Madness
In continuance of our coverage of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, below we are providing several screenshots taken by the team of Mortal Kombat Online throughout our coverage this afternoon. Also included is a shot of our team with Ed Boon and Sal Divita (Nightwolf, Cyber Ninjas - MK3). Check them all out below:
We hope you enjoy, and stay tuned for more updates!
MK: Shaolin Monks First Impressions
Day one of our live coverage from the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo has come to a close. Today was spent gathering as much media as possible from Midway's booth of the upcoming action adventure title, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. However, we are excited to start off with our first impressions.

When you first start up MK: Shaolin Monks, you get the fantastic intro video everyone's seen already (since we first posted this video back in February for Midway Winter Gamer's Day). Once that's done you can get to the main menu. The main menu is actually further along on the PS2 version than the X-Box version, as some options that are locked out on the PS2 version don't show up at all on the X-Box version (such as Kontent and Options). The main menu options that are selectable include: 1-Player (Liu Kang), 1-Player (Kung Lao), 2-Player (Ko-Op Mode), and 2-Player (Versus Mode).

If you pick Liu Kang or Kung Lao, the other character always shows up during the cut-scenes. This way, if you pick 2-Player Ko-Op Mode, the cut-scenes in between the fights are exactly the same. Now, regardless of which selection you choose – 1- or 2-Player Ko-Op – once you make your selection, the game begins. In the PS2 version, you can select your difficulty (Normal or Hard) as well. Once the game begins, you start out in Goro's Lair. It starts by showing you the yellow eyes in the background, and then revealing that those eyes belong to Oni-Demons. In MK: Shaolin Monks, there is a secret in every room, and in the first room that secret involves the skeleton hanging up. By throwing the Oni against the skeleton on the wall, you can actually shatter it and make the bones fly everywhere.

Even though this game takes place in between MK1/MK2, it seems as though there is a reference to every MK game ever made. Two obvious references to MK4 are the skulls littered around Goro's Lair that you can actually pick up and throw at the Oni, in addition to weapons that can be used and thrown as well. One seems to be just like Liu Kang's sword from MK4, the other weapon available in the demo are Kamas. There should be many more available in the full game.

There are some really cool details that will be noticeable already, such as the fact that the Oni will sometimes start to fight each other. There are also some torches around the lair that can burn you if you're not careful, but if you are good enough, you can use them to your advantage by knocking the Oni into them. If you can burn an Oni this way, he will run around and can even light the other Oni on fire as well.

Once you get through that stage, the next level is The Pit. Johnny Cage is seen knocking off some Oni into the spikes below. If you're not careful in this level, the spikes will hurt you as well. Once you navigate your way up The Pit, you meet three Oni, who seem to be in cahoots with Reptile. He turns invisible, though, and so you never directly fight him (or CAN you?)

Along the way, there are opportunities to learn new techniques (such as blocking, combos, multi-directional attacks, and Fatalities). Before doing Fatalities, you have to do a certain number of combos to build up your meter, and then – once you press a button to stun them – you use the D-pad to enter in the button combination for the Fatality. Some of the Fatalities include:
  • The Shaolin Soccer - Liu Kang does his Windmill Kick to launch your head in the air, and then Jet-Li Style, kicks it back at you
  • Vertical Hat Slice - Kung Lao's Fatality from MKII, speaks for itself
  • Bunny Bash - a parody of Kung Lao's MKII Friendship, he pulls a rabbit out of his hat, and the opponent begins to clap. However, Kung Lao proceeds to relentlessly beat his opponent to death using the bunny as his weapon.
  • Arm Slice - Quite simply, Kung Lao slices the arms off of his opponent.
Once you beat The Pit, your next fight is with Baraka. And if you don't win, some of the bosses will do Fatalities to you to, such as Baraka doing his famous Impale fatality with his blades.

Baraka starts out by brutally killing a random Shaolin Monk. Liu Kang begins to compassionately kneel over the monk's fallen bodyou, as you see his soul fly from his body and into a mystical sword. Now Liu Kang and Kung Lao are enraged, and the battle begins. Once you get Baraka's life down to a certain level, he releases another Shaolin Monk who is being imprisoned. He doesn't actually release him so much as set him on fire, and this makes the battle a lot harder. The monk is running around on fire, and if he touches you, you're on fire. This means that Liu Kang and Kung Lao have to put their friend out of his misery and kill him. You do this by using a projectile attack against the monk – either Kung Lao's hat, or Liu Kang's fireball (think of it as fighting fire with fire).

Once you get Baraka down some more, you get a really cool cut-scene of Baraka falling down against this wall, but using his blades to climb his way back up. Now, Baraka is on the other side of this gap, and attacks you with continuous Blade Sparks. You have to be careful to dodge these attacks while at the same time using your projectile against him. Once you do this, Baraka jumps towards you (blades extended), and crashes into a box containing the mysterious Soul Sword – and this is where the demo ends.

Now to talk about Versus Mode. It's not like a standard fighting game, it features full dynamic 3-D motion as in a standard 3-D platformer. If there's any game to even compare this mode to, it would be PowerStone on Sega Dreamcast. Three stages were available in the Demo: The Pit, The Portal, and The Ice Falls. These stages are pretty much identical to their action-adventure counterparts; the only real difference is the limitation on the camera to keep things simpler for this mode. The Portal actually attempts to suck both players into it, and it's also causing wooden chunks to float around in the air that you have to watch out for. There are boxes in this mode that contain items, such as skulls/weapons (just like the action/adventure mode), power-ups that give you extra energy or cause you to do extra damage to your opponent, and more traps that can hurt you.

In this mode, only Kung Lao and Liu Kang were selectable, although in the PS2 version, we could see silhouettes for at least 6 more Kombatants. We can only speculate at this point who will be selectable, eg. Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, etc. But seriously, who knows for sure?

We've been told that the PS2 version is farther along because they code for that system first, before porting it over. However, on the X-Box version, it's a lot easier to make the weapon trails. A demo of this game will be available to the public soon, available on the demo disc included with OPM and OXM magazines.

Stay tuned, even more E3 updates on the way!
Playstation Portable Trailer
Continuing our coverage of E3 2005, we have obtained from the Midway asset disc a trailer for their upcoming games on Sony's PlayStation Portable, or PSP. Included as one of the games on the trailer is, of course, Mortal Kombat: Deception with a surprise: 2 confirmed characters are Goro and Shao Kahn, previously exclusive to the GameCube version.

Click Playstation Portable Trailer to see this trailer! Stay tuned for even more E3 updates (and don't forget to check out the latest images/videos from the side bar!)

Update – While that footage is technically not from the PSP version, but rather, the console versions, we've been assured that the PSP version will look nearly identical in quality.
MK:SM Asset Disc Images
Live from E3 in Los Angeles, we proudly present to you the images from Midway's asset disc, including Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!



As well, please enjoy the MK:SM MK Shaolin Monks Trailer

Midway Officially Announces E3 2005 Lineup!
We're bringing an early start to our E3 2005 coverage this morning, with a press release from Midway announcing its lineup for the show this year! The release gives information on Midway's upcoming action-adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, as well as the two upcoming PSP games featuring MK! From the press release:

Midway's E3 2005 lineup features such highly acclaimed brands as Blitz®: The League™, L.A. Rush™, Mortal Kombat : Shaolin Monks™, The Suffering®: Ties That Bind™ and Unreal Tournament® 2007. This year's portfolio also showcases the company's new kid's properties as well as the first look at its high-end PC titles and new offerings for the Sony PlayStation® Portable entertainment system.

"We are extremely pleased with the quality and diversity of our 2005 E3 lineup as it truly reflects our product strategy," said David F. Zucker, president and CEO, Midway. "Not only do we have a slate of new products already in development for the next-gen systems, but we are also bringing select high-profile properties to the new Sony PSP as well as entering the high-end PC market and the kid's category."

...

Mortal Kombat®: Shaolin Monks™ (PS2, Xbox; Fall 2005) -- Experience the Mortal Kombat franchise from an entirely new action/adventure perspective by exploring the vast Mortal Kombat II universe as two of Mortal Kombat's favorite Shaolin Monks: Liu Kang and Kung Lao. It's the first time ever a Mortal Kombat action/adventure title has featured a multi-directional Kombat system, joining an array of features that include a deep storyline, single-player and two-player co-op modes, more comprehensive fatalities, mutalities, brutalities and special attacks.

...

Midway Arcade Treasures™(working title) (Winter 2005) - Now you will be able to play classic arcade gaming titles anywhere, anytime. Midway Arcade Treasures features an incredible roster of old school favorites including, Spy Hunter® (single-player), Sinistar® (single-player), Defender® (single-player), Paperboy® (single- player), 720�® (single-player), Klax®, Joust®, Marble Madness®, Toobin'®, Rampage® (3-player), Gauntlet® (4-player), Rampart® (3-player), Wizard of Wor™, Xybots™, Championship Sprint™, Arch Rivals™, Cyberball 2072™, Xenophobe® (3-player), Mortal Kombat®, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3. Midway Arcade Treasures features 5 single-player and 16 wireless games, with some wireless titles including 3 and 4-player compatibility.

Mortal Kombat®: Deception™(working title) (Winter 2005) -- Mortal Kombat: Deception revolutionizes the fighting game genre while maintaining the lethal intensity that the franchise has been known for since its 1992 debut in arcades, with online competition, multiple fatalities per character, multi-tiered interactive backgrounds and new game modes. Mortal Kombat: Deception delivers an enhanced free-roaming Konquest mode, an action/strategy board game and a unique puzzle game that compliment the one-on-one fighting mode that has helped establish the Mortal Kombat franchise as the ultimate fighting game.

While the PSP titles are listed as being at the show, our sources within Midway have informed us that they will only be shown via videos on the show floor, and will not actually be playable. Keep it tuned here today, though, as we will be providing live updates from the show floor and keeping you, the fans, appraised of what we learn of these games first-hand!
Midway Games Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Site Unleashed!
MKSM Official Site Update
Just in time for the Electronic Entertainment Expo this week, Midway Games has released the updated Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Official Website! Though more is promised to come, it does offer official trailers for the game and a slew of in-game screenshots. Thanks goes to site and chatroom user Total-MK for the heads up!

Also, don't forget to tune in tomorrow as we kick off our fourth coverage of the E3 Expo LIVE from sunny Los Angeles, California! Get ready as the team of Mortal Kombat Online provides you with our in-depth coverage of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks including interviews, videos, hands on impressions, and more!

Toyfare Gets Exclusive Pics of Deception Figures!
The latest issue of ToyFare magazine (Isse 95, July 2005) has some pictures of the Jazwares figures of MK Deception figures, first reported by us on our May 3rd update.

The pictures are all exclusives, as you will see Raiden, Baraka, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion in poses that are different from what are shown in our May 12 update. Furthermore, you can see Scorpion's alt costume with the skull for a head, Scorpion in his normal costume wielding a sword as well as his infamous spear, and Action Figure Express' Cold Snap Sub-Zero, complete with his Kori Blade (which will first be available for sale at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Do you live overseas, or just can't find this mag near you? Not a problem, you can order this issue here. And although we first heard about Toyfare's exclusive pics from Jazwares directly, we'd still like to thank MK Online users fraysol and Ermac-daddy for notifying us when they received the news.
IGN Previews Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, with Eight Videos
The folks over at IGN have previewed MK Shaolin Monks, in addition to posting eight direct feed videos of the game! From the article:
Our gameplay demonstration began with Liu and Kung leaping heroically into an awfully disgusting pit. Turns out we were in Goro's Lair, the second to last boss stage from the original Mortal Kombat – even the piles of skeletons were intact. Before we could get to punching some ogre face, Raiden showed up and spoke briefly about duty, heroism, the plight of Earth, electricity, amperage, etcetera. The basic gist of his little speech was, "Y'all need to be pummeling some bad dudes, so...get it on!" And right about then, the combat began.

Enemies, like in most beat 'em ups, appear in waves. We fought them with normal attacks, power attacks, launching attacks, throws, an attack modifying shift button and a lock-on / block combination button. The basic action included a lot of fluid combos. It was somewhat reminiscent of Soul Calibur in that pressing any buttons in sequence without any real applied skill yielded an appreciable result. It was also super easy to transition in and out of moves and switch from blocking to fighting, unlike other games that play long animation routines and force their users to stupidly sit and wait until the combo is finished.
To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Also, be sure to check out the 8 videos. Here's a list of what to look for:
  • 2-Player Co-op
  • 2-player VS.
  • Single-player 01
  • Single-player 02
  • Moonlit fight
  • Clearing the caves
  • Baraka fight pt. 1
  • Baraka fight pt. 2
So definitely check out the videos page here. The videos are free to download in the WMV (Windows Media Video) format for all, or as QuickTime files for IGN Insider members. Thanks once again to MK Online chat/forum member DECEPTION for the word!
New Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks E3 2005 Trailer
Sites like GameSpot and GameTrailers have updated with the latest trailer for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! It's being widely referred to as the E3 trailer, but since E3 hasn't started yet, it's more like a Pre-E3 trailer, or as I call it, a PrE3 trailer.

Long-time fans will note that unlike the other intro video which seemed to contradict some elements of the MKII storyline, the details mentioned in this video seem to go hand-in-hand with it. This time, it shows that Shang Tsung hungered for revenge after losing to Liu Kang in the Shaolin tournament. The Shaolin, having control of the tournament restored to them, awarded their champion with a medal. Then the famous battle of Baraka (and his Tarkatan hordes) attacking the Shaolin temple is depicted, and Liu Kang and Kung Lao practice fighting before venturing into Outworld.

Definitely worth a download! Check out:
Thanks to MK Online user DECEPTION for this news (as well as many other recent news postings here!)
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Box Art Finalized
On the verge of E3, Midway Games has officially begun Mortal Kombat fever with the release of the finalized box art for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!


Click the thumbnails for larger images.

While we have seen conceptual box art for this title previously, we have word from Midway that this is the finalized artwork for the game. Stay tuned to Mortal Kombat Online as we bring you all the latest for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!
Pictures of Jazwares MK Deception Figures
The folks over at Jazwares sent over some pictures of their MK: Deception action figures. These are the full versions of the teaser images that have been released in the past. What we have are four figures from Wave 1 including: Baraka, Raiden, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero.


Baraka Raiden Scorpion Sub-Zero

No joke, these look to be the coolest MK action figures ever created!
New Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Preview and Media Released!
Pre-E3 Media Blowout
GameSpot has obtained an early exclusive first-look at the demo of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks that will be available at the E3 Expo next week. The one page overview of the playable demo provides a link to their official movie 3 video clip of the game in action showcasing a one on one brawl between our two heroes, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, as well as showing The Tomb in miraculous 3-D. Provided as well are seven new screenshots for your viewing pleasure. From the preview:

Shaolin Monks goes out of its way to create a vibe very much like that of MK II. The opening level has you battling ugly, ogre-looking creatures inside Goro's lair. As you progress, you'll eventually end up at the bottom of the classic pit stage, complete with plenty of corpses impaled on the spikes around you. In fact, once you climb out of the pit after a brief platforming sequence, you can uppercut enemies into the pit. À la MK II, the game even goes the extra mile of switching to a top-down camera view of the enemy shrieking as it falls to its doom. The graphics shown in the demo weren't exactly awe inspiring from a technical perspective, but aesthetically, they caught the feel of old-school Mortal Kombat very well.

Of course, Liu Kang and Kung Lao aren't the only classic characters to make an appearance in Shaolin Monks. During the course of our play time, we counted no fewer than three brief cameos from characters like Raiden (who acts as your tutor during this first level,) Johnny Cage (who shows up just long enough to uppercut an ogre into the pit, as well as put on his trademark sunglasses,) and Reptile, (who disappears via his invisibility power before you get the chance to take him on). The demo was also bookended by a boss fight against everyone's favorite Outworldian ginsu knife, Baraka. The fight began simply enough, with us executing combos on the bladed one, while he did the same to us. After Baraka's health was depleted to a certain level, however, he jumped back across the stage to grab a couple of caged monks and then set them on fire. This made things a tad more difficult, as we now had to fight Baraka while a pair of flaming monks ran wild, constantly knocking into us and damaging us. It took a couple of well-placed fireballs to finally do away with the monks and resume the fight. The fight continued to build up to the big climax, and then right before we could actually vanquish Baraka, the game thanked us for trying the demo and ended. A painful, harsh tease, but effective, as we now can't wait to see what happens next.

Read the entire preview in full here. GameSpot's official movie 3, as well three additional raw footage videos featuring Fatalities and Raiden, and a new intensive Developer Interview with series co-creator Ed Boon, can be found via this link; with the screenshots available at this link.

Thanks goes out once again to site member DECEPTION for breaking this news!

SPOnG Reveals Midway PSP Lineup, Including Mortal Kombat PSP!
More Portable Kombat On The Way!
SPOnG released a news story this morning concerning Midway's upcoming lineup for the Sony PSP. In addition to a standalone Mortal Kombat game (which we have reported on previously), a PSP version of Midway Arcade Treasures is listed, with appearances by the first three MK arcade games! From the article:
Mortal Kombat is said to be identical to the console versions and is ported - as are all of the games - from PSP-friendly PlayStation 2 code. Interestingly, all will make use of the PSP’s natty Wi-Fi capabilities, with Arcade Treasures promising 16 multiplayer games, a mouth-watering prospect indeed. Four-player Gauntlet arcade, anyone?

In fact, the line up for Arcade Treasures reads as follows: Spy Hunter, Sinistar, Defender, Paperboy, 720, Klax, Joust, Marble Madness, Toobin', Rampage, Gauntlet (4-player), Rampart, Wizard of Wor, Xybots, Championship Sprint, Arch Rivals, Cyberball 2072, Xenophobe, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat 3.
The article also mentions that the PSP versions will be on display at E3; keep checking back, as we will report everything we can about the PSP versions from the E3 show floor next week!

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Our thanks to forum member prince_goro78 for the heads-up on this breaking news story!
Higher-Quality MK: Shaolin Monks Promo Video Released
Total Mortal Kombat has just posted a video they received, showing a promotional video from Midway's upcoming action/adventure game, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! This video is the same video that was shown during Midway Winter Gamers Day as part of the MK: Shaolin Monks presentation (with intro and demo footage), but in higher quality.

The video is available as a 11.2 MB zip file, and requires the DivX codecs to view. To view the video in its entirety, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member Total-MK for the heads-up on this news story!
Midway Releases Q1 2005 Revenues
Midway Games issued a press release today announcing their revenues for the first quarter of 2005. The final results were revenues of $13.8 million dollars, with a net loss of $15.9 million. On the other hand, while Midway posted a loss, the results were better than had been expected. From the press release:
"The first quarter revenue is in line with our guidance and the reported net loss was better than what we projected. Most importantly, we made further progress during the quarter toward increasing the strength of our product pipeline. The recently executed publishing agreements with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for animated film and Cartoon Network properties add high profile licensed content to our portfolio and provide a solid foundation from which to build our new family-friendly line of games," commented David F. Zucker, president and chief executive officer.
In addition, the press release makes mention of upcoming projects and expected revenues for the rest of the year.
For the year ending December 31, 2005, Midway continues to expect net revenues of approximately $225.0 million, representing an approximate 40% increase over 2004 revenue levels. The Company expects major releases for the second half of the year to include: LA Rush, Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, The Suffering: Ties That Bind, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, Ed,Edd 'n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures and Blitz: The League. The Company now expects a net loss of approximately $47.0 million for the year ending December 31, 2005, an increase from the Company'™s prior expectation of a net loss of approximately $38.0 million.
To read the press release in its entirety, click here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the release.)
Shaolin Monks Logo, Box Art, and More!
So much MKSM stuff!
Check out all the great assets that have been released for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to MK Online forum/chat member DECEPTION for the word on the new box art!

MK Online Interviews Jazwares, Inc. About MK: Deception Figures
Our thanks to the folks at Jazwares, Inc. for granting this interview about their upcoming line of Mortal Kombat: Deception action figures! First, enjoy some pictures of the trip:
Please note that some of the Mortal Kombat figures on the desk were from a previous line of MK action figures (given to Jazwares for reference).

To listen to the interview in its entirety, click here for the MP3. And thanks to the man who needs no introduction, Bezou, for his help with the audio compression and editing of the interview!

Additionally, you can read a transcript of the entire interview here. Though we can also confirm the existence of a Goro figure at some point, as well Noob-Smoke (possibly as a 2-pack!)

Update – May 5 – Jazwares has supplied us with some teaser images which we can show you. Check out Raiden's hat, Baraka's leg, Scorpion's arm, and Sub-Zero's waist and arm!


Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks Trailer on PSM DVD
No MONK-eying Around!
The newsstand version of the latest issue of PSM magazine (Issue 97, May 2005) comes with a free DVD which features (among other things) an awesome trailer for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! Though its nothing we haven't seen before, it really reinforces the "coolness" of this game to see Liu Kang and Kung Lao fighting against characters who have always existed in the MK universe, but never been interactive before – such as Shang Tsung's island guards, the Shadow Priests, and the trees from the Living Forest.

Also included on this disc are some Smart Bomb comics available as a PSP download (sure to include their Mortal Kombat comics) as well some special features from the Elektra movie, sure to interest Mortal Kombat fans because of the appearance of Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa (who played the villain Shang Tsung in the original Mortal Kombat movie). See the pics and screens below:
Don't forget, a lot more on this game coming up in the next couple weeks as MK Online attends E3 2005!
Mortal Kombat Online Live Coverage of E3 2005!
E3 CONCLUDES!
Mortal Kombat: Deception captivated an audience of thousands of gamers in 2004 when it was released on the Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 2. Featuring various new modes and online play, it quickly became the best selling game in Midway's history and has won the prestigious honor of Best Fighting Game of 2004. Earlier this year thanks to high fan demand, it was released on the Nintendo Gamecube with exclusive boss characters. The game's success continues to grow as Midway Games plans to announce that it will be ported to the Sony PSP later this year. However, Mortal Kombat: Deception is only the beginning of a continued release of Mortal Kombat titles in 2005.

Led by the creative minds of Ed Boon, Shaun Himmerick, and Midway Los Angeles, this Fall Mortal Kombat fans will experience a vast departure from the traditional fighting genre as they tackle the first action adventure game in the series since 2000! The game is Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks - a title that will let players revisit the nostalgic era of Mortal Kombat II, centering around the characters Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Offering interactive backgrounds, co-operative play, and the expected mix of bloody fatalities, MK: Shaolin Monks is expected to be one of the most innovative Mortal Kombat titles to date.

Fortunately, we're going to be able to get our first hands on experience with this title. Mortal Kombat Online is proud yet once again to announce our fourth trip to Los Angeles, California to report LIVE from the Electronic Entertainment Expo! Join fellow staff members Scott Howell, CCShadow, D'Arque Bishop, ]{0MBAT, and Mobster4Christ as we hit the road and cover Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks live from the show floor on May 18-20th! Be prepared for our first impressions, exclusive screenshots, game videos, and maybe a few surprises in between.

Also, we're announcing the return of our Fan Interview that has become a favorite among our users! From now until May 13th at 11:59 PM EST, we invite all registered users to fill out our submission form to have a chance to get your questions asked to Ed Boon and producer Shaun Himmerick! Ten winning submissions will be picked and used in the interview itself! Check the fan interview page for further details on how to enter. With that, we ask that you check out our E3 Coverage Section to witness all of our past trips and media that was included.

Don't miss out, our coverage beings on Wednesday, May 18th!


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