The folks over at GameSpot has released another video in their Official Trailer series of videos from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. This video, listed as Official Trailer 5, is in fact another character bio card video. This time, the featured kombatant is none other than the female Shokan warrior, Sheeva! In this video, Ed Boon discusses Sheeva's a bit about her history, including her conception as a "female Goro", to her original creation as a stop-motion model. As always, the card features a short bio of the character. From the video:

A female of the four-armed Shokan race, Sheeva once served as protector of Queen Sindel. As brutal as Goro and Kintaro, she possesses more than enough power to destroy any opponent unfortunate enough to cross her path.

The video is available to stream for anyone, and to download for registered GameSpot members. However, only GameSpot paid subscribers can download/stream the high-resolution versions. To stream and/or download the video, click here, and scroll down to Official Trailer 5.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this new video!

Cinder, from the official Midway Boards, has posted yet another set of loading screens from MK: Armageddon! These screens feature a few characters we have yet to see in the versus sceenshots that have been released thus far:

The first features the sorcerer Quan Chi battling against the Shaolin Monk, Kung Lao. Kung Lao appears to be wearing a version of his MKSM/MKDA alternate costume. The second screen features Reiko, wielding his newer weapon, against Frost. Lastly, rival brothers Taven and Daegon prepare to do battle in a touched up Nexus arena!

To view the threads in which these images were originally posted, please click on the links that follow: Quan Chi/Kung Lao, Reiko/Frost and Taven/Daegon.

Thanks to forum members Jigoku and Major_kenny for sending in these leads!

The official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website has been updated! This time, the update is rather subtle, but important nonetheless. In the Characters section, where there had previously been a box that said video would be coming soon, there are now videos for each displayed character! The videos are relatively short, showing a single round of fighting for each character, complete with a demonstration of the characters' special moves in-game.

To see the videos, click here, going to the link marked "The Game" at the top, and then clicking "Characters".

Our thanks to forum member for letting us know about these new videos!

A bit of bad news was released today over on the Midway Boards. According to Cinder (the admin and Midway employee), the ship date for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for Xbox has been delayed by about a week. This delay does not affect the release of the Playstation 2 versions, which are still scheduled to ship on October 9th.

To read the original forum thread in which this news was released, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for letting us know about this breaking news story.

EDIT - 6:32 PM - It appears that the thread on the Midway Boards has been removed. Whether this means that this news is incorrect or simply was not meant to be released yet is unknown at this time. We're still checking on this story; as we learn more we'll post it here.

EDIT - 11:03 PM - The thread link above has been changed to the new one; the old one had been removed due to flaming. Our thanks to for letting us know about the new thread.

Over at IGN, there have been four new videos posted detailing different features and characters from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! One of the video is a very short advertisement, featuring people in a city watching as crimson clouds cover the sky, and the sun is eclipsed by a large MK dragon. Finally, one onlooker raises his hands and shouts the familiar cry, "MORTAL KOMBAT!!" (This is evidently where the picture of the guy on the street, hands in the air, that appeared on the question mark page came from.) The ad then finishes with scenes from the opening movie and gameplay footage.

Another video gives an overview of Kreate-a-Fatality. In this video, Mike Taran, John Vogel, John Podlasek, Mike Boon, and Ed Boon discuss the evolution and mechanics of Kreate-a-Fatality, while gameplay examples are demonstrated. One of the more amusing examples seen is when Sub-Zero, in the middle of pulling an Extreme Fatality on Shujinko, severs Shujinko's right arm and smacks his twice across the face with it.

The third and fourth videos are character cards that have not been seen before. The first one features that ever-popular Centaurian warrior, Motaro! In that video, Ed Boon, John Vogel, and Steve Beran discuss Motaro's history and how he plays in MK: Armageddon; among the things that are mentioned is the hard decision they faced in either leaving Motaro out, or bringing him in and taking away his hind legs. As always, the card also gives a short bio for Motaro. From the card:

As leader of Shao Kahn's extermination squads, Motaro proved to the emperor the Centaurs' superiority over the Shokan. During the invasion of Earthrealm, he slew many kombatants before they could oppose Shao Kahn's rule. He will slay many more in the battle to come.

The second card video features the popular ice kombatant first seen in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Frost! The video, once again featuring Ed Boon, John Vogel, and Steve Beran, discusses Frost's origins as a character, from the desire to make a female Sub-Zero since Mortal Kombat II, to her final design as created by Herman Sanchez. Vogel even relates the heated fan reaction to Frost's inclusion in MK: Deadly Alliance, including one fan's angry mail to the team. As with all cards, Frost's bio is included in the video. From the card:

A student of Lin Keui Grandmaster Sub-Zero, Frost is a formidable young warrior. Her powers of cryomancy are extremely advanced for one so young. Headstrong and driven, her abilities are eclipsed only by her overconfidence.

The videos are available to stream and download in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats. However, only IGN Insider members can stream or download the high-resolution videos. To stream or download the videos, click here, and pick the videos marked as September 27.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about these new videos!

Cinder, from the official Midway Boards, has posted a continuation of a previously seen fight clip from MK: Armageddon!

• Mileena vs. Kitana In The High Tower2

This video clip is slightly shorter than it's predecessor and doesn't feature any new special moves from either Mileena or Kitana. Of note however is an 8-hit aerial combo used by Kitana during this fight. As before, the fight takes place in the High Tower arena, on the lower part near the death trap.

To view the thread in which this clip was originally revealed, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending in the lead on this video!

Another day, another set of loading screens from Cinder. The official Midway Boards administrator has posted yet more images featuring characters from the upcoming game, MK: Armageddon!

In the latest images, we see two of the playable god characters preparing to battle in the currently unnamed, unconfirmed forest stage. Raiden, complete with his MK: Deception attire prepares to battle Earthrealm's appointed protector, Fujin.

Noob Saibot and Smoke preparing to fight in what appears to be the Shaolin Temple from Mortal Kombat 4. Finally, the MK icon himself, Scorpion, battles the oldest returning character in the game, being absent wise, Kintaro (the arena may be The Tomb, originally from Mortal Kombat 2).

To view the threads in which thes images were originally posted, follow these links:Raiden/Fujin, Noob/Smoke, and Scorpion/Kintaro.

Cinder, from the official Midway Games Boards, has posted a new video clip today featuring two of the older returning characters in MK: Armageddon, Motaro and Sheeva!

• Motaro Verus Sheeva In The High Tower

In this 21 second video clip, Sheeva and Motaro engage in kombat in the High Tower arena. As the match begins, we see part of the arena disintergrate into the swirling mass of clouds outside one of the corridors. This in turn, becomes a death trap as noted by the green line visible in this video. In actual kombat, Motaro shows off one of his special moves, a shoulder charge, in which his tail grows a greenish colour before he launches into the opponent. Sheeva's purpose is mainly to show off some of her air kombat skills.

To view the thread in which this clip was originally posted, click here.

Thanks to forum member for noticing the latest edition to the ever growing video clip collection from MKA.

The official MK: Armageddon site's hidden menu has been updated with a new piece of koncept art from the upcoming game's included mini-game, Motor Kombat!

The concept features Baraka and Scorpion driving their karts into a tunnel filled with interactive stage obstacles. Large grinding saws can be seen extending onto the driving route and hitting the characters in perhaps a death trap/stage fatality. The green acid pool that surrounds the area before the tunnel may hint this concept is off a Reptile's Lair type stage or perhaps something new.

To view the current secret menu on the MK: Armageddon website, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending this information in first!

Continuing the trend over the passed few weeks, Cinder has posted yet another set of versus screens from MK: Armageddon!

The screen features two of the characters we have not yet seen on these officially released loading screens. Bitter rivals Jax and Kano prepare to do battle in the Wastelands arena. Notably, Kano seems to have more hair than normal simply by looking at this picture. The second features two other rivals, opposing Dragon clan leaders Kabal and Mavado preparing to battle on the Prison/Warship stage.. Finally, one of the oldest rivalries in MK history as Shaolin champion Liu Kang battles his arch nemesis, the sorcerer Shang Tsung in what may be the Living Forest.

To view the threads as originally posted on the official Midway Boards, following these links: Jax/Kano, LiuKang/ShangTsung, and Kabal/Mavado

Thanks to forum members , and for sending in these leads!

Cinder, from the official Midway Games boards, has uploaded new versions of previously seen loading screens! These screens are in better quality and they also contain a few notable differences (such as the use of actual MK: Armageddon backgrounds and Kobra's change from white to black uniforms).

All of these images were originally posted on the official Midway Boards. To go there now, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending these updated images in!

Cinder has done it once again, as three more loading screens have surfaced on the official Midway Boards today!

The first features dueling female warriors Jade and Nitara. The second is something a little different, as a KAF female takes on Mileena. Finally, former cyborg allies Sektor and Cyrax prepare to tear each other to scrap metal.

To view the respective threads for each versus screen, follow these links: Jade/Nitara, KAF/Mileena, and Sektor/Cyrax.

Thanks to forum members and for these leads!

A second update to the hidden menu of the official MK: Armageddon site has been made, in the form of yet another concept art. In an alternating pattern, the site posts another character concept this time, in the form of Sektor!

Similar to the Reiko concept, we see Sektor from three angles and there is a small hand drawn black/white image in the lower right hand side of the page, focusing on the cyborg's back engines and showing a bulkier appearance than his other robotic former comrades.

In addition to this, many images from the page have disappeared as well as the downloadable MP3s that were once in the middle of the page. The layout of the page is now a 5x5 square block with 13 place holders now empty.

To view the newly edited secret menu, click here.

Thanks to for noticing this new update!

A few days after IGN released the opening movie to Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as an exclusive to their site, Midway has released it for all to download, without the watermark other versions have. This high-resolution video, in Windows Media format, was previously only available to IGN Insider members.

• The opening cinematic from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

MK: Armageddon's release date is only two and a half weeks away; keep it tuned here, as we'll keep covering the game up to and beyond the game's release.

EDIT - September 27 2006 3:37 PM CDT - Midway has posted an even higher-resolution version of the video in the question mark page; this version lacks the ESRB rating opening and the "coming soon" logo at the end.

• MK: Armageddon Intro Movie High-Resolution

Our thanks to forum/chat member for the heads-up about this new version!

The question mark menu of the official MK: Armageddon site has updated yet again today with yet another piece of concept art! Another arena's early stages are available for the public to view, in the form of the classic Portal arena.

We are given a more distant than usual view of the Portal in this artwork, as we can see the entire surrounding area of this well loved stage. The kombat takes place in the ruined building with the monstrous portal looming nearby. Storm cloud detail is noted by writing from the MK team.

There are now six slots remaining on the hidden menu. To visit it, click here.

After a brief hiatus, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted another fight video from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This fight video features the two powerhouses from MK: Deadly Alliance and MK: Deception, Moloch and Onaga. This video doesn't show much new, other than giving some indication via gameplay how the huge boss characters can expect to play in MK: Armageddon.

• Onaga vs Moloch in the Meteor Arena from MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for letting us know about this new fight video!

One of the more interesting updates to the Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website of late has been a pair of links seen on the bottom of each page. It appears that both Scorpion and Sub-Zero now both have MySpace accounts. Each account features linked YouTube videos, and blog entries that are a combination of game endings and other current events (such as the Ultimate MK Fanatic contest). It appears that they are fully active accounts as well, as they are responding to friend requests and blog comments.

To see Scorpion's MySpace account, click here, and to see Sub-Zero's MySpace account, click here.

Over on the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website, Midway has been busy putting up some new content! Over in the Arenas section (located under "The Game"), four arenas have been revealed, complete with an image from each stage, and its accompanying stage music. The newly added stages are Goro's Lair, the Battle Arena, the Lumbermill, and the Bell Tower. In addition, under the Video section, all of the trading card videos that had previously been seen on GameSpot are now posted; in addition, a new one has been posted featuring the wind god, Fujin. This trading card video has commentary from both John Vogel and Ed Boon, with the latter even admitting his disappointment with Fujin's crossbow weapon from Mortal Kombat 4. The trading card, as with others, gives a quick bio of the character. From the video:

When Raiden was accepted into the pantheon of the Elder Gods, Fujin replaced him as protector of Earthrealm. Fujin's wisdom is matched only by his ferocity in battle.

To go to the official MK: Armageddon site, click here.

Our thanks to forum members and for the heads-up on these official site updates!

Over on the Midway Boards, Cinder has been busy posting new versus screens from the soon-to-be-released Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Today, he's posted three new versus screens; the first one shows Ashrah facing off against Sareena. The second shows Jarek getting ready to battle Noob Saibot. The third shows Kai as he prepares to fight Hsu Hao.

To see the original forum threads in which these images were posted, click here for Ashrah vs Sareena, here for Jarek vs Noob, or here for Kai vs Hsu Hao.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for letting us know about these new screenshots!

EDIT - 4:26 PM CDT - Cinder has posted a fourth versus screen. This one features the Black Dragon Kira confronting her clan's long time enemy, Sonya.

To see the original forum thread in which this versus screen was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this new versus screen!

IGN has just put online one of the most sought-after pieces of media from Midway's upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon: the intro movie! This four and a half minute video shows the complete intro movie, beginning with the oft-seen shot of the vulture pecking at a dead Masked Guard, only to be frightened away by the arrival of the two opposing armies. Once the armies reach each other, the battles begin, and kombatants begin falling. As the battle reaches its climax, Blaze's pyramid appears, and the fight is on to reach the top. During the video, the following narration is heard:

There have been many powerful warriors throughout the millenia. But ages of Mortal Kombat have begun to tear the fabric of the realms. The critical point has finally been reached. It was foreseen that kombatants would one day grow too powerful and too numerous. If left unchecked, their intensifying kombat would weaken and shatter the realms and bring about the apocalypse.

The Elder Gods demanded a safeguard put in place to avoid total destruction... one that would make use of the kombatants' insatiable bloodlust. Like moths to flame, they would be drawn to battle.

At the apex of destruction, alliances will be broken, and old hatreds will be revived. At last, it has come to this final battle.

Armageddon has begun.

The video is available to stream and to download for everyone in Windows Media and Apple Quicktime formats; however, the high-resolution versions are only available to IGN Insider members. To stream or download the opening cinematic, click here, and choose the video marked .

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this important new video!

The latest update of the hidden menu of the official MK: Armageddon website brings the fans a concept art of one of MK4's returning characters, the controversial Reiko!

In this image, we are treated to an in depth look at the design of Reiko for MK: Armageddon. From three angles, we are directed to the details that went into his costume. Noted are his wool pants, heavy loincloth and the grey streak flowing through his hair.

The current hidden menu setup now has seven slots remaining. To view this page, click here.

Thanks to forum member Major_kenny for the lead on this update!

IGN has posted an interview with Shaun Himmerick, who is producing Midway's upcoming PSP port of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Unchained! In this interview, Shaun mentions the ease (or lack thereof) of the porting process, and also reveals a big change in the amount of available characters. From the interview:

IGN: How difficult was it translating Deception to the PSP? Were you forced to cut back on any features because of the jump to the handheld system?

Shaun Himmerick: The transition to the PSP from the PS2 was much harder than we anticipated. We didn't want to cut any corners on quality or features (in comparison to the platform version) so we took the extra time to make sure that if something worked on the PS2 it worked on the PSP, as well.

We also dedicated a lot of time to make sure this game ran at a solid and stable frame-rate; all modes now run at either 50 or 60 frames per second very smoothly.

IGN:The Gamecube version of Deception had Goro and Shao Kahn as newly included characters. Are there any new Kombatants included in Deception: Unchained? What's the total number of fighters this time around?

Himmerick: We added 4 additional characters, as well as Goro and Shao Kahn. We added Kitana, Jax, Frost and Blaze to the roster. However one thing we did that's kind of special is that we decided to unlock ALL characters from the beginning. Where the PS2 and Xbox had 12 characters locked and 12 unlocked at the start, MK Unchained has all 30 Kombatants unlocked right from the start. So not only are there six additional Kombatants in MK Unchained, but we also are giving players access to a lot of characters up-front that they probably never saw in MK Deception because they were so difficult to unlock, like Zombie Liu Kang for example.

In addition, Shaun goes into a brief description of Endurance Mode. From the interview:

IGN: Are there any new or exclusive features to Deception: Unchained?

Himmerick:We looked at how the PSP worked and how we thought the players would play MK on it. We wanted to add a PSP-specific mode designed for the PSP functionality, too. That new mode is Endurance Mode, you will pick a fighter and then progress one round at a time against opponents without your health rejuvenating after each round. When you beat one enemy you immediately are confronted with another enemy. You will get a couple health bumps at some strategic points, like after the 5th Kombatant and some later. If you are really good you'll be able to fight 19 Kombatants, and then get a small health bump before fighting the Dragon King as your 20th opponent. This mode has been very popular internally with the team and the testers. You can play a couple enemies, put the game to sleep, do what you need to do, then wake it the PSP, and continue to try to see how far you can get right form where you were.

In addition, IGN posted three new screenshots to go along with the new interview; the screenshots feature endurance mode, culminating with Sub-Zero "destroying" his sixth opponent, who explodes in a shower of blood and body parts.

To read the interview in its entirety, click here. To see the new images, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for the heads-up on this new interview!

Cinder, from the official Midway Boards, has posted a second portion of a previously uploaded video! This battle is between the fallen elder god Shinnok and the Zaterrian beast, Reptile and is a bit shorter than the first fight between the two.

• Shinnok vs. Reptile In The Belltower

In this fight, we see Reptile using his Kirehashi sword from MK:DA while Shinnok is unarmed. The elder uses one of his special moves, in which he summons a skeletal hand from the Netherrealm to toss the opponent around a bit. Reptile responds by using what appears to be his Elbow Dash move, which has been absent in any variation since Mortal Kombat 4. He also uses his Acid Spit, which returns from MK:DA.

To see the thread in which the video was originally posted on the Midway Boards, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending in this lead!

The official MK: Armageddon website has updated with an extended set of Characters as well as adding the first additions to the Arena list! The characters added today coupled with the previously present characters are as follows:

• Baraka
• Blaze
• Dairou
• Drahmin
• Ermac
• Fujin
• Goro
• Havik
• Jarek
• Kai
• Kobra
• Kintaro
• Li Mei
• Liu Kang
• Moloch
• Nitara
• Onaga
• Quan Chi
• Raiden
• Rain
• Reiko
• Sareena
• Scorpion
• Sektor
• Shang Tsung
• Shao Kahn
• Shinnok
• Smoke
• Sub-Zero
• Taven

This brings the grand total to 30 thus far. Clicking on a character's portrait will cause a render to the right to be displayed and the announcer will pronounce the character's name. The videos section is still listed as "Koming Soon" on each character.

The arenas section update is the first thus far, and offers a look at five of the arenas present in MK: Armageddon. Clicking on an arena will cause a small picture of it to be displayed and the background music the selected arena will also play, instead of the standard MKA website music.

• Meteor Storm
• Prison
• Reptile's Lair
• Subway
• Wastelands

Thanks to forum members and for alerting us to these updates!

This version of the official MK: Armageddon newsletter, sent out by the Midway Boards, offers up a new piece of concept are from the game's Konquest mode!

In this image, we see a group of beings rising from the ground, apparently called "The Keepers", as the artwork suggests. They appear to be blocking the path for the playable character from a gate ahead, perhaps in the form of some type of boss.

In addition to the concept art, the newsletter contains a reminder for the previously reported Mortal Kombat: Scream It contest from GameSpot and Midway. Also mentioned, an update that took place on the official MK: Armageddon website today.

Since everyone received the newsletter, thanks to all who attempted to send in this story.

Yet another Cinder update, this time in the form of the trademarked three versus screens from MK: Armageddon.

Yet again, we have a fresh batch of six characters. Frost summons her kori energy as she prepares to take on Sindel in the Subway. Mokap readies himself to take on his friend Johnny Cage in the Lumbermill and an armed Stryker is poised to battle Smoke in the Soul Chamber, clad in his MK: Deception alternate costume!

To view the threads on the Midway Boards, follow these links: Frost/Sindel, Mokap/Cage and Stryker/Smoke.

Thanks to forum members and for sending in these links!

In addition to the previous update, Cinder has come through once more and posted a video clip from MK: Armageddon!

• Rain Versus Kintaro In The Lumbermill

In this fight, we see Rain taking on Kintaro in the Lumbermill stage. This video features Rain performing some of this special movies, including his projectile which is a quick water jet stream. The other is a water themed teleport. These moves seem to have very little recovery time, making Rain appear to be a very quick character. Kintaro showcases a few specials of his own, including a beat down move similar to Goro's and a capture move that appears similar to Moloch's (though Rain blocks this).

To visit the thread in which this was originally posted, click here.

Thanks to forum member for the lead!

GameSpot's "Biggest MK Fan Ever" contest, announced late last month, has begun! The rules and theme have been announced, and it certainly an interactive idea. From the contest description:

First, perfect your "Mortal Kombat" scream.

Then, produce a video that: a) features your best "MORTAAAL KOMBAAAAT" scream, and b) demonstrates that you are the biggest Mortal Kombat fan in the entire universe.

Here’s a few things your video can include:

• Mortal Kombat gameplay footage and audio
• Ingenious costumes
• Testimonials of your Mortal Kombat obsession

Once created, upload your video masterpiece to GameSpot between September 18 and October 6 (check back here on September 18 for entry details).

Then rally your friends to view and recommend your video from October 6 through October 13.

There are a couple of prizes available in this contest. Three runner-ups will receive a copy of MK Armageddon itself, while the grand prize winner will be flown to GameSpot's San Francisco to face Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon himself! The contest begins tonight at 7:00pm EDT and ends October 6th. The week following this will be the recommendation process to see who the biggest MK fan truly is. To view the contest page, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending in the information for this contest!

The current form of the hidden menu on the official MK Armageddon site has updated with one piece of new content, in the form of a Koncept Art for the Reptile's Lair arena!

In this concept, you can see the battle taking place on a platform overlooked the snake decorated ground floor below. Eggs, similar to those seen in previous stages, line the arena walls. Directly across from the fighters sits the head of a large reptilian creature, omniously watching the fight with its mouth open.

This leaves another 8 content slots on this version of the site's hidden menu. To view the page, click here.

Thanks to forum member for alerting us to this story first!

A start to another week, and Cinder from the Midway Boards once again posts a set of three loading screens from the upcoming release, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon!

We are treated to a new set of six characters this time, as Baraka duels with Havik in Shao Kahn's Arena. The elusive Meat, dripping with fluids, prepares to take on the monstrous shokan Goro in The Tower. Finally, Nightwolf draws his weapons to take on the traitor Tanya in the new Tekunin Warship stage.

To visit the threads in which these images were posted, please follow these links: Baraka/Havik, Meat/Goro, and Nightwolf/Tanya.

Thanks to forum members and for sending these leads in!

The hidden section of the official MK Armageddon site is back with even more content than before. In addition to adding 10 new slots for upcoming media, there's a new piece of concept art and another MP3 file!

The concept art is of the character Delia, who is Taven and Daegon's mother from Konquest Mode. On the left is what she appears as in the game itself, and on the right is an earlier concept of her appearance.

• Belltower Music Clip from MK Armageddon

This short MP3 file is a clip of the Belltower arena's background music.

To view the hidden question mark menu of the official MK: Armageddon site, click here.

Thanks to forum member thenomad for alerting us to this update!

Cinder, from the official Midway Boards, has once again posted a set of three versus loading screens from MK: Armageddon!

The first screen features the previously seen Rain versus the soul warrior, Ermac. The second features Kobra (complete with his new weapon) versus the blind sworsdman, Kenshi. The last features two former secret ninja characters, Noob Saibot and Chameleon. All characters are armed with some type of weapon, excluding Chameleon who is unarmed.

To view the original threads in which these screens were posted on the Midway forums, please follow the links: Ermac/Rain, Kobra/Kenshi and Noob/Chameleon.

Thanks to forum member for sending in all three of these leads first!

The official MK Armageddon website has begun to add content from the upcoming installment of the Mortal Kombat series. Selecting the The Game section on the site now takes you to another section where you can view Features, Characters and Arenas. Though the Arena section is still pending the Characters section has been updated with 15 characters! The characters with pages currently are the following:

• Baraka
• Blaze
• Ermac
• Fujin
• Goro
• Nitara
• Onaga
• Quan Chi
• Raiden
• Sareena
• Scorpion
• Sektor
• Shang Tsung
• Shao Kahn
• Sub-Zero

Each page contains a partial render of the character (mostly renders previously seen from MK:DA and MK:D) and a pending "Video" link off to the side which reads "Koming Soon". It also comes with an announcer's voice speaking the selected character's name. Stay tuned as the official site continues to be upgraded with new content.

Thanks to forum member for sending in this lead.

Gamespot's weekly webcast show, On the Spot, has announced the lineup for the September 14, 2006 show taking place at 7:00pm EDT (4:00pm PDT). Of note to fans of Mortal Kombat, the upcoming MK Armageddon will be center stage once more as co-creator Ed Boon takes us on a personal tour of MK Armageddon! From the announcement:

The news is out! Tune in for live reactions from the GameSpot crew to Nintendo's slew of announcements regarding the Wii, as well as highlights from the event itself. Also, Mortal Kombat cocreator Ed Boon gives us a personal tour through Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! Plus, we'll play Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, go a few rounds with The King of Fighters 2006, and take a final look at Okami.

We'll see you live right here, each and every Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT, 7 p.m. EDT, and Friday at midnight for our friends on the west coast of Europe. Toasty! We're live and On the Spot!

Please note the time in which corresponds to your area of residence so you do not miss this event. To view the page on which this is located, click here.

Thanks to forum member for the early lead on the show tonight!

The folks over at IGN have been very busy today, posting eight new videos and a progress report preview from Midway's upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! While six of the videos feature different battles (Sub-Zero vs. Cyrax, Goro vs. Drahmin, Kenshi vs. Kabal, Sub-Zero vs. Mileena, Raiden vs. Bo'Rai Cho, and Shang Tsung vs. Ermac), one video features gameplay footage of Konquest Mode, and another features gameplay footage from Motor Kombat. Among the notable details one can find in this video are the fact that fatalities act like death traps in Motor Kombat; being killed will only temporarily delay you in the race. Also, the Meteor Arena is evidently a multi-level arena, as a yellow marker can be seen around the arena edge. In Konquest mode, one of the (literally) big details that can be noticed is that one of the bosses Taven must battle with is a giant living stone statue of Shao Kahn!

The preview that was also posted today unfortunately did not reveal very much new detail. However, one thing that was revealed was that all but four characters would indeed be unlocked when the game starts, and that this was not decided until after E3. From the preview:

As the name implies, Armageddon will be the culmination of the franchise and the largest MK title to date, with a grand total of 62 playable characters taken from previous titles. One significant design change that had been made shortly after E3 was the decision to make almost all of the fighters available at the outset of the game. To this end, 58 characters will be initially selectable, which should allows fans a chance to set up their dream matches with their favorite characters while still holding onto the classic unlockable reward scheme that the franchise is known for. At first glance, it can feel somewhat overwhelming, particularly for players who know the MK universe well, because you are presented with a massive roster to choose from. However, Boon helped to point out the arrangement of the fighters on the select screen: male fighters are arranged across the top four rows of the select screen, while the female fighters take the two smaller rows beneath them. Bringing up the final two rows are the more "monstrous" characters of the series, so characters like Baraka and Drahmin share company with larger brutes and boss characters like Moloch and Goro.

In addition, another revelation was the fact that unlike Mortal Kombat: Deception, one does not only have to get special keys in Konquest to unlock everything in the Krypt. From the preview:

Speaking of unlocking things, the Krypt returns in Armageddon with a new presentation: the graveyard theme that accompanied Deception and Deadly Alliance has been abandoned for unlockable items displayed upon the walls of the Krypt. The various Koin denominations have been abandoned as well in favor of one unified koin that can be redeemed for artwork, music, costumes and other hidden elements. However, Boon pointed out, unlike previous titles, you won't be forced to do obscure things to unlock everything in the Krypt; everything will inevitably be available if you collect enough koins and pay for it. He also pointed out that there will be mystery Kodes that will slowly be released that players will have the chance to enter for additional Koins or secrets. Fortunately, if you don't feel like waiting or discovering these kodes, you'll be able to obtain extra koins for particularly brutal fights in the arcade game, collecting them through the Konquest mode, or potentially acquiring them through the latest diversion, Motor Kombat.

The videos are available for streaming or downloading to everyone; however, only IGN Insiders have access to the high-resolution versions. To go to the page where you can stream or download the videos, click here. To read the progress report preview, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for letting us know about these new videos and the new preview!

IGN Wii has posted yet another sit down with Mortal Kombat series creator, Ed Boon. This time, the focus is on the future of the Mortal Kombat series as IGN Wii questions Boon about the next game in the series, following MK Armageddon. In this brief posting, Boon mentions the future of Mortal Kombat's storyline and also it's gameplay mechanics, while confirming there will indeed be a continuation to the series after MK Armageddon:

"On the next game, we're going to start new, with a bunch of brand new characters, a whole new fighting system, a new presentation with the new graphics for the new consoles, as well as a new control scheme to take advantage of some of the new technology available. We thought it was a good time to close this chapter and open a new one with every single aspect of Mortal Kombat -- It's going to be brand new."

IGN also hints that there will be more information about MK Armageddon posted tomorrow, so stay tuned for that development. To read the complete update on the site, click here.

Thanks to forum member for this story.

Once again, Cinder, from the official Midway Boards, has posted a few of new images from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! Today, we are treated to three more loading screens.

The first features former ninja swaps Reptile and Rain in their default costumes in what appears to be an upper High Tower background. The second features two of MK's monsters, Sheeva and Motaro with a Soul Chamber background.

To view the thread from the Midway Boards in which the Reptile/Rain screen was posted, click here. To view the Sheeva/Motaro thread, click here. For Moloch/Li Mei, click here.

Thanks to forum members , and for getting these leads in first!

Following closely behind the full launch of the Mortal Kombat: Armageddon site, the PSP exclusive Mortal Kombat: Unchained also has been given a new appearance and a small amount of new content. There are now menues similar to the ones from its sister site, including a video archive, arena list and character list.

Much of this was known information, as the videos displayed are currently the previously viewed trailers and the character list is as expected, a 30 character lineup with four exclusives. However, the arena list gives incite into exactly which arenas will be returning from Mortal Kombat: Deception. On the list are the following 18 arenas:

• Acid Bath
• Beetle Lair
• Chamber of Artifacts
• Dark Prison
• Dragon King's Temple
• Dragon Mountain
• Golden Desert
• Hell's Foundry
• Kuatan Palace
• Lower Mines
• Living Forest
• Nethership Interior
• Nexus
• Quan Chi's Fortress
• Sky Temple
• Slaughterhouse
• The Falling Cliffs
• Yin Yang Island

Unlike most features, a few arenas seem to have been excluded from this game. These include Liu Kang's Tomb and the classic remakes of the Dead Pool, Courtyard and Portal. Strangely, the Acid Bath (an arena not seen since Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance) is listed here as well.

Thanks to forum member for sending in this information!

After a weekend hiatus, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted yet another fight video from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. This particular video features another long-standing MK rivalry, as it features Kitana facing off against her adoptive father, Shao Kahn, in the High Tower arena. This is yet another very short video, coming in at right around eight seconds; the main highlight of this video is a demonstration of the stage's level-change trap, where the unlucky victim (in this case, Shao Kahn) gets knocked down a long staircase. This sequence is virtually identical to the staircase trap in the Wastelands stage.

• Kitana vs Shao Kahn in the High Tower from MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up on this new fight video!

IGN Wii has posted a transcript from a brief encounter with Mortal Kombat series co-creator, Ed Boon! In this new interview, Ed discusses the upcoming Nintendo Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which is currently scheduled to be released in early 2007 at an undisclosed exact date. It is hinted that MKA will be using the Wiimote to control the gameplay, and it seems the game's mechanics will be somewhat altered to fit the next generation console's strengths.

IGN Wii: How you would like to work the control mechanics in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for Wii?

Ed Boon: I have a number of ideas that we are going to try out, but don't think we are at the point in development where we can talk about the details of how the control scheme is going to work. Our primary goal is to make the controls responsive, intuitive and novel. It wouldn't make sense to us not to offer a new gaming experience with such a dramatic new control mechanism.

Also touched upon in this interview is the possibility of classic MK games becoming playable on the Wii, as well as Ed's personal thoughts on the system itself.

IGN Wii: A major selling point of Nintendo's new Wii platform is its Virtual Console, which enables users to connect online and download -- for a price -- classic games from Nintendo and third parties. What are your thoughts about bringing over classic MK games to the Virtual Console?

Ed Boon: I would love to see that happen!

To read the complete interview, click here.

Thanks to forum member for submitting this story.

As hinted yesterday by a newsletter from Midway Games official boards, the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon site has finally launched! The hidden menu has given way to the launch of a more complete version of the MK Armageddon site, including a countdown ticker and a new menu.

An image Gallery is now accessible on the site, complete with both screenshots and koncept art pieces. Many of these have been previously seen, but they are now in a more convienent slideshow presentation. There are also links to various MK Armageddon previews under the News tab.

The Video section compiles trailers from passed Midway events, E3 and Gamer's Day, as well as the complete set of currently released character kards. However, there is a new exclusive in the form of 's character kard! Ed Boon and John Vogel can be seen discussing this memorable sub-boss from Mortal Kombat 2. They note Kintaro's stature as a bigger, badder version of Goro who was also more nimble than his predecessor. Video content is shown from both MK2 and MK Armageddon.

Longtime bodyguard of Outworld royalty, Kintaro has served Shao Kahn for many years. Like Goro, he is a member of the four-armed Shokan race and descends from a lineage known for its brutality.

Also of note, the hidden menu of the site has added four new slots for content, so apparently the updates to this secret portion of the site are far from over. Click here to view the page.

Thanks to forum member for alerting us the launch.

True to form, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted another fight video from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This video features arch-nemeses Liu Kang and Shang Tsung battling it out in the Wastelands arena! This video is shorter than previously released videos; the two main features are seeing Shang Tsung being knocked down the long staircase in the middle of the arena, and seeing Liu Kang's alt appearance (where, like in MK: Deception, he appears as his living self).

• Liu Kang vs. Shang Tsung in the Wastelands from MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this new fight video!

The official Midway Games Boards have sent out a newsletter to its members which contains exclusive content and information! Firstly, included in a new concept art from the Firewell stage. In this image, the death trap in the arena's center is being utilized. Grinding wheels and other mining equipment can be noticed in the background.

This image is included on a background image already seen on the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website, Blaze standing atop the pyramid. Added to this image are the words:

The sounds of Kombat rise in the distance...

On 09.08.06 the lines are drawn

Visit MKArmageddon.com

Stay tuned, as it appears the official site will finally launch outside of the secret menu on Friday. We will bring you further updates on this situation as they come. To view the thread concerning this on the Midway Boards, click here.

Thanks to forum members and for the leads on this story.

Shortly after being updated with two new pieces of stage music, the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website has been updated with a new render! This render shows the Wastelands, with Kitana standing in the background, her steel fans held ready. Mileena is in the foreground, with her Tarkatan teeth clearly visible under her translucent veil. This render, like the previous Scorpion and Sub-Zero render and the Premium Edition box art, is most likely a main menu background design.

To see the page on the official MK: Armageddon site with the official site media and artwork, click here.

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

Another day has come, and that apparently means the release of another fight video from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This video, posted (of course) by Cinder of the Midway Boards, features Shinnok and Reptile battling in the Bell Tower arena! Not too much new is seen in this twenty-six second video, except for one interesting detail: while Reptile appears to have both his ground-roll and acid spit special moves from MK: Deadly Alliance, he now has his invisibility special move again. However, in the video, it's seen that said invisibility is rather useless when in his armed fighting style, as his weapon is still visible. It remains to be seen whether this is intentional or just a bug that needs fixing before the game's release.

• Shinnok vs. Reptile in the Bell Tower from MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards forum thread in which this video was posted, click here.

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

Once again, the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website has been updated with new media! However, this time, the update is slightly different than previous updates; this time, Midway has updated it with two pieces of stage music: one from the Subway arena, and one from the Wastelands arena! The Subway music has a bit of an urban beat to it, complete with record scratching and a driving guitar line. The Wastelands music, on the other hand, has more of an orchestral feel, with what sounds like brass and a chorus (similar to the Lower Mines stage music from MK: Deception). The Wastelands music file also has a slight glitch, as the last couple of seconds are from the Subway stage music.

• Subway Stage Music from MK: Armageddon
• Wastelands Stage Music from MK Armageddon

To see the official MK: Armageddon site page with its released media, click here. They've added another blank spot on it, so there's definitely more to come!

Our thanks to forum/chat member for letting us know about these two new stage music downloads!

With all of the video madness going on, it appears that IGN has decided to get in on the action as well. They posted two new videos today, giving information from the soon-to-be-released Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! One video is entitled "Aerial Kombat", and features series creator Ed Boon and game producer John Podlasek discussing the inclusion of aerial kombat to the fighting engine. As they discuss bringing a part of the 2D game to the 3D Mortal Kombat series, the video shows several different examples of aerial attacks and combos. The second video, entitled "Cast of Characters", is just that: it shows very short clips of kombat, one after the other, featuring every single character that is in the game. Even characters not seen in official videos before are shown, such as Chameleon, Meat, and Daegon. In addition, if one looks carefully, one can also see the occasional alternate costume, such as the one Goro wears when he is seen taking on Rain. There's no commentary included with "Cast of Characters".

The videos are available in both Windows Media and Apple Quicktime format. Low-resolution versions are available to stream and download for anyone, but only IGN Insiders can view or download the high-resolution versions. To view and/or download the two videos, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for the heads-up on these two new videos!

This afternoon, Cinder from the Midway Boards posted a third fight video from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This fight video features Sektor and (zombie) Liu Kang having it out in the Foundry! In this match, the two are pretty evenly matched; the main draw in this match is seeing the parries, one of MK: Armageddon's new gameplay features, in action.

• Cyrax vs Liu Kang in the Foundry from MK Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards forum thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up on this new fight video!

Gamestop/EB Games are now offering an exclusive Bonus Offer when you preorder Mortal Kombat: Armageddon on Playstation 2! This offer is good on both the Premium Edition and the regular version of MKA. From the preorder webpages:

Order Mortal Kombat Armageddon Premium Edition for the PS2 and receive a Mortal Kombat art cell featuring 50 characters from the series! Offer good while supplies last.

The "art cell" mentioned here is none other than the cast render which we have previously seen in many different forms. From the thumbnail image on both websites, it seems to not include the additions such as Motaro, Meat or Chameleon, but only time will tell if the final version of the cast will be included.

To view Gamestop's preorder page, click here. To view EB Games' preorder page, click here. Note that these are the Premium Editions, but once again the offer is good with the $39.99 standard version of MK: Armageddon.

Thanks to forum member for this new information.

Hot on the heels of the previous posted fight videos, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted another fight video from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This video, while short, shows the popular match-up of Scorpion against Sub-Zero in the recently-revealed Meteor Arena. Of particular note in this video are the facts that you can see the meteors streaking through the sky, and the fact that Sub-Zero's costume is his main costume from MK: Deception.

• Scorpion vs Sub-Zero in the Meteor Arena from MK: Armageddon

To see the Midway Boards forum thread in which this video was originally posted, click here.

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

Once again, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted a fight video from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This video features another one-sided battle, as Cyrax gets pummelled by Scorpion in the Subway arena! This sixteen second video, again in Windows Media format, ends with Cyrax meeting the business end of a train. (Also, if you look carefully, among the amusing little decorations in the station is a poster along the wall advertising recruitment for the Special Forces...)

• Cyrax vs. Scorpion in the Subway from MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards forum thread in which this video was posted, click here.

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

Fresh on the heels of the earlier fight video he posted, Cinder of the Midway Boards has posted another fight video from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. This video, similar to the earlier one, shows a rather one-sided fight between Goro and Sub-Zero in Goro's Lair, complete with a level change. As with the earlier video, this video is in Windows Media format.

• Goro vs. Sub-Zero in Goro's Lair in MK: Armageddon

To see the original Midway Boards forum thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this new video!

After the posting of the tenth image on the official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon website, an eleventh placeholder image appeared in the page accessible via the eye of the dragon; if you hovered your mouse over this image, it said, "meteor..." The eleventh image was today revealed, to show a render of a previously-unseen arena called the Meteor Storm Arena. This arena, showing an arena high in the mountains, looks similar to a cross between the Sky Temple and Pit II stages.

In addition, a link to the Meteor Storm Arena stage music is now on the page, directly under the render link. This music combines synths, chorus, drums, and guitars into a driving battle theme. The posted music cuts off abruptly at around the minute and a half mark.

• Meteor Storm Arena Stage Music from MK: Armageddon

To see the official site page where the site's artwork and renders to date have been posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for the heads-up on this official site update!

Cinder, the ever-popular moderator/Midway employee over on the Midway Boards, has posted yet another bit of media from the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! This time, he's posted a nineteen second fight video, showing mortal enemies Kitana and Mileena fighting atop a previously-unseen arena called the "High Tower". While there are no indicators like health remaining, time remaining, or fighting style in the video, the fight is clearly from the in-game engine. The video is available in Windows Media format.

• Kitana and Mileena on the High Tower in MK: Armageddon

To see the original thread in which this video was posted, click here.

Our thanks to forum member for the heads-up about this new video!

The folks over at GameSpot have posted yet another of their Official Movies detailing a specific character from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. This time, the focus is on that young relative newcomer from Outworld, Li Mei! In the video, John Vogel and Ed Boon discuss her origins as a "sexy bombshell character" and an acrobatic type of kombatant, intercut with footage of her from MK: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat: Deception, and even Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, complete with fatalities from all three games. As with previous movies, the video shows an official card, with her current bio. From the card:

Fighting for the freedom of her enslaved people, Li Mei was trained by Shujinko in the art of kombat. Now she is a formidable warrior who battles for her people and for persecuted souls everywhere.

This video is not (yet?) available on GameSpot's main MK: Armageddon page; to reach it, click here and look on the right side of the page for the embedded video player.

Our thanks to forum/chat member for letting us know about this new video!

The official MK Armageddon site has now filled the final slot in the eye of the dragon menu. This last update on the 'hidden menu' comes in the form of a screenshot from what appears to be the start of a race in the mini-game, Motor Kombat.

Seen on the starting line are the previously viewed Sub-Zero, along with Scorpion, Baraka, Johnny Cage and Jax. Each cart is character specific, with Scorpion's featuring a stinger tail on the side, Baraka's adorned with blades, Cage's appearing to have a set of teeth and Jax's appearing as a military inspired vehicle. The race takes place in the Ice Temple stage previously seen in other screenshots.

To see the now complete hidden section on the MK: Armageddon website, click here.

Thanks to forum member for sending in this final Question Mark update!

EDIT: Midway have added an eleventh placeholder to the menu, hinting there will be perhaps more media released in the near future. The alternate text of this box reads simply, "meteor...". This is located in the center below the first two rows.