After 20 years as a successful franchise, its the sequel to the eponymous Mortal Kombat that many still regard with fondest memories. For fans who live and bleed Mortal Kombat, however, the tournament-centric original can never be completely forgotten. Such is the dedication of a focused group of industrious fans, who've applied themselves to independently designing and developing a playable revamp of the original dubbed: Mortal Kombat HD.
Determined by consensus; the objective of Mortal Kombat HD was to create a slavishly complete, high definition remake of the 1992 arcade classic. Built from the ground up, using popular 2D freeware engine MUGEN as a playable base and 3D models -- the project would be made of all original resources, designed to imitate the original as exactly as possible. Therein would lie the problem, however, leading to an effective shutdown of any intention to release a working product, rendered by Warner Brothers late last week.
While the enthusiasm of fans may lead them to desire otherwise, Warner Brothers' position represents an open and shut case. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also a self-evident example of copyright and trademark infringement. Exceptions may exist at the prerogative of intellectual property owners who choose to overlook infringements, but they are always within their rights to shut down unlicensed fan projects.
On the surface, this would appear to be an effective end to the MKHD fan game as it was intended. To release any playable version to the public would be to court personal ruin. No fan will play it. Much less clear, however, is the exact motivation for Warner Brothers' intervention. While there is broad intellectual property protection and brand management to consider -- there is an extensive history behind MKHD.
We're not entirely sure what it is, or exactly who's responsible, but this manga-infused Quan Chi artwork (found and shared by Michael McWhertor) was too good to ignore!
Director of the upcoming Mortal Kombat digital series Kevin Tancharoen (@KTANCH on Twitter) has posted the first full photograph of Scorpion, portrayed by Ian Anthony Dale [full cast list].
As can be seen from the above photograph, the look of his costume is very similar to his look in the early games as well as the movies. This is to say it is strikingly different from what we saw in the Rebirth trailer [full story], in which we only saw him sporting a prison jumpsuit. This shot of Scorpion in a snowy forest could imply a meeting with rival Sub-Zero during the feature episode for the ninja spectre.
In 2011, Mortal Kombat will return in all it's gory glory, bringing with it the deadly finishing moves that were controversially scaled back for their 2008 crossover, Versus DC Universe.
In preparation for the elaborate bloodletting and general dismemberment, IGN has picked up the gauntlet to list their Unofficial Top Ten Best Fatalities! Featured in the list are favourites like Scorpion's Toasty Flame Breath, along with some more obscure fare you might not expect.
The official website for Mortal Kombat has had a countdown present for past couple of weeks, originally set to expire on October 10th. The countdown officially came to an end starting October 12th. As of this moment, there is not much in the way of new content. Wallpaper sized versions of previously seen artwork is now available however, they have been added below for your convenience.
The official Mortal Kombat website has been changed revealing a teaser of what's to come for the site.
By popular demand, the guys at Netherrealm Studios have released the first in a new series of MKasts! MKasts are their series of podcasts about upcoming Mortal Kombat games. This new season of MKasts is different in that it's done in video, with hosts Hector Sanchez and Hans Lo sitting in a "fireside" setting while footage from the new MK is shown.
For this week's Fatality Friday, the MKCommunityManager has revealed the top choices of the community for the favorite fatalities from Mortal Kombat 3. Sheeva and Sektor come out on top in a surprising tie between Sheeva's Skin Rip and Sektor's Compactor!
To see the video of the list in its entirety, click here.10. Tanya's Neck Breaker Fatality (MK4) 9. Kabal's Face Scare Fatality (MK3) 8. Sindel's Swan Dive Hara-Kiri (MK Deception) 7. Kenshi's Telekinetic Destroyer Fatality (MK Deadly Alliance) 6. Quan Chi's Neck Stretch Fatality (MK Deadly Alliance) 5. Raiden's Dual Electrocution Fatality (MK Deception) 4. Reptile's Chimpanzee Animality (Ultimate MK3) 3. Motaro's Head Pull Fatality (MK Trilogy) 2. Liu Kang's Cartwheel Uppercut Fatality (MK1) 1. MK vs. DC overall.
For this week's Fatality Friday, the MKCommunityManager has revealed the top choice of the community for favorite fatality from the legendary Mortal Kombat II. After being notably snubbed by GameTrailers, Kung Lao's vertical hat slice fatality took home the top prize! The classic fatality is slated to make a return in the upcoming game as part of one of Kung Lao's fatalities.
