It's been nearly a month since we've seen some fresh screens of this Fall's upcoming Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. Thanks to our sources within Midway Games, below are five brand new screenshots. See Kung Lao face off against an ugly tarkatan, Liu Kang receiving quite a headache, a raging battle from the Living Forest, an apparent boss battle, and Scorpion showing Kang the true meaning of the word "Toasty!" Thanks goes out again to Midway Games for the update!

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

GameSpot has posted a preview of Midway's upcoming action/adventure game, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! According to the article, the game will be released for the Playstation 2 and X-Box platforms in late 2005. The preview also gives some information about what to expect from the game. From the preview:

Few hard details have been revealed so far about Shaolin Monks' gameplay or setting--the game looks to be a brawler-style action game, and it's a pretty safe bet that we'll be seeing plenty of places and faces from previous MK fighting games in this new action adventure. Mortal Kombat fans will notice Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Mileena, and the recently returned Baraka in the new screenshots, not to mention backgrounds like the portal and the tower from Mortal Kombat II. Interestingly enough, some screens show several Baraka-like characters fighting at one time. Perhaps we'll finally get some more background on Baraka's often-discussed race of Outworld mutants as Shaolin Monks' storyline unfolds.

The game will have both single-player and cooperative modes, and though the number of simultaneous players hasn't been revealed, it's worth noting that the screenshots don't seem to contain more than two classic characters onscreen at any one time. Like the recently released Mortal Kombat: Deception, Shaolin Monks will contain many backgrounds with interactive features like spiked ceilings, acid pits, and living trees (we appreciate the many nods to MKII that are apparently being included in the game). And of course, no Mortal Kombat game would be complete without a host of gory new fatalities.

The article also contains eight screenshots of in-game action. To see the preview in its entirety, click here.

In addition, GameSpot has posted a news article acting as an announcement of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. Of particular note is a statement by Midway CEO David Zucker concerning the release schedule of future MK games. From the article:

The other big change to the Mortal Kombat series is its frequency. In a statement, Midway president David F. Zucker said a new game in the franchise would arrive each year. “Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is also our first step toward delivering something that Mortal Kombat fans have been calling for: a new game set in the Mortal Kombat universe every year," he said. "We are planning our Mortal Kombat release schedule with the expectation that we will deliver a new Mortal Kombat title annually.�

To read the news article in its entirety, click here. Keep checking back with us; as we learn more about Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, we'll be sure to report it.

Our thanks to forum member OmegaOne for the heads-up on this breaking news story!

Midway Games has sent us the cover art for the November0 issue of Game Informer Magazine, featuring the shocking world exclusive of the next game in the series: Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks! This issue of Game Informer will be released today, and contains the exciting new look at the next Mortal Kombat incarnation. We are honestly still in shock from this update coming in. At this time we can not confirm whether this is either the next round of the fighting genre format, like Mortal Kombat: Deception released this week, or0 if this is the second spin off from the traditional beat 'em up system, to a new Adventure format like Mortal Kombat: Mythologies. However, the rumor has it that this game is the latter and indeed not your ordinary fighting brawl.