With the 20th anniversary of Mortal Kombat looming large over this year of the dragon (2012), Gamespot have gathered a motley crew of cast originals to take a look back at the creation of the twenty year phenomenon!

From the infamous flirtations with Jean Claude Van Damme and related licensed properties, to the experiments with technology and ideas -- the basic story is all here, as told by the people who were there. The twenty minute featurette includes unique insights offered first-hand by some of the most enduring names in Kombat development mythos.

Co-creators and lead designers, John Tobias and Ed Boon, provide early context to the placement of the original MK within the fighting game timeline. The influence of games like Karate Champ and Street Fighter II is just part of the bigger conversation, reflecting the past and then-present of a game that sought to break new ground with digitized graphics, large scale sprites, and ideas that would appeal to arcade players and fans of likeminded pop culture.

Actors who appear in the game, Carlos Pesina (Raiden), Daniel Pesina (Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Sub-Zero) and Ho Sung Pak (Liu Kang, Shang Tsung), add their personal perspectives and anecdotes about the unusual experience of filming for the game, and the early process. John Vogel (Background Graphics), Dan Forden (Music & Sound) and later MK artist, Steve Beran, further paint the picture of the times, and cultural shift that began with the influence of Acclaim and the arcade to home market.

Share your history with Mortal Kombat in the MKOmmunity Year of the Dragon anniversary thread. After twenty years, Mortal Kombat Online is calling upon the entire fanbase to answer the ultimate question -- Who is the Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion? Find more retrospective topics in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!