GameSpot has named their picks for the top games of 2004 in a feature called GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2004. Among their picks, GameSpot has chosen Midway's Mortal Kombat: Deception as the Best Fighting Game for 2004! From the article:
The game's online component is easy to jump right into, and with the additional Archon-like chess mode, you can drop the game's fighting engine into something a little bit deeper. The game's characters use a wide variety of fighting styles, and have special moves that need to be feared and respected, especially because many of them open you up to the game's combo system, which can be very damaging. But the game balances these combos out pretty nicely with an intuitive combo-breaker system that gives you three "get out of jail free cards" per match, letting you get out of a combo or juggle before things get too serious.

The quality of the characters is always a big part of a fighting game's appeal, and Mortal Kombat: Deception does a really great job here. From returning favorites like Raiden, Nightwolf, and Ermac, to newer inclusions like Kobra, Ashrah, and Kira, MK: Deception's roster is another one of its high points. Did we mention that Liu Kang is a crazy zombie with chains on his wrists and fireballs at the ready? Great character design is a large part of what makes Deception such a memorable fighting game.
We at Mortal Kombat Online would like to congratulate the Mortal Kombat design team for another well-deserved win. To read the entry in its entirety, click here.

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