Gamespot has now released its final review for the recent release of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. They give the a game a pretty solid rating of 7.5. Though it does criticize certain aspects of the game, it is safe to say that MK: Shaolin Monks will never be compared against the lackluster attempt that was Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. From their complete review:
When it comes down to it, if you're a Mortal Kombat fan, you'll like Shaolin Monks. If you aren't, you won't. The core action of the game will be enjoyable to any beat-'em-up fan, but what makes Shaolin Monks specifically appealing isn't its brawling. Instead, it's the game's unrelenting desire to cater to classic Kombat fans. Average players aren't likely to want to seek out all the crazy, hidden missions you have to accomplish to unlock the included arcade port of Mortal Kombat II, for instance, but fans are likely to squeal with delight at the thought of being able to unlock their favorite arcade fighter. And that's pretty much how it is with the entirety of the game. It's fan service, pure and simple, and as such, the vast bulk of the content is only going to be appealing to those with a penchant for fatalities and toasty guy. So if you played and loved the classic Mortal Kombat fighters, Shaolin Monks is a game well worth checking out. For anybody else, Shaolin Monks might make for a solid rental; but ultimately, this one's probably best left to the fans.

Thanks goes out to Mortal Kombat Online user DECEPTION for the news lead.

Also, we'd like to bring to your attention that our most recent Developer Diary with MK: Shaolin Monks producer Shaun Himmerick made some waves over at GameSpot concerning Shaun's mentioning of the possibility of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks coming to the Sony PSP. From their rumor control:

Although there's already one Mortal Kombat game confirmed for the PSP--Mortal Kombat: Deception Unchained, due next February--word began to percolate last week that a handheld version of Shaolin Monks is in the works. The rumor trail led back to a post on Mortalkombatonline.com, an independent MK fan site with strong ties to Midway Games. These ties are so strong, apparently, that one of Shaolin Monks' producers, Shaun Himmerick, has been using the forums for his own developer diary. In the sixth entry, he mentions that "we are doing analysis of possibly doing MKSM for PSP.... And I say an ANALYSIS, not a commitment to do it." (Emphasis in the original.) But despite Himmerick's caveat, word began to spread that MKSM for the PSP was a done deal, prompting a quick and emphatic response from a Midway spokesperson. "That's a rumor at best," said the rep. "I can confirm that Deception is in the works on PSP and should ship by the end of this year. Shaolin PSP is nonexistent right now but could definitely kick off in development soon after the platforms ship."

Honestly, we first heard of this rumor when we read the developer diary itself. Stay tuned for our Fight Night chat with the Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Development Team on Monday October 3rd, and maybe then we'll get some answers.