Publisher: Midway
Developer: Avalanche Software
Size: 1 CD
Memory Usage: None
No. of players: 2(simultaneously)
Got it for: $19.99, new.
Official Ad: Yes

After failing to take over the earth realm twice now, Shao Kahn has finally done it. Everyone on Earth is dead, except for a handful of warriors who have had their souls spared by Rayden. These few remaining warriors set out to stop Shao Kahn and his minions in order to return the earth realm to its original state. Though this desc. does not even remotely do justice to the overall MK story, you can read more during the game's intro screens, and even take a look at Gavok's Mortal Kombat Plot Canon Guide for a really well done overview of the entire MK saga.

What's it all about?
It's pretty much every piece of MK thus far. Almost every character returns, almost every fight location is back, and all of the evolving bits of gameplay are here. Essentially, it's UMK3 with a shitload of more characters, backgrounds and quite a few additions to every single character. New gameplay additions include an "Aggressor" meter that, when filled, allows you to deal out even more damage with every hit, new moves and combos for most of the MK3/UMK3 characters and even a new finishing move(Brutality!).
Graphics - Excellent. Though a few of the background details on certain levels have been left out, for the most part they are all a very good representation of what they looked like in the other MK games. The characters are amazingly well animated in their combos, special moves, hell even their regular 'ole just standing around poses. Though they're not quite a big as they were in the arcade versions, their new placing's in the backgrounds gives the illusion that they are....it's really only something hardcore nuts(like myself) may notice, but it's definitely nothing to bitch about.
Sound - Loud and crisp. You can even adjust the levels of the music and sound effects separately. The music is...well, the same thing from the various versions of MK(with some pieces missing, or being substituted for others in some stages), and the sound effects are dead-on. The screams, grunts, Scorpion's spear and other signature effects are just how you remember them from the arcade versions of MK.
Control - Amazingly solid. Though I'm not a huge fan of the PSX's pad, it does a great job of keeping the control tight, and allowing you to smoothly go through all the motions that are needed for the various moves and combos.
AI - Cheap as fucking hell. With MK, it's like it just progressively gets cheaper with every game...with it reaching its climax here at MKT. The AI is so unbelievably cheap at times, you'll not even get a single hit off. For this reason, I recommend you keep the difficulty relatively low most of the time...or play it with a buddy...
Replay value - Unbelievably high! There are 33 characters, plus 1 hidden character and then 4 "Classic" characters on top of that....then there's 4 "Destiny" ladders that can be played on 5 different difficulty levels...and that's *just* the single player game. When playing against a buddy, you can try out the new "2 on 2 Kombat" mode as well as the "8 Player Kombat" tournament, on top of the regular 1 one 1 Vs. mode...
Tips for better gaming experiences:
To access the "?" in the Options menu, hold down L1, L2, R1, R2 and Up until you hear and explosion and the screen shakes. This will open up a secret menu with various, further options.

To select "Classic"(MK1 and 2) versions of the following characters, simply highlight them and hit Select: Rayden, Kano, Jax or Kung Lao.

To select which of the various stages you start off on, highlight Sonya and hold Up and hit Start. Like the "?" menu, you'll hear and explosion and the screen will shake confirming you did it right.

To use Chameleon, choose one of the various male ninjas then before the match starts hold Back(in relation to which side you're on, 1st of 2nd player's), HP, HK, Run and Block. Your ninja will explode and become Chameleon.

Cool stuff on the disc:
Oddly enough, there's a file called "TRILOGY.EXE" on the disc. Upon running it via the DOS prompt, an error of "Program too big to fit in memory" comes up....weird stuff...
My rating: 96(out of 100) - An amazing display of just what the PSX can do with 2D: The animation is top notch, the characters are large and very well detailed, there's no load for the fatalities, nor even for when other characters jump in during 2 on 2 Kombat or the Endurance matches. The control is great, the sound is dead-on from the arcade versions of MK3/UMK3 and there's more than enough to keep you busy for quite some time. This game is just every MK fan's dream and it's come true.....right here on your PSX.
Kerri Hoskins says:
You know, I'm more than just a bad-ass body....I can fight too...in fact, I ought to whip your ass right now....but I won't. You know, in addition to being picked to play the new Sonya, I was also in NBA Jam as one of the cheerleaders, I was Helga in Revolution X, played one of the chicks in MKM: Sub-Zero and quite a few other things for the boys at Midway...

....and...oh yeah, I was also a model in Playboy's "Book of Lingerie"...
Screenshots were taken via Connectix Virtual Game Station for the Mac, they are then resized and sharpened to more accurately reflect the graphics. Note: VGS throws a filter over PSX graphics, much like the PS2's "PS1 mode". As this will make them look better than they normally would on a conventional setup, sharpening the pictures brings them back to a more realistic view of what they really look like. For an example and comparison, click here.

It's everyone...and the kitchen sink...
Rayden vs. Johnny....in HELL!
A tasty spin kick for Rain.
Get over here....um, Kintaro....
Interesting Tidbits:
The original MK team actually went out and found and new actor to play Johnny Cage. On top of that, they even did a bit work with the old Baraka and Rayden sprites from MK2, in order to give them running and combo animations, and even a "Vs" screen picture.