Mortal Kombat II is a 1993 fighting game created and released by Midway for arcade machines. It was later made available on several home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super NES, and PlayStation. These versions were developed by Probe Software (which later became Probe Entertainment for some releases) and Sculptured Software, and published by Acclaim Entertainment.

Mortal Kombat II is the second major game in the Mortal Kombat series and follows the 1992 original. It improves gameplay and expands the story of the first game. It adds more finishing moves, such as Fatalities, Babality, and Friendship, and introduces new characters like Kitana, Mileena, Kung Lao, Noob Saibot (a hidden character), and Shao Kahn, a villain who appears in many games. The story continues from the first game, showing the next Mortal Kombat tournament in the fictional realm of Outworld, where characters from Outworld and Earthrealm fight to challenge Shao Kahn.

Mortal Kombat II was very successful and received high praise from critics and players. It won many awards and influenced the creation of similar games. However, it also caused controversy because of its depiction of violent content. Over time, the game has been recognized as one of the best in the series and among the greatest video games ever made. It was followed in 1995 by Mortal Kombat 3 and in 2005 by Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, a spin-off set during the events of Mortal Kombat II.

Gameplay

The gameplay system of Mortal Kombat II is an improved version of the original Mortal Kombat. Changes include the addition of a crouching punch, clearer differences between low and high kicks (whether the player is crouching or standing), more powerful roundhouse kicks that can knock opponents across the screen (like the game's uppercut), and easier combo moves because attacks take less time to recover. Returning characters also received new special moves, some of which can be used while jumping. The game plays at almost twice the speed of the original.

Matches are divided into rounds, and the first player to win two rounds by completely using up their opponent's health bar wins the match. At this point, the losing character becomes dazed, and the winner can perform a finishing move. Mortal Kombat II does not include the "Test Your Might" bonus games or point system from the first game. Instead, it uses a system that counts how many times a player wins in a row, shown with icons.

Mortal Kombat II introduced multiple Fatalities (special moves that let the winning character defeat their opponent at the end of a match) and added non-lethal finishing moves to the game. These include Babalities (turning the opponent into a crying baby), Friendships (non-harmful actions, such as dancing or giving a gift to the defeated opponent), and stage-specific Fatalities (such as uppercutting the opponent into an abyss, spikes in the ceiling, or a pool of acid in the background). Finishing moves cannot be used by or against boss or secret characters.

Plot

After failing to defeat Liu Kang in the previous Mortal Kombat tournament, Shang Tsung, a villain, pleads with his master, Shao Kahn, who is the ruler of Outworld and nearby kingdoms, to save his life. Shang Tsung explains that if the next Mortal Kombat Tournament is held in Outworld, Earthrealm warriors will have to travel to Outworld to compete. Shao Kahn agrees and gives Shang Tsung his youth and fighting skills back. He then invites Raiden, the thunder god and protector of Earthrealm, who gathers his warriors and leads them to Outworld. The new tournament is more dangerous because Shao Kahn has the advantage of fighting on his own land.

According to the official story of the Mortal Kombat series, Liu Kang won this tournament as well, defeating Shao Kahn and his bodyguard, Kintaro. The game’s story mode can also be completed using other playable characters, leading to different endings for each character. This game also confirms that the original Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, was killed by Scorpion in the first game, and Bi-Han’s younger brother, Kuai Liang, took over the identity of the new Sub-Zero.

Characters

The game includes 12 playable characters.

• Baraka (played by Richard Divizio): A mutant leader from the Nomad race in Outworld. He attacks the Shaolin Monastery on orders from Shao Kahn.
• Jax (played by John Parrish): A U.S. Special Forces officer who enters the tournament to rescue his partner, Sonya Blade, from Outworld.
• Kitana (played by Katalin Zamiar): A female ninja who works as an assassin for Shao Kahn. She is suspected of secretly helping Earthrealm warriors.
• Kung Lao (played by Anthony Marquez): A Shaolin monk and friend of Liu Kang. He is a descendant of the Great Kung Lao, who was defeated 500 years ago. Kung Lao wants to avenge his ancestor and the destruction of the Shaolin temple.
• Mileena (played by Katalin Zamiar): Kitana’s twin sister and an assassin for Shao Kahn. She is assigned to ensure her sister’s loyalty but has her own plans.

• Johnny Cage (played by Daniel Pesina): A Hollywood actor who joins Liu Kang in his journey to Outworld.
• Liu Kang (played by Ho Sung Pak): A Shaolin monk and reigning champion of Mortal Kombat. He goes to Outworld to seek revenge for the deaths of his Shaolin monastery brothers.
• Raiden (played by Carlos Pesina): A thunder god who returns to Mortal Kombat to stop Shao Kahn’s plan to take over Earthrealm. His name is spelled "Rayden" in some versions of the game.
• Reptile (played by Daniel Pesina): Shang Tsung’s personal bodyguard.
• Scorpion (played by Daniel Pesina): A ghost-like warrior who returns to the tournament to assassinate Sub-Zero again.
• Shang Tsung (played by Philip Ahn, M.D.): An evil sorcerer who tricked Shao Kahn into saving his life after losing a previous tournament. He is playable in the game but also appears as a sub-boss before Kintaro in single-player mode. He can change into any playable character and copy their moves in some versions.
• Sub-Zero (played by Daniel Pesina): A male ninja who can freeze things. He was thought to be killed in the first tournament but returns to Outworld to assassinate Shang Tsung again.

• Kintaro (stop motion): Shao Kahn’s bodyguard. He was sent to avenge Goro’s defeat. He is the game’s second-to-last boss.
• Shao Kahn (played by Brian Glynn, voiced by Steve Ritchie): The evil emperor of Outworld. He wants to conquer Earthrealm and is the tournament host and final boss.

The game also includes three hidden opponents for unlockable fights:
• Jade (played by Katalin Zamiar): A female ninja in green who cannot be harmed by projectiles.
• Noob Saibot (played by Daniel Pesina): A dark ninja who was a "lost warrior" from the first Mortal Kombat game.
• Smoke (played by Daniel Pesina): A male ninja in gray who can create smoke from his body.

Sonya and Kano are the only playable characters from the first Mortal Kombat game who are not fighters in this version. They appear only in the background of the Kahn’s Arena stage, chained and on display as prisoners. This was due to the limited memory of arcade machines at the time. Midway employees found that Kano and Sonya were rarely chosen in arcade cabinets, so they were moved to the background to make space for new characters.

Development

After completing Mortal Kombat I, Acclaim Entertainment created the home version, which sold about six million copies. At the time, the team was discussing a Star Wars game, but the general manager said, "You can't make a Star Wars game. You must make another Mortal Kombat game." The idea of making follow-up games had not occurred to the team before. Looking back, it now seems strange that they did not consider sequels earlier.

The story ideas for Mortal Kombat II came from the same sources as the first game. One influence was the first two Star Wars movies, where the audience learned about the emperor ruling the galaxy but knew little else about him. This created curiosity about the Star Wars universe. The developers felt a similar curiosity about characters like Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, inspired by their own childhood experiences with Star Wars. They wanted Mortal Kombat fans to feel the same sense of discovery.

According to lead programmer Ed Boon, Mortal Kombat II was designed to look different from the original game. He said, "We wanted to include everything we had planned for Mortal Kombat but didn’t have time for." In 2012, Boon called creating the game one of his best memories, recalling the excitement around the home version of Mortal Kombat I. The team worked quickly to expand the game, increasing the number of characters from seven to 12, adding two Fatalities per character, and including other new features. The theme and art style of Mortal Kombat II were slightly darker than the first game, though it used more vibrant colors and had richer color depth. A new feature was the use of multiple layers of parallax scrolling in the arcade version. The game also included humorous alternative finishing moves, though some Fatalities were rejected because they were too extreme.

During development, the team focused on making the game feel smooth and responsive. Boon added elements like gravity to the game’s design. Lead designer John Tobias noted that the first game’s reliance on juggling opponents in the air was accidental and was improved in Mortal Kombat II. The team avoided removing this feature entirely to make the game stand out from competitors like Street Fighter and allow players to create their own attack combinations. A double jump ability was tested but later removed. A bonus stage featuring ninjas was planned but not included. All music was composed, performed, recorded, and mixed by Dan Forden using the Williams DCS sound system.

Acclaim Entertainment published the home versions of the game, just as they did for Mortal Kombat I. In 1994, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Acclaim spent $50 million on developing, manufacturing, and marketing the game.

To create character animations, actors performed moves in front of a gray background, which was recorded with a high-quality camera. The footage was processed into a computer, and the background was removed from selected frames to create sprites. Later, the team used a blue screen technique for a simpler process. Actors were lightly sprayed with water to create a sweaty look, and post-editing improved the visibility of muscles and flesh tones. Animations of Shang Tsung transforming into other characters were created by John Vogel using a computer, while hand-drawn animations were used for parts like Fatalities. For characters like Goro and Kintaro, clay sculptures were made and turned into miniatures for stop-motion filming. Due to technical limits, actors could not wear complex costumes or perform acrobatic moves like backflips.

Several characters, including Jade, Kitana, Mileena, Noob Saibot, Reptile, Scorpion, Smoke, and Sub-Zero, were created using the palette swap technique, which reused two base models with different colors. The game was noted for having more female characters than most fighting games at the time. Due to memory limits and the desire to add new characters, two fighters from the original game, Sonya Blade and Kano, were excluded and replaced by Mileena and Reptile. Two new female characters, Kitana and Mileena, were added to compete with Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, which featured Chun-Li. Another planned female character based on real-life kickboxer Kathy Long was cut due to time constraints. A male bonus character, played by Kyu Hwang, was also removed.

Release

The first version of Mortal Kombat II, called revision 1.4, was an early test version. It had few Fatalities, many software problems, and no character endings. Three later versions were needed to fix the moves, correct the bugs, and add new content. The final version, revision 3.1, was released in January 1994.

Along with the arcade game, an official comic book was released through mail order. The comic book was written and illustrated by Tobias and explained the game’s story in more detail. Acclaim Entertainment said it began a $10 million worldwide marketing campaign for the home versions of the game. Part of this money was used to create a live-action TV commercial featuring actors who played characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Kitana, Baraka, and Shao Kahn. The campaign’s tagline was “Nothing… Nothing can prepare you.” In 2008, Eurogamer called Mortal Kombat II “a marketing triumph.”

Malibu Comics published comic books about characters from Mortal Kombat II and the original game. An album of music from Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat, composed by Dan Forden, was only available through a limited CD offer in the arcade game’s attract mode. Other merchandise included a fanzine called Mortal Kombat II Kollector's Magazine, collectible stickers from Panini Group, two action figure series (one released in Argentina in 1995 and another in the U.S. in 1999), and a collectible card game called Mortal Kombat Kard Game, which was called “Mortal Kombat II trading cards.”

Since 1994, many official and emulated versions of Mortal Kombat II have been released for different home systems, including 8-bit (Game Boy, Game Gear, and Master System), 16-bit (Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive), and 32-bit (32X, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn) consoles, as well as Amiga and MS-DOS computers and the PlayStation Network (PSN). The Game Boy, Game Gear, SNES, and Genesis versions were released together on September 9, 1994, a date called “Mortal Friday.” The PlayStation version was released only in Japan and had a different title: Mortal Kombat II: Kyuukyoku Shinken.

The Genesis/Mega Drive version, developed by Probe Software, included all blood and Fatalities without needing a special code, unlike the original Mortal Kombat for the system. It had exclusive Easter eggs, different victory animations, and support for the Sega Activator motion controller. The SNES version, developed by Sculptured Software, included blood and Fatalities after Nintendo allowed them due to poor sales of the censored SNES version of the first game. This version had no formal rating but included a warning label on the box. The Japanese version was censored, with green blood and black-and-white Fatalities. John Tobias preferred the SNES version, calling it one of the best arcade-to-home conversions.

The Game Boy version, also developed by Probe Software, played similarly to the original Game Boy version but had smoother character movement. It included only eight of the 12 playable fighters, removed some characters, and had three arenas. Blood was removed, and each character had only one Fatality and a Babality. The Game Gear and Master System versions, also by Probe Software, were in color and had similar content to the Game Boy version but with some differences, like the addition of Kintaro. Blood was present but reduced in quantity. Some Fatalities were altered due to limited graphical resources. The 32X version, developed by Probe Software, was nearly identical to the SNES version, including full voice-overs and detailed graphics.

The game was also included in several compilations, such as Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox; Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox (as a hidden Easter egg); Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play for the PlayStation Portable; and Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A Nintendo DS compilation was canceled. Arcade1Up released a home arcade cabinet that included Mortal Kombat II, the original Mortal Kombat, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

Reception

Mortal Kombat II became very successful commercially and was a major cultural event. WMS Industries, which owned Midway at the time, reported that its sales in the quarter ending December 31, 1993, increased from $86 million to $101 million. Much of this increase was due to the sale of the arcade version of Mortal Kombat II. The game became America’s highest-selling arcade game in 1994, according to the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA). By 1996, about 25,000 arcade machines of the game were sold. At that time, selling 5,000 units was considered a strong performance. Midway even made special T-shirts to celebrate when 300 machines were produced in one day. Each arcade cabinet cost between $3,000 and $4,000. The arcade version sold 27,000 units and earned $600 million by 2002. Mortal Kombat II was named the best arcade game of the year, replacing the original Mortal Kombat.

On September 9, 1994, the release of the Genesis, Game Gear, SNES, and Game Boy versions of the game was called "Mortal Friday." This day is celebrated annually by fans on the second Friday of September. Over 2.5 million copies were shipped to stores, which was the best opening week sales record for a video game at the time. Acclaim Entertainment analysts predicted that at least 2.5 million copies would be sold within the first few weeks of release (at an average price of $60) and that total sales would reach $150 million by the end of the year.

In the first week of its console release, the game earned $50 million in sales, which Acclaim Entertainment called "the largest introduction of a video game in history." Distributing over 2.5 million copies to about 15,000 stores required 65 trucks and 11 jumbo jets. The game’s first-week sales in the United States surpassed the opening box office results of popular movies like Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Mask, and The Lion King. Approximately 2.5 million units were shipped to stores within a month. Mortal Kombat II was the world’s best-selling video game until Donkey Kong Country was released in November 1994. In the United States, it was the top-selling game for the Genesis, SNES, and Game Gear in September 1994 and remained the top-selling Game Gear title the following month. The Genesis version sold 1.78 million copies in the United States, and the SNES version sold 1.51 million copies in the same region. In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling game in September 1994 for the Mega Drive, SNES, Master System, Game Gear, and Game Boy. It stayed the top-selling game for the Master System, Game Gear, and Game Boy in October and for the Game Gear in November.

By 2002, the home versions of Mortal Kombat II had earned more than $400 million in sales. The PlayStation Network (PSN) version, released in 2007, remained in the top ten monthly sales chart on PSN until February 2010.

Reviewers gave Mortal Kombat II very positive feedback. Sega Visions called the sequel’s direction "sheer brilliance," and Nintendo Power called it "the hottest fighter ever." A reviewer from The Daily Gazette said the game’s hype was "well deserved" and described it as "a perfect blend of great graphics, action, and violence." A reviewer from Computer + Video Games (C+VG) said that the sequel returned "in a version that bites off the head of the original."

The Genesis version received praise from C+VG, with one reviewer saying that the conversion was "incredible" and that "everything is here." A reviewer from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) called the Genesis version "a great translation considering its limitations," noting that its graphics and sounds were not as good as the SNES version. A reviewer from The Detroit News was "very disappointed" with the Genesis version and recommended the SNES version instead.

EGM reviewers called the SNES version a "near-perfect" translation of the arcade game. A reviewer from The Baltimore Sun said the SNES version was "the best game I've ever played" and called it a "true translation." C+VG declared it "the most perfect coin-op conversion ever," and Next Generation said that Acclaim had created "possibly the best arcade conversion ever."

Reviewers had mixed opinions about the handheld versions. C+VG said the Game Boy version was essential for Game Boy owners, while the Game Gear version was called "the best handheld beat-'em up" on the market, even though it lacked some content from the original. EGM reviewers praised the Game Gear version’s graphics and controls but were less enthusiastic about the Game Boy version. They said it was better than most fighting games for the system but noted that two of their reviewers thought it was not worth buying because it was available on more powerful platforms.

The Amiga version was mostly praised, with one reviewer calling it essential for Amiga owners and saying it helped revive the Amiga market. A rare negative review from Amiga Power said the game was "nonsensical" and recommended buying Shadow Fighter instead. The PC version was also well-received, with Next Generation calling it the best fighting game available.

The 32X version was praised by IGN as the best home version of Mortal Kombat II if a player did not own a SNES. However, GamePro said the 32X version did not improve much over the Genesis version and had technical issues. Next Generation said the 32X version was "a serious case of 'been there, done that!'" A Brazilian magazine gave the 32X version the highest score in all categories.

The Saturn version had identical graphics to the arcade version but lacked some sound effects and had "unbearable" slowdown during special moves. EGM called it the best home version of the game but noted

Legacy

On December 26, 2022, the game's source code, which included content that was not used in the final version, was uploaded to an online platform called GitHub. On January 6, 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery sent a legal notice to GitHub to remove the code. As a result, the public could no longer access the repository. The person who shared the code then created a new repository named "not-mk2," which included the "Controversies" section from the Wikipedia article about NetherRealm Studios.

Many games have had stories about hidden or secret features, but these rumors were especially common among fans of Mortal Kombat II. According to GameSpy, the gaming community was very excited about many secrets, some real and some false. The game's creators did not address these rumors, which included claims about secret moves, such as "Nudality" or "Sexuality" finishing moves for characters Kitana and Mileena, Shang Tsung's ability to change into Kano and Goro, a chance to fight Sonya after defeating Jade in a specific way, and a secret character named "Hornbuckle."

Some of these rumors were later added to later Mortal Kombat games. For example, "Animalities" (used in Mortal Kombat 3 and its updates) and a move where an opponent is thrown into the mouth of a tree in the Living Forest stage (first used in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks) were based on these rumors. Other rumored characters included a red female ninja named "Scarlet," who was officially introduced as Skarlet in Mortal Kombat (2011), and Ermac, a male ninja who was inspired by a mistake in the original game's menu and later became playable in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. A nameless, flaming version of Liu Kang, called "Torch" by fans, was officially introduced as Blaze in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and later became the final boss in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

The 1995 movie Mortal Kombat was mainly based on the first game but included elements from Mortal Kombat II, such as characters Kitana and Shao Kahn and the setting of Outworld.

The plot and characters of the game were the basis for the 2005 spin-off game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, a beat 'em up game where Liu Kang and Kung Lao fight through Outworld to defeat Shao Kahn. Some parts of Shaolin Monks, such as the death of Jade, do not match the main Mortal Kombat series.

The events of Mortal Kombat II, along with the first Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat 3 (including its expansions), were retold in the 2011 game Mortal Kombat, which was a new beginning for the series. In this game, Raiden travels through time to change the future after the events of Armageddon. The ladder/arcade mode of this game follows the same boss order as Mortal Kombat II (with Shang Tsung, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn as the final three opponents, though Goro often appears as the ninth opponent instead of Kintaro). The controls and Fatality system in the 2011 game are most similar to Mortal Kombat II. Classic costumes from Mortal Kombat II were also brought back as alternate outfits for female ninja characters, with some costumes exclusive to the PlayStation Vita version.

Mortal Kombat II was originally planned to be one of three games remade in HD as part of the canceled Mortal Kombat HD Arcade Kollection. Instead, a simpler compilation game titled Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection was released.