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The Mortal Kombat series retains numerous undisclosed elements and the capacity to surprise, over three decades after its initial debut in coin-op establishments. This latest compilation spanning the series' initial period, which includes a quartet of arcade releases, multiple console adaptations, and spinoffs, transcends simply a faithfully reproduced series of classics along with lesser-known entries — it additionally serves as a rich documentary about the making of the legendary series.

As a dedicated Mortal Kombat fan who has carefully followed its creation and evolution, there was plenty new for me to understand and value about the series.

What Constitutes the Legacy Collection

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection similar to previous classic compilations from the development team Digital Eclipse, part historical documentation, section playable historical record. The collection includes simulated releases of the original arcade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, along with home system and portable adaptations of several of these titles. The anthology additionally contains the brand's experiments at spinoffs, like combat-focused releases Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — two of the franchise's most criticized releases.

The Legacy Kollection thus isn't a “best of” collection, but an examination of the series' formative period, when the creators at Midway and brand founders the creative duo behind the series were figuring out how to make a fighting game, digitized from footage of live performers, through experimentation. Watching the documentary — containing archival footage, new interviews, and reproductions of classic advertisements, illustrated stories, and including internal communications — it's astonishing to observe how the franchise evolved from humble beginnings to a global sensation. It's truly remarkable to watch a handful of pioneering developers, developing without clear direction or oversight, focus their cultural enthusiasms into establishing an enduring gaming brand.

Documentary Portion

The historical documentation of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection documents the ascent of Mortal Kombat and the developers' professional journeys at the now-defunct Midway. It then goes on to show how those same creators reckoned with how to consistently surpass their achievements, facing no small amount of stress to duplicate their triumphs. It represents an intriguing historical record made from VHS tapes and analog photographs and hand-drawn illustrations, which reveal the self-made character of the series' creation process and how word of mouth helped spread its rumors and secrets of MK in its golden era in coin-op establishments. Presented in manageable segments, it's highly engaging set of brief historical films that includes titles, illustrated stories, cinematic adaptations and even the silly live-action tour. The collection additionally features some unused moves and game character images among its previously unreleased material.

Playable Component

Interspersed along the five-part documentary's timeline are opportunities to engage with the actual titles. At certain intervals, users can directly access a Mortal Kombat title or a home system version to rediscover its combat system and graphics, simulated with remarkable precision on modern hardware.

I allocated the majority of my time playing the arcade classics, especially Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Several releases here stand the test of time, particularly during direct competitive sessions. However, facing the aforementioned game's AI-controlled opponents is a testament to how primitive and unjust the programming was in the franchise's pioneering releases. AI-managed characters obviously use unfair advantages or are conversely remarkably unintelligent. Without having a human opponent — online play is available in most titles in the collection, but too light on features — you'll miss the full enjoyment.

Display Features

The twenty-three accessible Mortal Kombat titles in the anthology, a blend of arcade, console, and handheld games, are precisely simulated, though I have noticed a couple minor issues — mostly input lag and the occasional bug, particularly in Mortal Kombat 4. And while the games are primarily displayed authentically, the creators has included some smart quality-of-life features and visual presentation options. For example, users can elect to show each character's special moves on-screen and select to activate infinite time to perform a Fatality. There are also options for revealing concealed combatants, removing the requirement to complete obscure techniques to access them.

Artistically, the releases can be experienced with numerous filters and visual treatments. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection includes remarkably accurate options that simulate the traditional television screens of gaming halls or home televisions, or the monochrome green display of a Nintendo handheld. An especially welcome feature is the choice to enable gaming hall-style borders encircling the display, with your selected Mortal Kombat title precisely and gently mirroring against the faux black plastic borders. It's remarkably visually appealing.

Extra Content

The collection includes numerous appreciated elements beyond the historical footage and recreated vintage titles, including a music player that lets you revisit the soundtracks of different combat titles excluding the sounds of combatants violently defeating each other. Also present are fighter biographies that feature histories and multiple story elements displayed via arcade games' attract mode screens and final sequences.

Archival Discovery

A particularly notable inclusion for committed franchise followers is the ability to access a segment of previously unavailable content in the form of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Wavenet Edition. This specific release, a somewhat revised iteration of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, was an initial venture by the company at head-to-head network battles in gaming halls. This network version of the game is virtually identical to UMK3, but provided the ability to compete against internet adversaries and featured various slight glitch repairs and refinements. Yet this online edition failed to achieve popularity, in part