'Mortal Kombat' for PS Vita Is Bloody Good Fun

After making quite a splash (bright red one) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 last year, “Mortal Kombat” has now fought its way to the PlayStation Vita, providing a great mobile fighting game (alongside the recently released “Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.” It packed plenty of battle options, most of them ending in bloodshed — by the gallons.

 

For those new to the series, “Mortal Kombat” places you in control of combatants who battle in a tournament, held by Shao Khan to determine the fate of the Earth. They’ll have to fight various opponents in order to win, including Khan himself. (Good luck with that.)

 

All of the features from the previous console version of "Kombat" are present here.  These include various modes such as fighting opponents online and off or learning all your powerful moves in the helpful tutorial mode. The graphics and sound have sustained every ounce of their quality, including some sensational-looking backgrounds, ranging from the classic Pit stage (with the moonlight in the distance and deadly spikes below) to an underworld factory where poor souls drown in toxic goo.

 

“Mortal Kombat” has more than 30 fighters to choose from, including classic favorites like the masked ninjas Scorpion and Sub-Zero, as well as the heroic Liu Kang, a noble warrior who bears a resemblance to Bruce Lee. Other faces join the cast as well, including the mighty God of War, Kratos and horror icon Freddy Krueger.

 

The Vita  version includes a new Challenge Tower, incorporating mini-challenges tied in with the touch screen. One standout is Test Your Slice, a Fruit Ninja  variation where, instead of slicing up produce, you’re chopping up compressed body parts. It may leave you a little queasy, but it’s certainly fun.

 

With addictive gameplay and tons of options to choose from, "Mortal Kombat" is a fine on-the-go brawler worth adding to your library.  Just make sure you don’t scream “Fatality!” too loudly on the subway or during those family road trips.

 

RATING: 3/4