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Cover art of Mortal Kombat
Platform
Game Boy
Genres
Action · Fighting
Player Perspective
Side view
Developers
Probe Software
Publishers
Acclaim · Playtronic
Release date
September 13, 1993

Summary

The Game Boy version of Mortal Kombat squeezes the arcade’s brutal tournament into a tiny cartridge, but the trade‑off is obvious. With only two buttons and a sluggish joystick, the signature five‑button combos feel clumsy, and the infamous Fatalities are largely stripped away—Johnny Cage, Reptile and the bloodier finishers never make the cut, though a hidden code lets you summon Goro as a surprise opponent. Even bits of Cage’s data linger in the code, a ghost of what might have been.

In Japan the handheld was released under the tongue‑twisting title Mortal Kombat: Legend of the Advent God Fist, while in the West it rode the wave of “Mortal Monday,” the simultaneous launch of all four home versions in September 1993. Acclaim boasted that the Game Boy edition alone moved a million cartridges, contributing to a combined three‑million shipment across all platforms.

Critics were split: GamePro slammed the unresponsive controls and near‑unreadable graphics as the worst of the lot, whereas Nintendo Power praised the effort, noting that despite slower animation the essence of the SNES and arcade experience survived the handheld’s limitations.

Storyline

Mortal Kombat for Game Boy takes place in Earthrealm, where a deadly tournament is staged on Shang Tsung’s island. Seven of the island’s locations serve as the game’s stages, and the story explains that Shang Tsung was banished to Earthrealm five centuries ago before seizing control of the tournament with the help of the four‑armed beast Goro. Goro has won nine consecutive tournaments, and a tenth victory would allow Emperor Shao Kahn of Outworld to conquer Earthrealm, prompting a new generation of warriors to challenge him.

Guided by the thunder god Raiden, Liu Kang defeats Goro and Shang Tsun, freeing the souls the sorcerer had imprisoned. After the final match, Scorpion finally confronts and kills Sub‑Zero to avenge his own murder, while Sonya Blade rescues her Special Forces squad but fails to capture Kano, who escapes the island by boat. Reptile flees to Outworld, and Raiden teleports the surviving Earthrealmers to safety as Shang Tsun’s island collapses into the sea.

Back on Hollywood’s streets, Johnny Cage uses the tournament’s fame to revive his acting career and launches a wildly popular Mortal Kombat film franchise. An outraged Shao Kahn refuses to accept the outcome, setting the stage for the sequel. Players learn character backgrounds during the attract mode, while most of the lore was originally detailed in a comic book, with additional details revealed after completing the game with each fighter.

Edited by Maya Carter

Game Screenshots

  • Screenshot 1 of Mortal Kombat
  • Screenshot 2 of Mortal Kombat
  • Screenshot 3 of Mortal Kombat
  • Screenshot 4 of Mortal Kombat

Game Artworks

  • Artwork 1 of Mortal Kombat