Mortal Kombat SNES vs. Genesis

Welcome to 16-Bit Brawl, a sequence the place we pit two Sega Genesis and Tremendous NES video games towards each other to see which one comes out on high. This time, we’re taking a look at one of many defining moments within the 16-bit console wars, the house launch of Mortal Kombat. One system had the blood. One system had borderline comedic censorship. Neither one was arcade-perfect. However who had the higher recreation? Let’s discover out. 

The Tremendous NES struck a reasonably important blow of their battle towards the Sega Genesis with their unique launch of Avenue Fighter II. Launching within the US in July 1992, it will be one other yr earlier than the king of arcade combating video games landed on the Sega Genesis, which I’m positive will probably be a subject of dialog in a future installment of this very sequence. However we’re right here to speak about how Sega struck again. Mortal Kombat shortly grew to become an absolute arcade phenomenon because of its superb visuals, inventive characters, and naturally, excessive violence. Dwelling console ports had been inevitable, and in contrast to Avenue Fighter, these could be touchdown on the exact same day, MORTAL MONDAY! The stage was set for each of those video games to launch on equal footing, that’s till Nintendo determined to shoot themselves within the pants by censoring the ever-loving heck out of the sport. This brought on the Genesis model to outsell its SNES counterpart by a substantial margin, however was it, the truth is, the higher recreation? 

I keep in mind loving my SNES model of Mortal Kombat regardless of the dearth of blood, and completely hating the Genesis model once I performed it at a good friend’s home. However not having touched both model in years, I’ve determined to mud them each off and pit them towards each other aspect by aspect to find out, which model was really higher? Let’s get began! 

Sometimes, we’d evaluate each video games in a common sense, however that’s truthfully a bit foolish right here. They’re each Mortal Kombat. Similar fighters, similar strikes (roughly) similar primary recreation. So let’s get right down to brass tacks. 

Graphics (1 level)

This one actually is a transparent win for the Tremendous NES. Sure, the Genesis model has blood if you happen to enter the code, however in almost each different respect the SNES completely trounces the Genesis when it comes to visuals. The obvious stuff may be seen from screenshots alone. The colours on the Genesis model simply aren’t there. Every little thing lacks element, and there are some wacky coloration points like a bunch of pink bits on characters for no purpose. Fighters animate extraordinarily poorly, too. They’re lacking a ton of frames, and Sub-Zero even has the identical stance as Scorpion! Backgrounds took an enormous hit, with tons of lacking particulars and animations like Shang Tsung clapping after matches finish. Everybody’s too small as properly. 

That’s to not say the SNES recreation is ideal when it comes to visuals. The shortage of blood is a very massive hit with regards to the sport’s general character, and the phases have this bizarre lack of verticality with the bottom set method too excessive off the underside of the display, however apart from that, this recreation’s a very nice-looking port. It matches the arcade authentic extraordinarily properly, has nearly the entire animations, has a pleasant presentation, a lot of background motion, the entire shebang. If it weren’t for the censorship, this would really be a top-notch port. Even so, SNES nonetheless wins by a rustic mile. 

SNES – I

Genesis –  

Sound (1 level)

Now this can be a difficult class. First, let’s discuss music. The Tremendous NES recreation does a wonderful job of recreating the arcade recreation’s rating. It’s fairly muffled, however all in all it’s a really shut approximation. The Genesis recreation couldn’t actually emulate the arcade music, so it did its personal factor, and it’s truthfully fairly nice. They’re the identical tunes, however they’re redone in a method that basically performs to the Genesis’s strengths. They’ve obtained an excellent power to them, they usually’re tremendous crisp. So on one hand, we’ve got the SNES being way more devoted to the supply materials, and on the opposite you’ve gotten the Genesis in some instances bettering on it. 

I’d give the Genesis the slight edge right here, however we will’t discuss sound with out speaking about sound results, which is the place the SNES completely kicks the Genesis within the tooth. The Genesis recreation is lacking a ton of sound results, just like the grunts throughout battle, the gang response sounds, and a metric ton of voiceovers. It’s severely not even shut. There are massive parts of the Genesis recreation the place there are not any sound results in any respect. You may go for chunks of matches with hits not even making any sound, which truthfully damages the general game-feel significantly. However we’ll get to extra on that in a bit. 

The music might need a slight edge, however the results on the Tremendous NES are lightyears past. The factors, as soon as once more, go to Tremendous NES. 

SNES – II

Genesis – 

Content material (1 level)

Okay, right here I believe we’ve got a reasonably stable victory for the Genesis recreation, however I do assume there are a number of factors price exploring. Initially, each of those video games are censored. The Genesis recreation is the one one with a blood code, although, which then restores every little thing in all its ultra-violent glory. That’s the entire pink blood, and the arcade fatalities. Now, if we had been judging based mostly on the censored variations, the SNES recreation would win outright. It not less than tries to be considerably inventive in its non-gory fatalities, the place the Genesis recreation simply depends on giving characters an enormous ol’ uppercut. However when you enter that blood code, it’s an entire new ballgame.

Johnny Cage is meant to punch his opponent’s head off, however on SNES he sticks his foot in his chest. It’s bizarre. 

Kano is meant to tear your coronary heart out of your chest, however on SNES he umm… does that however it’s grey? Makes completely no sense. 

Liu Kang does a cute little cartwheel and punches you actually onerous. This is identical in each variations, and it’s dumb it doesn’t matter what. 

Scorpion and Sonya each burn their victims into skeletons, which is identical in each variations, however seems to be method higher on SNES because of the superior animations. 

Raiden and Sub-Zero are the place issues get a bit extra attention-grabbing. Raiden is meant to zap you till your head explodes, which seems to be nice on Genesis. However on SNES, he zaps you till you flip to mud and a cranium, which if I’m being sincere, I legitimately like higher. That mentioned, I can’t fault the Genesis for sticking with the supply materials. 

Sub-Zero is the clincher, although. That is THE iconic fatality from Mortal Kombat. He rips your head and spinal wire out. It’s there on Genesis, however changed by one thing else on SNES. He freezes you, then shatters your frozen physique. It’s a transfer that was formally included in Mortal Kombat II, and makes a ton of sense given the character’s talents. It additionally seems to be nice, and I like it. However irrespective of how cool it’s, it’s not the long-lasting head rip. 

The SNES recreation did an admirable job right here, however on the finish of the day, the blood is such an enormous a part of Mortal Kombat’s persona, and sweat simply doesn’t minimize it. Shattering a frozen physique guidelines, however it’s no substitute for the pure shock worth of ripping somebody’s spinal wire out. SNES will get an A for effort, however Genesis will get the purpose. 

SNES – II

Genesis – I 

Gameplay (2 factors)

Ah, the gameplay. That is what all of it comes right down to, and this can be a CLOSE one. When it comes to first impressions, the Genesis recreation appears to have the slight benefit because of the gameplay being a bit extra fast and responsive. Your characters react to inputs immediately, and every little thing strikes alongside nice, even whether it is at a barely sooner clip than the arcade authentic. It’s good, particularly in comparison with the SNES recreation’s extra sluggish actions. Every little thing’s obtained a little bit of a delay on it on SNES. It’s not unhealthy in any respect, and it’s completely playable, however there are particular occasions the place you’ll assume you pressed a button and the command will occur only a bit later than it ought to. 

In fact, you need to take into accounts the controller as properly, which the SNES wins fingers down. The Genesis’s 3-button controller works properly sufficient, however the SNES is all the time prepared with 6 buttons, which makes it the superior recreation. Sure, the Genesis 6-button exists, however at this level it wasn’t fairly the usual but, so it’s nonetheless a minor level towards it. 

That will make this one a tie, if it weren’t for the sound issue. My largest challenge with the Genesis model of MK is its lack of influence. Nothing hits on this recreation. Once you land an uppercut on Genesis, the display shakes and the man goes flying, however it nonetheless by some means seems like nothing. Within the SNES recreation, you hear this tremendous onerous THWAP, you hear the viewers react, you hear your opponent scream, and also you hear the large thud once they land. It’s like this for every little thing. The music adjustments whenever you carry out a Fatality, Raiden screams nonsense when he flies at you, fireballs crackle once they land, all of it has IMPACT. 

The Genesis recreation could have all of the blood and violence, however by some means the SNES recreation feels extra violent to play, which is bizarre, however even taking part in them each again to again now, it’s clear as day. 

That mentioned, blood is blood, and as nice as influence is, it doesn’t imply as a lot because it ought to with out the pink stuff. So yeah, this one’s a tie. 

SNES – IIII

Genesis – III

Look, I get it. Mortal Kombat isn’t Mortal Kombat with out the blood, which is what made this so shut, however on the finish of the day, these fatalities are actually all of the Genesis recreation has over its SNES counterpart. That’s an enormous deal, for positive, however it’s not sufficient to make it a greater recreation. The Genesis recreation is ugly, animates terribly, and feels low cost by comparability. The Genesis would appropriate numerous these points for the sequel, however that’s a narrative for an additional time. For now, we’re simply speaking Mortal Kombat 1, and whereas the Genesis recreation had the blood and subsequent gross sales numbers, the SNES recreation is a greater expertise throughout, if solely by a hair. 

The winner is Tremendous NES. 

And there you’ve gotten it. An unpopular opinion to make certain, however one which I stand by, particularly after having hung out taking part in them each again to again. The Genesis recreation had it the place it counted on the time, however exterior of the dearth of censorship, it actually doesn’t stand as much as the SNES recreation. As all the time, that is simply my opinion, and so long as you take pleasure in your video games, who the heck cares what I believe? Thanks for studying, and I’ll see you subsequent time!