Five hundred years ago, an ancient and respected Shaolin fighting tournament was corrupted by an evil sorcerer named Shang Tsung. He was accompanied by Prince Goro, a warrior from the Shokan race. Knowing that if ten tournaments in a row were won by the Outworld champion, the Earth Realm would be conquered, Shang entered Goro in the tournament and had him defeat the great Kung Lao. Goro has been reigning supreme as the undefeated fighting champion for five hundred years now. As the last tournament required draws near, Raiden, Thunder God and protector of the Earth Realm, enacts a plan to tip the scales in the humans' favor.
Mortal Kombat is a side-scrolling fighting game where one-on-one combat is set. Players can perform various punches, kicks, and special moves to defeat their opponent. When the opponent loses their second round, the winner can perform a finishing move called a "Fatality" on the loser. The Fatality is a unique move for each fighter that graphically kills the loser in a blood-soaked finale.
Mortal Kombat began its life as a 2-player arcade title. It's notable for using digitized actors to represent the fighters and copious amounts of blood during gameplay.
The game features seven fighters: Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Kano, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Raiden. Players can choose their favorite fighter and engage in intense battles on Shang Tsung's mysterious island.