Mortal Kombat is based on an ancient and respected Shaolin fighting tournament that was corrupted by an evil sorcerer named Shang Tsung. Five hundred years ago, Shang entered a warrior named Prince Goro into the tournament, which has been won by him for five hundred years. As the last tournament nears, Raiden enacts a plan to help the humans.
The game follows seven fighters as they step into the arena on Shang Tsung's island: Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Kano, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Raiden himself. The players must perform various punches, kicks, and special moves to defeat their opponents in one-on-one combat.
Mortal Kombat is a side-scrolling fighting game that allows players to choose from each fighter's unique abilities and moveset. When an opponent loses their second round, the winner can perform a finishing move called a "Fatality" on the loser, which graphically kills them in a bloody finale.
The original version of Mortal Kombat was released for the Super Famicom console on December 24th, 1993. It was later ported to other platforms and became a popular arcade title known for its use of digitized actors and graphic violence during gameplay.