Alright, let's get down to it. Lately, the Xbox Live Arcade hasn't really been up to snuff when it comes to delivering quality games. For example, everyone was psyched when Street Fighter II was announced, and it turned out to be a pretty big letdown. Not too long after that, the godfather of first-person shooters came out, Doom. Though it was well received by old-school gamers, it really didn't hold up. Pac-man and Dig-Dug also hopped on board...seriously, we're supposed to be amped about getting a single game from the 1980's a week?
Out comes Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to save the day. Every fan of the series was ready for this, but with the recent past of XBLA releases, does this classic have what it takes to pull the Arcade out of the slump?
For those who have never had the opportunity to play the game, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is basically a remixed version of the original MK3. This "do-over" came complete with a few extra characters and modes of play, sharpened AI, and some moves were cleaned up to help cut back on the cheese and make combos more efficient. That was just a few of many additions UMK3 had to offer.
The operative word being had. What does UMK3 have to offer now?
This is tragic. As much as I love the 2-D Mortal Kombat, this version is terribly flawed and underdeveloped. Most of the scrutiny is directed towards the control in the single-player mode. Granted, all of the moves are there, but pulling them off with the Xbox 360's controller is a trial of patience. It's difficult to explain or understand, but the game will have you thinking you're in good shape for the first match or two, but as you progress, your controls seem to fizzle out.
One would think that the controller is somewhat ideal for UMK3 with its SNES-like button layout and the option of using the directional pad. This is not to be, as UMK3 suffers from unresponsiveness from BOTH the D-pad and the analog stick. Some characters respond better than others, especially those who have quarter-circle moves such as Sub-Zero and the lardball cop Stryker (who uses the guy...honestly?). However, those who have moves that require quick directional taps are out of luck, so pulling off simple moves like Scorpion's spear, Kung Lao's teleport, or Kabal's fireball are, for the most part, out of the question. Pulling off your preset button combinations isn't nearly as difficult and for the most part, they go smoothly, but the controls cause serious timing issues when comes to executing juggling combos.
It doesn't stop there. Naturally, if you can't pull off simple attack moves, do you think you're going to have even the slightest chance at pulling off a fatality? I'll put it to you like this: in my week of owning and playing the game, my death toll rests comfortably at three, and those fatalities didn't involve directionals. The butchered control mechanics have made me a "merciful" MK player, and that is inexcusable and unacceptable. Needless to say, when your moves are taken from you, so are any chances of financial success, and this is a horrific problem with the gameplay of UMK3. Maybe this will make a turn for the better once a reliable joystick controller or a much-needed patch is released, but until either happens, we're stuck.
And don't get started on the AI. Remember back when you were able to run through the first three fighters in the tournament, but end up getting demolished in the very next fight as if there was no transition in difficulty? Yeah, apparently that was the part of the UMK3 experience that Digital Eclipse decided to focus on keeping. The AI tends to get so ridiculous, it's almost as if the computer is reading your every move before you execute it, that is, IF you're able to pull them off. You may eventually end up moving on after taking a handful of stompings, but the vicious cycle begins again and continues all the way up to King Cheese himself, Shao Kahn.
On top of that, the difficulty cannot be adjusted, so it's fixed on arcade-frustrating. We all like a little competition, but this is unbelievable. Well, at least you're pumping tokens into a machine, but after spending 800 Microsoft points on the game, you might still feel a little robbed.
It's a shame UMK3 doesn't play as beautifully as it presents itself. Though the gameplay is abysmal, the look and feel is definitely Mortal Kombat. The graphics, colors, and animations are arcade-perfect. Almost everything from the original is included in the XBLA version, from the number of playable and unlockable kombatants to the use of Kombat Kodes to add extra sauce to the experience. The memorable sound has translated just as well as the visuals, offering crisp, clear quality and bringing back that MK feel we all remember.
Where the single-player game falters, the multiplayer game shines a little brighter. For some reason, the control issues aren't as outstanding in the Xbox Live game, so it's likely you can enjoy yourself without feeling a total need to throw your controller through the screen in a fit of rage. Being that you're playing over the net, you can occasionally come across your lag issues, but that is to be expected. As with most games in XBLA, you have your choice of competing in ranked or player matches to help filter the competition level. With that, leaderboards are available to see where you rank among others and twelve achievements to help crank up your gamerscore.
You have no idea how badly I wish this worked. For a game that offers so much promise and nostalgia for its huge fan base, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the Xbox Live Arcade turned out to be a travesty. If you do decide to blow the Microsoft points for UMK3, you can most likely get your kicks on the Xbox Live game, but until something is done about the responsiveness to the controls, you won't get near your money's worth. Overall, this game may look and sound like the Mortal Kombat we knew of, but with the unbearable lack of control in the single-player mode, this game falls short of enjoyable.
