PS2 - Mortal Kombat: Deception (Certificate 18) (From Warrington Guardian)

PS2 - Mortal Kombat: Deception (Certificate 18)

There's something nostalgic about Mortal Kombat. Maybe it's the typography of the title or perhaps it's just the incorrect spelling but just reading those two words takes me back to the innocent days of the Sega Megadrive.

Yes, they were innocent days until Mortal Kombat came along. While the Super Nintendo and it's slick Street Fighter may have ultimately won the war of the fighter genres Mortal Kombat brought something new to the table - namely blood, guts and a few spinal columns.

After months of reading Mortal Kombat reviews I remember how excited I was to finally get my hands on a cartridge and shove it into my console. Yes my son, we had cartridges in the olden days!

And then how the hours flew by. Bout after bout. Learning all the special moves and getting to grips with all the cool characters. Yes, if I close my eyes I can still hear that voice saying "Finish Him!"

At the time Mortal Kombat was unique. It was a serious fighter. It was atmospheric and, let's face it, pretty gruesome. It was a top seller and a quality title. There can be few Sega Megadrive owners who didn't have a copy or at the very least play the game.

Since then Mortal Kombat has had more sequels than the combined efforts of Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. And if the truth is known none have managed to make the same blood spattering impact as the first release.

To be fair it's a difficult market these days. The fighter genre is a crowded one and has been dominated for sometime now by the likes of the Tekken and Dead or Alive. Perhaps then, this is why, MK's latest incarnation is a little more than just a straight forward Beat 'em Up.

Mortal Kombat Deception sees the return of some classic characters and the debut of some new ones. Take your pick from Baraka, Mileena, Noob Saibot, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden and a whole lot more. Each one has their own special attributes and multiple fatality moves.

You can leap straight into arcade mode or get a bit more involved with the story-based Konquest Mode (there goes that spelling thing again!). And if you are looking for something a little different then there are Puzzle Kombat and Chess Kombat modes (I guess Khess doesn't quite work!). And to be fair they are all pretty good fun in their own way.

The real measure of a Beat 'em Up however, is whether it's one of the games you reach for when you come home with your mates after a night down the pub. And in this regard it's a winner. It's all very well taking on other characters alone but you really can't beat a two-player game.

And now you can have that two-player experience every time. If you happen to be broadband connected and are subscribed to the necessary sites then you can now play Mortal Kombat Deception online. And this really does breathe new life into the franchise. As we are all forever being told, online gaming is the next big thing and MK has made a wise move in familiarising itself with the new format early.

To be brutally honest, if you are not broadband connected and just want a good Mortal Kombat game then the earlier MK - Deadly Alliance is probably a better quality title. But if you have online facilities and are a MK or beat'em up fan then MK Deception gives you the chance to show the world what you're made of.

7/10

By Paul Currie