Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection Review, Gameplay Impressions, Games List, Top Features

Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection from developer Digital Eclipse is a highly anticipated anthology collection rounding up some of the top fighting games in the medium's history. 

Longtime Mortal Kombat fans might argue there are some duds in there, too, but the official list of offerings that span arcade formats and well beyond is staggering: 

• Mortal Kombat – 1992 (Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear)
• Mortal Kombat II – 1993 (Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, 32X)
• Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995 (Arcade, SNES, Genesis)
• Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995 (Arcade, WaveNet Arcade, SNES)
• Mortal Kombat Trilogy – 1996 (PlayStation)
• Mortal Kombat 4 – 1997 (Arcade)
• Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero – 1997 (PlayStation)
• Mortal Kombat Special Forces – 2000 (PlayStation)
• Mortal Kombat Advance – 2001 (Game Boy Advance)
• Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – 2002 (Game Boy Advance)
• Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition – 2003 (Game Boy Advance)

That WaveNet version of MK3 from 1997, long considered lost forever, is a limited arcade release that will drive longtime fans to this on its lonesome.

Equipped with some important modernized updates, Legacy Kollection has a chance to be one of the best video game anthologies released, ever. 

Graphics and Gameplay

If nothing else, it's wildly fun to sit back and experience how this iconic video game series developed over the years, both visually and as a pacesetter for the entire fighting game genre. 

Just tracing the pixelated 2D battlescapes into something much more grand as the series and medium matured is a ton of fun. Whether it's character models, information presented or even depth of backgrounds to stages, it's a blast to experience, sometimes even in one sitting. 

Some of the power rests in the hands of players, too. There's an option to up the visual fidelity of Mortal Kombat 4, for example, which presents a staggering de-pixelation of the on-screen happenings in an interesting way. 

Sound design is true to form, too, undoubtedly punching the nostalgia button for some older fans and simply showing off where much of the genre got its inspiration from over the years. 

Gameplay is classic Mortal Kombat, for lack of a better term. The usual attacks, blocking, HP bars and long, long list of possible combos before the iconic (and controversial, depending on the year) Fatalities remain true to form. 

Some games will simply be more fun than others on a per-player basis, given the age involved here. But the overall flow is how fans will remember: Most of these games are easy to pick up and play and have fun with, but hide a shocking skill ceiling just beneath the surface, provided players want to get competitive. 

The collection aims to be accessible, too, upgrading the user interface (UI) at some points with on-screen move lists and offering practice modes. There's also a Rewind feature that is exactly what it sounds like and aimed at helping along new players not necessarily familiar with MK's difficulty in spots. 

Other great modernizations include the availability to select stages and tweak details like timers before battles in versus mode.

Features and more 

Legacy Kollection doesn't just offer one version of some of these titles, either. There are arcade originals, plus home versions of titles that were released on all types of consoles, whether it was the Super NES, Game Boy and well beyond. 

In a refreshing decision, while there are stories to digest, this being a collection, there are awesome documentaries and backstory explorations that span generations offered up here. 

The documentary itself is interactive, with players able to hop along a timeline of the iconic series and experience fun little side pieces of content like footage and concept art.

It's a nice romp through history that treats the subject matter with the grace it deserves and an extended way for new players to catch up with the lore and happenings, rather than say, just scan Wikipedia entries or watch videos. 

Legacy Kollection's online component is where decades of smart online evolutions really show up. 

Those who want to get competitive will feel right at home, too. The collection offers up a nice suite of online options and features the must-have rollback netcode to keep things competitive without lag interference. 

It's worth wondering just how much legs the online scene will have across so many games. But this is now the de facto way to say, host tournaments in a very specific classic in the series. 

Beyond online details, there are unlockables to chase, of course, but the game does just open the floodgates and let all the secret characters out, should players want.

As expected, Legacy Kollection runs well, too, presenting the original games in their true forms in the process and offering up plenty of tweakable things in the options. 

Conclusion 

Legacy Kollection is an anthology done right. 

For fans of the series or those who like to experience years of gaming history at once, it's a no-brainer to scoop it up and see what it has to offer. 

Frankly, it's also just impressive to see online multiplayer and modern must-haves running smoothly on all of the games. That, while still being as faithfully reproduced as possible. 

If nothing else, Legacy Kollection is the ultimate reminder as to why Mortal Kombat was such a trailblazer in the fighting game space. The test of time withstood, Legacy Kollection sprinkles in nice modernizations to present it all in the best possible light.