Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

New hands on impressions and direct feed!

Once upon a time there was Mortal Kombat, and it was good. The arcade fighter, full of blood and powered by speed, made a name for itself as one of the leaders in the genre. But over the years it's also come to be known as a relatively shallow fighting series, especially compared the Soul Caliburs and Tekkens on the market. Midway Entertainment's latest incarnation of the franchise, however, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, arrives in shining good form, still full of blood and speed, but also injected with more moves, a comprehensive combo system and different fighting styles to boot.

We admit it -- we were skeptics, but having playing the game at length, we've been converted.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance kicks off with a three-minute intro FMV that details the game's considerable backstory. In it, old sorcerers Shang Tsung and Quan Chi team up with a plot to breathe life into a new army. They attack and kill at least one major fighter, a twist that took us by surprise. Readers can see the entirety of the FMV sequence by clicking right here. With that explained, it's time to fight.

Most of the Mortal Kombat elite are back in Deadly Alliance, many of the characters with enhancements and darker art styles. Scorpion looks meaner and tougher than ever. Sub-Zero has lost his mask. Kung Lao returns with long, flowing hair. Sonya and Johnny Cage are there. Then there are the new ones, including Bo' Rai Cho -- a drunken fist warrior of sorts, and the ultra-hip Mavado. According to the character select screen, there are 21 fighters in the game, half of which are available at start.

The fight system is both familiar and different to past MK offerings. It's still brutally fast. It's still set up with a mix of close and projectile fighting. The moves are easily executable. Many require a few simple taps on a directional pad and then the press of a button. What makes it more interesting this time around is that fighters can switch styles in-round and take on a new set of moves. Pressing the L button, for instance, brings out a character's weapon, be it a sword or a staff, which can then be interlaced with a combo that is already in place. It's very well done, in our experience.

From a graphic standpoint, Deadly Alliance also impresses. The game runs at a blazing 60 frames per second and never drops. The fluidity is one thing, but so are the character models, which are detailed and wonderfully animated. Bo' Rai Cho wobbles in a drunken stupor and players can even make the character vomit at opponents; his spewage will cause foes to slip on the ground and they will become momentarily vulnerable. Meanwhile, the particle effects, be it the red splattering of blood and the puddles of gore that build up on the level, to the projectiles that are thrown, seem to scatter everywhere into tiny bits -- an effect that looks fabulous. Finally, the lighting effects are some of the best we've seen in a fighting game, period. Shockingly polished.

Of course, we recommend that readers don't take our word for it. These brief impressions have only provided a taste of what the fighter has to offer. We suggest downloaded the six new direct-feed movies of the GameCube version in action for a better feel. Be prepared to be happily surprised.