Features:
- More than 20 characters
- Link cable support for two players
- Only for Game Boy Advance
So, keeping that in mind...I was really looking forward to what Virtucraft could do for the Mortal Kombat series on the Game Boy Advance. Honestly, my only concern was in controls, since the fighter relies on a six-button configuration in the arcade and console versions. The Game Boy Advance hardware has plenty of horsepower to drive two detailed digitized sprites against a scrolling background or two...and since the development team's only task was to convert an existing design to another system, my hopes were high that we could finally get a worthy handheld Mortal Kombat.
Crushed. I was absolutely crushed to see what this team did on the handheld. All the team had to do was follow the blueprint laid out for them in the home and arcade versions, building off of its foundation. Most of the graphics and sound were readily available for the conversion...all that's really needed was attention to detail in the gameplay department. And though the game looks acceptable for a Game Boy Advance game, and features 99% of the characters and backgrounds from the past versions, it plays terribly and doesn't feel like the game it's supposed to emulate.
Horrible AI programming is the biggest culprit here, as the default setting is near impossible to play. Right from the get-go, the computer controlled opponent can pull off multiple moves and combinations that wouldn't be humanly possible for anyone without a bionic implant in their thumb. Honestly, the very first battle in the game is amazingly, frustratingly difficult to win. The developer has done nothing to ween new gamers to the Mortal Kombat series on the Game Boy Advance, nor did they hide their ineptitude in recreating the Mortal Kombat experience for folks familiar with the franchise. Gamers can reduce the difficulty to make the game somewhat playable, but this just dumbs down the opponent to a level where all that's necessary to win is to run up to him, trap him against the wall, and wail on him with the A and B buttons.
What's worse is the timing necessary to pull off special moves. Sure, the developers had to condense the Mortal Kombat controls onto the more limiting four-button configuration, but the programmers obviously didn't put a lot of time into testing every special move for each character. For example, I simply cannot put Kitana's Fan Lift move to use in a battle because the programmers require three extremely quick taps away before hitting the punch button...the only way I've been successful in performing this move is by resting the system on a table and using my index finger on the D-pad. And who plays Game Boy like that?
As said, the game's graphics aren't terrible, but they do have a sort of dithered, compressed look throughout the fight. There's also some odd slowdown in places when the action seems to get a bit on the intense side. The GBA's special sprite capabilities aren't put to use here...don't expect to see any transparencies or scaling/rotation effects in this game. Heck, don't expect to see blood glops hit the floor, or characters explode when they're defeated in Endurance rounds. And though the game features several of the fatalities and friendships that the series is known for, they're so mistimed that it's really difficult to understand what just happened on that small screen.
The sound, on the other hand, is absolutely phenomenal, with crystal clear digitized samples and excellent music composition...which is why I wasn't surprised in the least to see Manfred Linzner, the guy responsible for the audio in games such as Tony Hawk 2 and Iridion 3D, credited for the sound for Mortal Kombat Advance. This guy knows the GBA's sound capabilities.
It's possibly a good thing that Midway only sent one copy of the game for review...we can't check the multiplayer support without a second cartridge. Though, in two player mode, you're not subjected to the horrid computer AI...playing against a human opponent would theoretically be a much better experience. However, the wonky super move controls and awkward character motions are enough to waive the two player experience all together.