Welcome to 16-Bit Brawl, a collection the place we pit two Sega Genesis and Tremendous NES video games in opposition to each other to see which one comes out on high. This time, we’re one of many defining moments within the 16-bit console wars, the house launch of Mortal Kombat. One system had the blood. One system had borderline comedic censorship. Neither one was arcade-perfect. However who had the higher recreation? Let’s discover out.
The Tremendous NES struck a reasonably important blow of their warfare in opposition to the Sega Genesis with their unique launch of Avenue Fighter II. Launching within the US in July 1992, it could be one other 12 months earlier than the king of arcade combating video games landed on the Sega Genesis, which I’m certain shall be a subject of dialog in a future installment of this very collection. However we’re right here to speak about how Sega struck again. Mortal Kombat shortly turned an absolute arcade phenomenon because of its wonderful visuals, inventive characters, and naturally, excessive violence. Residence console ports had been inevitable, and in contrast to Avenue Fighter, these can be touchdown on the exact same day, MORTAL MONDAY! The stage was set for each of those video games to launch on equal footing, that’s till Nintendo determined to shoot themselves within the pants by censoring the ever-loving heck out of the sport. This triggered the Genesis model to outsell its SNES counterpart by a substantial margin, however was it, in actual fact, the higher recreation?
I bear in mind loving my SNES model of Mortal Kombat regardless of the shortage of blood, and completely hating the Genesis model once I performed it at a pal’s home. However not having touched both model in years, I’ve determined to mud them each off and pit them in opposition to each other facet by facet to find out, which model was really higher? Let’s get began!
Usually, we’d evaluate each video games in a basic sense, however that’s truthfully a bit foolish right here. They’re each Mortal Kombat. Similar fighters, similar strikes (roughly) similar fundamental recreation. So let’s get right down to brass tacks.
Graphics (1 level)
This one actually is a transparent win for the Tremendous NES. Sure, the Genesis model has blood for those who enter the code, however in almost each different respect the SNES completely trounces the Genesis by way of visuals. The obvious stuff might be seen from screenshots alone. The colours on the Genesis model simply aren’t there. The whole lot lacks element, and there are some wacky shade points like a bunch of purple bits on characters for no purpose. Fighters animate extraordinarily poorly, too. They’re lacking a ton of frames, and Sub-Zero even has the identical stance as Scorpion! Backgrounds took a giant hit, with tons of lacking particulars and animations like Shang Tsung clapping after matches finish. Everybody’s too small as properly.
That’s to not say the SNES recreation is ideal by way of visuals. The dearth of blood is a very large hit with regards to the sport’s general character, and the levels have this bizarre lack of verticality with the bottom set approach too excessive off the underside of the display screen, however apart from that, this recreation’s a very nice-looking port. It matches the arcade authentic extraordinarily properly, has nearly all the animations, has a pleasant presentation, a number of background motion, the entire shebang. If it weren’t for the censorship, this would actually be a top-notch port. Even so, SNES nonetheless wins by a rustic mile.
SNES – I
Genesis –
Sound (1 level)
Now it is a sophisticated class. First, let’s discuss music. The Tremendous NES recreation does a superb job of recreating the arcade recreation’s rating. It’s fairly muffled, however all in all it’s a really shut approximation. The Genesis recreation couldn’t actually emulate the arcade music, so it did its personal factor, and it’s truthfully fairly nice. They’re the identical tunes, however they’re redone in a approach that basically performs to the Genesis’s strengths. They’ve received an excellent power to them, they usually’re tremendous crisp. So on one hand, we now have the SNES being much more devoted to the supply materials, and on the opposite you have got the Genesis in some circumstances enhancing on it.
I’d give the Genesis the slight edge right here, however we will’t discuss sound with out speaking about sound results, which is the place the SNES completely kicks the Genesis within the tooth. The Genesis recreation is lacking a ton of sound results, just like the grunts throughout battle, the group response sounds, and a metric ton of voiceovers. It’s severely not even shut. There are giant parts of the Genesis recreation the place there aren’t any sound results in any respect. You’ll be able to go for chunks of matches with hits not even making any sound, which truthfully damages the general game-feel significantly. However we’ll get to extra on that in a bit.
The music might need a slight edge, however the results on the Tremendous NES are lightyears past. The factors, as soon as once more, go to Tremendous NES.
SNES – II
Genesis –
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Content material (1 level)
Okay, right here I believe we now have a reasonably strong victory for the Genesis recreation, however I do assume there are a number of factors value exploring. Initially, each of those video games are censored. The Genesis recreation is the one one with a blood code, although, which then restores every part in all its ultra-violent glory. That’s all the purple blood, and the arcade fatalities. Now, if we had been judging based mostly on the censored variations, the SNES recreation would win outright. It a minimum of tries to be considerably inventive in its non-gory fatalities, the place the Genesis recreation simply depends on giving characters a giant ol’ uppercut. However when you enter that blood code, it’s an entire new ballgame.
Johnny Cage is meant to punch his opponent’s head off, however on SNES he sticks his foot in his chest. It’s bizarre.
Kano is meant to tear your coronary heart out of your chest, however on SNES he umm… does that but it surely’s grey? Makes completely no sense.
Liu Kang does a cute little cartwheel and punches you actually onerous. This is identical in each variations, and it’s dumb it doesn’t matter what.
Scorpion and Sonya each burn their victims into skeletons, which is identical in each variations, however appears to be like approach higher on SNES because of the superior animations.
Raiden and Sub-Zero are the place issues get a little bit extra attention-grabbing. Raiden is meant to zap you till your head explodes, which appears to be like nice on Genesis. However on SNES, he zaps you till you flip to mud and a cranium, which if I’m being trustworthy, I legitimately like higher. That stated, I can’t fault the Genesis for sticking with the supply materials.
Sub-Zero is the clincher, although. That is THE iconic fatality from Mortal Kombat. He rips your head and spinal twine out. It’s there on Genesis, however changed by one thing else on SNES. He freezes you, then shatters your frozen physique. It’s a transfer that was formally included in Mortal Kombat II, and makes a ton of sense given the character’s skills. It additionally appears to be like nice, and I like it. However regardless of how cool it’s, it’s not the long-lasting head rip.
The SNES recreation did an admirable job right here, however on the finish of the day, the blood is such an enormous a part of Mortal Kombat’s persona, and sweat simply doesn’t minimize it. Shattering a frozen physique guidelines, but it surely’s no substitute for the pure shock worth of ripping somebody’s spinal twine out. SNES will get an A for effort, however Genesis will get the purpose.
SNES – II
Genesis – I
Gameplay (2 factors)
Ah, the gameplay. That is what all of it comes right down to, and it is a CLOSE one. By way of first impressions, the Genesis recreation appears to have the slight benefit because of the gameplay being a little bit extra fast and responsive. Your characters react to inputs immediately, and every part strikes alongside nice, even whether it is at a barely quicker clip than the arcade authentic. It’s good, particularly in comparison with the SNES recreation’s extra sluggish actions. The whole lot’s received a little bit of a delay on it on SNES. It’s not dangerous in any respect, and it’s completely playable, however there are particular occasions the place you’ll assume you pressed a button and the command will occur only a bit later than it ought to.
After all, you must consider the controller as properly, which the SNES wins fingers down. The Genesis’s 3-button controller works properly sufficient, however the SNES is all the time prepared with 6 buttons, which makes it the superior recreation. Sure, the Genesis 6-button exists, however at this level it wasn’t fairly the usual but, so it’s nonetheless a minor level in opposition to it.
That might make this one a tie, if it weren’t for the sound issue. My greatest problem with the Genesis model of MK is its lack of influence. Nothing hits on this recreation. Whenever you land an uppercut on Genesis, the display screen shakes and the man goes flying, but it surely nonetheless someway appears like nothing. Within the SNES recreation, you hear this tremendous onerous THWAP, you hear the viewers react, you hear your opponent scream, and also you hear the massive thud after they land. It’s like this for every part. The music adjustments if you carry out a Fatality, Raiden screams nonsense when he flies at you, fireballs crackle after they land, all of it has IMPACT.
The Genesis recreation could have all of the blood and violence, however someway the SNES recreation feels extra violent to play, which is bizarre, however even taking part in them each again to again now, it’s clear as day.
That stated, blood is blood, and as nice as influence is, it doesn’t imply as a lot because it ought to with out the purple stuff. So yeah, this one’s a tie.
SNES – IIII
Genesis – III
Look, I get it. Mortal Kombat isn’t Mortal Kombat with out the blood, which is what made this so shut, however on the finish of the day, these fatalities are actually all of the Genesis recreation has over its SNES counterpart. That’s a giant deal, for certain, but it surely’s not sufficient to make it a greater recreation. The Genesis recreation is ugly, animates terribly, and feels low cost by comparability. The Genesis would appropriate plenty of these points for the sequel, however that’s a narrative for one more time. For now, we’re simply speaking Mortal Kombat 1, and whereas the Genesis recreation had the blood and subsequent gross sales numbers, the SNES recreation is a greater expertise throughout, if solely by a hair.
The winner is Tremendous NES.
And there you have got it. An unpopular opinion to make certain, however one which I stand by, particularly after having hung out taking part in them each again to again. The Genesis recreation had it the place it counted on the time, however outdoors of the shortage of censorship, it actually doesn’t stand as much as the SNES recreation. As all the time, that is simply my opinion, and so long as you get pleasure from your video games, who the heck cares what I believe? Thanks for studying, and I’ll see you subsequent time!
