Mortal Kombat 2 solidified the franchise’s legacy as a successful and one that could hold its own against the likes of Street Fighter. When it hit arcades in 1993, the game became a smash hit, with the controversy surrounding its violent gameplay, making it even more sought after.
This title seemed to improve upon the last with new gameplay features, characters, and brutal death animations. It became a quintessential fighting game, and it catapulted the series to new heights. So, do you know everything there is to know about this legendary game? Check out ten mind-blowing facts about Mortal Kombat 2. It may even cause you to pick this one back up and give it a go.
10 It Beat Out Iconic Movies In Revenue
When Mortal Kombat 2 was released in 1993, it became one of the most successful games at the time. In its first week of release, it made $50 million.
This game made more money than Forest Gump, The Lion King, and The Mask in their first weeks of release. Games have been winning the battle against film companies for a while, and it looks as if Mortal Kombat 2 kicked off the trend.
9 Rumors Of Secrets Ran Rampant
Today, YouTubers make bank over theory videos and indulging gaming rumors. Well, these individuals would have had a field day back in the early 1990s. Mortal Kombat 2 came with its fair share of rumored content.
From additional secret characters to player transformations, there were many whisperings of hidden content. The rumblings became so popular that the developers ended up putting many of these secrets into later installments.
8 Almost A Half Billion Grossed
Again, this game was a colossal success when it was released in 1993. It accomplished the rare feat of being seen as on par with—or even better than— the original game. However, the success didn’t end in the 90s.
By 2002, the game went on to gross $400 million. When it was re-released in 2007 on the Playstation Network, it regularly showed up on the console’s top 10 monthly highest sales lists.
7 Friendship And Babality Were Introduced
Mortal Kombat 2 wasn’t all about blood and violence. It was darker than the original game, but it also knew how not to take itself too seriously. This game saw the introduction of the Babality and Friendship features.
The former allows you to turn your enemy into an infant, while the latter lets you do something nice for your opponent instead of eliminating them. This addition was definitely a massive departure from the norm.
6 A Treat For Arcade Gamers
If you were playing this game in the arcade, there is a chance that you would access a rare “Game Over” screen. The title read “Game Over? III” It was meant to hint to a possible third sequel.
Gamers had a slim chance of seeing this screen when playing. Video games can have such over the top ways of highlighting sequels nowadays. It’s pretty cool to see something more subtle.
5 The Face In The Living Forest
There is something just eerie about The Living Forest. One of the things that have been known to give gamers nightmare fuel is the faces superimposed onto the trees. Well, one of the developers is responsible.
Ed Boon, one of the Mortal Kombat 2 programmers and co-creator of the series, was the lucky guy who had their face immortalized in The Living Forest. Now, you have someone to actually blame for being afraid to head to bed after turning off the game.
4 Facing Off Against Noob Saibot
Noob Saibot is a black ninja that gamers could face off against once they won 50 consecutive matches in the arcade version (or 25 on the Sega Genesis).
If you thought this guy had a weird name, don’t worry, it has meaning behind it. Spelled backward, Noob Saibot is the last names of Ed Boon and John Tobias, co-creators of the series.
3 Hollywood Inspirations For The Famous Dead Pool
No, this one isn’t about Marvel’s fourth-wall breaker. In Mortal Kombat 2, the dead pool is a torture chamber filled with acid and hooks. The story goes that the inspiration for this area name from none other than the film, Big Trouble in Little China.
A torture chamber is featured in the movie, and it is said that this setting was used as inspiration for the dead pool arena in Mortal Kombat 2. How cool would it be to have Jack Burton join in for a little of the fun?
2 Nintendo Toned Down The Censorship For This One
In an unprecedented move, Nintendo shied away from its family-friendly nature and took down the censorship of Mortal Kombat 2. They heavily censored the first game, and feedback from gamers made Nintendo shy away from making the same mistake with the second installment.
It is reported that Nintendo changed their stance on the game’s violence because customers “didn’t want the game maker to play Big Brother.” So, gamers who purchased Mortal Kombat 2 on the SNES got to experience all the gore as it was intended.
1 Fatality Moves Are In Your Hands
Today, most Mortal Kombat fatalities happen after a finishing move that triggers a cutscene. Back in the day, however, you had a bit more control over how extreme the casualties were. You could slide enemies off the tomb spikes, aim Kung Lao’s hat throw, and make Johnny Cage send two to three heads flying. Whatever the fancy, the ball was in your court.
The 1990s was a different era of gaming and experimentation, one that many gamers likely look upon fondly, and the success of games like Mortal Kombat 2 play a considerable role in this.
NEXT: Mortal Kombat 11: 5 Reasons We’re Excited For Robocop (& 5 Guest Characters We’d Prefer Instead)
