Sub-Zero performing a Head Rip fatality in Mortal Kombat

In the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, a Fatality is a special finishing move that can be used against one's opponent at the end of the final match. When the announcer says "Finish Him/Her," the player can choose to kill him or her through a fatality move. Image File history File links Fatality. ... Image File history File links Fatality. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... Mortal Kombat has multiple meanings. ... Screenshot Kung-Fu, the first real fighting game Fighting games are video games in which players fight each other or computer enemies with martial arts. ... A gory finishing move from Mortal Kombat A finishing move is a dedicated special attack used to knock out an enemy on the brink of defeat in a flashy and spectacular manner. ...

Unlike special moves, a fatality may require certain distances and quick button sequences in order to achieve the desired result (for example, in Mortal Kombat 3, Sub-Zero's Break Down Fatality requires that he stands close to the opponent and quickly execute Block, Block, Run, Block, Run). Every character has their own special fatality that must be performed at a certain distance from the opponent. The number of fatalities varies depending on the game; while characters in Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance had only one, Mortal Kombat 3 and its updates featured as many as four. Traditionally for the main and important characters of the games (such as Sub-Zero, Rayden, Scorpion etc) their fatalities are usually a reflection of either their storyline or their special abilities- eg, Sub-Zero's fatalities have traditionally involved the use of his powers of ice, whereas Scorpion's storyline of a hellspawn ninja spectre involves the use of setting someone alight or using his famous spear in a fatality) Mortal Kombat 3 is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. ... Sub-Zero is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a video game developed and produced by Midway. ... Mortal Kombat 3 is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. ...

Fatality-style finishing moves have also appeared in other fighting games such as Killer Instinct, though they are not named as such; they are called "No Mercy Moves" instead. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Origin

With Street Fighter II dominating arcades, Mortal Kombat co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias wanted to create a fighting game that retained Street Fighter's gameplay without being a complete copy. Originally, the project revolved around actor Jean Claude Van Damme; this idea was eventually dropped and Mortal Kombat was born. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) was a highly popular and immensely successful fighting game created by Capcom. ... A video arcade (known as an amusement arcade in the United Kingdom) is a place where people play arcade video games. ... Ed Boon, on a G4TV interview Ed Boon (born March 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois), along with John Tobias is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... John Tobias was one of the creators (along with Ed Boon) of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series for Chicago-based Midway. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jean-Claude Van Damme (born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, in the Brussels-Capital Region, on October 18, 1960), is a Belgian martial artist and actor who is most known for his action movies. ...

Tobias and Boon started with the idea of Street Fighter II's system and retained many of its conventions (fireball-style projectile attacks, one on one matches, minigames, etc.), but tweaked others (the block button, special endurance matches, juggling, etc.). The most notable additions were graphic blood effects and fatality finishing moves. Traditional fighting games ended with the loser knocked unconscious and the victor posing for the players; characters never died during a match. The idea of a fatality proved very popular with fans. In Fantastic Dizzy, the player has to complete a sliding puzzle to get an extra life. ... Unconsciousness is the absence of consciousness. ...

Reaction

MK Fatality in the Epic Battles CCG

Mortal Kombat attracted numerous fans because it featured blood and the ability to perform fatalities. The new feature addition helped make Mortal Kombat a successful game franchise that challenged the supremacy of Street Fighter II. Image File history File links 99_MK.jpg‎ Epic Battles This image is of a board game cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the board game. ... Image File history File links 99_MK.jpg‎ Epic Battles This image is of a board game cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the board game. ... Collectible card games (CCGs), also called trading card games (TCGs) or customizable card games (a phrase specific to two Decipher, Inc. ...

The fatality concept caused considerable controversy, and many parents disapproved of the violence and the brutal endings of the game, deeming it disturbing.

The newly-founded ESRB gave Mortal Kombat a rating of M (for "Mature"), deeming the game too violent for audiences under the age of 17. It's worth noting that, in the United States, the ESRB has no legal standing to prevent the sale of video games to minors, and therefore many people under the suggested age were able to play the game. Arcade owners were asked to monitor the ages of players, although few did. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ...

Mortal Kombat II added some extras when it came to fatalities. The characters were given two or three fatalities each, and the fatalities were more violent. Many angry parents and protestors wrote letters and complained about the content of the game, fearing the violence would negatively influence young children, but since the ESRB had already rated the games, nothing came of the protests. Mortal Kombat II (also referred to as MKII) is an arcade game and the second title in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

After the crash of the arcade market, new Mortal Kombat games can no longer be found in arcades; new releases are targeted at the home console and PC markets.

Variations

• Animality - This finisher allows the player to morph into an animal and maul or eat their opponent alive. This style of fatality debuted in Mortal Kombat 3. Some say the precursor to the Animality was Liu Kang's Dragon Fatality from Mortal Kombat II, in which he turned into a dragon and ate the upper half of his opponent.
  • Mercy - In order to perform an Animality, the player must first grant his opponent Mercy. This act revives the opponent in liue of delivering a final blow or performing a Fatality by restoring a small amount of health. Should the opponent be defeated again, an Animality may be performed.

Babality as seen in MKKG

• Babality - The defeated characters turns into a baby, sitting on the floor and wearing a miniature version of their adult clothing and accessories and/or a diaper (nappy). In some versions, the sound effect of a baby crying plays, along with a lullaby, and the word "Babality" is spelt out by colored building blocks that fall from the top of the screen.Shao Kahn then announces (albeit unusually and unnervingly gently) "Babality!!"
• Brutality - Introduced in Mortal Kombat Trilogy and the SNES and Sega Genesis ports of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, this finisher allowed players to perform a combo which would cause the opponent to explode. Brutalities were not very popular, as they were extremely difficult to accomplish, requiring the player to memorize and perform a special 11-hit combo. Many felt the pay-off was lacking with the only result being a fiery explosion where the victim disappears and an unrealistic amount of bone and flesh are sent flying and covering most of the screen. In some versions, the bone and flesh flies completely offscreen. This finisher didn't appear in another game until Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, in which it wasn't explicitly used as a finisher, but rather as a power-up.
• Friendship - The fighter will make a peace offering, such as Sub-Zero using his powers to make a snowman, or Johnny Cage offering a signed photo of himself. In Mortal Kombat II Shao Kahn would then announce "Friendship!!... Friendship?!", and in Mortal Kombat III "Friendship!!!... Friendship?! Again?!"
• Hara-Kiri - (See below)
• Multality - Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks also features multalities, which are fatalities performed on multiple enemies at one time.

An Animality is a finishing move from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Liu Kang as he appears in Mortal Kombat 4. ... Image File history File links MKard9. ... Image File history File links MKard9. ... The Mortal Kombat Kard Game was released in by BradyGAMES in 1996 and is based on the video game series of the same name. ... Babality is a finishing move introduced in Mortal Kombat II which allows players to turn their opponents into diaper clad infants. ... A Brutality is a finishing move from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Mortal Kombat Trilogy is an anthology in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The Mega Drive/Genesis was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world as the Mega Drive. ... Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. ... Power Up, the Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up is an organization with the stated mission to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media. Power Up provided funding and assistance to the 2003 short film . ... Johnny Cage giving Raiden an autographed picture for his Friendship in Mortal Kombat II Cyrax performing the Charleston dance as his Friendship for Kano in Mortal Kombat 3 A Friendship is a finishing move introduced in Mortal Kombat II in order to soften the violence and the controversy that surrounded... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second. ...

Stage fatalities

Stage fatalities brought a new level of environment interaction within the series. A stage fatality occurs when a player uses a part of the stage or map to execute a fatality that is not a standard character fatality. Some examples of stage fatalities are having the victim fall into a pool of acid or a pit of razor-sharp spikes, or to be run over by a subway train. Stage fatalities are present in the series from Mortal Kombat through Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, though are absent from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a video game developed and produced by Midway. ...

Mortal Kombat: Deception features more stage fatalities than any previous Mortal Kombat game. Renamed "Death Traps", there are more stages that allow death by stage interaction than not. No longer is a special button combination required as the opponent only needs to be either standing or hit in a particular spot on the stage. Unlike previous stage fatalities, "Death Traps" can be initiated anytime during a round and only require the opponent be hit into them, meaning an instant victory. Mortal Kombat: Deception is the latest game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat video game series by Midway. ...

Hara Kiri

The newest kind of fatality is the Hara Kiri. The Hara Kiri (which is Japanese for certain a type of suicide, and literally means belly cut; even tough Kenshi is the only character who uses the Hara-Kiri in this form) is a move in which the player kills him/herself upon defeat at the end of the last match, rather than be finished off by his opponent. It is the first and only time in the Mortal Kombat series in which the defeated player is allowed to perform a finishing move. The Hara Kiri made its debut in Deception and seems to be a popular feature with the fans, although is not included in Mortal Kombat Armageddon due to the new Kreate-a-Fatality feature. Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is the title for the next game in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Although it was called a fatality in-game, the first example of a suicidal finishing move in Mortal Kombat was Cyrax's "self-destruct" move from Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Gold; Cyrax, a cyborg, enters a code on to his arm panel and moments later explodes along with his opponent in a manner reminiscient of the ending of the first Predator movie. Smoke went farther with his fatality since he destroys the whole planet with his bombs. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax adopted this Fatality together with his own while Smoke adopted Cyrax's self-destruct as his Hara Kiri in Deception. Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Mortal Kombat Gold is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series. ... This page discusses the multiple species and/or subspecies/races found in the Mortal Kombat game universe. ... // Predator is a science fiction movie directed by John McTiernan and released on June 12, 1987. ... Smoke is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Kreate-A-Fatality

For Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the fatality concept was completely revised. In all previous games, fatalities and finishing moves were in the form of a button combo, activating a scripted animation sequence. For MK:A, there were far too many characters to all have a couple of individual fatalities, therefore the old system was replaced with a new Kreate-A-Fatality, or "custom chain-fatality" system. After defeating an opponent in two rounds, players are given a limited amount of time to perform one of several violent moves (such as ripping an organ out) attributed to a button and direction combination. The time then resets and the player can perform a second move, but the timebar decreases more rapidly after each move. The longer a player is able to continue the chain, the higher ranking his fatality receives; "Killer" Fatality, "Brutal" Fatality, "Evil" Fatality, etc. It is possible, with practice, to pull off a fatality of up to ten moves or possibly higher. It is also possible to "fail" the fatality by running out of time before performing a final finishing move (such as ripping the opponent's head off). If time runs out before the player can end the chain with a final fatal move, no rank or reward is given and the fatality is not counted, regardless of how many moves were completed.

This new system required that other forms of finishing moves, such as Deception's popular Hara Kiri fatalities, be left out of Armageddon. This has been met with a mixed reaction, some fans preferring the more interactive nature and freedom of the Kreate-a-Fatality system, and others missing the previous games' character-specific ending moves and alternatives to killing the opponent. Also, originally, there was individual character-specific Kreate-a-Fatality moves for each character, but this feature was dropped when the MK team realized that such moves would only be compatible with the character they were made for, thus preventing them from being accessible to other characters (more specifically, presumably, the Kreate-a-Figher characters).

Parodies

Many other fighting games preferred to use the Street Fighter II formula by using non-digitized sprites & no fatalities, other games have used a more Mortal Kombat style play, using realistic graphics & fatalities: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) was a highly popular and immensely successful fighting game created by Capcom. ...

• Ballz was made late in the 4th gaming generation, it used digitized sprites like Mortal Kombat, and at the same time, using 'killing moves' like fatalities, but more strange like farting on the opponent or breaking all of their balls.

• Clayfighter 63 1/3 is another example, using 'Claytalies', some didn't even involve killing your opponent, most are sending your opponent out of the arena, or simply breaking their back and only made them standing like a stick, since the game was a parody of nearly every successful fighting game at the time, like Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, & Killer Instinct

• Tattoo Assassins, an arcade game created two years after the First Mortal Kombat but never released, featured its own take on fatalities, as well as a 'Nudality' finishing move, in which the opponent's clothes disappear, showing him or her nude, though the hands cover the genitals. The game also featured 'Animalities', before they appeared in Mortal Kombat 3.

Ballz is a two player, 3D action, fighting game for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. ... ClayFighter 63 1/3 is a fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 by Interplay in 1997. ... The Street Fighter Alpha (Street Fighter Zero outside the USA and Europe) series of fighting games is part of the Street Fighter series by Capcom. ... Street Fighter III: New Generation is a fighting game produced by Capcom, released in 1997 on Capcoms CPS-3 hardware, which is a continuation of the famous Street Fighter series. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tattoo Assassins is a 1994 fighting game by Data East. ...

External link

• GameFAQs Mortal Kombat codes, move lists and fatalities