In Third Person

It’s like 1992 all over again, this time on the iPhone. Street Fighter has dominated the iPhone fighting game scene for the past year and Mortal Kombat has just arrived, trying to take the throne. While the initial Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat debate carried on for a number of years and across multiple iterations of each series, even the most dedicated Mortal Kombat fans can’t make a case in this battle. Not only does Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the iPhone fall short of the bar set by Street Fighter IV, it also falls short as a Mortal Kombat game.

The first thing you should know about Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the iPhone is that it is not a port of the arcade original. The biggest difference between the original and the new game are the completely redone graphics. This game does not feature digitized characters, which was signature for this era of Mortal Kombat. In their place are low-polygon 3D models, which are functionally sound, but lack all of the charm of the originals. I’m alright with this, but I’ve seen a lot of backlash to this change.

Another area of concern for Mortal Kombat fans is the current available roster. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the iPhone features 11 characters, 2 of which are unlockable. I was fine with Street Fighter IV starting out with 8 characters and I’m alright with Mortal Kombat having 11. However, I think they could have chosen a better set of 11. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather take Raiden and Shang Tsung over Stryker and Jade any day of the week.

Where the game really falls short is in the controls. The virtual joystick isn’t that responsive, and will often misread your inputs. Want to jump towards your opponent? Good luck. Half the time, you will end up jumping straight up. The buttons appear to work a bit better, but those have their own quirks, too. The standard six-button configuration allows you to play it just like the old days, but special moves will require you to rely on the inconsistent virtual joystick. There’s also a ‘simplified’ five-button layout that features a special move button (just like iPhone Street Fighter), but it comes at the cost of a punch and kick button. What that means is, you’ll have to rely on joystick directions and the attack buttons to execute regular moves, such as low punches. Mortal Kombat 3’s dial-a-combo system is also more complicated to handle in this mode, because you’ll require the joystick to quickly differentiate between high and low attacks, which it doesn’t do well.

Even with all of that against it, I was having an alright time with it until I got to Motaro. He was already a heinous boss to fight against in the original, but his cheesiness is further amplified by the game’s unresponsive controls and the game’s performance. Even on Novice difficulty, this fight is absolutely awful. Most of the time, Motaro will simply teleport back and forth (which almost looks like the game is glitching out) and then proceed to beat you to a pulp. Oftentimes, this beat down includes you getting pinned in the corner, and Motaro simply grabbing you and punching you in the face repeatedly, taking off more than half of your life before you can do anything. If you do get past him and the almost-as-unfair Shao Khan, you unlock something, but don’t get any real ending for your troubles.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on the iPhone is a letdown in its current state. At $6.99, this package is not tight enough to recommend to even the biggest Mortal Kombat fans. If you want a fighting game, your best choices are still Street Fighter IV or the free-to-play Street Fighter II games on Capcom Arcade. There’s a chance that this game may be updated with more characters and more responsive controls, but we’ll have to wait and see.