One of the greatest fighters of all time.
GAME PLAY
I know some players wanted Microsoft to release MK1 or MK2 instead of Ultimate MK3. However, of the original 2D trilogy, I feel that UMK3 is by far the best. It took the ultra-violent game play, and huge selection of characters from MK2, and added preset combos to the mix.
They also added a run button, but it’s only useful to quickly run up to a stunned opponent. They should have also added a back-flip style command to quickly retreat. Despite this, the game play is still as solid as it was 10 years ago. There are still some odd collision detection and balancing issues, but overall this is a worthy fighting game.
GRAPHICS
This is an almost exact port of the original arcade graphics. The live action characters provide a good amount of detail, but the animations are stiff by today’s standards. The backgrounds have held up well to the test of time. Although they’re a little pixilated, they are still well animated.
SOUND
The sound effects have actually improved a little. They sound clearer, but the voice-overs still sound weak. I only wish they had made the background music a little more noticeable.
VALUE
The lasting value in UMK3 is the online play, which is smooth and intense. The AI is still as tough as it ever was, and this makes the single player game very frustrating. There’s a wide range of balanced achievements to unlock from the easy, to the harder online accomplishments. There’s also many fighters to choose from, plus all the hidden ones, and cheat codes are still here.
Overall UMK3 is an excellent port of an excellent game. But there isn’t anything new to it, so it won’t attract many new fans. This is a game that’s designed for the existing fans. So needless to say, if you loved MK this is the game for you.