Collection essentials #367: Mortal Kombat 3 (PS1)

I previously wrote about Mortal Kombat 3 when I covered the SNES port of the game. You can refer to that post for some info about what’s new and different in Mortal Kombat 3 compared to previous games. 

Here’s another very early PlayStation game, released the month after the console launched, and that’s why the game comes in the big jewel case. It’s interesting to me how the text on the front of the box simply says “MK3” and not the game’s full title, and I suppose they expected gamers at this point to know what that stood for. This port was done a little bit before the updated “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3” released in arcades, so that content is not included here.

Although MK3 is a game that’s entirely in 2D, it’s a good example of the increased power of the next console generation. The arcade version of the game is reproduced pretty much perfectly here aside from the added loading times due to the game coming on a disc. The sound and graphics are crisp and beautiful. If you compare it to the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis version of this game which came out at the same time, there’s simply no comparison, although what those games have in their favor is no loading times since they come on cartridges.

Honestly, there’s not a ton of reason to go back to vanilla Mortal Kombat 3 unless you’re a huge fan of the series. There are certainly some gameplay differences that set it apart from UMK3, but almost everyone agrees that UMK3 is preferable if you only can pick one. You may still enjoy going back to MK3 for stuff like broken Sub-Zero shenanigans, or perhaps because you like the aesthetics of the stages which are different. If you DO want to revisit MK3, this version is a pretty solid choice, although there are future ports that are arguably better due to faster load times.

I was big into Mortal Kombat back in the day, so the best port of this version of the game is an easy essential pick for my collection. For a Mortal Kombat game I’d be more likely to break out and play in modern times, stay tuned for the next post!