MK DECEPTION: murder and manslaughter in four acts

The title alone, MORTAL KOMBAT to cringe every German youth protectors. The well-known for their violent excesses video game series also enjoys a worldwide reputation, the fighting game competitors STREET FIGHTER II to have overtaken - at least temporarily. In Germany, much of the series may spend their lives on the index of the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) - rightly, in my opinion.

THE SERIES IN RETROSPECT

The first episode was not only because of the violence shown in the frame. Above all, it was the digital images almost lifelike-looking fighters who attended the Arcades open mouths. Added to this were the ultra brutal finishing moves, also called Fatalities` who wanted to see each Prügelspielfan at least once. The console versions were circumcised worldwide. Only in the Mega Drive version of the Pixel blood could unlock a secret key code. As expected, the Sega counterpart therefore sold better than the technically between successful Super Nintendo version.

To compensate for the lower revenues, Nintendo threw for the second part of the in-house child-friendly policies overboard and left all blood effects and Fatalities in the home version of Mortal Kombat II. In Germany, the sequel was not only indicated but confiscated. All versions of the second part, except for the Game Boy version, therefore may not be distributed, because they meet a criminal offense within the meaning of the Criminal Code.

In the fourth part, the programmer ventured for the first time in the third dimension and perfected the gameplay with the unindexed first time in Germany fifth part MORTAL KOMBAT: DEADLY ALLIANCE. For the graphical brilliance made the so-called RenderWare engine, which was developed by the BURNOUT creators Criterion.

MORTAL KOMBAT DECEPTION 6 and appeared as its predecessor uncut in Germany. Personally I can not understand why these episodes did not land as well as the parts 1 to 4 on the index today. Apart from the playful undoubted qualities, there is no lack of DECEPTION callow violence. Almost glorifying violence slaughtering, dismembering and massacre of defeated opponents celebrated. The Finish Moves are staged more sophisticated and even more perfect in DECEPTION. However, trying to playfully break new ground.

First MORTAL KOMBAT has with the change in the third dimension corporal lost his realistic outfit that had won the series in the first three episodes, and in the offshoots SUB ZERO, ULTIMATE, TRILOGY and ADVANCE. The polygon fighters seemed henceforth more comically, even if the former often android combat action has given way to smoother and very considerable movements. DECEPTION, as a whole most brutal of all hitherto published MORTAL KOMBAT games in this country in the localized version officially - no youth release - available. The title attempts to deliberately draw the attention of the critics on the extensive offerings, ranging from the bloody Kombat mode (the actual fighting game) to funny puzzle game, Puzzle Kombat, or quite brutal chess variant. But its heart is the conquest mode, which tells a separate story in MORTAL KOMBAT universe and may well be considered as a successful, albeit graphically mediocre and playful not quite mature action-adventure.

In DECEPTION there is therefore much to discover. The countless unlockable bonuses motivate as well as the fact that you are dealing with one of the best fighting game representative of generation Xbox.

THE GERMAN VERSION: an opinion

This found its way into local stores, the German version as uncut version with a commercial from 18 released is amazing. From the perspective of a really well-functioning otherwise protect minors who eventually banished almost every MORTAL KOMBAT-title on the index, the share of DECEPTION is absolutely inconsistent. Also in DECEPTION is fought down to blood, death rituals are celebrated and set deadly traps with camera movements perfectly. So what differentiates these episodes of its predecessors? If the virtual murders become as socially acceptable or is it the comic graphics that makes the brutal goings appear less realistic "? When video game consumer, I could of course be satisfied that DECEPTION is available over the counter, but the logic behind the other members Age rating the ESRB reveals itself to me to this day. Particularly in view of the fact that the successor, MORTAL KOMBAT ARMAGEDDON, not only made the way to Germany, and especially the very sharp cuts or fades in Adventure SHAOLIN MONKS offshoot illustrate the inconsistency and thus questionable practice of testing entertainment software self-control - USK.

THE GAME AT A GLANCE

+ Excellent fighting game
+ Good to excellent graphics
+ Usual good sound
+ Successful control
+ Four games in one package
+ Successful puzzle offshoot
+ Many unlockable bonuses
+ Uncut

- Ridiculous adventure mode
- Excessive use of force (as usual)

EVALUATION

Graphics / Sound / game

Kombat 81% / 75% / 82%
Puzzle 60% / 75% / 76%
Chess 72% / 72% / 68%
Conquest 52% / 74% / 60%

THE MORTAL KOMBAT "- SERIES AT A GLANCE
(With review)

1993 Mortal Kombat! (SNES, GB, MD, MS, GG, LCD, PC, Amiga, etc.) ***
1994 Mortal Kombat II! (SNES, GB, MD, MCD, 32X, MS, GG, Saturn, PC, Amiga) *****
1995 Mortal Kombat 3! (SNES, GB, MD, MS, GG, PS1, PC, R-ZONE) **
1996 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3! (SNES, MD, SATURN) ***
1997 Mortal Kombat Trilogy! (N64, Saturn, PS1, GAME.COM, PC) ***
1997 Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero! (N64, PS1) *
1997 Mortal Kombat 4! (N64, PS1, PC) ****
1999 Mortal Kombat Gold! (DC) ****
2000 Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (PS1) **
2001 Mortal Kombat Advance / Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3! (GBA) *
2002 Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (NGC, PS2, XBOX, GBA) ****
2003 Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition (GBA) **
2004 Mortal Kombat: Deception (NGC, PS2, XBOX) ****
2005 Mortal Kombat: Shoalin Monks (PS2, XBOX) ****
2006 Mortal Kombat: Deception Unchained / Deception (PSP) ****
2006 Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Wii, PS2, XBOX)
2007 Ultimate Mortal Kombat Puzzle Kombat with (DS) ****
2008 Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe (XBOX 360, PS3)

Notes: The title `` marked with an indexed or confiscated in Germany. The only exceptions are the samples 1 - 4 on the GameBoy (Color). The Mortal Kombat Armageddon and the DS version of ULTIMATE MORTAL KOMBAT have not been published in Germany. The latter includes, moreover, German screen texts!