Product Description

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance marks the relaunch of the Mortal Kombat series with an all-new engine delivering punishing action that will reward long-time fans of the franchise as well as next-generation game lovers. The game features intense hand-to-hand and special-weapon combat, secret hidden moves and combinations with deadly body blows and fatalities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4985 in Video Games
• Brand: Midway
• Model: 031719268665
• Released on: 2003-03-14
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Dimensions: .50 pounds

Features

• Intricate, supernatural storyline
• Unprecedented alliance between Shang Tsung and Quan Chi
• This new alliance threatens the lives of Raiden and the mortals

Amazon.com Review
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance brings the Mortal Kombat series a new 3-D fighting engine, adds tons of features and extras, and still offers up classic gameplay.

This installment features a 3-D battle system that still manages to maintain a 2-D feel. For example, pushing up on your controller makes you sidestep your opponent’s attacks, yet also allows you to jump in the air by tapping up plus a direction. A revamped fighting system offers up three different styles for each fighter (one includes a weapon technique). The multiple styles provide countless varieties of attacks for any given fighter. Different combinations of punches and kicks can be combined for very lengthy and powerful chain attacks similar to those in the Mortal Kombat of old. Fatalities are also back and rich in graphic representation.

New fighters join the cast of old favorites such as Sonya, Kano, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Scorpion, Johnny Cage, Jax, Cyrax, Kung Lao, Kitana, Quan Chi, Reptile, and Shang Tsung. The lavish environments surround your fighters with animated backgrounds and rich skylines. On some levels there are even breakable objects and hazards that you can interact with, such as pools of acid--the perfect landing place for a thrown opponent.

In addition to regular modes of gameplay (arcade, versus, etc.), there is an option called Konquest mode. This mode allows you to learn more about fighting styles, read up on each character’s personal history, and gain Koins. The koins can then be spent in the Krypt, allowing you to unlock a host of new characters, costumes, and early concept drawings. The plentiful additional content offered with this title includes special movies of The Making of Deadly Alliance and The History of Mortal Kombat.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance successfully reinvents the series by offering up a unique mix of improved graphics and stylized gameplay without compromising any of the features that made the MK series popular over the years. --Carlos Rodela

Pros

• Complex gameplay
• Realistic 3-D graphics
• Hundreds of unlockable features

• Weak storyline
• Unbalanced combo system

Manufacturer's Description
The newest game in the franchise that rocked the world and revolutionized the fighting genre, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance enters the 21st century with an all-new fighting system, an in-depth, supernatural story line, and infamous brutal fatalities that push the limits of the next-generation console systems. Throughout Mortal Kombat's history, many have attempted and failed to take control of the tournament and therefore gain immortality. Now two sorcerers, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, unable to achieve their goal of immortality separately, join forces. This deadly alliance will likely ensure the destruction of Raiden and the mortals. With their combined powers, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi represent Earth's greatest threat....

Customer Reviews

Deadly Alliance: The Rebirth of MK...with a few defects....
Long have I waited for a great Mortal Kombat game to hit once again. And finally the wait paid off. Not since Mortal Kombat 2 has Mortal Kombat been as much fun. But i'm sorry to say that all is not as good as it seems...I give the game 3 1/2 stars really.

First off, the fighting system is completely revamped. Finally stepping into the realm of true 3d (Mortal Kombat 4 was nothing more than a 2d fighting game with 3d models), the game play is as fast and furious as ever. With the ability to switch between 3 different fighting styles, one of which is weapon based, the combo possibilities are increased more than ever. Full 3d movement and detail make this probably the best MK since MK2...

But then there are the problems. The fighting styles, while a great new addition, aren't all they're cracked up to be. The amount of combos you can do are limited, and the stance change button does not always work when you want it to(namely in the middle of a combo when it is most useful). As with most MK games, the AI is extraordinarily cheap at times...it always seems to know exactly what you're going to do, and beats the crud out of you before you can even pull a move off.

The juggling system is awful. The AI abuses it so much that you'll find yourself walking away from the game in frustration. You can easily lose in about 10 seconds if the computer keeps you backed up against the (invisible)walls surrounding the arena, because you'll be juggled so much you'll probably never even hit the ground.

Some characters are just completely worthless, namely the new character Drahmin, who has absolutely no combo moves whatsoever. The only way to defeat an opponent is by furious button mashing and pure luck. He relies far too heavily and special moves. The same goes for returning character Cyrax. While he has a few good combos, his moves are far too limited and he must rely mostly on his special moves. And many weapon styles are far too similar...some of them are totally identical to each other, except that the actual weapons look different.

Fatality fans will be very disappointed...each character has only one fatality. While a few of these fatalities are quite good, the greater majority of them are just awful. Quan Chi's fatality in particular is by far the worst Fatality that the Mortal Kombat series has ever seen. And there are no arena-based fatalities...how the creators can even dare to have an arena called the 'Acid Bath' or the 'Lava Shrine' and not have an arena based fatality is beyond comprehension. It seems that once again, the design team opted for total laziness in the Finishing Moves department, as they have ever since MK3.

Story, which has always been one of the best parts of MK, is no let down in this game. The addition of Konquest mode, which takes you through 10 missions to help explain character story and train you in the use of that particular character is a great addition. It helps you to earn 'Kurrency' which can be used to be secrets in the 'Krypt', a room full of 676 'Koffins' that are bought using your earned 'Kurrency'. The problem there is that out of 676 Koffins, about 620 of them are total 'Krap'. Character endings also leave alot to be desired...some just make no sense whatsoever, or are too short to explain anything. Others, however, are shocking and surprising.

Overall, the game just suffers from two major things: the feeling of being incomplete, and something that all MK fans should be used to by now: Empty Promises. Some characters are just too limited and feel like they were rushed. Some character's Konquest modes also seem to be completely rushed, being devoid of story and lacking rhyme or reason. As far as empty promises, many things that the development team promised when they were creating the game just did NOT make it in: Torn clothing on characters is nowhere to be found, weapon combat is far too basic(it was said to 'Rival Soul Calibur'), and a few other things that just seem annoying when you realize they aren't there.

If it seems that i'm coming down way too hard on this game...I apologize. I have been a fan of MK since it first debuted in Arcades in 1992. I just feel that Deadly Alliance could've been so much more than it actually is. To close this review off, I will list some of the high points of the game:

The story is outstanding. I challenge anyone to find a fighting game with a story as deep as this. Even Soul Calibur's story pales in comparison. The combat is fast paced and action packed...unlike Tekken or Virtua Fighter, which is slow paced and dreadfully boring. Characters look better and more detailed than ever. Arenas, although simplistic and basic in terms of interaction and maneuverability, are highly detailed and gorgeous. The addition of Kurrency, Konquest Mode and The Krypt fuel the replay value and will keep you coming back for weeks. Tons of characters both old and new offer lots of variety.

Overall, a great game that could've been perfect, had it not been for that feeling of being incomplete, or being victim of laziness.

Blood and Violence Make up This Game
As I said in the title, there is a lot of graphically gross action. However, that is not a bad thing! Games such as Virtua Fighter 4 are good for their toned-down style of fighting, but for fanatics of swords, blood, and chopping people into little pieces, this is a great game! At first, the blood was annoying until I figured out that it could be turned down, or even off. That was a relief! Fighting with swords and weapons is the best aspect of the game, along with being able to chage fighting styles in the middle of a round. The characters look good, with awesome effects added to them. Some of the characters are almost scary, such as the main sorcerer. Graphically, the game has a few minor flaws, but the engine runs smoothly and the characters, moves, and levels all look exceptional! For the ultimate in violent fighting, Mortal Kombat DA is appropriate!

Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
Mortal Kombat DA was pretty good as a whole and an excellent boost from the last game (Mortal Kombat 4). The game itself is awesome. A new fighting system that gives each fighter a weapon and 2 different fighting styles. That adds a little more "personal" element to the series rather than the original format of everyone has a high kick, low kick, high punch and low punch. Now, everyone fights different. Plus there are some pretty cool things that you can do with the weapons.

There are some returning characters in this one, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, Sub Zero, Kano. Kung Lao and of course, Scorpian. And of course, where is Mortal Kombat without new characters and hidden characters?! There are 9 hidden characters that you must unlock and 3 new selectable characters to start with. EXCELLENT!

I could only think of 2 down sides to this game. Shang Tsung has been made a lot less cheap than usual and CANNOT MORPH into anyone anymore. Some of the Fatalities are really good and some of the others are really dumb. Example, newcomer Bo Rai Cho. Trust me, when you see it you'll in comparison of new Fatalities from Kano, Cage and Scorpian.

I gotta give this one a big thumbs up because no longer is this game truly impossible if you can't do the combo system. It's nice to know the combos (which might I add are little easier to perform as well), but you can't fight it out as well. Slightly like Tekken's style of combat but I still have to say that Mortal Kombat is still it's own game. The 3 fighting styles per fighter usually doesn't make a difference in the fight itself. It's just cool to do basically.

And my last final note on why I enjoyed this game. Shao Khan is dead! Personally, I was getting sick of his character. The other really great thing is that LIU KANG is dead also!! For me, that's a personal bonus to play because now I no longer have to deal with people who don't know how to play (ie use the combos) but can do Liu's cheap moves over and over and over again!

Either way it goes, Mortal Kombat DA is a quality game and definitely worth picking up. Check it out you might be impressed with the new facelift that is Mortal Kombat.