The first-ever Mortal Kombat video game was released on October 8th, 1992, spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs over the ensuing years. The game centers on the fictional 10th Mortal Kombat tournament and the ultimate defeat of the evil Shang Tsung by Shaolin monk Liu Kang. Several characters of various intentions enter the martial arts tournament with worldly consequences. Mortal Kombat introduced many key aspects of the video game series, including the unique five-button control scheme and gory finishing moves called “Fatalities.”

The original Mortal Kombat was released by Acclaim Entertainment for nearly every home platform at that time. The game is considered one of the greatest video games ever made by critics and audiences in the 21st century and became a best-selling game. It remains one of the most popular fighting games in the genre’s history.

The video below was released in 2022 to celebrate the original Mortal Kombat’s 30th Anniversary.

Mortal Kombat Gameplay Video