Mortal Kombat Versus Australia

MORTAL KOMBAT IN AUSTRALIA? GET OVER ‘ERE!!

I love fighting games! There is just something about beating the living crap out of your opponent with your fists, nun-chuks or even fireballs. Today there are so many fighting games across all gaming platforms for you to choose from and study every move, combo and finisher. But one game in particular stands out from the crowd because of its rich history, fascinating characters and extreme violence and that game franchise is Mortal Kombat.

This fighter is different to Street Fighter, Tekken, Dead or Alive and others because of the over-the-top violence. It has Fatalities where you can rip out your opponents heart while it’s still beating, freeze someone and then slice their head off or even turn them into a crying baby. These “Fatalities” are what separated Mortal Kombat from the crowd and made the franchise so enjoyable over the years. They also have some of the most memorable characters in gaming history such as Lui Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and many more.

Cue Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video flashbacks…

Now I will be very honest here – I am horrible at this game. That said I have owned all the Mortal Kombats over the years and loved them all. Playing either online over Xbox Live or offline with family and friends is always a blast and a great way to kill an hour or two. Unfortunately the latest entry to the franchise simply titled “Mortal Kombat” will NOT be released in Australia due to a lack of an R18+ rating. When I first heard about this I was in shock as I have been looking forward to this since E3 2009 where I got the chance to play the game and interview one of the developers. One of the new features that stood out at that time was the X-Ray mode where the camera zooms in and we witness every hit, fracture, breaks and more. It was that moment in particular that there could be a problem with this game and Australia.

Now I’m not here to discuss the political side, why we don’t have a rating yet, who is responsible, etc. – frankly I really don’t care. I just want my MORTAL KOMBAT! The real issue I have is that this game is nowhere near as violent as other game franchises that have already been released over the years. This is because Mortal Kombat is Fantasy Fighting as not many people these days can turn into Dragons, shoot lightning from their fingertips or punch someone so hard they fly into the ceiling. It is because of this that I am outraged with the Australian Rating System.

For example we can have a look at several famous sports franchises such as the Fight Night, WWE and UFC games. These games are much more violent than anything you could ever achieve in the new Mortal Kombat as essentially you are beating the living daylights out of your opponent with real life physics and real life weapons but most importantly EVERY SINGLE MOVE CAN BE REPLICATED at home. On top of all this the graphics are nearly photo realistic along with the sound effects and realistic blood.

COD:MW2's "No Russian" – like shootin' fish in a barrel.

Another gaming franchise worth mentioning is Call Of Duty. I know this is a first person shooter and should not be compared with a fighter but in terms of blood, gore and realism take a look at Modern Warfare 2 and the level “No Russian”. This for me is the most violent thing I have ever seen in gaming history because of the the actions that you are performing. The developers could have easily made a short cut-scene detailing the events of this level but instead your mission is to shoot innocent men and women at an airport. They are not Aliens or Robots nor are they trained soldiers with weapons. This is easily much more violent than anything you will see in the new Mortal Kombat game and that got approved with an MA15+ rating.

Finally we have Bomberman Live. This is officially the most violent game in history as the characters look so cute and cuddly but they are all secretly running around the level with bombs. Then when you turn a corner they literally throw a bomb in your face! Ok obviously I’m kidding with this example. Bomberman is awesome.

Mortal Kombat is nothing like these games as it is completely exaggerated and over the top. Also worth mentioning is that the developers went for a slightly cartoony look and feel with the characters and level design in this new game. Yes they are people, and yes they are fighting each other but surely you will agree that this doesn’t even come close to the other games.

So what do you all think about Mortal Kombat being banned? Will you try to import it from another country? Let us know in the comments below.

Mortal Kombat – Official Website