Fascinating Facts About the Original Mortal Kombat

When Mortal Kombat hit arcades across the country in 1992, it didn’t just enter the fighting game arena…it uppercutted its way into pop culture history. Developed by Midway, this gritty, digitized brawler stood apart from other fighting games of the time with it’s brutal violence, cinematic flair, and rebellious spirit. Here are some fascinating facts about the original Mortal Kombat arcade game that helped shape a gaming legend.

It Was Born as a Jean-Claude Van Damme Game

Originally, Mortal Kombat was conceived as a vehicle for Jean-Claude Van Damme to be the star of. The developers wanted to create a game based on his film Universal Soldier, but the deal fell through. Instead, they created a character in the game, Johnny Cage, as a Hollywood martial artist with a split-legged punch and a suspiciously familiar look as a tongue-in-cheek homage to JCVD.

Mortal Kombat Featured Digitized Actors Instead of Animated Sprites

Unlike Street Fighter II, which used hand-drawn sprites, Mortal Kombat featured digitized footage of real actors performing martial arts moves. This gave the game a grittier, more realistic look that made its violence all the more shocking and memorable when viewed on screen.

The Birth of the Fatality

The game introduced the now-iconic “Fatality”, a gruesome finishing move that let players end matches with extreme flair. These brutal executions became a signature of the series and a lightning rod for controversy. Few things were more satisfying (or horrifying) than ripping out a spine or torching an opponent with lightning.

It Sparked a National Debate

Mortal Kombat’s graphic violence, especially in its home console versions, helped ignite a firestorm in the U.S. Senate. Alongside Night Trap, it was cited in 1993 hearings on video game violence, which led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)…the industry’s first standardized content rating system.

Mortal Monday Was a Marketing Milestone

When the game was ported to home consoles in 1993, it was launched with a massive campaign dubbed “Mortal Monday.” It was one of the first video games to have a coordinated, countdown-style release across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, introducing a marketing tactic now common in the industry.

The Legend of Ermac

The game’s mysterious tone fueled playground rumors and myths. One such legend was the existence of a secret red ninja named Ermac, supposedly a glitch. While he wasn’t real in the original game, the rumor was so persistent that he was eventually added as a real character in later entries.

It Was a Direct Response to Street Fighter II

Midway developed Mortal Kombat as a gritty alternative to Capcom’s Street Fighter II. While Street Fighter emphasized combos and colorful characters, Mortal Kombat leaned into realism, violence, and a darker tone—creating a rivalry that defined the ’90s arcade scene.