Mortal Kombat Gold
| Company type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Mortal Kombat Gold |
Mortal Kombat Gold is a 1999 fighting title within the Mortal Kombat franchise, developed by Eurocom and published by Midway Home Entertainment. Released solely as a launch game for the Dreamcast, it serves as an enhanced iteration of the 1997 release Mortal Kombat 4 and stands as the only Mortal Kombat installment available on the Dreamcast console. Reviews were varied, with criticism aimed at graphics that did not match the arcade original, lackluster weapon designs, and significant bugs affecting gameplay.
Gameplay
Building upon the mechanics of Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold introduces additional fighters, new battle arenas, and a system for selecting weapons. Among the fresh stages are Church, Ladder, Netherrealm, and Soul Chamber.
Characters
The lineup features every character from Mortal Kombat 4: Liu Kang, Jax Briggs, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Reiko, Jarek, Raiden, Tanya, Scorpion, Kai, Reptile, Fujin, Shinnok, Quan Chi, sub-boss Goro, along with secret characters Noob Saibot and Meat. Additionally, six returning fighters who did not appear in any version of Mortal Kombat 4 were added: Kitana, Mileena, Cyrax, Kung Lao, Baraka, plus the secret character Sektor.
Although the narrative largely mirrors that of Mortal Kombat 4, the official strategy guide contained incorrect biographies for these six returning combatants, leading to player confusion.
A character named Belokk was planned but ultimately removed due to development time limitations. Nevertheless, Eurocom unintentionally revealed details about Belokk to Game Informer, which led to six leaked screenshots and speculation about his potential unlockability.
Development
The title was presented at E3 1999.
Release
Approximately one month following its initial release, an updated version was issued that fixed critical bugs and introduced support for saving via the VMU memory card. This edition was distinguishable by its red-tinted disc and featured a green "Hot! New!" emblem on the manual’s cover.
Reception
On average, Mortal Kombat Gold received a 55% rating on GameRankings. Despite showcasing graphics that were the most faithful to the arcade among home versions of Mortal Kombat 4, Game Revolution assigned a D grade, condemning the visuals as "inexcusably horrible" and describing the weapons as "dull and uninteresting," primarily limited to swords, axes, or clubs. IGN awarded it a 6.3 out of 10, citing sluggish weapon deployment and insufficient depth despite some enhancements. GameSpot gave it a score of 5/10, labeling the game as outdated and poorly maintained over time. IGN’s retrospective review emphasized its diminished reputation compared to earlier acclaim, especially when released concurrently with Soulcalibur.
Jeff Lundrigan from Next Generation rated it two stars out of five, remarking that the franchise reached its zenith with MK2 and has been in decline since.
In contrast, Brazilian publication SuperGamePower gave it a 4.5 out of 5 rating, commending its graphics as superior to previous console or arcade entries by Ed Boon and John Tobias, recommending it strongly to fans of Mortal Kombat.
External links
- Mortal Kombat Gold available at Radgegaming