Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 HD Review

Mortal Kombat 3 graced the iPhone not too long ago. Sadly, this version with plagued with game destroying bugs that put this iconic game into the trash bin. Now, the game receives an HD make over just for the iPad. However, the question remains; is this the version that will finally put this bloody classic in contention with the likes of Street Fighter IV?

If you have never played a Mortal Kombat game, this is all about 2D fantasy fighting. You choose from 13 different fighters and fight your way to the top to take on Shao Kahn. You are doing this to save earth from the forces of evil. Each fighter brings on various fighting styles, special moves, and even the coveted fatalities. The best part, the experiment of friendships is even retained in the iOS version.

Unfortunately, the rest of the love from the console/arcade version hasn't translated well. As well, the iPad version is a bit better than the iPhone version. The hit boxes are a bit more spot-on, some of the weird teleporting glitches have been resolved, and the game manages to play well with no crashing.

However, there is still a lot of work to do here. The controls are still fairly clunky. They are not horrid, but they still lack the precision that is necessary for this type of game. Heck, even a floating joystick (one that appears wherever you place your thumbs) would enhance the playability. Motaro still warps all over the place, however it is a bit more obvious of what is going on in this version. The difficulty feels much more like the MK3 from the past, yet the controls add just a bit more difficulty. All of this adds up to be a mixed bag for game play.

There are a few more modes added to the iPad version as well. Two players can play on the same iPad, provided they sit REALLY close to one another. There is local multiplayer over wifi as well. There is also a mode to get your butt handed to you by Shao Kahn for 90 seconds - the point being to rack up high scores. These are nice additions that do extend the replay value a bit.

The presentation continues the mixed bag that is consistent with this game as well. The characters no longer look terribly anorexic, yet they still suffer from low detail and low polygon counts. The stages are where things appear to have taken a bad hit. While you can still interact with some of the stage by blasting your opponent through the ceiling, the overall visual style of the stages is lackluster at best. Even the coveted fatalities suffer with very little flair to make you drop your jaw in amazement. Thankfully, the audio is darn near spot on perfect.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is not great, nor is it terrible. It ultimately is just a jumbled mess that still needs work. Hopefully some patches will come out and make this a better game, but until then you are still better off getting the superior Street Fighter IV for your fighting game needs.

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