Since its 1992 debut in arcades, Midway’s Mortal Kombat has been acclaimed by players and denounced by livid parents. The super violent fatalities and finishing moves put it front and center as a must-play arcade game, but those same moves also fueled parent groups, which used what they deemed as a growing out-of-control level of violence in videogames to help form a formal ratings system.

In April, Midway announced the eighth installment of the successful American fighting series, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The new game will showcase the DC superheroes Superman and Batman alongside such Mortal Kombat characters as Sub-Zero and Scorpion. While the inclusion of the DC characters has forced a “toning down” of some of the violence (players will no longer be able to rip off someone’s head and enjoy the fountain of blow pouring from the exposed wound), the developers have emphasized that fatalities and the game’s trademark “finishing moves” will still be included.

Source: CNN