Graphics: The graphics in i>Armageddon are really good. The game looks like a polished PS2 or Xbox offering. While it doesn’t measure up to the powerhouse systems, compared to other Wii titles, it’s near the top of the heap. You can see the details on the fighters’ faces and watch their clothing wrinkle with every punch, kick, jump and roll. The animation is very smooth, too, as are the transitions from one move to the next. Also cool are the special attacks, like the Fireball shots, which pepper the ground with little particles. Even with all of that going on, the frame rate stays high. The one gripe I have is that the graphics in Konquest mode look like a PS1 game.

Interface: The interface hasn’t changed much from the previous iterations in this series, but why mess with a good thing? The one annoying thing with the GUI has to do with using the Wii remote to pick a character: doing so can be tricky if you’re a coffee drinker because the character portraits are so small. I found it easier to point the remote away and use the nunchuck.

Gameplay: Armageddon plays like nearly every Mortal Kombat before it, meaning fast and frenzied. The fighting allows for intense projectile-based combat even as it encourages melee battles. Although you’ll rarely have a chance to breathe, button-mashing won’t get you far since you’ve got to learn advanced combos and master the fatalities to succeed.

The mechanics are responsive and the gameplay is fun using both the classic Nintendo controller and the GameCube controller. About 95 percent of the time, the Wii remote works great, too. Of course, there were times I was in the midst of an intense battle, looked up at the life bar and noticed my opponent and I had just enough health for one hit. Wanting to look cool, I tried using the Wii remote for a special move, but it didn’t work, and I was the one getting my head ripped off from a finishing move. Most of time, it’s a bad idea to try something fancy when you’re down to your final hit.

Alas, most of the battles in Konquest mode require nothing more than button-mashing. It pays to learn a few moves to use against the computer, though. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the fun of juggling your opponent with nothing but uppercuts. Altogether, Konquest mode is good for killing time while waiting for your friends to arrive.

Sound FX: The audio effects are top notch. Everything is crisp and clean, from the sound of swords hitting each other to vomit spilling over the fighting arena. The announcer, with his deep, bone chilling tone, is still Mortal Kombat‘s trademark. The audio in Motor Kombat could’ve used more work, though, as the effects for the karts and the projectiles are bland. In Konquest mode, all you get are the standard background sounds and the groans of enemies getting punched.

Music: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has the perfect score for each battle arena. Taken as a whole, the soundtrack carries a convincing “doomed Earth” feel. Some arenas have an eerie techno twist, while others feature hard rock. All of the music sounds like a full orchestra with heart and soul put together the tracks. Simply awsome.

Intelligence: The artificial intelligence in the Arcade and Endurance modes is too good. When you’re starting at the base of the tower, it’s easy, but as you progress, the computer appears to predict what you’re going to press before you press it. Maybe Midway did it like that on purpose so we’d keep trying, but I found it frustrating. In Konquest mode, however, the enemy AI could use work. Often, you’ll see your enemies bumping into each other while walking, and after you knock them down with a vicious uppercut, they’ll get up and walk toward you again. Things get harder as you progress, but c’mon, give the guys some brains.

Difficulty: The difficulty of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon depends on your skill level. The more you play and improve, the less challenging it’ll be. If you’ve never played MK before, then you’ll find Armageddon very difficult, even though each character is well balanced. Konquest mode starts off easy but gets much harder as you advance. Motor Kombat isn’t hard; if you pick a character with a projectile, you’ll do well.

Overall: Mortal Kombat has been around for a long time. The version for the Nintendo Wii is a fantastic entry with over 60 characters from which to choose and many things to unlock. It also has great sound effects and fantastic graphics. Plus, it’s fun capping a five- or 10-hit combo with a great head-ripping or skin-melting finishing move.

Armageddon isn’t perfect, though, given the bland Mario Kart 64 knockoff, the lackluster Konquest mode and the fact that the Wii-remote stops shy of working 100 percent of the time. Also, I was hoping the Wii version would have enough new content to make people feel like they had to have it, but that didn’t happen. Midway added some gimmicky mini-games, but the main part of the game (Versus) is still the same. If you’re new to fighting games or haven’t played MK in a long time, Armageddon is worth getting. If you have the Xbox or PS2 version, then stay with it.