Review by: Mike Laidlaw
Published: January 13, 2003

Midway clearly had two goals in mind when developing Deadly Alliance, the latest edition of the venerable Mortal Kombat series. Their first goal, which must have been to pervert the spelling of as many “c” words into “k” words as possible, was a resounding success. The second goal was much more ambitious: re-invigorate the respected series and capture the magic that made Mortal Kombat 2 a classic. Steadily losing its luster since those halcyon days, Mortal Kombat fans have found it harder to keep the faith with each edition, spin off and badly acted movie. Is it possible to return the soul to Mortal Kombat? Perhaps, but only by making some radical changes while walking the tightrope of fan alienation. Let’s step into the ring for a few rounds with Deadly Alliance to see how it fares.

With a growing universe behind it, Mortal Kombat has always boasted a richer storyline than most fighters. This time out, the focus is on a partnership between Shang Tsung and the sorcerer Quan Chi, both of whom are deadly. Escaping his imprisonment established in Mortal Kombat 4, Quan Chi kicks Deadly Alliance into high gear by finding the lost army of the Dragon King and teaming up with the soul-stealing Tsung to reanimate these undead soldiers. Raiden, thunder god and general protector of Earth, rounds up his trusted team of defenders to once again challenge the pair, who’ve managed to both overthrow the Emperor of Outworld and eliminate Liu Kang, their greatest threat from Earth.

Obviously, you’re thinking that last sentence is a joke. How could Midway kill off the lead hero of the series? Rather easily, as it turns out, and unless he’s available in a secret code or hidden unlockable, Liu Kang makes only a terminal cameo in the opening, and there’s only a hint that he may return for the next game.

Many other characters do come forward from the previous releases, however, including Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub Zero, Scorpion and Kano, to name those who’ve been with us from the beginning. Cyrax, Jax and others from the previous edition have also come forward, creating a cast of 21 characters in all, though only 12 are unlocked at the beginning.

Four fighters appear for the first time in Deadly Alliance, bringing unique abilities to the table. Bo Rai Cho is the seemingly now-mandatory Drunken Master of the game, mixing fluid stances to stagger about the mat while delivering attacks. Mavado is a menacing character capable of attacking using a pair of spikes that extend from his arms. Nitara stands as a neutral party to the whole Earth realm issue, but her vampiric nature and wings give her a decidedly dark bent. On the other side of the spectrum, the plucky Li Mei represents her enslaved people with lighting quick moves reminiscent of Chun Li, while the blindfolded Kenshi lands the award for “Coolest Looking Blind Sword Master Ever” hands down.