NetherRealm Studios to release Mortal Kombat in March 2011

Patrick McCarron

TRMK Admin, Co-founder
Staff member
Earlier this morning, the WB Games' Chicago game studio was relaunched officially as <a href="http://www.netherrealm.com">NetherRealm Studios</a>, just <a href="http://www.trmk.org/news/12891/wb_games_chicago_to_become_netherrealm_studios.html">as was discovered last April</a>. You can find their new logo and home over at <a href="http://www.netherrealm.com">www.netherrealm.com</a>. The page is pretty basic right now but it has an awesome new logo which you can see below.

<center><img src="http://www.trmk.org/images/news/nrs_logo.png" width="368" height="411" /></center>

Along with the new studio name is the information that <a href="http://www.trmk.org/games/mortal_kombat_9/">ninth Mortal Kombat game</a> will be a reboot of the franchise. Basically they are rebooting the series to re-establish "the brand with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat innovates on past games while staying true to the brand’s legendary characters and fighting style." Here is more on the game from WB's Press Release:
The newest chapter of the iconic fight franchise marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Driven by an all new graphics engine, the fan favorite Fatality is back and presented in more gory detail than ever before. In addition, Mortal Kombat introduces a number of new game-play features including tag team and the deepest story mode of any fighting game. Players can choose from an extensive lineup of the game’s iconic warriors and challenge their friends in traditional 1 vs. 1 matches, or take on several new game modes.
The game will also feature some new gameplay features like Tag Team fighting, and all back in the familiar 2D style gameplay like the first three Mortal Kombat games. Not to mention what will likely be the most gruesome fatalities ever seen in a Mortal Kombat game.

“We can’t wait for players to get their hands on Mortal Kombat,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “This game really is a response to what players have been demanding: mature presentation, reinvented 2D fighting mechanic and the best, most gruesome fatalities ever!”

Mortal Kombat introduces a number of new game modes as well as the most extensive online experience ever seen in a fighting game. Up to 4 players can battle “tag-team”- 2 players can team up in the new “Co-op Arcade Mode” or compete against another team online.
The game will be released in <b>March 2011</b> for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 systems. Here is a look at it's awesome trailer:
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<br/>Download Versions:<br/><a href="http://www.trmk.org/video/MortalKombatTrailer_061010.mp4">Mobile H.264 Video (iPhone/Android/etc)</a> (14.3MB)<br/><a href="http://www.trmk.org/video/MortalKombatTrailer_061010_720p.mp4">H.264 720p HD Video</a> (36.1MB)<br/><a href="http://www.trmk.org/video/MortalKombatTrailer_061010_u720p.mp4">H.264 Uncompressed 720p HD Video</a> (555MB)</center>

<b>WB Games</b> also launched <a href="http://www.themortalkombat.com">TheMortalKombat.com</a> as the new home to this new game. Currently it just links to the <a href="/news/12924/official_mortal_kombat_youtube_and_facebook_pages_found.html">Facebook fan page</a> but I expect that to change as E3 gets closer. The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mortalkombat">Mortal Kombat Facebook page</a> has also posted a high resolution copy of the game's new logo. It's a whole new darker stone dragon logo, along with a flat red MORTAL KOMBAT type underneath it. This is the logo:
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<center><img src="/images/news/MortalKombat2011.jpg" width=500 height=500/></center>
 
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Yup, I'm sold completely just off that trailer! Finally, back to basics and it looks killer. The character designs and levels look so good - I can't wait until March hahaha
 
Great god. So it's MK given the SFIV treatment then. Well, it looks amazing that's for sure. Maybe Tim might even like it lol.

A bit annoyed about the release date though, was hoping to see it by Christmas.
 
I'm not bothered enough to take stills of the trailer. Sub-Zero almost looks the same. He has the same mask from MKvsDCU.

But of course, final revisions always change just like MKvsDCU.

Thanks for the HD, Jeff!
 
On the plus side, guess who's birthday falls in march! I hope it's a nice big expensive collector's edition!
 
Re: Guys teh new mk trailer is here!!!!

Bloody spectacular! I recognize some of those arenas :). The name Mortal Kombat implies it's a reboot to me, but they have arenas from MKII and I thought I saw Cyrax too. So maybe it encompasses the first 3 games.
 
Kira is filling in for Sonya on the classic arena with Sonya and Kano chained on.

3D on a 2D plain, I'm happy they kept the 3D at this level and that traidition attaires are back in most cases.

Though... Ouch... I'm GLAD they didn't show the ending of that Kung Lao fatality.

Edit:
And not to mention they've timed it JUST right due to the hype with the movie pitch... When all eyes are on MK.
 
I like the sound of the new game modes. Co-op arcade? Not bad. I'm also glad that Sektor will be in the game; I will likely use him a lot.

But, the whole reboot deal bores me to death; the series is just going backwards story-wise, and bringing out the same characters yet again. There's no progression whatsoever. Nightwolf? Fail.

Hopefully, this game does a better job of keeping me interested than MK vs. DCU. Within 3 months, after unlocking a bunch of achievements, I ended up selling MK vs. DCU.
 
I'd think that most likely the Short Film people some how knew this was coming and coincided their release with this... or just assumed they'd show something at E3. Either way these last couple of days has me so amped up for MK that I might explode in a fatality kiss sort of way.
 
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