We chose the Xbox disc not because of any one graphical, gameplay, or control advantages mind you, but because (let's face it) Xbox Live is a hell of a lot better for plug and play online gaming than the PS2 is. Even so, the connection processes for both systems are nigh identical, with a slightly different login interface for the GameSpy-powered PS2 version in comparison to Xbox Live. In terms of intuitiveness, wait times, and lobby setups, however, the differences are negligible.

To say that I was blown away with just how smooth and responsive the online portion of the fighting truly is, is an understatement, as Mortal Kombat: Deception is seriously the most lag-free Internet fighting game I've ever played. And over the course of our six different match-ups with various kinds of characters, I never once experienced a single hitch or stutter in the action. I could tell right off the bat that Midway is sporting some serious network code here, and can only begin to wonder just how blown away other players will be when they get to try online for the first time as well.