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Fatality!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Well, Deception probably has the greatest opening sequence that I've ever seen in any game, whether it be fighting game, racing or RPG, and the endings are really awesome. Other than that, the core gameplay hasn't changed much from Deadly Alliance aside from combo breakers, and that's not such a good thing in my mind. Although the likeness of the Chess and Puzzle Kombat mini games (Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, but with MK characters and Stage fatalities), and the increasingly boring and freaquently dry Konquest mode make a mountain out of the replay value, the core gameplay is just as hard to get used to as in the last game.

I miss what MK 4 used to be, which was in my opinion the best of the series, which basically proves what most gamers (hopefully) believe, it's the gameplay not the graphics. The one thing I could do without is the Krypt, which is annoying and tedious, and requires you to actually go through the ever dragging Konquest mode mentioned above. It basically takes you from the beginning of Mortal Kombat to the current story of Deception as Shujinko, and gives you a better understanding of how Onaga, the Dragon King (Cheep Boss) resurrected and tricked the nutty old narrator (Shujinko) of the opening sequence (breathtaking), all just to collect stupid "Krypt keys" that unlock stages and characters, which by the way are awesome and make the nostalgia factor go through the roof. All in all, the obligation of Konquest mode makes unlocking the characters seem more like a dragging job than a fun and rewarding experience.

The core gameplay isn't what it's cracked up to be, as said earlier, not much was changed from Deadly Alliance. If you loved Deadly Alliance, though, you're in luck. They did add one more fatality per character, making 2 for each, and probably the coolest addition to Mortal Kombat, Hara-Kiri's. That is basically a chance for you to kill yourself at the end of a lost match before your opponent does a fatality on you, making it sort-of a race to see who can do a fatality first, and still giving you a chance to control your character after you've lost. Classic stages like the Pit 1, the Dead Pool and the Living Forest make a return and are looking prettier than ever. The return of Ermak, Nightwolf, Baraka, Milleena, Sindel and Noob-Smoke, the tag-team version of Noob-Siabot and Smoke. Each of them seemlessly change out like switching fighting styles, but they have no weapon. Those classic characters are definetly something to look forward to!

The graphics are the best in the series and some of the best I've seen the PS2 put out, and immensly impressive when juxtaposed to the august visuals of Tekken 5 and VF4 Evolution. The characters have an almost un-precedented amount of detail, and the stages are vast and, surprisingly vibrant considering the dark moodiness that MK games have delivered since MK2, but that's not a bad thing, especially since it shows off how awesome the game looks. The sound, however, is definetly this games knight in shining armor, but as long as they don't get rid of Dan "Toasty" Forden, nobody has anything to worry about.

The Premium Packs for (Sub-Zero for PS2 and Mileena, Baraka, Scorpion and Raiden for XBOX), includes a serialized metal trading card of the character on the cover and an extra disk with some behind-the-scenes-esque footage of most of the characters and an arcade-perfect port of The One that started it all, baby! Other fighting games take note.

Mortal Kombat Deception is great and delivers the bloody Kombat that people have come to expect and love, although it's just in need of an overhaul gameplay-wise, it's still well-deserving of all the hype it has recieved and fans should definetly not have to think twice before making a purchace!

about up to the same standard as the other MK games

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

a solid entry into the MK series. It was great being able to play so many of the MK characters. That was the best part. I've yet to really have any great love for the whole konquest mode. but the gameplay is what we've come to expect-which is never a bad thing. Even the changes to the fatalities didn't bother me too much.

Wait for the Premium Edition of Armageddon

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This review speaks only of the special additions, not the game itself. With that said, for MK fans who have not picked this up and are considering, I say it's definitely not worth your money. It has three features: the MK character cards, the MK 1 arcade game, and the history of Mortal Kombat video from Deadly Alliance. It would be highly unlikely for any of the 25 character cards in this to not reappear in the Premium Edition of Armageddon, which is said to feature more than 50. The history of Mortal Kombat video also leaves out A LOT here. It does talk about Deception toward the end, but in spite of this it is still around 2 minutes shorter. What a waste.

Playing the arcade version of MK 1 might be the only plus depending on your point of view. For various reasons from which I will spare readers the majority here, this arcade version does not win me over. It is practically unchanged on Genesis, and even the bloodless SNES version has some better music in certain parts.

Regardless of my view on the original Mortal Kombat game, I universally recommend fans who do not have Deception's Premium Pack to not bother with it. If you got it when Deception originally came out, fine. If not, unless you really want a fancy Sub-Zero cover, definitely wait for the Premium Edition of Armageddon.

MK-All the Way

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Deception takes all the aspects that made Deadly Alliance great and improves them. Puzzle Kombat and Chess Kombat are tons of fun. The RPG starring Shujinko is like playing a whole other game. It's fun but prepare to invest a lot of hours into it. There's a lot to do in that adventure. And the fighting roster is a good pick with new characters and old classics mixing it up in beautifully detailed battle arenas. The blood just gushes from the screen and much gore is to be had during character fatalties, stage fatalities, and the slightly disturbing Hara-Kiri suicide move. Gruesome but that's the MK legacy. My only gripe is the expanded Krypt. Some of the graves involve some pretty crazy keys like going to the RPG game and putting Shujinko behind the tent in Edenia on Thursday at midnight so he can meet Jade to unlock the crypt. I had to scout the internet for that bit of info. I never would've discovered that on my own.

As for the bonus disc, as a fan I would say that it's nice to have but it's not really vital to your MK existence. The interviews are nice but they don't go far enough for me. It's just icing, I would've liked to have more cake. Bonus points for including "cast members" from previous MK games like John Turk(Sub-Zero) and Kerri Hoskins (Sonya Blade) to share some of their MK memories but they were so brief it's like a cameo. Basically, the actors just said what character they played and how much they fun they had. I was a bit amused at the very tiny mention of the MK film sequel "Annhilation". I agree that not every MK franchise was flawless. The Mortal Kombat game was a nice addition for fans of the first game. Unfortunately, I didn't become a fan until Mortal Kombat II so it didn't do me much good. Overall, the bonus disc is nice but I expected more.

All in all, if you planning to buy this special edition Deception 2-Disc pack try to find it as cheap as possible but if you are a true fan like me price really isn't an object. Who can resist that infamous dragon icon. Kombat Forever!

Online doesn't salvage...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: May 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game picks up control-wise where the last one left off, "Deadly Alliance." I actually like "Deadly Alliance" a lot and still play it (AND kept it), but this one is a little too "tweaked." The new 3D philosophy for the programmers was good last time, but this time it just doesn't work. They made jumping a lot slower, as well as movements, perhaps to create more realism, but it completely changes the gameplay and calls for a whole new format on things. One way to illustrate the amount of change needed for the new slower game is the fact that Scorpion has fewer moves. His swordswipe is gone, which was an awesome and easy-to-use move. Gone. So, a slower game, and the characters move slower in every way. When you get hit with Sub's ice, you slowly take the frozen stance. Every match just drags. As well, the characters are now huge, and for them to move so slowly is mind-numbingly annoying. It's too bad that they held back online until this. The last one would've been perfect. Although this new one has interactive environments, that just makes it a very complicated, slow-moving, ill-controlled mess. There's also chess and other featurette games, but these, again, do no compensate. If you look at it, it almost seems that they were paying too much attention to outer details, and failed to remember gameplay. It's obscure, but believe me, there is mondo difference between this and "Deadly Alliance." The hits on this one, too, are a little off, so that hollow feel is very present. The only thing I don't regret is that I got a copy of part 1, the original, in an "exact" port from its arcade self.

Engrossing!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

When I first got this I just had to pop in the arcade perfect port of the original Mortal Kombat. They did a fantastic job. All the little glitches that were prevalent in the arcade are also here. Now onto the main game Deception. I found most of the moves less complicated then in Deadly Alliance. Fatalities are especially gruesome and stage fatalities are creative and a blessing to have back in the game. The graphics are really outstanding, similiar to DA, but just more evil surroundings, in this game kinda brings back the day when Mortal Kombat was evil. Unlocking characters, arenas etc.. are done through purchasing them from the Krypt again, however you must play through Konquest mode. This mode is addicting, as you follow a young warrior name Shujinko through various realms, completing tasks and getting coins and keys to open up the coffins in the Krypt. People are slagging the graphics and I really found the graphics to be excellent. Some people just are haters just for the sake of it, don't listen to them. I actually cared about the character I played as and the story is great. After completing the mode, you most likely did not get everything, or complete the numerous tasks. Don't fret, you can go back to the realms and complete the tasks, or just beat up on people if you so desire. I cannot stress to you how awesome Konquest mode is, plus you learn the moves of the various fighters...it can be frustrating at times, but nonetheless it's a great challenge.

Another mode is the puzzle fighter game. Remember the fantastic Super Puzzle Fighter II from the ps-one? Well this is basically the same game, but w/MK flava. You can do fatalities in here too, but are way easier, you only press one button. Geez there are so many fatalities in Deception, that it will literally take you weeks to see them all/perform them. Puzzle fighter is also very addicting, and you can pick from 12 characters, and they have bobble heads, cute and funny, but the brutality of MK is always there. The last mode is the chess part, which I still have not gotten to yet..Konquest mode has basically taken over my life so there is not alot of time..but from what I understand it is also great. These modes also add some much needed depth to the fighting genre. But, as a stand alone fighter, Deception is as close to perfection as you can possibly come. Get the Kollector's edition so you can have the original MK in all its glory. Deception rules!!! Just a word of caution to parents..don't be stupid and purchase this game for your young child, even though it's the christmas season, please. The game is too violent and even though you can turn the blood off it's rated Mature for a reason. Also seeing hot female Mortal Kombat fighters have their voluptuous bosooms jiggle all over the place is not for youngsters.

Good investment

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: November 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Awesome gameplay, if anything, pick this up just for the original mortal kombat.

Parents and Politicians Beware

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: November 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

10/09/04

Parents and Politicians Beware The New Mortal Kombat Game Is Here

The latest incarnation in the ongoing Mortal Kombat series returns once again with a slew of new additions to an already excellent franchise which is sure to keep fans and newcomers coming back for more.
With the series first arriving in the arcades back in 1992, Mortal Kombat quickly became one of the most controversial and to the dismay of parents and senators everywhere, most successful selling game of all time. The series, which spawned a total of five top selling installments and two movies, returns once again to wreak havoc upon the home console world with versions for both Playstation 2 and Xbox.
Mortal Kombat Deception starts off right where 2002's Deadly Alliance left off, we learned that bad guys Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were successful in defeating all of the earth realm combatants except for the thunder god Raiden. Raiden unfortunately is unable to take on both of the sorcerers and is defeated. However, Shang Tsung's and Quan Chi's victory would be short-lived when they immediately turn on each other. To make matters worse a new villain known as the Dragon King returns to claim what was taken from him. So once again gamers must resume the roles of a number of different fighters with different abilities to defeat a foe more menacing than the first.
As far as the game's graphics go they're almost exactly the same as the last game, which isn't a bad thing. Deception is a very polished looking game although it still doesn't compare to the graphic detail found in other fight games such as in Tekken 4 or Dead or Alive 3. The game's audio is also the usual oriental and rock mix that has permeated through all of the games which has always worked well for the series.
In the game's arcade mode players can choose from a total of twenty-four characters to fight their way up through the ranks in order to take on the big bad guy at the top. Fans of the previous games will be glad to see old school characters such as Sub-Zero, Kabal, Ermac, Scorpion, and Nightwolf, to name a few, have returned for another round; with many more old and new characters locked away in the game until gamers unlock them. The returning characters have retained all of their beloved special moves with a few new ones, as well as two new fatalities and new suicide move called the Hari-kari.
For newcomers one of the Mortal Kombat series hallmarks is the gruesome finishing moves known as fatalities where the winner of the match can dispose of their opponent in a number of gory and gruesome manners such as tearing off their arms or legs and clubbing the loser to death with them. Nice, I know. A nice new touch to the game is the Hari-kari moves in which defeated opponents can now finish themselves off before the victor does, this adds some funny and over the top gory deaths which robs your opponent of the satisfaction of getting to perform a fatalities on you. As for the fatalities in this game they are by far the goriest, over the top and best of the series yet, which was something that was seriously lacking in the last game.
Perhaps the biggest change to the game play is the addition of Death Traps that are placed in certain arenas. These death traps consist of stone grinders, molten lava pits, and other assorted nasty death devices, which will kill any player instantly if, knocked into, ending the round. This new addition to the game play is both a plus and a minus. On the one hand these traps will make players play more strategically than they normal would have, paying close attention to not only their opponent but also the surrounding environment. However, since it's fairly easy to knock anyone into them, the death traps can become rather cheap when a player constantly uses them for an easy win. Thankfully they can be shut off in the option menu. The arenas that house these traps are also multi-level arenas meaning in order to take advantage of the traps a player must first be knocked into the area where the trap is located. An example of this would be the Slaughter House arena where a player can be knocked through the floor only to continue fighting below but now there's a chance any player could be thrown into the large rotating meat grinder in the corner of this lower level.
The addition of combo breakers is also another smart addition to the game, which really brings balance to the game's fighting system. In the previous games players who had mastered the ability to string together attacks could really deliver massively damaging combos, which resulted in beginning players being at a serious disadvantage as their fighter got annihilated round after round. With the combo breakers any player can now halt any string of attacks instead of taking a massive beating, however each player is only allowed three combo breakers per a match. Players now have to play conservatively choosing when the best time to break a combo would be most effective during the match.
Besides the normal combat mode, Deception also includes a number of extras that are really like new games. First up is what is called Khess Kombat, which is a spin on the game of chess with Mortal Kombat characters and other interesting twists, including magic spells and fighting matches to determine which player take the chess piece. Then there's Puzzle Kombat, which is a hybrid version of the classic Tetris game. In Puzzle Kombat players select miniature Kombat characters and play a Tetris like game while the little miniature fighters duke it out below your game window. In true Mortal Kombat fashion both puzzle games have a set of fatalities to go with them. Both games are highly addicting and can be played with one to two players or online.
The weakest aspect of Deception, though, is the new Konquest mode, and yes that's spelled with a "k" too. In Konquest mode you assume the role of Shujinko, a young warrior who is on a quest to recover certain mystical artifacts from different worlds of the game. Along the way you'll run across characters from the game that will either assist you or need a favor from you, such as finding Scorpion's missing ninja comrade. This mode becomes tedious rather fast when you must travel and fetch certain items from one location to the next, only to go back again and again. Unfortunately, players will have to play through this mode if they wish to unlock all of the game's content, such as hidden characters and arenas, which is really the only reason why anyone would. This mode also seems like the least polished of all, with horrible voice acting, a predictable storyline and a poor graphic interface. On a more positive note, this mode will teach newcomers the basics to advanced game techniques they'll need in order to compete against other players at home or online. Maybe the developers will work out these issues with the next game.
But perhaps the best reason to pick up the new Mortal Kombat game is just for the online competition. Both the Playstation 2 and the Xbox support online gaming for the standard Arcade mode, Khess Kombat and Puzzle Kombat so you'll always be able to find some kind of competition to play against once your friends get sick of losing to you every turn.
All in all though Mortal Kombat Deception is an excellent game that has enough going for it to please just about any fighting game fan. Whether you're a Mortal Kombat nut or just someone looking for a good, solid fighting game Deception really delivers on multiple levels. However, gamers that are a bit squeamish should probably stay away, Deception is definitely a violent and gory game that should be played by mature players only.

This is one Deception you want to get caught in...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

How do you take a series that many had thought was gasping for its last breath and suddenly jumpstart it back to being a powerhouse? Just ask the makers of Mortal Kombat. The series was about to be pretty much history after the release of MK4 and a series of, well, horrid spinoff games. Then in 2002 the release of MK:Deadly Alliance proved that there was still life in the brutal game yet, and then some.

Now, less than 2 years later, the MK gang is back for the sequel to Deadly Alliance, MK:Deception. Of course the obvious question gamers ask is does Deception give more than what they got in Deadly Alliance? In reference to both the regular $50 edition and the special Kollectors Edition/Premium Pack (just $10 more), the answer is "Oh YEAH!"

Deception takes place almost immediately after the events of Deadly Alliance. The fighters from Earthrealm are severly decimated by the combined power of foes Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, leaving only Raiden as the last man (or god, as the case may be)standing. Raiden holds his own admirably against the duo but soon falls at their hands. WIth all they need to rule, they resurrect an army of the dead and then surprisingly (or unsurprisingly)turn on each other faster than a "Survivor" castaway, but fail to realize that raising the army also resurrected their true leader, a Dragon King known as Onaga.

Realizing this, Shang and Quan realign to take down Onaga, but fail miserably. Raiden revives quickly to join the duo and finds that even two powerful wizards and a thunder god can't stop Onaga. Raiden decides to create a massive lightning blast to destroy Onaga (and them with it), but Onaga shakes it off and begins to make a move towards ruling the realms. There is one person with the power to put Onaga down for good, but who...?

This story leads into the massively expanded (and more fun) Konquest mode of Deception. As Shujinko, you progress through the game, meeting up with fighters from several different realms including a few familiar faces from past MK games making a welcome return to the game (and one who you would NEVER think would make a return...I won't spoil it for you)and collecting a series of symbols known as Kamidogu.

Several new modes are available in Deception, including Chess Kombat (this is definitely a fun way to play for experienced players and newbies alike), Puzzle Kombat (Imagine Tetris for the MK player), a streamlined but still expansive Krypt (keep your eyes open as some classic MK characters are running around down there), Online play (THANK YOU GOD!!!), 2 Fatalities for each character and a Hari-Kiri (suicide), interactive environmental fatalities, the familiar classic Kombat mode, and more.

But with the KE/PP you get the addition of an "arcade-perfect" version of MK1, a metal trading card, and video that shows and reveals the massive history behind this legendary game.

Without a doubt, Mortal Kombat has definitely both revived and reinvented itself thanks to Deadly Alliance and now Deception. This is definitely one Deception that you want to be involved in.

a site for those in need

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Hey all, just to let some of those know that are a little frustrated with the stategy guide. If you want a list of all the crypts and moves/fatalities, locations of extra characters and all the good stuff, check out gamewinners.com, then go to cheats. Click on the PS2 console option. And well, you know the rest. Believe me, it was a relief to find all that good info since the strategy(or lack there of) guide failed my expectations for helping me. Yeah, I know. Where's the fun in discovering? Screw that, show me the MOVES!!

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