Mortal Kombat II is a fighting game originally published by Midway for the arcade in 1993 and later being ported to the PC, Amiga, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and PlayStation. Most of these ports were developed by Probe Entertainment and Sculptured Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment.
Story[]
The Kombat Kontinues[]
The Mortal Kombat tournament is held on Earth once every generation. This tournament used to represent honor and glory, since those who competed were the most noble and highly trained warriors in the world.
Approximately 1000 years ago, a demon sorcer named Shang Tsung entered the Mortal Kombat tournament and used his evil supernatural powers to maintain control of the tournament by killing his challengers and robbing them of their souls. Those brave enough to enter the tournament have done so in hopes of overthrowing Shang Tsung and restoring the honor of this once highly respected competition.
At the conclusion of the last Mortal Kombat tournament, Shang Tsung was defeated by Liu Kang, ending his 1000-year reign of terror. The honor and glory of the tournament was temporarily restored. Unfortunately, Shang Tsung managed to survive, escaping back to Outworld.
Shao Kahn, Evil Incarnate[]
Shao Kahn, the fierce warlord and supreme ruler of Outworld, has demanded that Shang Tsung assist him in creating an unbalance between the mystical forces of good and evil. In exchange for his loyalty, Shang Tsung has been provided with supernatural powers and youth.
Shao Kahn's goal is to create a weakness in Earth's dimensional gates and build a portal between Outworld and Earth. Using this portal, Shao Kahn plans to capture the entire planet and enslave the souls of all who live there. Shang Tsung must first collect enough souls to give Shao Kahn the strength he needs to create the dimensional portal.
Shao Kahn has lured Earth's mightiest warriors into Outworld for another deadly tournament. If Shao Kahn's scheme is successful, there will be no warriors left on Earth powerful enough to stop him.
Outworld[]
Welcome to the mysterious realm of Outworld, an extremely dangerous place for mere mortals—the location of this Mortal Kombat Tournament. Matches and other confrontations will be fought in a variety of locations. If a warrior manges to beat all other contestants, he or she will face Shao Kahn for an ultimate battle in Kahn's Arena.
Eac match is fought against one other contestant and consists of a series of rounds. To be victorious, a fighter must win two rounds during a match. It is vital to know each contestant's strengths and weaknesses in order to succeed.
The twelve warriors who have entered this Mortal Kombat Tournament are the most highly trained and the strongest of all living (and non-living) beings. Each match consists of non-stop fighting action. The only rule is to survive and defeat your opponent—at any cost!
Roster[]
Baraka[]
Baraka comes from a nomadic tribe of evil mutants that dwell deep in the wastelands of Outworld. His hideous complexion could b helped by a serious dose of acne medication, but his bad attitude is here to stay.
After seeing Baraka's highly polished combat skills, Shao Kahn recruited him to lead the bloody assault on Liu Kang's Order of Light temple. The raid was brutally successful, but earned Baraka a deadly adversary—Liu Kang, who has sworn to avenge the murder of his fellow monks.
Baraka uses special blades that shred his opponents into pieces. Nothing pleases Baraka more than watching blood spew out of his opponent's body. He is also known for his powerful Blue Bolt Spark Toss—deadly bolts of energy that he shoots at opponents.
Johnny Cage[]
Some say that there's no business like show business; but for Johnny Cage, there's one thing more exciting than starring in a martial arts movie—competing in actual tournaments. Cage risks his life in dangerous competitions partly to show his fans that his on-screen moves aren't faked, and partly because he enjoys the action.
While shooting his latest flick, Johnny Cage mysteriously disappeared. Determined to prove once and for all that he's not just another movie star, Johnny Cage set off for Outworld in search of what could be his most difficult challenge yet—defeating Shao Kahn.
If he's successful, Johnny Cage will become an even bigger celebrity, and earn the respect an honorable warrior deserves. Assuming Cage survives this tournament, he will return to Earth to shoot a new movie called Mortal Kombat II. The plot of this film is so bizarre that everyone on Earth thinks it's fiction. Only a handful of warriors know differently.
Jax[]
After the Mortal Kombat tournament, Sonya Blade's commanding officers received a priority distress signal from her and her top-secret para-military police unit.
Major Jackson Briggs (codename: Jax) heads a top U.S. Special Forces unit. Ordered to find Lt. Blade and her unit, Jax followed a lead and found himself in the dark realm of Outworld. Like Blade, Jax is a highly trained soldier who specializes in the martial arts.
If Jax defeats his opponents, he could find himself face-to-face with Shao Kahn and discover that Sonya Blade is being held captive. Jax must win the tournament if he wants to return home with Blade alive.
Liu Kang[]
Liu Kang is a superior fighter who was born and raised in The People's Republic of China. He's a descendant of Kung Lao, an Order of Light monk who managed to defeat Goro 500 years ago. Now it's Liu Kang's turn to prove himself as a warrior.
At the age of 24, Liu Kang defeated Shang Tsung and won the last Mortal Kombat Tournament. He was one of only seven survivors. Liu Kang returned home to his temple only to find that his fellow monks had been murdered by an army of Outworld warriors, led by Kintaro and Baraka.
Instead of fighting for honor, Liu Kang is out for revenge. He will battle anyone or anything that gets in his way as he travels into the dark realm of Outworld. This time, his goal is to defeat Shao Kahn. With some added tutelage from Raiden, Liu Kang will have the skill and strength to do the job.
Kitana[]
Kitana is a beautiful woman, especially when you consider that she's 10,000 years old. Though she looks harmless, Shao Kahn's lovely step-daughter is a skilled and deadly warrior. The oriental fans she carries contain hidden razor blades and can be thrown across the arena or used at close range.
Princess Kitana is the rightful heir to the throne of Outworld. Her real parents once ruled Outworld, but were overthrown and killed by Shao Kahn. Although raised by the evil Kahn, Kitana has the potential for good. With a bit of luck and a lot of serious fighting, she may be able to overthrow Kahn and regain the Outworld throne.
Kung Lao[]
Five hundred years ago, one of Kung Lao's distant relatives (a monk in the Order of Light) defeated Shang Tsung. This was the first time Shang Tsung had been beaten in battle. Learning that Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn are plotting to take over the world, Kung Lao has decided to follow in the steps of his ancestor and stop them.
Kung Lao, currently a member of the White Lotus Society, is a former Order of Light monk. Like Liu Kang, he is grieving the loss of his brothers, murdered in cold blood shortly after the Mortal Kombat Tournament. Many have noticed that Kung Lao always wears his hat, even into combat. It's not a fashion statement—Kung Lao's hat is his most lethal weapon.
Mileena[]
Although Mileena is Kitana's twin, the two women don't have the same mother and father. As a matter of fact, Mileena didn't have any mother or father. Mileena is a clone, created by Shao Kahn to be a lethal and heartless assassin.
Like Kitana, Mileena is a powerful warrior, and appears to be a beautiful woman. Sai (daggers) are her main weapon, and she uses them to inflict pain and injury on all those who oppose her. Unlike Kitana, Mileena is 100% evil and has no chance of changing her nature.
Since Shao Kahn doesn't trust Kitana, he assigned both Reptile and Mileena to watch over her. But Shao Kahn may have made a mistake—can someone as evil as Mileena be trusted?
Raiden[]
Raiden is the God of Thunder, which explains his uncanny ability to harness lightning and thunder and shoot deadly bolts of energy from his bare palms.
After surviving the last Mortal Kombat Tournament, Raiden shed his mortal form and watched from the clouds as Shang Tsung begged for his life and vowed to take revenge on the tournament survivors.
Raiden has uncovered the evil plan of Shao Kahn, who has tricked a group of warriors into traveling to Outworld where another tournament is being held. After warning the other six Mortal Kombat Tournament survivors, Raiden traveled to Outworld, where he intends to personally defeat Shao Kahn.
To prepare for this latest and most deadly of tournaments, Raiden has perfected many powerful maneuvers.
Reptile[]
Though legends of intelligent reptiles have existed since the dawn of man, they had always been dismissed as fable—until Reptile appeared at the Mortal Kombat Tournament. No one knows if he is the last survivor of some long extinct species, or just one of many still in hiding, and Reptile isn't talking. Though humanoid, Reptile's head is anything but human. He prefers to keep it covered because it resembles a dinosaur head. Like any lizard, Reptile can be found lurking in the darkness, but as Shang Tsung's personal protector and bodyguard, he's never too far away. Reptile has many amazing powers that normal humans have trouble defending against. Like all of the warriors in this tournament, he has a special weapon that can be shot from his bare hands. He can also spit highly poisonous acid from his mouth and become invisible at will.
Scorpion[]
You might not want to call Scorpion a survivor of the Mortal Kombat Tournament, since he started out dead and still is. Scorpion has once again been resurrected to take revenge against Sub-Zero, who originally assassinated him.
Scorpion carries the name of a venomous arachnid for a good reason. When he enters the fighting arena, he becomes a deadly warrior who doesn't hesitate to kill.
After traveling to Outworld to enter Shao Kahn's tournament, Scorpion saw Sub-Zero in battle. To his surprise, Sub-Zero spared the life of his defeated opponent. Realizing that Sub-Zero isn't the same heartless assassin that murdered him long ago, Scorpion has changed his strategy. Instead of going after Sub-Zero, he's out to stop Shao Kahn.
Shang Tsung[]
Humiliated by his defeat at the Mortal Kombat Tournament, the demon sorcerer Shang Tsung returned to the Outworld and his lord, Shao Kahn. He begged Shao Kahn to spare his life and received a second chance to defeat all those who had beaten him.
So that Shang Tsung can compete in Shao Kahn's tournament, Shao Kahn has transformed him into a young warrior with amazing speed, strength and agility. Besides this, Shang Tsung has the ability to morph into any other fighter in the tournament—and take on their special moves and abilities. As himself, Shang Tsung can use his ultimate fighting tool—the Flaming Skulls weapon.
Now that he's young again, Shang Tsung is one of the mightiest warriors you'll face. If Shang Tsung is victorious, the Earth and all who live there are doomed!
Sub-Zero[]
Though Sub-Zero's origins are shrouded in mystery, he is known to be a member of the Lin Kuei, a clan of Chinese assassins that have special powers, the most amazing of which is the ability to create ice—and deep freeze opponents.
The Sub-Zero competing in Shao Kahn's tournament is the younger brother of the original Sub-Zero, who didn't return from the Mortal Kombat Tournament. This new Sub-Zero has sworn to avenge his older brother, and hopes to defeat anyone, including Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, who was associated with his brother's disappearance.
Sub-Zero's ability to temporarily freeze his opponents stuns his enemies, leaving them wide open for a follow-up attack.
Reception[]
The game was an unprecedented commercial success and was acclaimed by most critics, receiving many annual awards and having been featured in various top lists in the years and decades to come, and also caused a major video game controversy due to the series' continuous depiction of graphic violence. Its legacy includes spawning a spin-off game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks and having the greatest influence on the 2011 reboot game Mortal Kombat, as well as inspiring numerous video game clones.