Play Mortal Kombat : Deadly Alliance Online

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance on GBA is a surprisingly solid port for a handheld—it cuts some corners, sure, but still nails that brutal MK feel. You start with seven fighters (Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and the usual suspects) and nine arenas, but the real hook is the Krypt. Every fight earns you koins to unlock hidden stuff—new characters, stages, even goofy alternate costumes. I spent way too long smashing Test Your Might just to see what was in those 120 koffins.

The fighting’s stripped down to two attack buttons instead of five, but the shoulder buttons let you switch between fighting styles mid-combo, which keeps things interesting. Fatalities are here (obviously), and Shang Tsung can still morph into other fighters—a nice touch they didn’t have to include. The pseudo-3D arenas look decent for a GBA game, though the camera rotation when sidestepping feels a bit janky at first.

Arcade mode’s your standard ladder, Survival’s brutal with its tiny health refills, and linking up for versus battles lets you gamble your hard-earned koins. It’s not the full console experience, but for a portable MK fix? Way better than it had any right to be.