Play Mortal Kombat II Online

I picked up Mortal Kombat II for the Game Boy in 1994, a portable version of Midway's arcade hit. It was a time when getting a fighting game this complex on a handheld felt like a minor miracle, even with the hardware's limitations. The roster was trimmed down, but having a few favorites like Sub-Zero and Raiden in my pocket was enough.

You control one of several fighters, moving left and right on a 2D plane to battle a series of opponents. The main goal is to defeat each character in the tournament, leading up to the final boss. Signature mechanics include performing special moves, like Scorpion's spear or Liu Kang's bicycle kick, by inputting specific directional combinations; landing successful attacks fills a meter that enables a powerful super move. The pacing is fast, and the AI can be brutally cheap, especially in later matches. It feels surprisingly responsive for a Game Boy title, making each victory satisfying.