Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection Review – The Ultimate Kompilation?

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I remember being in seventh grade back in 1996 when my friends started talking about this incredible new fighting game called Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. As soon as I saw someone playing, I was totally obsessed! It quickly became the thing to do – all my friends would come over, and we’d spend entire days battling it out, trying to master all the complicated button combinations to pull off those awesome fatalities. It felt like the best time ever, until summer vacation was suddenly over!

I first discovered my love for fighting games through Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which led me to become a lifelong fan of the Mortal Kombat series. I’ve played most of the main games over the last thirty years. Though I’m disappointed with the direction of Mortal Kombat 1 and the series as a whole right now, there’s still nothing like hearing someone yell “Mortal Kombat!” to get me excited.

Seeing the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection come out in 2025 – including games I played as a kid – was a really nostalgic experience. However, after playing it, I was a bit let down by some of the choices made in the collection, despite there being a lot to enjoy.

The original three Mortal Kombat games were all released in different versions for various systems, including home consoles, handheld devices, and arcade machines.

Let’s get to the highlights! This collection features classic Mortal Kombat games, starting with the original three. It also includes Mortal Kombat 4 – which isn’t my personal favorite – and Mortal Kombat Trilogy. You’ll even find the Game Boy Advance version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero from the original PlayStation. Plus, there are special editions like my beloved Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, the fantastic Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition.

This collection is incredibly comprehensive! The original three Mortal Kombat games each have multiple versions for different systems – consoles, handhelds, and arcades. Beyond the games themselves, there’s a “Krypt” mode filled with interesting extras like developer commentary, series timelines, artwork, and behind-the-scenes footage. It’s a fantastic package that offers a huge dose of nostalgia and plenty to enjoy for any Mortal Kombat enthusiast.

One of the best parts of this collection is how it’s presented, particularly the user interface. Everything, from browsing to launching games, is done in a clean, attractive, and easy-to-navigate way. You can quickly filter by arcade, console, or handheld versions to find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a really well-designed menu – fast, accessible, and something players will definitely enjoy.

The game also includes several improvements to make playing more enjoyable. The most significant is the ability to rewind time, which complements the time-based stories in recent games and helps new players learn the ropes. Plus, there’s a dedicated practice mode for mastering special moves, which is fantastic for long-time fans like myself.

The game lets you customize your experience with options like on-screen move lists and difficulty settings, which is great because some of the older games can be quite challenging. You can also change how the game looks with visual filters and adjust the display width, letting you personalize your retro gaming experience. It’s a little odd that filters can only be changed per game, though.

I tested this collection on my PlayStation 5, and as you’d expect from older games, it ran perfectly smoothly. However, the sound volume was a bit low in some titles, and a few sound effects were missing. The original trilogy remains the highlight – it’s truly a classic and still worth playing today. The combat is still satisfying and feels great, and you can clearly see how it improved with each game, all the way up to Mortal Kombat 3.

“If the handheld version of Deadly Alliance was included, why not the console version as well?”

I have mixed feelings about Mortal Kombat 4. Switching from 2D to 3D definitely hurt the game’s quality when it first came out, and it still feels off today. As for other entries, games like the poorly-made Mortal Kombat: Special Forces and the very old Game Boy Advance versions of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition, and Mortal Kombat Advance look so pixelated they’re almost impossible to play. While they are simply ports of the original games, I don’t think many people will bother with them for long.

I’m a little puzzled by some of the game selections. If the handheld version of Deadly Alliance is included, it seems odd not to have the console version too. It’s a pretty noticeable gap. Also, offering multiple versions of the same game might be confusing for people new to the series. This is great for keeping these games available, but a simple way to recommend the best version to play would have really helped. It’s just my opinion, but it could prevent confusion for new players.

One major problem with this collection is noticeable input lag, whether you’re playing offline or online. It forces you to change how you play, which can be really annoying. I don’t have the original consoles anymore to compare, but even so, it’s 2025, and this issue should have been fixed. I’m not sure if it’s something that can even be fixed, or if it was intentional, but it feels unpleasant and doesn’t meet the standards of modern fighting games.

The game offers a Quick Play mode for online matches, but it’s currently very basic. Finding matches can be difficult because the game searches for opponents within each title separately, and there are many games to choose from. This can lead to long wait times, especially for players looking for specific matches. Right now, there are no lobbies or ways to play with friends, although the developers plan to add these features later. If they do, Quick Play could become a good place to build a community, but it’s too early to tell if that will happen.

“To wrap up, I’m divided on Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection.“

While these are simply ports of the original games – not remasters or remakes – I think they could have benefited from some visual updates. Even small improvements to the characters or environments would have made a big difference. Some players might disagree, but I feel like there was a chance to polish the visuals, particularly in the first four games. It’s a bit disappointing, but perhaps they’re holding more substantial visual improvements for potential remasters or remakes in the future.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. It’s fantastic to revisit these classic games as a longtime fan, especially with the improved visuals and helpful new features. However, if you’re already familiar with modern fighting games, this collection might not offer a lot that’s new.

The game suffers from noticeable delays in response and doesn’t offer many ways to find matches online. Ultimately, Legacy Kollection feels more like a piece for fans to own and display than a game they’ll play repeatedly. While it’s a fun nostalgic experience for Mortal Kombat enthusiasts, there are simply better fighting games to choose from if you’re new to the genre.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

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2025-11-03 20:12