By David Farrier
Nearly 20 years ago a video game called Mortal Kombat was released. At first it looked like another Street Fighter clone - but it was much more, with over-the-top, blood gushing action.
It was so violent it was the first game ever to be rated, in effect leading to the creation the rating system that's used for games today.
Now two decades on the franchise has been rebooted, allowing gamers to experience blooding fatalities in all their high definition glory.
While the game has brand new graphics, including a brutal X-Ray mode, it's being heralded as a return to it's retro roots - which is what the fans, many who are now grown up, want.
"Kanos ripping out the heart thing was great," recalls Aylon Herbert from NZGamer.com. "It's a favourite fatality, a classic. Oh and scorpion because it was the easiest one to do."
Mortal Kombat was a good game to fall in love with. It spawned movies and fan movies, some of which were quite slick, although others were quite terrible.
The new Mortal Kombat game is scheduled to be released on April 29.
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