Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

Up to this point, Capcom has been churning out a prodigious number of collections, many of them a hodge-podge of different lesser-known and cult classic hits. While their choices feel more like a potpourri, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is like slices of pizza with different toppings. It’s a delicious meal, filling and flavorful, if a little redundant. Sure, there’s some anchovy slices and someone decided to bring a Hawaiian pizza to the party, but no one’s forcing you to eat it and there’s more than enough of the good stuff to go around. I have great reverence for this package and its cataloging of the Mortal Kombat franchise’s now humble origins. It’s a toasty good time.

A great deep dive into the history of the most infamous fighting series ever made. The collection delivers strong nostalgic value with tons of extra content that easily make up for the fact that not every game has aged perfectly. A must-have tribute for long-time Mortal Kombat fans and fighting-game historians alike.

With a total of 23 playable games alongside a comprehensive interactive documentary providing detail behind the series' development, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is yet another triumph for Digital Eclipse from the historical compilation perspective. It's full of nostalgia for fans who ripped spines out of their opponents back in the '90s, and the perfect way for complete newcomers to see what all the fuss is about. If, however, you're keen to play these games online, then you're best off waiting. Essential features are absent at launch, and even if you do manage to find a game through Quick Play, chances are it'll be plagued with input delay and audio issues.

Everything that made the series great is here, along with a few touches that improve the experience and a batch of welcome extras that will charm long time fans. Some things don't change, though, and the difficulty remains stubbornly frustrating at some points, and a few short input lags can make some moments feel frustrating, while the online component needs improvement. Nonetheless, it is the best anthology that the early arcade and domestic MK games could ask, and it will delight veterans and some newer, curious fans alike.

There is a lot of love in this collection. It is great to see almost everything from the first twenty years of the franchise on display, from all the great stuff to all the really rubbish stuff. However, it still feels a bit like a work in progress. I have had this game for a few weeks, and the Switch versions only just got patched to match the other versions, and there are still things to tidy up. This is a fun collection, and the jank is part of the charm. It always has been with Mortal Kombat, but there shouldn't be new jank added to it, it's got enough.