The reboot games have been a success, and a new Warner Bros. Mortal Kombat as a whole may be doing better than ever. Arcades still exist, of course, but many charge just a flat access fee or stock only 'retro' games that aren't trying to compete with home systems there will always be some interest in trying an original Pac-Man cabinet or Terminator pinball game. Consoles would quickly match and surpass arcade cabinets, beating them except when special hardware was needed (most people don't have a light gun or free-roaming VR rig at home). Mortal Kombat Trilogy offered characters that never made it to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, including favorites like Raiden, Baraka, and Johnny Cage.

There was little chance for arcades to win the war. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3's Free Release Signaled Arcades' Downfall Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 kept the arcade lineup fresh and Midway's relationship with owners intact, at least until most arcades shrank to nothing. Mortal Kombat Trilogy was poised to be the series' first direct-to-console launch and, being liberated from memory limitations, would've had advantages over Mortal Kombat 3, like a larger character roster - never mind the ability to play at home without a stack of quarters. Related: Mortal Kombat Arcade Cabinets Secretly Tracked Fighter ChoicesĪs explained by series co-creator John Tobias on Twitter, all of these upgrades were offered to arcade operators for free because of the threat of consoles. Some of the characters were given new or altered moves, and players could fight in several new arenas. Perhaps the most notable upgrade from Mortal Kombat 3 was the return of MK fighters like Kitana, Mileena, and Scorpion, but Midway also introduced a two-on-two mode, an eight-player Tournament mode, and a special Master difficulty. Even at the time, Ultimate MK3 was in danger of being overlooked, which is exactly why developer Midway provided it as a free upgrade for arcade owners. In 1995, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 premiered in arcades, and while it's received a variety of mobile, console, and PC ports over the years, it's typically ignored in favor of other entries, like Mortal Kombat Trilogy or the recent reboot series.

Ultimate mortal kombat 3 cabinet