Mortal Kombat 1 has arrived, marking a significant point in the iconic fighting game series as it revisits and resets the timeline, reimagining the familiar Mortal Kombat 1 characters. As we reevaluate what we knew about the series through this reboot, Ed Boon, the co-creator and director, has shared his thoughts on the context of the reboot in relation to the returns of Tekken and Street Fighter. He also discussed his feelings when Jean-Claude Van Damme chose to participate in the less-than-favorable ’90s Street Fighter movie rather than his own video game adaptation.
Interestingly, the original Mortal Kombat game from 1992 initially had Jean-Claude Van Damme as its intended star, but the project fell through. It’s somewhat poetic that Van Damme now appears as an alternate skin for Cage in Mortal Kombat 1, a character that parodies Hollywood actors. Van Damme, however, has had previous involvement in video games, most notably as Guile in the 1994 Street Fighter film. In a recent interview, while Boon had positive things to say about the Street Fighter games, he was less charitable when discussing the infamous movie adaptation.
Boon remarked, “It was so long ago, I’m not even… [pauses]. Well, I’ll say it nicely: I don’t think that was the greatest film in the world.” He mentioned that the film seemed to have a sense of novelty and appeared intentionally cheesy. Boon couldn’t quite determine if it aimed for cheesiness or seriousness and missed the mark. He acknowledged that if the Street Fighter film had been a massive success, they might have felt some sense of missed opportunity, but that wasn’t the case.
While the 1994 Street Fighter film is widely regarded as subpar, Boon did express his positive opinions about this year’s Street Fighter 6 and the resurgence of fighting games. He believes the simultaneous release of new titles in the big three franchises—Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Tekken—within a year has contributed to the perception of a renaissance in the genre. Boon remarked, “When you hit the big three all coming out, there’s certainly going to be an assumption of a renaissance. It’s a good time to be a fighting game player.”
Boon also shared his appreciation for his competitors, noting the strengths of Tekken’s smooth animations and entertaining ten-hit combos, as well as the tighter gameplay of Street Fighter. He admitted being a fan of both Tekken and Street Fighter, along with Mortal Kombat.
For those seeking assistance with the new Mortal Kombat game, there are resources available on the Mortal Kombat 1 gear system, as well as guides on how to unlock and execute all your Mortal Kombat 1 brutalities.