On Tuesday, September 30, fighting game fans worldwide will be able to play classic Mortal Kombat arcade games and more digitally with the release of Digital Eclipse’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. The compilation will debut first on digital Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC storefronts on September 30 before physical editions of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection debut on December 12. With Mortal Kombat being a celebrated 33-year-old gaming franchise, many players have likely grown up with the series since the early 1990s, but many others have likely never been able to play the original arcade cabinet, console, or handheld variants of older Mortal Kombat titles. Depending on which playstyle, story, or historical interest players prefer, there are many games players should try out first in the Kollection.
Currently, the game roster in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection includes:
- Mortal Kombat (1992)
- Mortal Kombat 2
- Mortal Kombat 3
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy
- Mortal Kombat 4
- Mortal Kombat Advance
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
- Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition
Mortal Kombat's Latest Reveal Proves It's Time To Pull One Iconic Fighter Off the Bench
A recent announcement surrounding Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection calls for one fighter to make a grand return in future Mortal Kombat titles.
Which Games to Try First in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Mortal Kombat 1992
For veteran players interested in reliving nostalgic days at local arcades or new players interested in seeing how the Mortal Kombat franchise began, they should start with 1992’s Mortal Kombat. Originally released on Midway Games’ arcade cabinets, 1992’s Mortal Kombat turned out to be so popular and critically acclaimed that it went on to be ported to the SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Gear; all versions are expected to be playable in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. While 1992’s Mortal Kombat may have a relatively small roster of fighters or a lack of features compared to modern fighting games, its 2D fighting gameplay is still engaging today and players should try to defeat Goro, Shang Tsung, and encounter the hidden ninja Reptile at least once in their lifetimes.
Mortal Kombat 2
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection will debut in late September, but it’s not the only piece of major Mortal Kombat content launching this fall season. About a month after the Kollection’s digital debut on October 24, New Line Cinema will premiere the Mortal Kombat 2 movie, a sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Based on trailers for the upcoming film, it will be heavily based on the story and gameplay of 1993’s Mortal Kombat, with both featuring characters who originally debuted in the 1993 arcade cabinet, such as Shao Kahn, Kitana, and Baraka. For players who are fans of or are interested in New Line Cinema’s Mortal Kombat films, they should try out 1993’s Mortal Kombat 2 first in the Kollection.
Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy
For many veteran Mortal Kombat players, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy are considered some of the best games in the franchise due to their numerous improvements on the prior games. For example, these games featured the largest playable roster yet with 14 fighters in Mortal Kombat 3 and an additional seven fighters in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
In terms of gameplay, chain combos, transitional level changes via uppercuts, Brutalities, and transformative Animalities were all introduced in both games that would become staples of the franchise. Aside from enthralling gameplay, Mortal Kombat 1 players may be interested in trying out these three games first, as their story may inform players of potential events in NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 2.
2023’s Mortal Kombat 1 should not be confused with the first Mortal Kombat game, 1992’s Mortal Kombat, or the first Mortal Kombat reboot, 2011’s Mortal Kombat.
Mortal Kombat 4
For players more familiar with the 3D fighting games like Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive, they may be interested in trying out Mortal Kombat 4 first in the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection. Mortal Kombat 4 was the first mainline Mortal Kombat title to use 3D graphics instead of the traditional 2D graphics. With this new format, fighters in Mortal Kombat 4 were able to sidestep in arenas to avoid attacks, similar to gameplay seen in Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive. In terms of story and fighters, fans of Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 may be interested in trying out Mortal Kombat 4 first, because the game heavily features the Wind God Fujin, the villainous Elder God Shinnok, and the manipulative sorcerer Quan Chi.
Mortal Kombat 4 was the last mainline Mortal Kombat game to be released in arcade cabinets.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 81%
- Released
- October 30, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Digital Eclipse
- Publisher(s)
- Digital Eclipse, Atari, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
