Mortal Kombat Sub Zero: Brrrrrr!
[ Company: Midway | Year: 1997 | Grade: D- ]
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (PlayStation)
It's the 22nd day in our list of the 32 Game Endings of Christmas! After riding a wave of success, Midway was compelled to do everything in its power to slow down Mortal Kombat's success. They did this by using full-motion video cinemas, bad gameplay and a laughable story that is only made worse by the casting decisions. This is one ending you have to see to believe!
Previously On Mortal Kombat Mythologies:
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero attempts to fill in the backstory that led up to Shang Tsung's killer tournament. We are introduced to the Lin Kuei's top ninja, the dreaded (and icy) Sub-Zero. Our hero is tasked with locating a mysterious map that shows the location of a hidden amulet. But don't look now, because hot on his trail is Sub-Zero's arch nemesis, Scorpion. The two fight to the death, with Sub-Zero barely getting out alive. At long last it's off to find out what makes this amulet so powerful.
After battling his way through a series of annoying obstacles and eliminating the gods of Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire, Sub-Zero has finally found the amulet and is ready to go home. But out of nowhere comes Quan Chi, who steals the amulet and escapes through a portal. We are told that this valuable is the key to bringing back an Elder God named Shinnok. Now Sub-Zero must team up with Raiden to locate the missing amulet and keep Shinnok from destroying the world.
How It Ended:
This should be the moment when the production values kick into high gear and we're given an elaborate CGI cinema that sets up the amazing fight
There's something different about the actress that played Sareena, but I can't put my finger on it!
between Quan Chi and a very, VERY angry Sub-Zero. Alas, the developers of the game opted for a green screen and a trip to Party City. Here you see makeshift masks, costumes, blades and more. Things go from bad to worse when a sexy Sareena shows up with Kiss makeup and a skunk-like white strip in her hair. And that's before anybody notices the hammy acting and ill-fitting costumes.
The game ends with Sub-Zero going head-to-head with Shinnok, who has a penchant for turning into giant CGI monsters. A few predictable moves later and our hero is delivering
All I ask for is a satisfying fatality at the end of a bad Mortal Kombat game!
the amulet back to Raiden. After he returns to Lin Kuei headquarters, Sub-Zero is introduced to Shang Tsung and asked to take part in a fighting tournament. What follows is a painful blooper reel, which further illustrates how corny these full-motion bits are. It also proves once and for all that it's impossible to come back from black lipstick!
How It Should Have Ended:
It's been a long road for Sub-Zero. He's had his emotions toyed with, been lied to and even had a cherished item stolen. This hasn't been Subby's finest hour. But all this would be forgiven if our man in blue had just performed a fatality on either Quan Chi or Shinnok. In the case of the first battle, Sareena comes out of nowhere and uppercuts Quan Chi into a pit. That's fine, but we don't even get the satisfaction of seeing him get impaled by sharp spikes. The same thing happens with Shinnok, who simply stumbles off of the bridge. This is a Mortal Kombat game, so I expect to see at least one bloody disgusting death at the end of the game!
