Up+Up+Down+Down+Left+Right: My First Impression to Mortal Kombat 1

'There's a certain individual who introduced me to video games in the 90s'

I remember the year, 1992, hindi naman talaga ako mahilig noon sa video games at madalas naiimpluwensiyahan lang, pero hindi naman masama ang sumubok maglaro paminsan-minsan. I was already in high school freshman when I first tried to play a computer game in a Family Computer, ito yung kung maroon at puti na device na may dalawang game controller. Sa Family computer may iba't-ibang bala ng laro kaya puwede kayo mamili kung anong gusto niyong laruin. Ito masasabi ko yung sinaunang computer shop ng mga batang 90s. Uso laruin ang Super Mario Bros, Pacman, Circus Charlie, Galaga, Contra, Donkey Kong at ang pinaka-paborito ko na Mortal Kombat 1.

Si Francis "Kulot" Sudaria ang hindi ko makakalimutang nagpakilala sa aking sa mundo ng video games. Tandang-tanda ko pa ang lugar at kailan ako naglaro ng aking pinaka unang computer games noong dekada nobenta. That was our last days of our periodical exams, maaga ang uwian at wala ka nang aalahanin na aaralin sa susunod na araw kasi Sabado kaya libreng-libre gumala kahit saglit. Haays, I still remember this nostalgic eskinita na malapit lang din sa bahay namin kaya worry-free ako na baka malayo. Sa eskinita, tatagos kami sa isang tulay at pagkalampas ng tulay ay doon mo na makikita ang video game station. Ganun nga ata ang tawag noon sa business kasi hindi naman puwede sabihin na computer shop dahil hindi pa uso ang mga computer shops that time.

Ang set up ay sets of colored TV na nakaka-kabit ang Family Computer sa bawat television, magrerequest kayo sa counter kung ano ang gusto niyong laruin. Naka display doon sa counter yung mga bala ng games at ang ganda tignan kasi marami kayong mapagpipilian. Video games at that time were not so hyper-realistic, unlike now, na magaganda ang graphics, and you can also play if your computer is high-end. Kulot introduces me to Mortal Kombat. I never heard that game before, and I really don't know what type of game it is. Even though the graphics are not so good but there is something that I like at the same time was shocking in this video game. IT'S PURE VIOLENCE!

Mortal Kombat wasn’t just another fighting game. It was the anti-Street Fighter. Darker, edgier, and more violent, it featured digitized fighters instead of anime-style sprites. Even though our Family Computer version looked like a poorly copied VHS tape of a blockbuster movie, it still captured the essence — two fighters enter, only one walks away (with all his organs intact).

And let’s talk about the blood.

Yes, in many versions (especially the arcade and Sega ones), red blood splattered when you landed a punch or kick. It shocked and thrilled us as kids. Even if the Family Computer’s version toned it down or used weird-colored pixels, we imagined it was blood, and that made it fun. It was my first taste of violence in video games — and it felt gloriously wrong, like sneaking into an R-rated movie.

No three words in gaming hit harder than “FINISH HIM!”

When your opponent was weak and staggering, the game paused briefly and let you end them with a Fatality — a brutal, signature finishing move. This was the ultimate goal of any fight. It wasn’t enough to win — you had to humiliate your enemy with style.

Even in the Family Computer version, where the animations were stiff and the Fatalities were less graphic, pulling it off gave you instant bragging rights.

I'm not a violent person, but the Mortal Kombat 1 divirginized my innocence kung saan ang mga fatalities ay pupugutan ng ulo, hahatiin ang katawan, bubugahan ng asido, sasabog ang ulo sa isang pompyang and the brain scatters. I thought it was just a fight-fight like throwing punches, kicking, jabbing but at the latter end kapag weak na yung character mo, that finishing move na ginagawa si Kulot sa character ko was sick to my stomach. I was really his practice opponent ang tuwang-tuwa siya na parang si Julius Caesar sa Gladiator kapag nakakakita ng mga brutal endings hahaha! But in the end he told me how to do it giving me a script na sinulat ko pa sa likod ng notebook ko ha para matandaan. Alam niyo naman ang likod ng notebook noong ng mga batang 90s ay parang palengke ng Divisoria maraming sari-sari kang makikita. Relate much?

Mortal Kombat 1

Some of the most iconic characters in video game history made their debut in Mortal Kombat 1. Here's a quick roll call:

• Scorpion – The yellow ninja with the iconic “Get over here!” spear move.

• Sub-Zero – My personal favorite. The blue ninja with the power to freeze enemies and shatter them like glass.

• Liu Kang – The martial arts master with those bicycle kicks and dragon-like Fatalities.

• Raiden – The thunder god with teleportation and electric shocks.

• Johnny Cage – Hollywood action star with nut punches (yes, really).

• Sonya Blade – Military femme fatale with ring toss moves.

• Kano – The cybernetic mercenary with a heart-ripping Fatality.

Techno Syndrome - Song by the Immortals

My favorite character is Sub-Zero because of his powerful skills like freezing the opponent without the pressure to punch and throw an uppercut because they can't move at higit sa lahat first time ko natalo si Kulot, by using this character na hindi niya ko pinagbigyan manalo. His smiles fade away for a while and got focus on the next games and natalo ko ulit siya. Natatawa ako pero deep inside lang at hindi ko pinapakita sa kanya hahaha. Sa isip-isip ko next time magaaya to na kung sino matatalo siya ang magbabayad ng time na nilaro namin sa video game shop.

Let’s be honest — blood in Mortal Kombat wasn’t just fun, it was taboo. It broke the rules. It made video games feel dangerous and grown-up. Seeing your punch send a spray of red pixels across the screen made the fight feel real, even in 8-bit.

The violence didn’t make us violent. It made the stakes higher, the wins more thrilling, and the losses more painful. It made the game unforgettable.

As the years go by, mas lalo akong na-hook sa Mortal Kombat dahil naging pelikula ang first video game na nilaro. Maramig versions ang nagawa at mas naintindihan ko ng husto ang kwento sa pelikula at nalaman ko kung sino ang mga good guys at mga villains. Dito ko rin nasundan na nagkaroon pa ng maraming maraming characters ang MK1 hanggang sa ngayon na too much blood shed na ang game at mas realistic at astigin na rin ang graphics. Today ang latest version ay Mortal Kombat 11. I didn't have the chance to play the latest version kasi sa PS4 lang ito nalalaro and hindi natin afford besides I don'tneed so my curiosity falls on watching the gameplays.

Even with all the limitations of the Family Computer, Mortal Kombat 1 left a mark on our childhood memories, just like Sub-Zero’s ice blast. It taught us that video games could be dark, intense, and full of pixelated guts. And honestly, we loved every blood-splattering second of it.

Kudos to Francis "Kulot" Sudaria who introduces me in the world of video games in 1992. Sana mabasa mo itong mumunting alaala ng childhood past natin.