Summary
For as gory and violent asMortal Kombat 1and the series' previous entries have been, the franchise has always had a sense of humor.Mortal Kombat’s concept necessitates camp, for if all the violence was presented seriously, it would be truly grotesque. The series functions because it’s larger than life and situated in the realm of fantasy. These over-the-top aesthetic sensibilities are paired with witty writing and the fixtures of martial arts films, making the gore and violence feel more fun than disturbing at times. Babalities, Animalities, and Friendships then all work to elevate this, acting like a built-in parody of the comically grotesque violence that the series is known for, andMortal Kombat 1would be remiss to exclude them.
Babalities and Friendships were first added inMortal Kombat 2. The first game in the franchise, due to its violence and the inclusion ofFatalities, had courted a fair degree of controversy. The controversy surrounding the game made it the topic of news coverage and legal debates. While vicious, the idea thatMortal Kombatwould inspire copycat violence in real life seemed absurd to the developers due to how comically over the top its presentation is. As a tongue-in-cheek response, the studio added Friendships and Babalities, allowing players to make friends or turn their enemy into a toddler instead of killing them. Most notably, Raiden’s friendship summons Kidd Thunder, who has remained a fan-favorite meme.
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Mortal Kombat 1 Should Continue the Funny Finisher Tradition
Babalities and Friendships were followed up by Animalities inMortal Kombat 3. Rather than substituting a brutal kill with the loser becoming a baby or a silly activity featuring the two combatants, the winner can activate their Animality to turn into an animal and brutally maul the opponent. Unlike Animalities, which are exclusive toMK3, Babalities and Friendships have appeared in multiple games. Recently, Babalities appeared inMK9andMK11brought back Friendships.
Mortal Kombathas a long history of poking fun at itself, andMK1should continue this tradition.Jean-Claude Van Dammeis making an appearance in the game as a skin for Johnny Cage, so the developers have finally come full circle on Johnny’s inspirations and clearly enjoy that frivolity in design choices.MK11added Friendships post-launch, bringing some more levity to the game, andMortal Kombat 1should follow suit.
While friendships may feel predictable after their inclusion in the last game, Babalities haven’t made an appearance in a couple of entries now, and Animalities would be truly unpredictable, having only appeared in Easter egg form outsideMK3.MK1is already setting itself apart in a lot of ways, and including some of these moves would make it stand out even more.
Babalities and Animalities Could Set Mortal Kombat 1 Apart
One wayMortal Kombat 1can make itself feel really special is by not just bringing back Animalities but including Babalities and Friendships as well. Animalities have not been included in anMKgame with modern graphics, so these moves have a lot of room to be really shocking.Mortal Kombat’s Noob Saibotturned into an anteater and sucked up opponents with his animality, butMK3was limited by technology and couldn’t show the details of this.
Animalities presentMortal Kombat 1with the chance to have some truly silly and weird finishers. Similarly, Babalities haven’t been seen sinceMK9and were relatively simple in that game, soMortal Kombat 1would have a lot of room to expand on the idea if it included them.
Babalities and Animalities haven’t appeared in aMortal Kombatgame in over a decade now, so bringing them back post-launch would setMortal Kombat 1apart. The case for them only grows stronger when considering how far the series presentation has come. Goofy finishers are a tradition forMortal Kombat, and bringing back Babalities and Animalities would be a great way to honor that legacy. Adding the moves post-launch could help keep both casual andcompetitiveMortal Kombatplayers excited about the game between larger DLC releases.
Mortal Kombat 1will launch on September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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