Mortal Kombat 1 Review (Switch)

A four on a major release? I am impressed PJ.

Personally I couldn't play one of these knowing it is so much better somewhere else.

Not a fan of listing negatives that can be/that WILL be patched in the future. MK11 patched lots of times, MK1 will definitely also be. I hope you'll return to this review and fix the score once it is.

@9-Volt Not a fan of reviewers that review games based on future patches that may or may not come to fruition.

See: Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

Are we just supposed to hope? Why are you carrying water for Netherrealms and their sorry state of current software?

@9-Volt He can’t exactly review the game as it will be later, and not mentioning them in the negatives would make it a useless review. You might not be a fan of it, but regardless, these negatives are present at release and need to be mentioned to actually inform anyone of the quality of the port at launch. Patches later on can fix things but shouldn’t give you a better score if you don’t deliver at launch.

When the devs acknowledge that the game is not feature-komplete (I couldn't resist either) at launch, but they'll patch in what's missing later, it's a hard pass for me. Once they've finished the modes that the other systems have at launch, then I'll consider it. I'd hate to pay full price only for them to say later "sorry, we tried but couldn't make it work".

@Cashews This game unusually uploaded to the eShop the moment it was announced. It was obvious on that day we'd have the unfinished version at launch. Other developers work on the game until the very last day and they are unavailable for preorder, but MK1 devs didn't. They just dumped the game on eShop as it is and devs continued to work on the patch that would be coming much later.

I'm guessing this is more of a WB decision rather than Netherrealm one. They wanted as many as preorders I guess.

@9-Volt the game should have been released finished. Not half assed with a promise to fix it later

Curious what the install base for Mortal Kombat is on Nintendo, considering this is the 2nd port they’ve delivered on Switch (hamstrung as it is).

I suspect that this will improve over time and I do want this game on some system or another, preferably Switch, but the last game had so much DLC and even a whole massive expansion with new story and character stuff. I suspect that will be the same here so I think I will wait a year or so on this one when it is the complete edition. Also, at least in Europe, WB games are always doing sales, so...

Looking forward to all the comments from Switch owners who pretend all the compromises and issues aren't important and that portability trumps everything. Who needs an upgrade, right?

This is the prime example of “just because you could doesn’t mean you should”. Would rather see them wait on the Switch successor.

@dojmin You're absolutely right. But on Switch it's a little different. We either get unfinished stuff or... nothing at all. Look at the fighting genre on Switch. It's missing some very important franchises, not a single representation of Tekken, Dead or Alive or Soul Calibur. Our options are very limited if we want to play some 3D fighters on the go. Other devs don't bother at all, unlike Netherrealm. And just because of that, people are willing to overlook the shortcomings of this game: The overpriced early version of MK1 is currently charting at 27 on eShop!

I wish they'd put ix on switch.

I purchased MK11: Ultimate a while ago, but I just can't play it on Switch. It looks terrible in handheld mode and this is the way I'm playing 99% of the time. Like come on, Switch is not THAT weak, they clearly didn't want to invest money in optimizing it. This is why I'm waiting for Switch 2, as I expect it to reach the point where even unoptimized game would look fine.

@Synthatron_Prime I am not so sure you'll see many of those, but I don't want to ruin your fun...coming here to do...whatever it is you are doing? Pretty sure we all know an upgrade is in order to keep up with anything remotely current, fidelity wise. I think the Switch's successor is going to cast a pretty harsh light on the diminishing returns of current gen graphics. And with Sony being kind of awful (wannabe Apple BS overpriced hardware like the Portal, increasing Plus, focusing on live-services, MAKING SAINTS ROW THEIR PLUS GAME THIS MONTH!!!) recently, it might be a massacre. I have a PS5. The kids love it and I think it's, you know, fine? I just prefer the Switch. Mainly cause of the portability. It's a big deal to a ton of us.
Also Spiderman 2 uses same map so is DLC.

@9-Volt Same way majority of people are not fans of paying for a game that is clearly not finished or as polished as it should be

Mortal kombat 0.

@LikelySatan The portability is huge to me, not for "travel" but comfort. Being able to move around as my body needs instead of locked to a couch or chair. I would love a more powerful platform, but man I appreciate the mobility.

@LikelySatan Hate to disappoint but I own all 3 systems, always do, so I'm not here to rip on Nintendo specifically or defend another console. I have no special loyalty to any of them cause they are not people but tools to enjoy gaming. I do tend to love Nintendo games especially though.

I just get amused by all the mental gymnastics people do to justify the Switch having no meaningful upgrade in 7 years yet still want to the new releases to be on it. This is the result and it's actually compromised in more ways than graphics but I'm looking forward to seeing people try to say it doesn't matter because of x, y or z. That's all.

This MK is worth it just for the graphics and cast... sleep invasion mode, bad story, there is no boss or sub boss and this character configuration thing gets in the way if you just want to change a skin.

@9-Volt we do get finished games in certain cirumstances, i was impressed the state at which Tears of the Kingdom released which was very polished.
But on the flip side many release with game breaking bugs etc. Its most likely all down to time and budget constraints on developers to meet target deadlines, then if a game sells well it'll be supported after release.
However you have other games like Lord of the Rings Gollum which appears to have released in a sad, sorry state with I think 1 patch and the dev then closing its doors - the game still seems in a bad way now. If we get this game on switch still, we may be asked to pay a premium price for a game which will most likely never be patched again - the delay of the switch release probably saved many people a great deal of money.
MK1 is a big release, I think/hope we will see patches but theres no guarantee

As someone who just has a switch, I just ordered this and then I saw this review....... yikes

What a shame, especially when MK11 ran and looked much better on Switch than this

@Synthatron_Prime oh I wasn't saying you were Sony fan, just what I think is going to transpire. I threw in the Spidered Mang Dos thing at the end because it's been making me laugh recently.

@BadTango yeah. And I can bring it to work. I work overnight at a shelter, and used to work overnight emergency dispatch. The thing is great to keep my mind off the milieu when I get the time.

It's good to see a fair review of this release.

This Switch version of MK1 is in no way, shape, or form worth $70 USD. It's barely worth $60 USD!
I feel like, if someone only has a Switch, and no other modern console to play this on, this version might be fine... at 50% off the sale price.

@9-Volt If the developers want people to spend £50-£60 on a game, it needs to be in better shape than this. I don't pay that amount of money to be a guinea pig, I want the game to be fully enjoyed on the day I get it.

@ozwally There's a guarantee: The port is done by Saber. They never abandon their Switch ports. They'll patch the game for years to come. I mean, they still patch The Witcher 3, even 4 years after its launch!

Yea, think I'll wait for the Switch 2 version..

it was obvious weeks or even months back the switch port would have issues..

just like hogwarts legacy will have issues..

@9-Volt Thats true, Saber are great port specialists for sure, they've done amazing work.
However, they wont work for free - I imagine CDPR, Netherealms have a contract in place stipulating what sort of post launch support they desire and funding available for such support.
Remember, its not Saber's game, they are simply paid to port it

@9-Volt I should add that I do agree with you, I couldnt see Saber delivering a port and then walking away, most likely they prefer long term support as it means more regular income for them (think service industry) - its just we arent privy to the contract in place stipulating what sort of post launch support is guaranteed

If I had not already beat the premium version on my brother's Switch I would had agreed with the 4/10 here but we were having so much fun with the game this past weekend that this is easily a 9/10 for us. I guess it's only 4/10 when you compare to the versions, a lot of those glitches and bugs were also present on the other versions too, guess people ignore them due to better graphics.

It's a good day for it, unity trying to rape developers and here we have a dodgy developer.

Been playing this on Switch myself and can't really disagree with anything brought up in this review, but I've been enjoying it nonetheless. A lot of posts and memes I've seen point out how "terrible" it looks compared to the PS5 version, but by and large it actually looks REALLY GOOD at times for a Switch game (glitches and stuttering aside). Especially when playing handheld, there are some stages where the fights are quite impressive from a visual standpoint (probably helps to play on an OLED; the art direction is much more colorful and vibrant than MK11 was, and it can really pop on that screen). Graphically I'd say it's an improvement over MK11 on Switch.

Load times are indeed atrocious. Particularly when playing local VS mode, it loads the fight while the kombatants are clashing against each other.. which is seamless on other platforms but here, they just stare angrily into each other's eyes, silently writhing for like 30-40 seconds. It was honestly hilarious the first time, but quickly started to feel very strange and awkward.

Load times are slightly less cumbersome during Story Mode, as they're usually loading in the background during cutscenes (which probably contributes to the occasionally stuttering and screen tearing at times during the cinematics), but sometimes an extra load screen will appear before the transition to a fight if the cutscene is on the shorter side, which can be jarring.

Hopefully they can patch up some of the more glaring issues and polish things up sooner rather than later, but can't really rekommend it to most people in it's current state. UNLESS, like me, you have a long history of adoring and admiring "impossible" handheld ports of modern console games that are punching way above their weight, warts and all. For me, it's an 8/10, and could be a 9/10 if they fix some of the technical snafus. For most though who expect Nintendo levels of polish, 4 or 5 out of 10 sounds right at the moment.

I also agree that the reviewer should be reviewing a game that doesn’t exist yet, not the one that does.

When I buy a car I don’t care if it has functioning windscreen wipers or seatbelts or an engine or brakes, because maybe one day there will be a factory recall and it will get those things. The car should be reviewed accordingly: “10/10 probably maybe drivable at some point highly recommended.“

With respect to Mr. O’Reilly, his reviewing methodology is severely outdated because it is written in the present and no sooner is something the present than it is the past.

Crack out the Nintendo Life crystal ball and tell us of the future, oh mystical gaming warlock.

As a sidenote - from the reviews I've read the game seem quite middling anyway. For a 70 price tag an easy skip to wait for a huge sale years down the road.

Wow. I was on the edge of my seat for this... Hope Switch2 gets it's version eventually.

im not going to disagree on some of the issues on the switch version but i think 4 is far to low.

I really hope switch2 arrives sooner rather than later.
And port the game again with better visual and performance.

@9-Volt People need to know, but I do agree it would be good if games could have a mini re-review about patches if made. I expect much of what is in negatives to be patched.

A member of my family has got me this for my birthday, so I'll have fun with it.

@PJOReilly Cool. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if patches come tomorrow or forthcoming days when the basic version is released.

On a side note, MK11 (which I really enjoyed and thought was great) continually got patches and became a far better game. Just hope this gets the same support.

@9-Volt That is not how reviews work. Nor is it how they should work. They have to review the game that is presented to them. One can never ever just assume things will be fixed in the future. Genuinely shocked that someone would actually say this.

This is odd as SwitchUp has stated the opposite about nearly every negative this reviewer poses.

@The-Chosen-one This is almost guaranteed to happen. I wouldn't worry about it

@brandonbwii would trust Switch Up over here tbh. They are usually more in depth with the technical side as well.

If this game was a 4/10 despite playing 60 FPS most of the time then Pokémon S/V does not in anyway deserve a 7/10 here.

Update: MK11 Switch port also has a 8/10 here despite the game looking and running worse overall than MK1 Switch as someone that played on both and seeing SwitchUP compare the two. That is wild.

@MARl0 someone should tell them that for S/V then because launch S/V did not deserve a 7/10 lmao.

@PJOReilly there is correlation when it’s the same site using both scores. Shows a drastic difference in consistency.

Gotta agree with PJ here, this game is in a sorry state.

Looking at some of the comments here, I can tell why so many games get inflated scores. Fans really get upset when critics are honest about something they want to like.

Reviews should represent an honest take, not simply reflecting what fans want critics to say.

@PJOReilly Realist01 only signed up 35 minutes ago! Probably Bugs or someone else high up at WB posting under a pseudonym to discredit the review!

@LadyCharlie exactly.

That looks absolutely horrendous. I would've rather they not put anything out at all for the switch. When you have to cut corners this much just to get it running what's the point? Glad I have another system to play it on, because if switch was my only option I'd be very upset.

@9-Volt absolutely ridiculous opinion. Don't be part of the problem, friend.

This is a real shame. I'd much rather play MK on the handheld hybrid Switch and the modes sound like a lot of fun. The last MK game played well enough eventually when patched so the devs should have learned how to make a game on the hyper selling switch. Ah frak.

Thanks for the review.

Having played it quite a bit over the weekend, 4/10 seems overly harsh. Even though I am annoyed at the price, the random performance issues, and the lack of Invasions mode, I would say this is a 6/10 (6.5/10 if I’m being generous) minimum. Once Invasions mode is added, then it will be at least a 7.5/10.

Your last two paragraphs are redundant.

Might be the best looking N64 game to date.

Wait a minute...

Funny people didn’t expect this.

@9-Volt

Games should be evaluated as a full product at launch unless otherwise advertised as an early access game. As far as I know, the Switch version of Mortal Kombat is a full product, but yet they confirmed Invasions is not complete on Nintendo Switch. A complete product that actually isn't deserves a negative review. Also, this is a $70 product as is the PS5 and Microsoft versions which are superior to the Switch version.

I’ll give the devs some slack. This is, after all, their first foray with UE4. All of the other MK games were still using UE3, which is why MK11 was better presented.

They're still making games for the 3DS?

@HotGoomba

I seen 3DS games look better.

Should not have been released on Switch. Was simply to reach a wider audience but it's incredibly deceptive to pretend it works well on the system.

@9-Volt wow absolutely not. Many games are abandoned without being fixed.
Also when you pay $70 for a game that is released (not early access, etc), it absolutely needs to work. I don't buy a released game to play with their bugs.

Yes let's criticize and give a low score to a game that technically isn't finished yet. I hate when reviewers do that. Just wait until it's got the bugs worked out. Then review it. It's in Beta form basically.

@whitespy12 If you really think this looks good for a Switch game at all take a look at Metroid Prime Remastered. That is what the Switch is capable of graphically.

@Truegamer79 This is a full retail release that is being sold for $70, it would be a disservice to consumers to ignore the present state of the product.

Having watched the komparrisson video, I was slightly taken aback by how inkredible the PS5 version looks, but also thought the Switch version looked perfectly fine and had obviously been chosen to downgrade visuals in order to target 60fps, and I was fine with that. I was feeling quite positive towards the game.

However, the other things mentioned in this review seem pretty unforgivable. They should have delayed release until it was in a more stable and komplete state. Downgraded graphics is fine but assuming this review is accurate (which I don't doubt) I'll avoid until its patched and updated.

@Truegamer79 If it technically isn't finished yet, then they should not have released it, especially at full price. Since they wanted to release and charge people money for the game in this current state, it has every right to be reviewed in this state. I personally find it beneficial to know that this very expensive game is buggy and unfinished because NetherRealm sure did not tell me.

Missing kontent is not kool.

@Truegamer79 If it isn't finished, maybe they shouldn't be charging up to $100 for it yet. The second you start taking people's money is the second you become open to any and all critique.

@PJOReilly If it’s the case of different reviewers giving different scores then why does Nintendo Life always use the word “we”?

Dang, that score is disappointing, although not surprising. Unfortunately for me, my choices are get it on Nintendo Switch, or not at all. Maybe I'll wait and see, how patches go, for the Switch version.

@brandonbwii This is not even remotely constructive, and a really dumb point to make. It doesn't change anything at all in the fact that it is a case of different reviewers giving their own take. That's how all gaming sites handle reviews, and it's basic common sense.

@BTB20 I hear you, Metroid Prime has been my GOAT since 2002, and the remaster is the best version of the game, which therefore makes Metroid Prime Remastered the GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME (IMHO).

But in the case of modern AAA third party games with photorealistic(-ish) art design performing on the Switch, yeah, I think this one's a real looker and one of the better examples on the system. None of these games can hope to achieve what Nintendo has with native first party software (namely Metroid Prime Remastered, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Pikmin 4), but at it's best, this game looks WAY better on an OLED screen than any YouTube footage will have you believe.

To paraphrase Jurassic Park, they were so caught up on if they could, they never stopped to think if they should.

But of course the lot of us will be supporting this sales model, one that would be unthinkable with any other product.

"Thanks for buying our car. It has a tendency to sharply turn left at random, but no worries, we'll have it fixed soon. Happy driving!"

Maybe we should all go buy the premium edition for $109.99. No, I'm not sponsored by NetherRealm..

Really making a solid argument for why games should be $70 now. "Because we said so" is very convincing!!

I was thinking about getting this, but maybe I'll wait on it. I do have MK11, after all. I'm not exactly bothered by graphics problems; was just hoping to play handheld.

@9-Volt This game will never run well on the Switch. No amount of patching will fix it. It will always be a low resolution mess of a game.
In this case, it's a game that is simply not suitable for the Switch. Hard to admit, but it is what it is.
Maybe when the Switch 2 launches, it will run better then.

It's an amazing Mortal Kombat game, with one of the best story content of the series. You just have to play it on PC, XBOX or PS5!
It looks absolutely gorgeous on these platforms, so why suffer and give yourselves headaches trying to play it on the Switch.

Not a fan of the ultraviolence anymore. I've had enough. I rather play Kirby or something. As for the visual hit, I actually don't care. Framerate is all that counts for me. I love retro games, I enjoy every pixel out of Boltgun and I still play Doom occassionally. I really don't mind low quality visuals.

PS5 and XBOX Series X are stock full of visual feasts and yet everything feels stale and samey. Nintendo exclusives, real retro games and lovingly crafted indies is where it's for me.

Lol called it being bad. MK11 was about a 4/10 too. Just ass poor ports.

I watched all 25 minutes of all the fatalities anyway so I have no need to play it.

@9-Volt Games should absolutely live and die by how they're released, not how they'll be 2 years later. Case in point: fake gamers allowed Sean Murray to become rich after he blatantly lied and stole to support his anti-consumer title No Man's Sky. Look at it today, fake gamers gave it a second chance and now the controversy that SHOULD have ended development on the game and likely his career, is all but forgotten. Bungie with Destiny and locking players out of they didn't purchase the DLC, by all reasonable measures, D2 should have absolutely failed. Instead, fake gamers rushed to support a mediocre at best developer and get preyed on again.

A negative review needs to stand as it is if it is correct during the time when it's published, and it should not change. If NRS couldn't produce a quality product here, they shouldn't have made it and definitely Shouldn't have charged the same price as they did on much newer hardware.

@JayJ Ehh, the problem with that is most reviewers don't have a clue what they're actually doing. I see so many "journalists" on various gaming websites who, for a lack of a better statement, have the same quality as the casual hobbyists in an Instagram comment asking why Spider-Man 2 isn't coming to Xbox.

If you don't know anything about gaming, and consistently prove it, you shouldn't be giving opinions about it at all when you have the ability to influence others. We still have people who think PS5/XSX are next gen FFS, when they've been current gen since launch day.

Wanted to eventually get this for my switch but the missing content makes this a no buy for me.

@Batfan2425 The missing content is Shang Tsung, you only get him early if you pre-order the game or play him temporarily in Story Mode. He'll become DLC once the first wave hits. Warner Bros. does this all the time, it's not something to make a big deal about, MKX had Goro as pre-order bonus, MK11 had Shao Kahn as pre-order bonus, and MK1 had Shang Tsung as pre-order bonus.

@Optimist80 Works great to me. Sure it's not perfect but games are made to be play, not look at.

@Serpenterror I read an article yesterday saying an entire mode of the game is missing. A mode that played like a board game. Shoot if it is really just a character, I don't care about that. Well now I will be wanting it again lol.

Yeah, I saw the visual differences. I'll likely wait for a price drop. I also don't care about online because Nintendo online is truly terrible.

@Batfan2425 A board game mode? That sounds unusual.

To be fair, this now getting GTA trilogy "remaster" levels of panning by many on the internet (the Switch version) for it's technical performance. Shame because the PS5 version is reviewing in the high 80s on average so far. Sounds weird but

I actually want to get it eventually because the gameplay sounds sweet and 2D fighters are one of my fav genres. The reviewer also said "a superb fighter" but----.

Patch it to death! Argh!

This game is broken. Audio glitches, stuttering and a blurry mess. $70 USD? That's totally a ripoff.

But it's the only portable version, right? And MK11 was well-recieved there. That's why this version exists, it could've been mentioned more.
Unless, you want to bring the Steam Deck to this conversation. Try to guess what that means.

Some images of this version have proven to be quite popular on social media. I personally always prefer the best experience when choosing where to play my video games, and I would certainly get this one elsewhere for my own enjoyment. The graphical downgrade may not be a big deal for those who are looking for portability.

High price small reward.

"...since it dropped its first game, the sublime Mortal Kombat 9, all the way back in 2011..."
First game??? Are you okay?

Did anyone else get GTA:DE vibes from this release?

Bought for Preorder bonus but most likely will wait for the Switch 2 to fire up this game on.