Mortal Kombat is a fighting video game developed and published by Midway Games, first released in arcades in 1992. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the game distinguished itself from other fighting games of the era through its use of digitized sprites of real actors, a darker fantasy aesthetic, and its notorious, over-the-top graphic violence, including the series' signature 'Fatality' finishing moves.
The game's story centers on the Mortal Kombat tournament, a martial arts competition held between the realms of Earthrealm and Outworld. If Outworld's champions win ten consecutive tournaments, the evil emperor Shao Kahn will be allowed to conquer Earthrealm. The original game follows Earthrealm's defenders, including Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade, as they fight to prevent this outcome under the guidance of the thunder god Raiden.
Mortal Kombat was a massive commercial and cultural phenomenon, sparking a franchise that includes numerous sequels, spin-off games, films, television series, comic books, and merchandise. Its intense violence led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in the United States, forever changing the landscape of video game regulation.