Cut Content

Cut Content or beta elements refers to content in a work in progress that is not used in the final product. Beta content holds a particular interest to gamers to reveal what could have been and Mortal Kombat is no exception to this as there are various features that are shown in previous revisions but are taken away in the retail versions. However, through data-mining and hacking, some of these elements still exist, but can be in incomplete form and appear glitchy when used.

Mortal Kombat

Characters

• Shang Tsung's Laugh: Shang Tsung originally had an animation where he would place his hands on his hips and laugh in triumph. A similar animation would be used in MKII during the roll call.

• Shang Tsung's Fatality: Shang Tsung himself was originally supposed to have a Fatality where he would quickly lop off the victim's head with his katana but was removed. Shang Tsung was the first character to be given a Fatality but this was later scrapped in favor of giving the playable cast their own finisher.

• Goro's death: Goro was originally going to have a special death animation where he would fall on his knees, turn to stone and crumble. Only four sprites of this exist, the last being half of his body gone, presumably having been blown apart by Raiden. The rest of the animation appears in Mortal Kombat Trilogy, as unused sprites.

• Backflip: Johnny Cage originally had a separate animation for jumping back. It could be assumed that at some point, the other characters would have their own jumping backward animation.

• ERMACS: Before the T-Unit release, there was a counter left over in the Game Audits that listed ERMACS, shorthand for Error Macro which was left over to from unrelated arcade called Smash TV to resolve bugs that occurred in the game.

Mortal Kombat II

Screens

• Shao Kahn, Kintaro and the '?' box were not present in the beta footage shown for the Battle Plan.
• Several unused voice clips.
  • Among them is a muffled chuckle very similar to the one used in Mortal Kombat 4, though the clip later adds "Welch's" afterward.

Characters

• Raiden's 2P outfit was originally his default color and was shown in promotional shots. Sub-Zero also had an aquamarine tint to his clothes.

• Shot footage of MKII in the working stages had originally shown Johnny Cage with the word Otomix written on his trousers. Daniel Pesina at the Galloping Ghost Arcade revealed that it was edited out due to copyright issues in later revisions but it can still be seen if Shang Tsung's Soul Steal is performed on him.

• Baraka was originally going to have an attack where he would spin in place with his arms and blades extended to deal consecutive damage. This was removed due to an unfair advantage though the sprites for it still exist. He was later given this move back in Trilogy.
  • He also had an attack where he would plant his blades into the ground and use them as support as he flipped over to kick the opponent.

• Shao Kahn's hammer would have originally debuted with him in this game and swung it horizontally. He also had a double axe handle attack. Only this move would be used in Trilogy. He also possessed another attack where he would extend his hands and clapped, causing a fanning shockwave to shoot out in front of him.

• There is a sprite where Shao Kahn would rise from his throne and discard his scepter. This was likely to be used upon Kintaro's defeat.

• Unknown object drop: Shao Kahn would reach his hand into some sort of portal where a glitchy object (possibly his hand, but giant) would drop onto the ground. It could be presumed to be some sort of unused finisher for him.

• Kintaro was originally supposed to have some sort of grab but there appears to be no sprites for him throwing or attacking the opponent in some fashion. He seemed to have some sort of breathing animation that was never used.

• Kung Lao was originally to have a Torpedo attack exactly like Raiden's but was removed. He is given it back in Trilogy. Additionally, there exists FX sprites for his hat during his win pose and headbutt that gave it a more distinct shine.

• There exists sprites for Sub-Zero performing his Ice Blast while airborne. He also had access to Reptile's Invisibility sprite animation but he uses it instead to freeze himself, appearing slightly glitched.

• Noob Saibot originally appeared as early as Revision 2.0 but wasn't finished. He instead incorrectly loads Jade's palette but he is able to perform Stage Fatalities. His name is incorrectly displayed and "Feel the power of--TOASTY" is not announced when he wins.

Mortal Kombat 3

Note: Most of the content listed can also be found in the promotional video "The Year We Make Contact".

Screen

• In a very early screenshot, the Character Select screen was mostly empty and filled with Raiden portraits as placeholders. Sonya and Kano used their MK portraits as no shots of them were taken at the time and due to their absence in MKII. The words CHEWS YOUR FIGHTER was also used, possibly as a gag.
• The FIGHT prompt has a different design matching the game's typical font.
• The unlocked sequence for Smoke simply has a black background with the usual text.

Audio

• The Versus screen had a distinct howl-like sound at the end.
• Liu Kang uses voice files shared by most of the male characters instead of his distinct kiai sounds.
• Sheeva uses voice files from Sonya and Sindel instead of her own. She does use these however in the SNES port.
• None of the characters' names are spoken.
• The Soul Chamber lacks music.

Characters

• Sektor, Cyrax and Sindel originally did not have their names in their lifebars. When they win however, they are named as KETCHUP, MUSTARD and MUCHACHA respectively.
• Cyrax was at one time named Robocop. The video that showed this also reused the text from MKII.
• None of the characters bleed.
• Nightwolf originally had an attack where it would appear that threw two tomahawks. He additionally also had some sort of large barrier formed in front of him.
• Shao Kahn's hammer swing was considered again but for reasons unknown, was left out again. He uses an overhead smash in the final version instead.
• Motaro was originally supposed to be able to grab and throw his opponents upward, had his front legs raised with his body slightly phasing and a taunt where he points at his opponent and talks, similar to Shao Kahn. He also has an image that is later used in his MKT ending.
• Ermac's Animality sprites as well as Classic Sub-Zero's Friendship sprites are found within the ROM.
• Sprites exist for a unique four-armed skeleton for Sheeva when killed by Kano's Skeleton Rip.
• Stryker's 2p outfit was originally his default color.

Stages

• The Bank had a different carpet design.
• The SNES version originally had the Graveyard stage but was removed upon the retail version.

Misc.

• A large drill can be found in the ROM with its own animation though it's possible it would have been used as a Stage Fatality.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

• Data still exists for Sheeva in the SNES version of UMK3. While all but her Babality sprites were removed, she can be accessed without codes by entering Tournament Mode. Using the random select option, Sheeva will be represented as the E icon used for Endurance matches. She is, at best, very glitchy. Her corpse and Babality sprites however are fully intact.
• Chameleon was originally slated to appear as early as in the home ports but is far from finished. The only thing left of him is his name when he wins, but he uses Rain's name and Scorpion's palette.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy

Screen

• An early trailer shows Rain and Noob Saibot using recolored ninja portraits from MKII. None of the bosses, however, are present despite the video confirming them as playable.
• The N64 version's names in the lifebars were slightly moved to the left, causing P2's to go past their lifebar.
• The N64 version would also have the same main menu options as the disc versions, the screen itself resembling that of UMK3's.
• The unlockable Kombat Cheats menu was originally suppose to have one more option in the form of "1 Hit Deaths" but was excluded. It is still referenced in the Secrets of Trilogy option that unlocked by beating the Endurance Champion Ladder.

Stages

• Kahn's Arena from MKII was originally in the N64 version, but was ultimately left out.

Characters

• Shao Kahn, Goro and Kintaro all had Babality sprites at one point but were never used.
• Noob Saibot's Disabler used a different, smaller sprite, appearing as a solid black glossy ball. No cloud appears when the opponent is hit, either.
• Shao Kahn was originally to be naturally playable in the N64 trailer.
• Additionally, Shang Tsung also has the ability to morph into Khameleon and Shao Kahn, the latter of whom still uses Shang Tsung's palette.
• Raiden originally had a black color when standing up. This color appears in the final game whenever he is kicked by Motaro.
• A soundbyte exists in the UK version for a character named AQUA. A rumor had spawned where this character was supposedly a black palette swap of MK Scorpion wearing a breathing apparatus.

Mortal Kombat 4

Screen

• The Versus screen is completely absent in the Beta 1.0 version.
• The game also used a stylized font as opposed to a more standard one.
• The new Fatality logo was not yet implemented as of 1.0, so it instead uses the in-game font
• The Run meter originally had a blue color.
• The Battle Plan towers were originally tapered in perspective, the easiest being the closest and the hardest being the farthest.
• In one of the earliest revisions, six slots are empty in the Character Select screen and Noob Saibot is among the cast. Some of the characters also have different portraits.
• Character bios were programmed as early as Revision 1.0. but were disabled from loading. The bios themselves are of a more humorous, non-canon nature.

Stages

• Hidden in the N64 ROM is a finished "Skull" stage which features the characters fighting inside a large skull-like arena. The arena doesn't load properly at first thus all that will be seen is blackness. Restarting the match will load the textures properly.

Audio

• The Elder Gods stage has a completely different and calmer music tune. This tune was included in the official soundtrack under the name "Eldest Gods".
• Sub-Zero's and Shinnok's names are spoken differently.

Characters

• Noob Saibot was playable in the earliest version but was replaced by Reiko. He is still however in the later revisions and can be seen in Beta 1.0 during the Attract Mode.
• Shinnok is not the final boss. Instead, the final opponent is chosen by random. When you win, however, you are treated to a GREAT JOB! message on a black screen before being sent to the Enter Your Initials screen.
• Fujin originally went by the name of GOD-O-MITE during development. This can be seen during developmental stages and in early footage gameplay.
• Sub-Zero is missing his scar.
• Only two Fatalities are present in the 1.0 revision: Quan Chi's Leg Rip and Sub-Zero's Spine Rip.
• In the beta trailer for the N64 port, Liu Kang is seen with an unfinished, unused alternate costume that appears to look somewhat like a Shaolin monk, complete with a shaven head.
• In the console versions, Kitana was going to appear playable but was cut out due to time constraints. She is however still left, partially finished in the N64 version as this the only port that uses the in-game engine for cutscenes and endings like the arcade version. Her name and fan weapon model are intact, but there is no voice file for her name and she uses male voice clips occasionally. She appears with tanned skin and a blackened version of Tanya's outfit (due to a lack of textures).
  • A character portrait of her also exists in Revision 1.0 of the arcade version, though it is cropped from her Trilogy ending.

Features

• Weapon combat is in its early stages. As characters do not change their stance upon drawing a weapon, this can result in weapons awkwardly poking through the character models.

Mortal Kombat Gold

Screen

• The character select screen was much greater in length, showcasing not only the returning characters but even Goro and Noob Saibot as selectable. There were also two other '?' slots (One was presumably Sektor).
• The returning characters used different portraits.

Characters

• Leaked screenshots and a salvaged voice file on-disc reveal a scrapped character named BELOKK developed by Eurocom as an extra addition to the game but was cut out due to time constraints and was said to be very similar to Shinnok in fighting style.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Note: Most of the work in progress can be found in the video "Making of Deadly Alliance".

Screen

• An early screenshot had a mostly blacked out roster and had a darker background and its orientation was horizontal.
• Several screenshots featured in Game Informer used normal text for the characters during gameplay instead of an italic font with their portraits. The health bars also had a rougher look to them, similar to MKII. This same version is later used in a short trailer. Additionally, characters who wore their alternate costumes would have the prefix "ALT-" in their name during kombat, namely "ALT-CYRAX".

Characters

• In the earliest trailer and screenshots, Jax bore a closer resemblance to his MK3 appearance.
• Scorpion's alternate costume was originally his primary one and still wore the mask.
• Kenshi originally went by the name of Blind Kenshi and Blind G.
• Shang Tsung's name was originally written without a space.
• Several characters used different styles and weapons.
• Mavado was originally a matador-like character simply called Matador.

Fatalities

• In the Fatalities promo trailer, the jingle for the finisher is not present.
• The characters perform their win pose right after the animation finishes rather than just freeze in place.
• Scorpion's Head Yank only caused the opponent to fall to their knees.

Mortal Kombat: Deception

Screen

• In Chess Kombat, the chosen characters had their names displayed on the board with their chosen class displayed below their health bar.
  • In earlier footage, the arena had mist and lighting effects and the characters stood on platforms.
• Konquest Mode had a different display for current time and date.

Characters

• Sindel originally had the Eagle Claw fighting style, leftover from Kitana.
• Ermac's Telekinetic Slam did not have any effects to it.
• Noob Saibot originally had Havik as an alternate costume until he was made into a character.
• Li Mei originally used a Morning Star.
• Shujinko wore a different outfit during the beginning of Konquest.
• Scorpion originally used his Deadly Alliance outfit.
• Quan Chi was seen playable in Chess Kombat.

Arenas

• Yin Yang Island did not change with a flash.

Mortal Kombat: Unchained

Character Battles

• There were a total of sixteen MK2 styled battles that were scrapped, assumed to be part of some unfinished gamemode. The battles included the following characters: Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Kitana, Jax, Mileena, Baraka, Raiden, Scorpion, Jade, Smoke, Noob Saibot, Shang Tsung, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn.
• Some of the battles occurred in stages that were unfinished, with no background music.
• The "Kintaro" character was an unfinished Goro model in his alternate costume with a purple waistcloth.
• All of the other fighters were in their alternate costumes as well not including Shao Kahn. Johnny Cage could be seen with red wraps instead of blue, and Shang Tsung had a blue alternate costume instead of red.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Screen

• The character select roster was much more narrow in width and could be rotated 180 degrees by the player to access the other half.
• Characters could be seen wearing their alternate outfits in Konquest mode's cutscenes.

Modes

• The Nexus arena from Deception was used as the background for the Kreate a Fighter menu during development.

Mortal Kombat (2011)

Modes

• Endurance mode was originally going to be in the game.

Finishers

• Brutalities were originally going to be in the game.