<s>
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1995	O
arcade	O
fighting	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Midway	O
Games	O
and	O
first	O
released	O
into	O
arcades	O
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
franchise	O
and	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
1993	O
's	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
installment	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
retains	O
the	O
blood	O
and	O
gory	O
attacks	O
that	O
defined	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
and	O
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
but	O
drew	O
criticism	O
for	O
omitting	O
several	O
popular	O
characters	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Characters	O
omitted	O
from	O
this	O
game	O
were	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
two	O
titles	O
produced	O
to	O
update	O
it	O
,	O
Ultimate	B-Application
Mortal	I-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
Trilogy	I-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
builds	O
further	O
on	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
the	O
previous	B-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
the	O
different	O
styles	O
of	O
finishing	O
moves	O
featured	O
in	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
Fatalities	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
non-lethal	O
Babality	O
and	O
Friendship	O
moves	O
)	O
return	O
in	O
MK3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
introduced	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
was	O
the	O
"	O
Ultimate	O
Kombat	O
Kode	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
10-character	O
code	O
using	O
symbols	O
,	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
entered	O
on	O
the	O
game	B-Application
over	I-Application
screen	O
after	O
the	O
continue	O
screen	O
disappears	O
in	O
single	O
player	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
codes	O
were	O
revealed	O
through	O
gaming	O
magazines	O
,	O
promotional	O
material	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
media	O
;	O
two	O
pinball	O
machines	O
released	O
around	O
this	O
time	O
by	O
Williams/Bally/Midway	O
,	O
Jack-Bot	O
and	O
No	O
Fear	O
:	O
Dangerous	O
Sports	O
,	O
also	O
provided	O
codes	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
text	O
messages	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
were	O
intended	O
to	O
lead	O
players	O
to	O
the	O
hidden	O
codes	O
in	O
those	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Weary	O
of	O
continuous	O
losses	O
in	O
tournament	O
battle	O
,	O
Shao	O
Kahn	O
,	O
who	O
lost	O
to	O
Liu	O
Kang	O
in	O
the	O
Outworld	O
tournament	O
in	O
the	O
previous	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
enacts	O
a	O
10,000	O
-year-old	O
plan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
ninjas	O
,	O
Cyrax	B-Application
,	O
Sektor	O
,	O
Smoke	O
,	O
and	O
Sub-Zero	O
,	O
are	O
selected	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
automation	O
prototypes	O
,	O
but	O
Sub-Zero	O
and	O
Smoke	O
refuse	O
to	O
participate	O
,	O
forcing	O
them	O
to	O
leave	O
the	O
clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unfortunately	O
,	O
Smoke	O
is	O
captured	O
and	O
is	O
automated	O
along	O
with	O
Sektor	O
and	O
Cyrax	B-Application
and	O
all	O
three	O
are	O
programmed	O
to	O
hunt	O
down	O
and	O
kill	O
Sub-Zero	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cyrax	B-Application
(	O
Sal	O
Divita	O
)	O
-	O
Yellow-colored	O
Lin	O
Kuei	O
cyber	O
assassin	O
,	O
and	O
second	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
cyber	O
assassins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Liu	O
Kang	O
(	O
Eddie	O
Wong	O
)	O
-	O
Returning	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
champion	O
who	O
defeated	O
Shang	O
Tsung	O
and	O
Shao	O
Kahn	O
in	O
the	O
two	O
previous	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
considered	O
making	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
using	O
3D	O
graphics	O
,	O
but	O
opted	O
to	O
stick	O
with	O
the	O
sprite	O
graphics	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Characters	O
were	O
heavily	O
digitized	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
hybrid	O
digitized/hand	O
-drawn	O
style	O
of	O
MKII	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
overall	O
style	O
was	O
also	O
differentiated	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
games	O
;	O
instead	O
of	O
the	O
heavy	O
ancient	O
East	O
Asian	O
influences	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
imagery	O
of	O
MK3	O
is	O
more	O
Western	O
and	O
contemporary	O
:	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
stages	O
are	O
set	O
in	O
modern	O
locations	O
such	O
as	O
urban	O
highways	O
,	O
bank	O
buildings	O
,	O
and	O
rooftops	O
;	O
three	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
are	O
cyborgs	O
;	O
and	O
traditional	O
martial	O
art	O
clothing	O
designs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Sub-Zero	O
'	O
s	O
garb	O
,	O
have	O
been	O
replaced	O
by	O
modern	O
clothing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
from	O
previous	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
games	O
who	O
returned	O
in	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
were	O
portrayed	O
by	O
new	O
actors	O
since	O
their	O
original	O
portrayers	O
left	O
Midway	O
due	O
to	O
royalty	O
disputes	O
over	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
their	O
likenesses	O
in	O
console	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ho	O
Sung	O
Pak	O
(	O
Liu	O
Kang	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Shang	O
Tsung	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
)	O
,	O
Phillip	O
Ahn	O
(	O
Shang	O
Tsung	O
in	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
)	O
,	O
Elizabeth	O
Malecki	O
(	O
Sonya	O
Blade	O
)	O
,	O
Katalin	O
Zamiar	O
(	O
Kitana/Mileena/Jade	O
)	O
and	O
Daniel	O
Pesina	O
(	O
Johnny	O
Cage	O
and	O
Scorpion/Sub-Zero/Reptile/Smoke/Noob	O
Saibot	O
)	O
were	O
not	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
MK3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Daniel	O
appeared	O
in	O
an	O
advertisement	O
for	O
another	O
fighting	O
game	O
,	O
BloodStorm	B-Device
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
false	O
rumor	O
that	O
it	O
got	O
him	O
fired	O
by	O
Midway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Carlos	O
Pesina	O
,	O
who	O
played	O
Raiden	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
did	O
not	O
appear	O
in	O
MK3	O
as	O
a	O
penalty	O
for	O
his	O
involvement	O
in	O
the	O
rival	O
game	O
Tattoo	B-Application
Assassins	I-Application
,	O
but	O
was	O
still	O
employed	O
by	O
Midway	O
and	O
his	O
character	O
would	O
return	O
in	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
Trilogy	I-Application
,	O
although	O
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
recycled	O
sprites	O
from	O
MKII	B-Application
and	O
new	O
sprites	O
performed	O
by	O
Sal	O
Divita	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
:	O
Actually	O
,	O
leaving	O
them	O
out	O
had	O
nothing	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
provoking	O
UMK3	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
UMK3	B-Application
was	O
done	O
to	O
appease	O
arcade	O
operators	O
and	O
make	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
sooner	O
than	O
usual	O
release	O
of	O
MK3'''s	O
home	O
version	O
by	O
keeping	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
fresh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Accompanied	O
by	O
a	O
massive	O
promotional	O
campaign	O
(	O
given	O
the	O
world	O
record	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
largest	O
promotional	O
campaign	O
for	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
2011	O
Guinness	O
World	O
Records	O
Gamer	O
's	O
Edition	O
)	O
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
released	O
to	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
arcades	O
in	O
April	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
soon	O
ported	O
to	O
three	O
home	O
consoles	O
,	O
namely	O
the	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
,	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
described	O
as	O
identical	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	O
original	O
by	O
Ed	O
Boon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
Midway	O
,	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
gained	O
exclusive	O
worldwide	O
rights	O
for	O
the	O
32-bit	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
up	O
through	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
quarter	O
of	O
1996	O
(	O
hence	O
why	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
3DO	B-Device
Interactive	I-Device
Multiplayer	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
versions	O
were	O
all	O
slated	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
quarter	O
of	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Continuing	O
a	O
tradition	O
of	O
simultaneous	O
home	O
version	O
releases	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
,	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Game	O
Gear	O
versions	O
would	O
all	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
"	O
Mortal	O
Friday	O
"	O
,	O
October	O
13	O
,	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publishing	O
for	O
the	O
16-bit	O
console	O
ports	O
and	O
portable	O
versions	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
was	O
handled	O
by	O
Williams	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
Acclaim	O
Entertainment	O
(	O
who	O
handled	O
the	O
console	O
ports	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
titles	O
)	O
,	O
although	O
Acclaim	O
still	O
handled	O
the	O
publishing	O
for	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
only	O
nine	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
15	O
fighters	O
(	O
Kano	O
,	O
Sonya	O
,	O
Sub-Zero	O
,	O
Cyrax	B-Application
,	O
Sektor	O
,	O
Sheeva	O
,	O
Sindel	O
,	O
Kabal	O
,	O
and	O
Smoke	O
)	O
are	O
available	O
,	O
only	O
five	O
stages	O
exist	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
no	O
button-link	O
combos	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
finishers	O
outside	O
of	O
Fatalities	O
and	O
Babalities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shao	O
Kahn	O
uses	O
his	O
moves	O
from	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Motaro	O
is	O
not	O
included	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sole	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
game	O
to	O
be	O
rated	O
M	O
by	O
the	O
ESRB	O
,	O
this	O
version	O
does	O
not	O
include	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
overt	O
gore	O
and	O
violence	O
seen	O
in	O
its	O
parent	O
systems	O
but	O
kept	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
burning	O
"	O
Fatalities	O
(	O
immolating	O
a	O
defeated	O
opponent	O
down	O
to	O
a	O
burnt	O
skeleton	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
scaled-down	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
released	O
only	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
is	O
in	O
color	O
and	O
features	O
Noob	O
Saibot	O
as	O
a	O
hidden	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
only	O
Game	O
Gear	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
game	O
to	O
not	O
have	O
blood	O
and	O
gore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
two	O
different	O
versions	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
was	O
a	O
DOS	B-Device
version	O
,	O
which	O
does	O
not	O
closely	O
resemble	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
other	O
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
version	O
was	O
a	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
a	O
direct	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
featuring	O
the	O
same	O
menus	O
,	O
sprite	O
sizes	O
and	O
qualities	O
,	O
and	O
gameplay.Mortal	O
Kombat	O
3	O
was	O
originally	O
slated	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
in	O
the	O
second	O
quarter	O
of	O
1996	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
joint	O
press	O
release	O
issued	O
by	O
Atari	O
and	O
Williams	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
March	O
13	O
,	O
1995	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
never	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
for	O
the	O
3DO	B-Device
Interactive	I-Device
Multiplayer	I-Device
was	O
also	O
announced	O
for	O
an	O
early	O
1996	O
release	O
,	O
touted	O
on	O
magazine	O
covers	O
,	O
and	O
reportedly	O
complete	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
also	O
never	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
was	O
also	O
announced	O
for	O
early	O
1996	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
canceled	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
Ultimate	O
Mortal	O
Kombat	O
3.Mortal	O
Kombat	O
3	O
is	O
also	O
included	O
in	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Treasures	I-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
GameCube	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
;	O
Midway	B-Application
Arcade	I-Application
Treasures	I-Application
Deluxe	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
(	O
this	O
title	O
includes	O
a	O
'	O
making	O
of	O
 '	O
documentary	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
;	O
and	O
Midway	B-Device
Arcade	I-Device
Treasures	I-Device
:	I-Device
Extended	I-Device
Play	I-Device
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2021	O
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
by	O
Arcade1Up	O
along	O
with	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Ultimate	B-Application
Mortal	I-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
on	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
Countercades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
celebrate	O
the	O
30th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
game	O
,	O
Arcade1Up	O
released	O
in	O
2022	O
an	O
arcade	O
machine	O
with	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
along	O
with	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Ultimate	B-Application
Mortal	I-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Toobin	B-Application
 '	I-Application
,	O
Rampage	B-Application
,	O
Joust	B-Application
,	O
Tapper	B-Application
,	O
Wizard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Wor	I-Application
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Device
,	O
Defender	B-Application
,	O
Bubbles	B-Application
,	O
Paperboy	B-Device
and	O
Klax	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
RePlay	O
reported	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
most-popular	O
arcade	O
game	O
in	O
May	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
1995	O
recipients	O
of	O
the	O
American	O
Amusement	O
Machine	O
Association	O
's	O
Diamond	O
Awards	O
(	O
which	O
are	O
based	O
strictly	O
on	O
sales	O
achievements	O
)	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Sega	O
's	O
Daytona	B-Application
USA	I-Application
and	O
SNK	O
's	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
MVS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	O
conversion	O
kit	O
of	B-Application
1995	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Williams	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
which	O
published	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
and	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
versions	O
,	O
reported	O
combined	O
sales	O
of	O
250,000	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
weekend	O
they	O
were	O
available	O
,	O
placing	O
them	O
among	O
the	O
best-selling	O
games	O
of	B-Application
1995	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
had	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
million	O
copies	O
by	O
November	O
23	O
,	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
best-selling	O
home	O
video	O
game	O
of	B-Application
1995	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
Video	O
Software	O
Dealers	O
Association	O
's	O
"	O
Video	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
for	O
1995	O
,	O
losing	O
to	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
commercially	O
successful	O
,	O
many	O
disliked	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
arguably	O
less-appealing	O
new	O
characters	O
(	O
especially	O
Stryker	O
)	O
in	O
place	O
of	O
established	O
stalwarts	O
such	O
as	O
Scorpion	O
and	O
Kitana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
"	O
While	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
2	I-Application
managed	O
to	O
improve	O
upon	O
the	O
fast-paced	O
,	O
gore-galore	O
formula	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
the	O
third	O
incarnation	O
did	O
n't	O
fare	O
nearly	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Retro	O
Gamer	O
article	O
on	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
stated	O
in	O
2007	O
:	O
"	O
Although	O
many	O
hardcore	O
fans	O
will	O
decree	O
Midway	O
's	O
third	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
game	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
best	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
just	O
as	O
many	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
end	O
for	O
the	O
still	O
massively	O
popular	O
franchise	O
...	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Midway	O
had	O
been	O
constantly	O
adding	O
subtle	O
gameplay	O
tweaks	O
to	O
its	O
franchise	O
since	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
,	O
its	O
once	O
exciting	O
series	O
was	O
suddenly	O
looking	O
rather	O
tired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
(	O
EGM	O
)	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
their	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Month	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
IGN	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
negative	O
assessment	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
shortcomings	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
itself	O
,	O
recommending	O
Street	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
2D	O
fighting	O
games	O
over	O
it	O
unless	O
one	O
is	O
a	O
"	O
die-hard	O
MK	O
fan	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
later	O
IGN	O
retrospective	O
,	O
"	O
Despite	O
the	O
evolutions	O
in	O
gameplay	O
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
simply	O
not	O
met	O
with	O
same	O
kind	O
of	O
enthusiasm	O
as	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
was	O
impossible	O
to	O
ignore	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
response	O
was	O
n't	O
quite	O
what	O
Midway	O
had	O
hoped	O
for.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
a	O
Next	O
Generation	O
critic	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
actually	O
looks	O
better	O
on	O
a	O
last-generation	O
console	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
finds	O
company	O
with	O
other	O
2D	O
games	O
and	O
is	O
better-looking	O
than	O
most	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
than	O
it	O
did	O
in	O
the	O
arcade	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
seemed	O
outdated	O
against	O
the	O
increasingly	O
prevalent	O
polygon-based	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
complimented	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
delivering	O
on	O
the	O
elements	O
most	O
important	O
to	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
fanbase	O
,	O
but	O
added	O
as	O
a	O
final	O
note	O
that	O
"	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
the	O
MK	O
series	O
is	O
getting	O
stale	O
and	O
in	O
dire	O
need	O
of	O
some	O
major	O
reworking.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
review	O
,	O
GamePro	O
similarly	O
said	O
that	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
"	O
just	O
not	O
original	O
enough	O
(	O
like	O
Tekken	B-Application
)	O
or	O
deep	O
enough	O
(	O
like	O
SF	O
[	O
Street	O
Fighter ]	O
)	O
to	O
warrant	O
space	O
on	O
the	O
casual	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
gamer	O
's	O
shelf.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
criticized	O
the	O
Genesis	B-Operating_System
version	O
as	O
being	O
a	O
weak	O
approximation	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
,	O
particularly	O
the	O
character	O
sprites	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
assessed	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
as	O
a	O
much	O
more	O
accurate	O
conversion	O
aside	O
from	O
the	O
lag	O
during	O
Shang	O
Tsung	O
's	O
morphing	O
,	O
but	O
concluded	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
An	O
awesome	O
home	O
version	O
of	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
was	O
n't	O
so	O
great	O
to	O
begin	O
with.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
similarly	O
felt	O
the	O
arcade-perfect	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
overshadowed	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
innovation	O
:	O
"	O
There	O
is	O
little	O
,	O
outside	O
of	O
a	O
few	O
new	O
,	O
conspicuously	O
uninspired	O
characters	O
,	O
a	O
run	O
feature	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
combo	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
simply	O
mirrors	O
its	O
competition	O
,	O
to	O
differentiate	O
MK3	O
from	O
its	O
predecessors.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Maximum	O
praised	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
's	O
wealth	O
of	O
customization	O
options	O
and	O
"	O
eerie	O
combat	O
music	O
tracks	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
outdated	O
with	O
Ultimate	B-Application
Mortal	I-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
already	O
out	O
in	O
arcades	O
and	O
slated	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
took	O
strong	O
issue	O
with	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
PAL	B-Language
optimization	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
"	O
The	O
characters	O
move	O
very	O
slowly	O
as	O
if	O
wading	O
through	O
treacle	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
detracts	O
from	O
the	O
overall	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
changing	O
the	O
timing	O
for	O
the	O
special	O
moves	O
and	O
combos.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
,	O
the	O
four	O
reviewers	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
concurred	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
by	O
far	O
the	O
best	O
"	O
16-bit	O
version	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
they	O
listed	O
some	O
problems	O
with	O
the	O
AI	O
and	O
sound	O
,	O
GamePro	O
had	O
a	O
similar	O
reaction	O
,	O
concluding	O
that	O
"	O
Converting	O
a	O
mammoth	O
arcade	O
game	O
like	O
MK	O
3	O
to	O
the	O
16-bit	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
is	O
no	O
easy	O
task	O
,	O
and	O
Williams	O
has	O
done	O
a	O
respectable	O
job	O
of	O
keeping	O
all	O
the	O
key	O
elements	O
intact.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
PC	B-Device
Gamer	O
itself	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
later	O
negative	O
opinion	O
,	O
gave	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
version	O
of	O
MK3	O
a	O
review	O
score	O
of	O
89%	O
upon	O
the	O
release	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
yet	O
another	O
excellent	O
arcade	O
experience	O
from	O
the	O
king	O
of	O
fighting	O
games.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
fighting	O
games	O
ever	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
title	O
you	O
must	O
own	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
awarding	O
it	O
four	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
stars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
panned	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
in	O
a	O
brief	O
review	O
,	O
venturing	O
that	O
"	O
even	O
portable	O
power	O
players	O
will	O
find	O
the	O
soft	O
controls	O
and	O
eye-straining	O
graphics	O
unbearable.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
GamesMaster	O
ranked	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
version	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
issue	O
,	O
GamesMaster	O
rated	O
the	O
SNES	B-Application
version	O
5th	O
in	O
its	O
"	O
The	O
GamesMaster	O
SNES	B-Application
Top	O
10.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
LegacyUltimate	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
UMK3	B-Application
)	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
arcades	O
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
an	O
update	O
of	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
featuring	O
altered	O
gameplay	O
,	O
additional	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
new	O
arenas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
more	O
home	O
versions	O
followed	O
between	O
2002	O
and	O
2010	O
,	O
including	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
Advance	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
and	O
Ultimate	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
(	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
version	O
features	O
the	O
"	O
Puzzle	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
"	O
minigame	O
originally	O
from	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
:	I-Application
Deception	I-Application
)	O
.UMK3	O
itself	O
was	O
updated	O
to	O
include	O
content	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
basis	O
of	O
the	O
console-exclusive	O
title	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
Trilogy	I-Application
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
