Xbox-360 era Mortal Kombat titles like 2008’s Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9 is now fully backward compatible with the Xbox Series X/S, and fighting game fans are celebrating all across the internet. Microsoft announced an updated list of over 70 old Xbox games that can now be played on the latest Xbox hardware, ranging from classics like Max Payne 3 and Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2 to odd, obscure gems like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.
As its title would suggest, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe pitted MK mainstays like Liu Kang and Scorpion against the likes of Batman and Superman in an unexpected crossover clash. Although the game fell under scrutiny by longtime Mortal Kombat fans due to its toned-down violence and Teen rating, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe would ultimately be met with decent sales figures and serve as a preview of sorts for NetherRealm’s later forays into the world of DC Comics with the Injustice series. Meanwhile, 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9 was a reboot of the long-running MK series, earning high praise as a return to form for the series after some of the more divisive entries of the mid-2000s. Despite both these Mortal Kombat titles having their fair share of fans, playing them in the console generations after their original run on the Xbox 360 has proven to be a challenge. Only Mortal Kombat 9 was available to purchase on Steam in recent years, and even that would ultimately be removed in 2020.
Now fans who own an Xbox Series X/S system can play the original Xbox 360 versions of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Mortal Kombat 9 thanks to both titles being added to the Xbox Series X's backward compatibility list. To celebrate this news, Mortal Kombat like fans like ILLPLEASA have been posting on Reddit to express how excited they are that these classic titles are now so readily accessible for the first time in years. Reddit user Chicagogospel even posted a screenshot of Mortal Kombat 9 being installed on their Xbox Series X, though others have been experiencing technical issues because the updated list of backward compatible Xbox titles was only implemented yesterday.
This is certainly an exciting time for Mortal Kombat fans, as the series has been brought to new heights over the past few years thanks to the success of 2017’s Mortal Kombat 11 - which has managed to sell over 12 million copies worldwide. NetherRealm has suggested that it’s currently beginning work on the highly-anticipated Mortal Kombat 12 as its next big fighting game project, and fans are already speculating on which characters will make the roster after the status-quo-shattering events of the last game.
In the meantime, Mortal Kombat fans can now jump back into Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Mortal Kombat 9 thanks to the Xbox Series X/S's updated backward compatibility functionality. Both these titles represent a turning point for the Mortal Kombat franchise, and fans couldn’t be more excited to re-experience the crossover hijinks that ended the original MK storyline or the time-traveling adventure that started the saga anew.
Source: ILLPLEASA/Reddit, Chicagogospel/Reddit