The original Mortal Kombat broke onto the scene as an arcade cabinet in 1992. With rotoscoped fighters, tight combat control, and intensely graphic violence, the game spawned an entirely new type of competitive fighting game. Ed Boon's creation went on to have several sequels, remakes, spinoffs, and several comic book series and feature films. It was also partially responsible for the creation of the ESRB.

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Naturally, with a series that spans 18 titles over 29 years, the developers at NetherRealm Studios have packed the Mortal Kombat games with plenty of secrets to discover and different ways to play which may have gone unnoticed by many fans. Now, with the announcement that NetherRealm has finished updating the latest entry in the series, Mortal Kombat 11, it seems only right to look back at the best hidden objectives in the franchise.

Find Reptile

Reptile spitting vile in Mortal Kombat

The Krypt was first introduced in 2002's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Here the player can spend all of the Koins they earn during gameplay to purchase new characters, new arenas, concept art, videos, and other behind-the-scenes extras every Kombat fan will enjoy.

In Mortal Kombat 11, the Krypt holds a special secret bonus for players. Fan-favorite character Reptile spawns in ten different locations within the Krypt, but every time he appears he is invisible and can only be spotted if the player has Kenshi's Blindfold. Striking Reptile with Shao Kahn's hammer will reward the player 200 Soul Fragments and a green skin for Scorpion.

Unlock A Secret Reptile

Rain battles Reptile in 1992's Mortal Kombat

All the way back in Mortal Kombat's first release, there was a secret boss, and that was none other than faithful Outworld servant, Syzoth (otherwise known as Reptile). In his 1992 appearance, he was nothing more than a color palette swap of Scorpion, but the enticing thing about the villain's inclusion was just how secretive his existence was.

Reptile could only be accessed through a complicated trial where the player had to earn a Double Flawless Victory without blocking once and then perform a Fatality. Additionally, the player must be at the Pit level. If properly done, the player would be transported to the Pit Bottom where they will face off against this deadly foe.

Execute a Quitality

A character performs a Quitality in Mortal Kombat 11

While duking it out with friends (or enemies) in an online match, players of Mortal Kombat X may have been surprised when their opponent left the fight out of anger and their character's head exploded into a gory spray.

A new finisher introduced in X, this was called a Quitality, and it was improved upon in Mortal Kombat 11 where the loser would either erupt into a bloody pulp or be brutally impaled on a spike.

Finish The Tutorials

Raiden and Jade in a tutorial in Mortal Kombat 11

Any veteran of the fighting game genre will probably scoff at the prospect of fully completing Mortal Kombat 11's lengthy, detailed tutorials. Players want to jump straight into the action of the game, not spend their time pushing through tedious trials and tribulations.

However, if the player does persist and finish the tutorials, there are a few collectibles as a reward. For completing the base mechanic tutorials, players will be paid in Time Krystals which can be used to purchase fatalities, different cosmetics, and new skins for each character.

Show Mercy

Mortal Kombat 11 Mercy Kill

In a game entirely centered around defeating your opponent in the most epic, gruesome way possible, it may strike some players as sacrilegious to show any kind of sympathy towards the enemy. Should the player perform a Mercy, however, they will be awarded an increase in their tower score and a few hearts to spend on Forge items or open chests in the Krypt.

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Introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 and re-surfacing in 11, performing the Mercy is relatively easy. Once the opponent is depleted of life and at the Finish Him screen, the player must hold the left trigger and press down 3-4 times. The opponent will receive a burst of energy and the fight will continue.

Let The AI Do The Work

Kitana battling Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 11

This mode of play might raise a few eyebrows. In Mortal Kombat's eleventh entry, players are able to let the AI take over the fight, giving the player a momentary reprieve from the action (and time to get more snacks). This may seem out of place in a franchise that relies on the player's skill and quick thinking, but it does provide a new way to play that is unfamiliar to Kombat fans.

In the "Fight" section of the menu, players can select "A.I. Battles" to start the fight. Doing so will reward the player with special skins and other cosmetics otherwise unavailable.

Play Pong

A characters plays Pong in Mortal Kombat II

The stakes were raised in 1993's Mortal Kombat II with the addition of deeper lore and new finishing moves, but strangest of all was the inclusion of a secret tribute to the Atari classic, Pong.

In the arcade version of the second game, the 25oth two-player match would unlock a Mortal Kombat themed version of the 1972 classic, complete with new sound effects like sound designer Dan Forden's classic exclamation of "Toasty" whenever a point was scored. After 7 points were scored, the game would return to the regular brawl.

Execute A Babality

Liu Kang performs a Babality in Mortal Kombat

Brought into the franchise with Mortal Kombat II, this special finisher is a hilarious and humiliating end to a difficult match. With a specific combination of buttons, the player can transform the opponent into a literal infant, complete with a diaper and exaggerated tears.

The finisher was altered slightly for Mortal Kombat 3, making the qualification for a Babality a victory without blocking once during the match. In 2011's revival of the series, each character (including each boss) got their own special Babality animation.

Execute Fatalities

Mortal Kombat 11 Mileena Fatality

One of the main reasons players should explore the Krypt in Mortal Kombat 11 is to unlock new fatalities for your characters to make their brutal murder sprees even more cinematic. This process of searching for fatalities may drive players to think that the only way to access new finishing moves is by delving through the Krypt's expanse.

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In reality, though, players can execute any fatality they want without unlocking it as long as the proper button combo is known. These days the internet supplies everything a Mortal Kombat fan could want, including more than a few complete lists of every sequence needed to perform each fatality.

Access A Secret Menu

The EJB Menus on Mortal Kombat

After nearly 30 years, fans are still uncovering secrets in the original arcade classics. One of the best-kept secrets can be found in the first, second, and third Mortal Kombat games (including Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3). This is of course what fans call EJB menus, named in honor of franchise creator Ed Boon.

Accessing these menus is a difficult task that requires a very precise combination, but once unlocked the player can see the end of each character's storyline and, in the third game, unlock hidden characters and play a clone of Galaga.

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