A series of fighting games initially developed by Midway Games, starting in 1992 for the Sega Genesis, SNES and arcades. It has grown infamous for its violent Fatality finishers, which were so graphic that it helped lead to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the ratings systems used today for video games.
Since Midway's takeover by Warner Bros. in 2006, the studio was reorganized into Netherealm Studios, which has continued to develop the series since. Later games have become known for featuring guest characters from various properties, ranging from comic books to Hollywood horror franchises.
In Japan, after Mortal Kombat Trilogy on PS1 in 1998, official releases largely stopped due to lack of popularity, with the mobile release of Mortal Kombat X since 2015 presenting an exception before games were available to Japanese via online platforms again.
