Mortal Kombat Message Board older than one year ago

#mortalkombat The full-length live-action trailer for Mortal Kombat Vita is here, making me think that perhaps I need to tone up a bit more, maybe visit a tailor before the game arrives. More »

Developing Mortal Kombat for PS Vita was an incredibly rewarding experience for the team here at NetherRealm Studios. The ability to utilize the numerous new features available on PS Vita was a very gratifying mission, and we are delivering the best possible on-the-go fighting experience for fans.

Our design team jumped at the opportunity to devise 150 new Challenge Tower missions that incorporate the DLC characters (like Freddy Krueger!), while also integrating the front touchscreen and accelerometer in ways that made sense and enhanced the complete Mortal Kombat experience.

The artists enjoyed creating some excellent new costumes (still to be revealed!), as well as re-creating an iconic MKII arena that integrates the rear camera that will give players the ability to literally Fight Anywhere.

Our programmers worked diligently to make sure the players’ experience of Mortal Kombat on PS Vita was pristine and up to NetherRealm standards: fine tuning controls (while adding new controls, such as touchcreen Fatalities and X-Rays!) and displaying gameplay at a smooth 60 frames per second.

With all of these features, two new exclusive modes (Test Your Balance and Test Your Slice) and both ad-hoc (local) and WiFi (intrastructure) Versus mode options, we had an amazing time this past weekend at PAX East 2012 showing Mortal Kombat for PS Vita to fans. We had quite a few fans come back and bring their friends to show them the new features—and to challenge them to some old-fashioned 1 vs 1 Kombat. It definitely made all of the work and love we put into this version of Mortal Kombat worth it.

This new trailer definitely captures the spirit of what we were trying to do with Mortal Kombat for PS Vita. Give it a watch and let us know what you think in the comments!

#nsfw There's a common complaint with a lot of nerd rappers, and it's one I for the most part agree with: that weak production and sloppy rhymes often get a pass because of the subject matter. More »

Here's a trailer for the Vita version of Mortal Kombat.

#mortalkombat Let's see who we've got representing Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat tournament, in which the fate of the entire planet hangs in the balance. We've got a god, that's always good. A cybernetic special forces commado; sure, I'll take that. A mall cop? Pass. More »

#watchthis More »

I feel bad for the fighter who has to squeeze in with Goro.

Today is a very exciting day for PlayStation, all of our loyal fans and the entire gaming industry. The highly anticipated PlayStation Vita, our next generation handheld gaming device, is now officially available here in the US. We celebrated this momentous occasion from coast to coast last night, kicking off at a midnight event in New York where an enthusiastic crowd from the PlayStation Nation came to get their PS Vita units.

When we set out to create PS Vita, we were determined to deliver the best handheld gaming experience the industry has ever seen, an experience that would rival current consoles and set the bar infinitely higher for those exploring the portable gaming space. In the year following its announcement, you’ve heard us throw around words like “revolutionary,” “innovative,” “game-changing” and more. In the past few weeks, fans like yourselves and members of the press have begun to share in our sentiments. Early reviews have hailed PS Vita as “the best handheld ever made” and “the most advanced portable gaming system ever made.” It’s clear that PS Vita is making a phenomenal impression on gamers across the world.

Once you have your PS Vita in hand, the choices are yours. With 25 titles available at launch, more than 70 others in development, and fan-favorite franchises such as Call of Duty, UNCHARTED, Assassin’s Creed, Resistance, Mortal Kombat and new IP like Unit 13 coming to your PS Vita, the hardest decision will be where to start. Our goal is to ensure that PS Vita owners are never without new entertainment choices. We’ve worked hard to create a lineup of great content unlike anything you’ve ever seen from a handheld gaming device and to add social features, services and functionality the will continuously enhance those great experiences anytime, anywhere.

We know that PlayStation has the best fans in the business and we want to thank you for your ongoing passion and dedication. For those of you who may just be joining the PlayStation Nation we say “welcome” and to every proud new owner of a PlayStation Vita…we hope you never stop playing.

He's taking "clingy" to a whole new level.

Tucked away in the dark, crowded bowels of Time Warner's financial results statement for fiscal 2011 is news that Rocksteady's blockbuster, bat-centric beat-em-up (that would be Batman: Arkham City) has shipped 6 million units, as of December 31, 2011. Now, "shipped" is a much different statistic than "sold," but it's a strong figure nonetheless.

It's difficult to tell how Warner Bros. Interactive did on its own in 2011, since its financial results are lumped in with two other Time Warner subsidiaries, (Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Television), both of which brought in astounding amounts of money with their respective Harry Potter and Big Bang Theory licenses. Overall, Time Warner's "Filmed Entertainment" (tv, movies and gaming) reported revenues of $12.6 billion; a 9 percent year-over-year increase.

The statement also mentions Mortal Kombat and "several LEGO titles" as key contributors to the division's successful year.

#toys Toy company Syco has a new entry in its line of Mortal Kombat statues, this time based on femme fatale Mileena. More »

I’ve got good news, and I’ve got good news. First, the good news: Based on my recent hands-on play sessions, Mortal Kombat on PS Vita plays identically to its PS3 counterpart. That means fluid 60 frames-per-second fighting, lush presentation, and every bit of content from the console version. That includes the critically acclaimed Story mode, a full character roster, the Krypt, the works.

I also tried out a series of local (non-internet) Wifi multiplayer matches, and I’m happy to report that the game felt smooth and responsive with no perceptible lag. If you’re skeptical, watch the video above to see local multiplayer — and my hairy, hairy paws — in action.

Now for the good news: The PS Vita version adds an ambitious array of extra content, starting with every piece of DLC ever released on PS3. That means you’ll be able to play as Freddy Krueger, Kenshi, Rain, and Skarlet from day one, and select MK1 and MK2 retro-styled costumes to drape over your male and female ninja characters. The Vita version sweetens the pot with 15 more exclusive costumes, including MK3-styled garb for the ninjas. Not a bad start, but it gets better.

If you read PlayStation.Blog’s exclusive interview with Ed Boon, you’ll know that Netherrealm Studios has prepared an all-new Challenge Tower II mode that’s exclusive to PS Vita. I went hands-on with four of the 150 total new challenges, more than half of which take advantage of PS Vita’s touchscreen and sixaxis motion sensors in novel (and challenging!) ways:

-One challenge tasked me with juggling a character using ground-based missile launchers, which I activated by tapping the touchscreen. It felt a bit like hacky sack combined with the old Atari game Missile Command, and it’s a lot of fun.

-In another challenge, Raiden’s head inflated every time my opponent landed a blow. To win the match, I had to conquer my attacker while deflating Raiden’s head via the touchscreen. If Raiden’s head grew too big, or I tapped it too much, it popped. Fail!

-The tougher challenges will strain your multitasking abilities. In Bloody Mess, I had to frantically wipe blood off the screen to avoid being blinded…not easy when you’re fending off the blade-slinging mutant Baraka.

-In another challenge, I had to detonate lethal homing missiles using the touchscreen while dueling the cybernetic assassin Sektor.

-Some of the new challenges will focus on the four new characters — Freddy, Kenshi, Rain, and Skarlet — who didn’t factor into the PS3 game’s Challenge Tower due to their release as DLC.

The final game will also include two new bonus modes in the spirit of the Test Your Might minigames. In Test Your Balance, you’re challenged with balancing on a beam and using PS Vita’s sixaxis motion sensor to adjust your balance…while you’re being pelted with body parts. Fail, and you’ll plummet to a gory death (which I won’t spoil here). There will be a second Vita-exclusive minigame as well, but Netherrealms Studios is keeping this under wraps for the
time being.

And yes, there will be new Trophies. What questions do you have about Mortal Kombat for PS Vita? Fire away in the comments and I’ll do my best to serve up answers.

#event What happens someone who grew up on the N64 makes art? You get Cammy, Sub-Zero and G.I. Joe rolling up on Mario's stomping grounds in tanks. More »

#speakuponkotaku Did you buy, rent, or steal a game last year expecting the worst only to be pleasantly surprised? Commenter DerpiestShazbot wants to know, and you'll tell him in today's Speak Up on Kotaku. More »

The good news: Mortal Kombat is coming to PS Vita! The bad news: Details are so scarce that we haven’t seen so much as a single screenshot! Luckily, Netherrealm Studios Creative Director Ed Boon emerged from the shadows to share first details with PlayStation.Blog readers, including the existence of a PS Vita-exclusive second Challenge Tower and hints at how the game will take advantage of PS Vita’s unique hardware capabilities. Read up on our full Q&A below and check back soon for more details on this spring’s eagerly anticipated portable pugilist.

PlayStation.Blog: What’s the scope of Mortal Kombat for PS Vita? Does it include all the content from the PS3 game?
Ed Boon, Creative Director, Netherrealm Studios: It’s actually everything from the PS3 game: the entire Story mode and all the downloadable characters and content, plus additional modes and features that are tailored for PS Vita. We really wanted to take advantage of Vita’s hardware.

PSB: How have the graphics transitioned to PS Vita? Did you have to make any major graphical sacrifices from the PS3 version?
EB:It’s interesting. We did have to reduce some of the polygon counts from the backgrounds and characters, but that screen is so bright, and it’s got such high pixel density….when I saw Scorpion and Sub-Zero fighting on the Living Forest for the first time, I was amazed. It really maintains the identity of the game. I can’t wait for people to hold it in their hands and see it for themselves — it’s a surprisingly similar experience.

PSB: Will the PS Vita version keep the PS3 version’s smooth 60 fps framerate?
EB: Yeah. We wouldn’t accept any compromises there; we needed the game to run at the same framerate as the PS3 version. A number of our internal people proposed running it at 30 frames per second — “we could do this and this and that” — but we knew it would feel different. We didn’t want it to feel sluggish or unresponsive.

PSB: What makes a good mobile fighting game? Obviously, playing habits are different in a mobile environment.
EB: The fundamental necessity is quick access to gameplay, whether it’s online or locally. The mobile gaming experience is shorter bites of time. We identified the Challenge Tower as a perfect fit for mobile sessions, so we expanded it greatly for PS Vita. There are actually two Challenge Towers in the PS Vita version, and the new one has 150 challenges that are exclusive to PS Vita. A number of those challenges use PS Vita’s hardware features: the touch screen, the accelerometer…

PSB: …rear touchscreen?
EB: The rear touchscreen functionality was something that we experimented with, but we ultimately opted not to pursue. We really went to town on the front touchscreen interaction, though, both in the challenges and normal gameplay. A lot of work went into it.

PSB: So how does a touchscreen come into play in Mortal Kombat?
EB: In terms of gameplay, we’ve always wanted MK to be as accessible as possible. For example, you can touch your X-ray meter to execute an X-ray attack. For fatalities, you can “slash” the screen with the appropriate inputs — say, away, away, up — to execute the fatality. It makes some of the more difficult fatalities easier and it’s fun to slash at your screen to fire off a fatality. I was surprised by how engaging it is.

PSB: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 has a dedicated touchscreen-only mode for more casual players. Are you planning anything along those lines?
EB: We goofed around with ideas like that. It was an interesting novelty at first, but literally everybody who tried it said “oh, that’s cute” and then went right back to the normal control scheme. There’s a lot of precision with the “slicing” mechanic, though, so it works well for fatalities.

PSB: Can you shed any light into how the accelerometer or sixaxis motion controls work in the new PS Vita-centric Challenge Tower?
EB: I’ve been asked not to completely reveal all of the details yet…But in the new Challenge Tower, there are challenges that are unique to PS Vita’s capabilities. Over the years we’ve had Test Your Might, Test Your Luck, Test Your Sight…well, we’ve added two completely new ones for PS Vita. We’ll be revealing those soon, and they will take advantage of the accelerometer and other features.

Those extra 150 Challenge Tower missions are tons of fun. Imagine tilting your PS Vita and affecting gravity in the game, things like that…

PSB: Mortal Kombat is a highly competitive fighter. What’s your approach to multiplayer on PS Vita?
EB: We tried to put all the main things that people would want to do for hooking up with other players online; you can fight one-on-one whether you’re in local Wifi or online [infrastructure] Wifi. There aren’t any eight-player online fighting modes, though, and we aren’t supporting four players in one match. Our focus was getting the core fighting gameplay and Wifi battles as solid as possible.

PSB: Will Mortal Kombat feature any PS3-to-PS Vita connectivity or cross play functionality?
EB: No. We’ve been working with PS Vita for quite a while. We had a lot of conversations about what we could do with it; I thought it would be cool to have an extra bonus for players who bought both the PS3 and PS Vita versions. We talked about unlocking a new character, or having some sort of new mode that enabled you to control the game from your PS Vita…but unfortunately, it’s coming up on a year since the PS3 version came out and we never found a way to marry the two versions together.

PSB: Finally, the game’s official name is Mortal Kombat, right? I know there were rumors of “Mortal Kombat Vitality…”
EB: Yes, it’s Mortal Kombat. “Vitality” was something that somebody mocked up at some point, and it kind of stuck [laughs]. But yes, it’s just called Mortal Kombat.

#mortalkombat Mortal Kombat made a bloody and triumphant return to consoles last year, giving gamers updated versions of classic Kombatants like Sub-Zero and Johnny Cage and an all-new engine that offered more depth than ever before. The game also mined the fighting franchise's long history to offer a drip-feed of DLC that rolled out skins and characters every couple of weeks. More »

Freddy Kruger has been tearing up the Mortal Kombat arena for a while now, and we've rarely had more fun with a DLC character. It's doubly sad, then, that we've seen no further DLC for Mortal Kombat since his debut and series director Ed Boon has said that there's none in the works, either. It ...

#speakuponkotaku Video game developers take great care in creating rules and restrictions that define the gameplay of their virtual worlds, but sometimes those rules aren't good enough. In today's rule-breaking edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Pibbles explores the joy of playing under your own self-imposed strictures. More »

The U.K.'s classification authority granted an 18-rating for a "Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition" on Friday, hinting that the title is due for a re-release that would, customarily, include previously released DLC. More »

#speakuponkotaku Twice has Best Buy lured commenter I.Q.1 to its door with exclusive preorder goodness, and twice has he been denied. A cautionary tale, courtesy of Speak Up on Kotaku. More »

#mortalkombat Looks like director Kevin Tancharoen's actually going to get to make that Mortal Kombat movie he pitched to Warner Bros. The director of Mortal Kombat Rebirth and the web series it spawned, Mortal Kombat Legacy, is getting his very own stab at a feature film. More »

Go to any screening of The Room, Tommy Wiseau's tour-de-force depiction of one man's personal relationship hell in a dystopian, near future fantasy world where humans have been robbed of all identifiable human emotions apart from abject spite, random bursts of maudlin rage, and occasional laughter associated with tossing a football around for some reason, and the conversation inevitably devolves into a bout of is he/isn't he discussion over the veracity of Wiseau's persona. Is he an elaborate fraud? A sort of Kaufman-esque character designed to troll greater humanity until his last, dying breath? Or is he really the exiled European royal eccentric who actually thinks his movies are awesome that many purport him to be?

What more need be said?

Whether or not he was once batshit crazy in his own earnest way, any remaining trace of earnestness from the man's pocked, droopy-eyed visage appears to be long gone. Much as humanity's fate was sealed for the worse when Skynet became self-aware, any chance of us genuinely loving the kooky, indeterminately European filmmaker has pretty much gone thermonuclear, thanks to the new Machinima production, The Tommy Wi-Show.

For reasons defiant of reason itself, Machinima has apparently paid Wiseau actual money, which can be used to exchange for goods and/or services, to "star" in this "show" in which Wiseau plays video games assigned to him by a helpful, dickish alien, and then says things about them. In the first episode, after repeated complaints that the space station set in which he sits is not his house, Tommy plays Mortal Kombat, while making such wondrous observations as these:

"Oh wooooow..."

"Yeah, kick him! One more time!"

"I don't have a blade. That's not faaaaiiiir."

"Dammit! You Mexican...or whatever you are..."

While there is something slightly mad genius about taking a man who would typically be the subject of a RiffTrax episode and turning him into the commentator--imagine if Ed Wood had sat in on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000--The Tommy Wi-Show appears to have little interest anything beyond using Tommy's reputation as a purveyor of terrible everything in the laziest way possible. In fact, I think this show was ultimately summed up best by MST3K alum and current RiffTrax man Michael J. Nelson on his twitter feed today:

The Tommy Wi-Show: prepare to sigh deeply & say, "Why the hell did I just watch that?

Indeed. Feel free to ask yourself that very question as you watch the first three minutes of the embedded YouTube video below. If you can make it any further than that, your tolerance for overly self-aware bullshit is officially higher than mine.

As we've discussed before, fighting games make use of a language unique to the genre: Terms like "OTG" and "yomi" are common across the pantheon of games that populate the modern fighting scene. Within that universal language, however, are several distinct and established dialects, each centered around a different title or series. For instance, in Mortal Kombat's vernacular, there is no word more offensive or infuriating than "desynchronization."
The desynchronization error, a plague upon both systems that was eventually quarantined to Xbox Live, caused matches to disconnect after selecting specific DLC costumes, alternate costumes, and default costumes. Thankfully though, the latest patch pushed by NetherRealm Studios seems to have finally cured the pandemic: we tested Scorpion's Klassic Kostume DLC and encountered zero errors, which is a massive improvement over the one-hundred percent guaranteed desynch rate associated with the costume previously.

The patch also provides some desperately needed mechanical tweaks and balancing adjustments, and while many of those changes are undocumented, you can peep a list of the important stuff after the break. Fight!

#peripherals The kids at Hit Box got in touch over the weekend to show us this video of their custom fight stick in action. And as someone who sucks at fighting games, I am interested. More »

About 20 years ago, Midway was at the cutting edge of arcade game development using a unique method of creating very realistic images. By digitizing live actors, shot in front of a green screen, a number of games were developed that had a photorealistic look not found in any other games. Games like Narc, Smash TV, NBA Jam and Terminator 2: Arcade all used this technology. This approach was applied to a number of game categories including sports, gun games, and shooters. One genre, however, had not yet been attempted – the fighting game. In 1991, a small team of four decided to try making a fighting game using digitized graphics. The goal was to make something bold, shocking, and as realistic looking as possible. The game would eventually become Mortal Kombat, the first in a series that have sold over 30 million games.

Mortal Kombat was the “bad boy” of fighting games. It unapologetically depicted blood and had a much more hard-edge presentation than its tamer competition. Mortal Kombat’s bold presentation wasn’t without its controversy, but that only fueled the game’s unstoppable popularity. In addition, Mortal Kombat introduced a deep story and unique characters that also set it apart from other fighting games.

My name is Ed Boon, I was part of that original design team of four and now am the creative director at NetherRealm studios where our team of over 100 has recently shipped the 2011 version of Mortal Kombat. As we approach Mortal Kombat’s 20-year anniversary it’s hard not to think back to where it all started. The first three Mortal Kombat games used the digitized method to create their photo realistic images and truly set the stage for our most recent Mortal Kombat game which retells their stories.

As a celebration of the games that started it all, we are very excited to be offering The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, which contains all three classic games (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3) available for download from PSN tomorrow, August 30th. Each game has its own unique look, style and gameplay “feel” that’s nothing like the other two. Mortal Kombat II is the preferred game of many players, but Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is my personal favorite. All three games are complete versions of their original and can now be played online as well.

It’s hard to believe we are coming up on 20 years since the original Mortal Kombat was released in the arcade. Everyone seems to have their own story of when they first saw Mortal Kombat or one of the game’s fatalities. The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection is great way to relive those memories and we really hope you enjoy it!

I’m really happy to see the upcoming release of the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, which hits PSN next Tuesday, August 30th. The MKAK is a great way to relive the classic Mortal Kombat arcade games right in your own living room, but I’m also excited that players who enjoyed this year’s new Mortal Kombat will soon have the opportunity to play the first three games that set the foundation for the entire fighting-game franchise.

I was introduced to Mortal Kombat on April 20th, 1992. I was fresh out of art school and starting my career at Williams/Bally/Midway. I remembered being overwhelmed that I was actually walking into the building where some of my favorite games were created: Narc, Robotron, Defender, and Smash TV just to name a few. Mortal Kombat was yet to be released. However there were a few Mortal Kombat prototypes lining the halls of Midway that we could test out. I remember being just blown away by my first experiences with Mortal Kombat. What first struck me was the size of the digitized characters on the screen. They were huge! I remember selecting Kano as my first character: I was a big Terminator fan at the time, so the choice was obvious. I also remember how in awe I was working (and playing) along side of the guys that created the game. A few days after that, I met the actors that were filmed for the game. John Tobias and Ed Boon brought the whole cast of characters back in to capture the video bio sequences that happened during the attract mode. It was funny how low-budget the whole thing was. It was actually just filmed in the hallway where we tested the games with a low-end video camera, a few lights, and a piece of black cloth as the backdrop. It was a very garage-band scenario but I recall just being blown away that I was witnessing the creation of something big, never really knowing how big Mortal Kombat would actually become.

In this video clip, Mortal Kombat’s longtime Lead Sound Designer Dan Forden discusses the origins of “Toasty!” — one of the most celebrated Easter Eggs in the history of gaming.

Mortal Kombat II was fun in that I had the opportunity to witness the team create the game from the ground up. I was working on another game team at the time, but I was slowly becoming friends with Tobias, Ed, and Tony Goskie. Tony is an amazing artist that bases his talent in surrealism; Mortal Kombat II’s introduction to Outworld was a perfect match for Tony. Luckily my office was directly across from Tony’s so I had the opportunity to see him create some of the most iconic environments in the game. I remember Tony’s disappointment when he had to remove the crucified four-armed Shokan from the Wastelands. We thought it was an interesting element in the background, but the company thought it may be perceived as sacrilegious. One of the best memories I had from the Mortal Kombat II days was when I was asked to be the floating monk in the Tower background. You can’t really tell it’s me in the shrouded robe, but at the time I dorked out hard telling everyone I knew that I was in the latest Mortal Kombat!

In this video clip, Creative Director and co-creator Ed Boon talks about the creation of Mortal Kombat’s iconic dragon medallion logo.

Mortal Kombat 3 is special to me because that was the first Mortal Kombat I was on as an artist. I was honored that John and Ed asked me to join the team. I basically worked alongside John, cleaning up characters, building costumes, and creating special FX. Making Mortal Kombat 3 was a really great time. We busted our asses. We worked crazy hours and stayed overnight quite a bit. Building the character costumes was probably the most fun. Now we build everything in 3D, but back then we had to rely on sporting goods stores, army surplus stores, Halloween shops, and a lot of duct tape. It was a blast getting the cyborg costumes together: it was a mix of BMX motocross gear, hockey protection, duct tape, and rubber tubing. For being really thrown together I am really happy with the way Sektor and Cyrax turned out. By the way, before they were known as Sektor and Cyrax, John Vogel named them Ketchup and Mustard.

In this video clip, Mortal Kombat artist, animator, and motion-capture performer Carlos Pesina recalls how his mother reacted to his career choice.

I am honored to still be working on the Mortal Kombat franchise. I love the Mortal Kombat universe and all the talented people I get to work with every day. In addition to that, I feel we have the best fans in video games. They are extremely devoted and our team deeply appreciates their devotion over the past (almost) 20 years. Thank you all sincerely.

#mortalkombat When Syco Collectibles showed off their line of Mortal Kombat statues the other day, sadly one of the main attractions, a Raiden piece, wasn't done. He is now! More »

When Midway bit the bullet and liquidated all of its assets during the first half of last year, the future of one of gaming's most ubiquitous and legendary franchises, Mortal Kombat, was completely up in the air. People didn't know whether or not MK's new baby-daddy at Warner Bros. Interactive would continue the series' proud tradition of increasingly ludicrous violence, or if it would continue the stagnating series period.

Fast-forward a bit, and thankfully it seems to have worked out for history's favorite murderers, with Warner's first entry in the franchise garnering critical acclaim and millions of dollars. According to WB Interactive President Martin Tremblay, Mortal Kombat has already paid for all of the assets acquired from Midway by selling "close to" 3 million units worldwide.

To put that number in perspective, as of June 30, 2011 Super Street Fighter 4 has sold 1.6 million units, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has sold 2 million, both of which have been on the market for a significantly longer amount of time. Considering the sorry state of affairs that Mortal Kombat was left in as little as two years ago, we can't help but be a little surprised by the modern-day, gore-soaked Cinderella story this saga has become.

The fourth DLC fighter for Mortal Kombat is none other than the dream-stalker himself: Freddy Krueger. The star of Nightmare on Elm Street has a beef with Shao Kahn for stealing all those dream world souls he was torturing, and so he's in the mortal world to take matters into his own claws...

Tonight truly is the final fight, as warriors from around the globe prepare to punch-or-be-punched in the EVO 2011 Championship Series finals! Mortal Kombat, Marvel VS. Capcom 3, and Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition finals comprise tonight's action, with special exhibition matches adding flavor to this already delicious knuckle-sandwich.

Check out the schedule after the break, and let us know how you feel about competitive-gaming coverage on Joystiq, either in the poll or the comments!