# I can beat Mortal Kombat I on very hard but I can't beat any others **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136 "2010-07-09T19:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/1 "2010-07-09T19:32:30Z")
Is the first game much easier than the other ones? Did they decide to make MK II and III a lot harder? I have them on Genesis if it matters. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/2 "2010-07-09T22:41:32Z")
I think it depends on who you use. If I remember correctly, I could beat the Sega version on very hard with Rayden because his BBF move would go under Goro and Tsung’s projectiles. I probably haven’t played that version since 1994 though. I remember that I could get all the way to the Endurance rounds in the arcade version before I would lose. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/3 "2010-07-09T23:48:57Z")
The arcade version of MK 1 I thought had a reputation for being insanely difficult, which jibes with my experience of the game. Both before I was good and afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/4 "2010-07-10T06:28:37Z")
No offense, but don’t deny it. You are a time-traveler from 1995, right? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/5 "2010-07-10T14:05:24Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > No offense, but don’t deny it. You are a time-traveler from 1995, right? If he’s not, I’m seriously impressed with his dedication to the ruse. The username, the laserdiscs, the video games. It’s all pretty authentic. Even this OP only includes mentions of the first three MK games (all released before 1995) and none of the five released since then. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/6 "2010-07-10T14:07:35Z")
MK has always featured the most cheatin’ AI of any fighting game. 2 player is fun. 1 vs PC is not. The AI responds instantly to your button presses and not the actions of your character on screen as a person would. Shame too because MK 2 and 3 were both fun games for 2 player. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/7 "2010-07-10T15:55:13Z")
I always use Sub Zero when playing MK1. I have other MK games besides the first 3 on Genesis. I have Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on Saturn and I have one of the PS2 ones. ---
**Author:** ![PackLeader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@PackLeader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PackLeader)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/8 "2010-07-12T03:31:29Z")
MK 4 on the 64 topped them all. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/9 "2010-07-12T03:50:28Z")
I never owned a Genesis, only played it at friend’s houses, but to this day, I still remember ABACABB. The puritans at Nintendo of America didn’t have an equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/10 "2010-07-12T04:00:39Z")
My favorite was MK Trilogy for the PS. Of the first 3, I’d probably go with 2. I stopped playing when they went 3d. I think there’s a new side scroll MK coming out soon though. 1993-1997 is a favorite of mine for all of pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/11 "2010-07-12T04:09:37Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > My favorite was MK Trilogy for the PS. Of the first 3, I’d probably go with 2. I stopped playing when they went 3d. I think there’s a new side scroll MK coming out soon though. Spring 2011. Simply titled **Mortal Kombat**. It’s a retelling of MK1 - MK3 if Raiden from the future let past Raiden know all that would happen if Shao Khan invades Earthrealm. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/12 "2010-07-12T22:13:12Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > Is the first game much easier than the other ones? Did they decide to make MK II and III a lot harder? I have them on Genesis if it matters. Yes it is. MK1 was much easier then 2 or 3. I can pretty much beat 1 on any level with any of the characters, but 2 and 3 I never really beat. I don’t think I ever beat 4, and never played the rest really. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/13 "2010-07-12T23:15:54Z")
MK1 could be beaten on normal with your eyes closed - I can, unfortunately, attest to that. 2 and 3 were harder, but you could still beat them on any level without a lot of trouble. I think video games these days are way, way, way harder than thye were back in the day. ETA: played on genesis - and the arcade versions were way tougher than console - but I never played them a whole lot. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/14 "2010-07-13T04:19:36Z")
I always sucked at playing against the computer bosses, but it was rare for me to come across another person that could beat me in 2-player. People still talk about it, because I still practice the old games a few times a year. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/15 "2010-07-15T12:51:31Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > If he’s not, I’m seriously impressed with his dedication to the ruse. The username, the laserdiscs, the video games. It’s all pretty authentic. Even this OP only includes mentions of the first three MK games (all released before 1995) and none of the five released since then. But was he pushing it before people made a joke about it? Do you think he’s just embracing the joke? (Sorry to talk like you aren’t here. But you tend to ignore these types of posts.) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-beat-mortal-kombat-i-on-very-hard-but-i-cant-beat-any-others/546136/16 "2010-07-15T13:19:16Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But was he pushing it before people made a joke about it? Do you think he’s just embracing the joke? I think the first three or four threads he created were all about late 80s/early 90s movies that he just saw on laserdisc for the first time. Then there’s his username, which is a reference to the released in 1995 PlayStation.