Update [Fri 13th Dec, 2024 10:15 GMT]: 3DO HD's port of Mortal Kombat II to the 3DO has come on a lot since we last covered it back in 2023, with the developer recently posting a new video on his YouTube channel featuring some "release candidate gameplay" and stating that the port is just about "ready to go".
From what we can tell from the new footage, it looks remarkably faithful to the original arcade version, with the character sprites and backgrounds closely matching what fans expect. And we're not the only ones to make a note of this either, with the retro news channel Video Game Esoterica recently publishing a video, in which they called it the "best home port of Mortal Kombat II", after getting a hands-on with a work-in-progress version of the port.
According to 3DO HD, in the video description, the plan is to get some feedback from a limited handful of channels / testers, before releasing it to the public for free.
Original Article [Thu 14th Sep, 2023 12:00 BST]: A group of fans are porting Midway's Mortal Kombat II to the 3DO, it has been revealed (thanks, St1ka).
Released in arcades at the close of 1993, the game was ported to the popular home formats of the time, including the SNES, Genesis, Amiga, Master System and even the Game Boy – and it would later be converted to the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation in 1996.
However, one platform which didn't get any love was the ill-fated 3DO – and that's what a group of tech-minded fans are looking to change.
The new project seeks to port the arcade version of the game to the 3DO, complete with all of the original characters and stages, as well as other cool features.
"This is a huge undertaking with a lot of work left, but initial tests are showing some promise," say the devs behind the project. "The game plan is to include all of the original arcade stages at their original quality (and maybe more), a single-player mode, a 2-player VS mode, a casual mode with no timer or health bars, and a stage explorer mode. (And maybe even a secret fighter or two.)"
However, those expecting a perfect port should curb their expectations, as this is a project that comes with plenty of challenges. Reading such a large amount of data from CD will be one of them, and the 3DO's resolution of 320x240 – which is less than the arcade version's 400x254 – is another sticking point. Also, the 3DO only has 1MB VRAM and 2MB DRAM. "Some corners will need to be cut, unfortunately," the developers conclude. "But hopefully not too many."