Mortal Kombat 3 on PS1 features the series' iconic characters and graphic violence. New gameplay mechanics like Run and more complex combos. Fewer popular characters than previous entries, which divided fans. A solid entry despite its controversial roster choices.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players16+
Description
PlayStation port of Midway's 2D arcade versus fighter, where ten fighters clash with bloody Fatalities. Created by Midway and Williams Entertainment, released in 1996 in Japan, the United States and Europe under the Mortal Kombat 3 title. Fifteen playable fighters including Liu Kang, Sub-Zero and Sektor, digitized sprites from real actors, Fatalities and Animalities and arcade soundtrack. Multi-regional edition.
Mortal Kombat 3 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Brutal combos, sprawling chains and the bloody fatalities that built the saga's reputation: everything here bets on impact and forbidden thrills. The snappy handling rewards memory of the sequences, and every spectacular finisher delivers a guilty satisfaction. Direct, visceral and built for the duel, a cult blow-off of the '90s.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Stringing together digitized combos, throwing a projectile at the right moment and closing things out with a bloody Fatality sets up a brutal versus where the rematch demands itself. The twitchy Run Button and hidden characters keep you wanting to unlock everything. The balance is crude, but the gleeful violence and the gallery of fighters retain an immediate pull in multiplayer.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Mastering the combos, the Fatalities and the countless secrets of this entry demands far more than a few matches. The full roster, the tournament fights and the hunt for hidden characters renew the clash for a long time. That density of content, native to the series, founds a replay value fighting fans cultivate.
The Japanese version of Mortal Kombat 3, Midway's gory fighter whose Fatalities and digitized look held little appeal for the Japanese public. Mortal Kombat games had small runs in Japan for lack of local enthusiasm, making this pressing markedly rarer than its Western counterparts. Desirability rests on this unexpected regional scarcity and on collector interest in Japanese Mortal Kombat releases.
A questionable morality
The tournament is won on skill, but its trademark remains the finishing blow: once your opponent is beaten, the game politely invites you to dispatch them in the most spectacular and bloody way possible. You perform these finishers with the care of a craftsman, turning the kill into a compulsory figure you drill to land like any other combo.
Is Mortal Kombat 3 still worth playing in 2026?
The third entry in Midway's bloody saga, Mortal Kombat 3 refines its fighting formula built on digitised actors, with its combo system, its in level runs and its spectacular fatalities. The stylised violence, the widened roster and the snappy pace keep an undeniable retro character. The stiffness of the animations and the dated balance have aged against modern references. A cult fighting game for nostalgics of 90s arcades and fans of multiplayer brawling.
