Mortal Kombat: 10 Crazy Things You Didn’t Know
9. Fatalities Were Inspired By Street Fighter’s Stun Mechanic
No one is denying that Mortal Kombat owes a lot to the Street Fighter franchise. The iconic Capcom series helped to kick off the popularity of fighting games, and it's easy to see MK not even existing in a world without its influence. But the connections between the two are a lot stronger than you might think.
The first MK game was built upon the groundwork laid down by Street Fighter II. As such, the creators were well aware of the system whereby too many hits cause a fighter to become dizzy, allowing you a free attack.
Boon discussed in an interview with IGN that he loved making his opponents dizzy but hated when it would happen to him. In response, the stun mechanic was included but moved to the end of the fight, with players getting a chance to get in one last hit once the battle was over.
This idea snowballed until it eventually became the fatality mechanic. These stomach-churning, friendship-breaking, blood bath-making finales became one of the franchise's defining features, and you've got Street Fighter II to thank for it.