Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Tsk - you can't so much as turn your back these days without two evil sorcerers resurrecting the lost army of a Dragon King and threatening to conquer the Earthrealm. That's how Mortal Kombat breaks out once again - and gives Game Boy Advance owners one of its best beat-'em-ups yet. Twelve combateers bring their menacing stares, doubtful outfits and array of destruction-dealing moves to the best-of-three bouts of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The old favourites haven't forgotten their favourite moves - Sub-Zero's stop-you-dead Freeze, Scorpion's "Come 'Ere!" hook-and-pull-and-punch - while the new boys and girls like Frost will satisfy button-stabbers with a ton of new skills to discover. Just don't go looking for Liu Kang - he's snuffed it. Sob. The good news is that pulling off Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance's mouth-watering repertoire of moves is a treat for the fingers. Everything's intelligently mapped to the A and B Buttons, so hopping and leaping around the 3D arena, side-stepping attacks and dealing out punches, kicks, leg-sweeps and roundhouses like they're going out of fashion, is intuitive and always satisfying. Contact crunches and moans, plus bassmungous commentator ("Excellent!"), add up to some tastily meaty fights. It's a looker, too, with attractive reflective icescapes and flame-strewn pits of hell providing the backdrop to the fast, fluid fist-flinging. Every move - from Jax's Machine Gun to Kitana's appropriately-named Jumping Leg Face Kick - has its own recognisable animation. The unlockable alternatively-coloured costumes actually something when you can see detail right down to Scorpion's belt buckle. The game-coding brains at Midway have stuffed the Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance cart with secrets, bonuses and extras, too. There's a multitude of modes to sink your fists into - including the brutal Survival where one energy bar has to last you against as many opponents as possible. Button-hammering minigames have you karate-chopping concrete blocks and drinking poison, and continued play earns you Koins that unlock 120 - yes, - extras. Otherwise, it's bout upon bout of everything you know and love about Mortal Kombat - the piston punching, the body juggling, the rolling and handstands and sword swipes and Deadly Kisses - in a perfect pocket-sized package. Mortal Kombat veterans will be teary-eyed at sights like the traditional inferno-backed dragon logo; newcomers will enjoy learning just how frenetically enjoyable Game Boy Advance martial artistry can be - and everyone will love betting Koins on the outcome of top-notch two-player link-up fights. So, to ensure we end the fighting game review in the traditional way: Ready?... Fight!