MORTAL KOMBAT 3

Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) introduced the Run button - fundamentally changing gameplay. Dial-a-combo system. Chain combos. Animalities. Kombat Codes before matches. Scorpion and Sub-Zero absent initially (replaced by cyber versions).

At 14 years old, I saw the backlash. Fans hated ninja removal. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 fixed it months later. Run mechanic divided community. Faster but less tactical. Still sold millions.

Refined controls from MK1. Combo system introduced. Stage fatalities on Dead Pool, The Pit II. Secret characters: Jade, Smoke, Noob Saibot. Test Your Might and Test Your Sight minigames.

Every character felt distinct. Jax with ground pound, Liu Kang with bicycle kick, Scorpion with teleport punch. Balance improved. Tournament scene exploded.

Considered best Mortal Kombat by many veterans. Ported to 13 platforms. Arcade1Up cabinet 2020. Still played competitively. Characters became franchise staples.

"At 14, MK3 taught me about risky changes. Run button was polarizing. Removing Scorpion/Sub-Zero was suicide. Ultimate MK3 backtracked. Sometimes innovation needs rollback. Version 1.1 matters as much as 2.0. Course correction isn't weakness - it's listening to users."