GAMES 'Mortal Kombat': more gore

The game is gratuitously violent, but if you don't mind that, it's good.
By MATT SLAGLE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Few video games have outraged anti-violence advocates like "Mortal Kombat," which debuted in the arcades more than a decade ago.
The latest version, "Mortal Kombat: Deception," continues the grisly tradition while adding several new modes you wouldn't expect in a fighting game, including -- you read it right -- "Chess Kombat."
I'm willing to bet that chess master Garry Kasparov hasn't played anything like this before. There are all the usual pieces you'd expect on the board, but strategy will only get you so far.
Once the pieces meet, you still have to fight in a showdown to secure the win. And let's not forget the traps you can set, which will kill your enemy instantly, or the spells used to heal or teleport your pieces.
It gets stranger. "Deception" also has a head-to-head "Puzzle Kombat" mode that's similar to the block-stacking in "Tetris." The twist? Warriors battle it out at the bottom of the screen as you play.
Tiresome
These odd sideshows were amusing at first, but I soon tired of them.
Not to worry: "Deception" remains at its core a one-on-one fighting game, while adding online matches against other real people as well as computer opponents.
There's no tutorial, per se, but "Konquest" mode (a complete, single-player role-playing game in itself) gives detailed instructions on how to perform all the battle moves.
You'll have to master well-timed strings of controller button combinations to execute the various kicks, punches and special moves. It's a real test of dexterity, pressing the buttons in quick succession while moving the directional pad to and fro.
The roster of Mortal Kombat characters is even larger in "Deception" than in previous versions, while retaining old-time favorites like "Sub-Zero," a ninja with glowing blue eyes and the ability to freeze opponents while he bashes them around.
The system of saving games was unnecessarily confusing. Instead of opening and saving games like you normally would, you have to press a string of buttons to open your saved information. This personal code is basically a password, so don't forget it.
"Deception" wouldn't be complete without the trademark "finishing moves." I'll spare you the blood-soaked details, but just know the carnage has never been as well-rendered as it is in this new M-rated game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
This $50 game is gratuitously violent. If you're surprised by this revelation, then clearly, don't even consider buying. If you can stomach all the gore, however, consider "Deception" an excellent addition to the fighting genre.