Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Very violent and graphic fighting game now on handheld.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Mortal Kombat (PS Vita)
What's It About?
As with previous Mortal Kombat games, this new PlayStation Vita version is an intense fighting game that pits two well-matched but unique characters against one another. Along with a lengthy single-player mode, this handheld version includes an all-new Challenge Tower mode (based on last year's version), featuring 150 new missions, as well as head-to-head matches against the game's tough artificial intelligence or a friend via ad-hoc (local wireless) or Wi-Fi play. MORTAL KOMBAT (PS VITA) also folds in touchscreen mechanics for deadly fatalities (finishing moves), seeing inside characters via the X-Ray zap feature, and more, and takes advantage of the fast processor to deliver a 60 frames-per-second experience.
Is It Any Good?
It's fast, frenetic, and fun –- but certainly not for young players. Those who enjoy intense fighting games, like the best-selling Mortal Kombat series, will appreciate having console-like graphics and control in a portable system. While the touchscreen mechanics on the 5-inch OLED screen take some getting used to, it is a nice touch, if you can pardon the pun. The game ships with multiple solo and multiplayer modes to keep things fresh, and all the classic warriors have returned – including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Jax, and Johnny Cage -- as well as Kratos, from Sony's God of War series and others like Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger. As long as you take heed to the "Mature" rating, if you like fighting games you'll enjoy the new, portable, and brutal Mortal Kombat for PS Vita.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether this amount of violence and gore should be available in handheld form, where parents aren't able to keep as close an eye on what kids are doing as compared to viewing a game's content on a stationary television. Did you realize that a portable game like Mortal Kombat can also be very graphic?
Why are women in video games frequently represented in scantily clad outfits showing a lot of cleavage? How do these images affect boys' and girls' attitudes about girls' bodies?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation Vita
- Subjects : Language & Reading : following directions , storytelling , Science : physics
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : strategy
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Warner Bros. Games
- Release date : May 1, 2012
- Genre : Fighting
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes , Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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