Knowing that OG Mortal Kombat is a whopping 30 years old does wonders for making me feel like a crusty skeleton – but the perks of it all is seeing some of the radical oldschool thought processes that noteworthy rad bloke Ed Boon put into it’s creation.
Ed took to Twitter recently to drop some TOASTY insight into how the original game came to have it’s seventh fighter, the badass Sonya Blade – portrayed by Elizabeth Malecki:
Continuing with Mortal Kombat's 30th anniversary celebration. This video gives a peek into how Sonya Blade came to be, including her infamous LEG GRAB move. On April 10, 1992 we tested an unfinished version of MK (only 6 fighters) at a Chicago arcade called TIMES SQUARE. (1 of 9) pic.twitter.com/RSKHnnUCO2
— Ed Boon (@noobde) August 22, 2022
The thought of playtesting a physical cabinet at an arcade sounds like a gaming pioneers dream. Imagine seeing the words ‘Mortal Kombat‘ for the first time and having the response of “I wonder what this is…”:
Its crazy seeing that first arcade test footage now, 30 years later. The test went great, but it was clear the game needed another fighter. So we went back to work, designing, capturing & programming the moves for Mortal Kombat’s 7th fighter, Lieutenant Sonya Blade.
It’s fantastic seeing the cagey approach that Ed and co put towards creating her iconic leg grab – complete with reassurance to Liz (the motion actor) that it will definitely look better in game:
For her LEG GRAB, we knew what we wanted but didn’t clearly explain the entire sequence to Liz, the performance actor. So understandably she may have seemed a bit underwhelmed with the move. I still remember feeling a need to assure her it was going to turn out cool. 🙂
And that leg grab indeed turn out super cool – so much so that it became an iconic part of the Sonya character. Heck, it was even recreated in the movie!
Another awesome factoid is that before Sonya was considered for the game, the games sausage-fest of a roster was going to get another link in it’s sausage chain – Stryker was initially concepted for MK1!
Some people may not know that Sonya went through several changes before becoming the Sonya we know today. Her story began as Curtis Stryker, a member of the Special Forces.
(5/9) pic.twitter.com/bTKtrijBWm— Ed Boon (@noobde) August 22, 2022
Thank god they decided to add some variety to the roster – I can’t imagine a Mortal Kombat game without Sonya present. And Liz absolutely crushed it in bringing the special ops soldier to life, turning some comfy gym-wear into a lady that can square off against cyborg ninjas, evil sorcerers and four-armed monsters without breaking a sweat.
It’s a rich heritage that somehow elevates a game based around ripping out hearts and stealing spinal cords. This peek behind the curtain is just so overwhelmingly charming that I can excuse how old it makes me feel, if only for a little while.
Are you desperate for fresh Mortal Kombat news? Does the 30th anniversary of KOMBAT have you feel long in the tooth? Let us know in the comments or on social media!
