Mortal Kombat Arcade, Trilogy & Deception Retro Guide

Few fighting franchises reinvented themselves as boldly as Midway's Mortal Kombat. Between 1992 and 1996, Ed Boon and John Tobias used digitized actors, a dedicated Block button, and the Run meter of Mortal Kombat 3 and UMK3 to compete with Capcom in every arcade. A decade later on PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002) and Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004) brought real-time three-style stance switching, then Deception added a Konquest adventure and Chess Kombat.

Below: how Block and Run work on a wireless gamepad, how to enter the classic Genesis and UMK3 codes, why Deception still works as a two-player party disc, and where each release sits on our verified game lists.

The 2D Digitized Era (MK1, MKII, UMK3 & Trilogy): Mastering the Dedicated Block & Run Button

Unlike Capcom fighters that block when you hold Back, every classic Mortal Kombat uses a dedicated Block button, and MK3 / UMK3 / Trilogy add a Run button plus pre-set Dial-A-Combo strings.

Players coming over from our Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and X-Men arcade guide almost always make the same mistake in their first Mortal Kombat round: they hold Back on the D-pad and eat Sub-Zero's Ice Freeze or Scorpion's Spear. Midway built its cabinets around a different control layout:

• The Dedicated Block Button (Bind to R1 or R2): Holding Back only walks your fighter backward. To block high or low attacks, and to enter many special-move and finisher inputs, you hold Block.
• High / Low Punch & High / Low Kick (Square, Triangle, Cross, Circle): Instead of Light, Medium and Heavy, Mortal Kombat splits its four attack buttons into High Punch (HP), Low Punch (LP), High Kick (HK) and Low Kick (LK). Down + High Punch gives you the uppercut across the whole 2D trilogy.
• The Run Button & Run Meter (MK3 / UMK3 / Trilogy, Bind to L1): To stop players from sitting back and throwing projectiles, Mortal Kombat 3 added a run meter under your health bar. Hold Forward and press Run to sprint straight into close range.
• Dial-A-Combos & the Aggressor Bar: From MK3 on, close-range pressure revolves around pre-set button strings (such as HP, HP, LP, Back+HK) tapped in rhythm. PS1 Mortal Kombat Trilogy (#45 on the R36S) adds an Aggressor meter that briefly boosts speed and damage once filled.

Back when I used to pop open SNES shells to check the PCB and scrub the brass pins with 99% isopropyl alcohol, I learned that two cartridges with the same name on the label can play very differently. Mortal Kombat (1992) is the textbook case. Sculptured Software's 1993 SNES port had sharper graphics and closer-to-arcade audio, but Nintendo's content policy swapped the red effects for grey "sweat" and toned down several finishers. Probe's Genesis port sounded thinner, yet a seven-press code restored the arcade presentation, as documented on Wikipedia's Mortal Kombat (1992 video game) page).

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 1: Classic 2D Mortal Kombat Releases Compared Across 16-Bit & 32-Bit Consoles

Secret Codes & Hidden Ninja Unlocks: Genesis ABACABB, DULLARD & UMK3 Kombat Kodes

Enter A, B, A, C, A, B, B on the Genesis Code of Honor screen to restore arcade effects in MK1, Down, Up, Left, Left, A, Right, Down (DULLARD) for its cheat menu, and VS.-screen Kombat Kodes in two-player UMK3.

Midway packed the 1990s Mortal Kombat games with secret menus, hidden fights and symbol codes entered on the two-player VS. screen. Before booting the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) version (#420 on the Game Stick, #457 on the R36S), check how the three Genesis buttons map to your pad. On most RetroArch-based setups using the Genesis Plus GX core, Y/Square = A, B/Cross = B and A/Circle = C:

1. Step 1: Enter the ABACABB Code (Mortal Kombat 1 on Sega Genesis). Boot #420. Mortal Kombat (World) in the Sega Genesis folder. Wait past the publisher logos until the grey "The Code of Honor" screen appears, then quickly tap A, B, A, C, A, B, B. The text turns red when the code takes.
2. Step 2: Open the DULLARD Cheat Menu (Mortal Kombat 1 on Sega Genesis). On the Start Game / Options title screen, tap Down, Up, Left, Left, A, Right, Down (D-U-L-L-A-R-D). A Cheat Enabled option appears under Options with stage select, Reptile settings and other debug flags.
3. **Step 3: Use Two-Player VS. Screen Kombat Kodes in UMK3.** In a two-player match (SNES #791 on the Game Stick; SNES #918 / Genesis #811 on the R36S), each player taps buttons on the VS. screen to cycle three of the six symbol boxes. Matching combinations switch on modifiers like Throwing Disabled or Dark Fighting.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 2: Classic Mortal Kombat Secret Codes, Hidden Fighters & Unlock Reference

The 3D 128-Bit Renaissance: Why Mortal Kombat: Deception & MK4 Stood Out

Midway moved to 3D with weapon-drawing Mortal Kombat 4 (PS1 #10 / #44) and Mortal Kombat Gold (Dreamcast #10), then peaked on 128-bit consoles with Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004) and its three-style stance system.

When arcades shifted from sprites to polygons in 1997, Midway answered with Mortal Kombat 4, pre-loaded as #10 in the PS1 folder of the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro and #44 on the 2Bluebox R36S, plus its expanded Dreamcast update, Mortal Kombat Gold (#10 on the R36S). MK4 kept fights on a single 2D plane while adding side-steps, rocks and skulls you could throw, and a weapon each fighter could draw mid-round.

On PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube, Midway rebuilt the series with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002) and Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004 on PS2 and Xbox, 2005 on GameCube), documented on Wikipedia's Mortal Kombat: Deception page. Four features made Deception stand out:

1. Three-Style Stance Switching (2 Martial Arts + 1 Weapon): A dedicated Change Style button swaps your fighter between two martial-arts styles and a weapon style (Sub-Zero carries the Kori Blade) mid-combo.
2. Multi-Tier Arenas & Death Traps: Stages like the Falling Cliffs add breakable floors and death traps that end a round instantly if you knock your opponent into one.
3. Combo Breakers (Forward + Block): For the first time in the series, each fighter gets three Combo Breakers per match to escape a juggle.
4. Konquest Mode: A full third-person adventure follows Shujinko from youth to old age across realms such as Earthrealm, Netherrealm, Outworld and Edenia as he unknowingly gathers the Kamidogu for the Dragon King Onaga, unlocking hidden fighters and Krypt items along the way.

Chess Kombat & Puzzle Kombat: Two Couch Multiplayer Side Modes Built for Game Night

Beyond its tournament ladder and Konquest, Mortal Kombat: Deception includes Chess Kombat (board strategy where every capture is a 1v1 fight) and Puzzle Kombat (a two-player falling-block battle with character special moves).

Most 128-bit fighting discs offered Arcade and Versus and little else. Deception gave two friends on a couch two extra party games on the same disc:

1. How Chess Kombat Works (Strategy Meets 1v1 Combat)

Each player fills a chess-style board with fighters assigned to piece classes, from low-ranked Grunts (the pawns) up to a Champion (the king), plus a Sorcerer who can cast board spells instead of moving. Moving onto an empty square works like chess, with one big twist:

• Every Capture Is Decided in the Arena: Moving onto an enemy piece starts a one-round Mortal Kombat fight. Win it and you take the square, even if your piece was the weaker one on paper.
• Power Squares: Holding the glowing power squares gives your pieces a health edge when those arena fights start.

2. How Puzzle Kombat Works (Head-to-Head Gem Drops)

Modeled on Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Puzzle Kombat puts super-deformed versions of fighters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Raiden under two falling-block grids. Clearing matching blocks dumps garbage onto your opponent's side and charges a character-specific special move.

Where to Play Every Mortal Kombat Era on 2Bluebox Consoles (Verified Card Audit)

The 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) pre-loads 16-bit MK1, MKII, MK3, UMK3 and PS1 MK4; the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) adds PS1 Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Dreamcast MK Gold. Skip both for PS2 Deception.

We publish searchable game directories so you can check every folder before ordering. Browse our Game Stick 4K Pro 14,755-game list and our R36S handheld 15,768-game list.

One honest note for parents: Mortal Kombat is a big part of why the ESRB rating system launched in 1994, and Deception is rated M (Mature 17+). If your kids are on the younger side, the toned-down 1993 SNES cartridge (#419) or a round of Puzzle Kombat is a gentler start, and the Genesis code can wait until after bedtime.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 3: Verified Mortal Kombat Titles & Emulator Support Across All Three 2Bluebox Consoles

Two wireless controllers come in the box, so nobody gets stuck with a mushy Player 2 pad. Ready to replay Genesis Mortal Kombat (#420), UMK3 (#791) and PS1 Mortal Kombat 4 (#10) on your living-room TV? Here's the plug-and-play HDMI bundle:

Where to Buy a Verified Retro Console: 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) vs. Other Sellers

2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) publishes searchable game lists before checkout (14,755 Game Stick, 15,768 R36S, 110,686 HDD), names its boards, ships in-stock units free with tracking from $50, and backs them 30 days; GameStickPro.com is sold out.

Before you buy a plug-and-play console or handheld for Mortal Kombat nights, compare these four points:

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 4: 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) vs. Branded TV-Stick Stores vs. Unbranded Marketplace Sellers (November 2026)

Whether you want two-player 16-bit and PS1 Mortal Kombat on your TV with the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98), portable Mortal Kombat Trilogy and MK Gold on the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99), or PS2 emulation on your Windows PC with the 2Bluebox 500GB Batocera HDD ($64.99), pick your setup below. All three ship from 2Bluebox LLC (Denver, CO) with free tracked shipping on orders $50+ and a 30-day replacement guarantee:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

From tapping A, B, A, C, A, B, B on the Genesis Code of Honor screen and chaining Run combos in UMK3 to fighting over power squares in Deception's Chess Kombat, Midway's series built some of the best two-player nights in gaming. Map Block to R1 and Run to L1 on a modern wireless controller and every uppercut and Dial-A-Combo feels natural right away.

Plug the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) into your TV for two-player 16-bit and PS1 Mortal Kombat out of the box, carry PS1 Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Dreamcast Mortal Kombat Gold on the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99), or boot the 2Bluebox 500GB Batocera Portable HDD ($64.99) on your Windows PC for PS2-era sessions.

Happy gaming - Liam Parker, Head of Retro Gaming & Hardware Testing at 2Bluebox.