A few decades ago the masses believed video games were a waste of time for lackadaisical youths to pacify themselves while ignoring their responsibilities as both kids and young adults. As more and more people started understanding the benefits of gaming so too did the perception of what a video game is and, most importantly, the benefits gaming can bestow on a person’s life changed. Hi, my name is James Bullock and I am a gamer who has spent the better part of his existence testing the laws of physics, exploring the vastness of a world ruined, and been a champion inside various arenas courtesy of digitized worlds both driven by reality and created through pure unbelievable ingenuity unlike anything seen by human eyes. And as a gamer I’ve discovered something else video games provide: life lessons. Today I examine a game that taught me how to be a better gamer if I want to beat the best human players around, “Mortal Kombat 3”.
Steel Sharpens Steel
The summer of 1995 was a monumental time for fans of the “Mortal Kombat” franchise. After two highly successful video games that transcended platforms as the arcade ports to consoles not only were mostly faithful adaptations, “Mortal Kombat” and “MK 2” proved to be favorites for any fan of fighting games that owned a Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo (the prior in regards to yours truly when it came to “MK” games). As 1994 came to an end and it was confirmed “MK 3” was in development, I found myself incredibly giddy to the point of obsession as I needed any bit of information possible to understand the gameplay changes, character additions (and omissions), and when I could get my hands on the game. Also invading my mind’s space with what I could be obsessed with was a “Mortal Kombat” film meant to be nothing short of a summer blockbuster.
For those who weren’t around for the hype train that was the movie version of “Mortal Kombat”, there were TV specials, CGI breakdowns & even partnerships with local restaurants to earn free tickets. Ironically enough it was on the day “Mortal Kombat” the movie was released nationally that I experienced “Mortal Kombat 3” for the first time. Running off adrenaline after seeing, to this day, the best movie adaptation of a video game, I spotted a line of people standing in front of an arcade just going crazy. There was no way I’d let an opportunity pass me by to play “MK 3” before its console release. stepping up to the figurative plate to take on this teenager who had actually unlocked Smoke; mastering the character and taking on all challengers including a little kid just trying to see if his skills from “Mortal Kombat 2” translated into this new experience – those skills did not. While I put up a solid effort (actually pulling off a near first round win), the additions of a “Run” button so characters could close the distance a lot faster than in the previous games & an emphasis on combos that my competitor had perfected with Smoke left me baffled at what I could do to shut this purple cyborg down with my favorite character, Sub-Zero – not even the encouragement of other players who knew Sub’s move-set could help me in the heat of battle before my ultimate demise (well, Smoke did blow up the world).
When my dad congratulated me for doing as well as I did for my first time, I smiled with the thought of how much fun work I had ahead of me if I wanted to get as good in “Mortal Kombat 3” as I was at “MK 2”. Any time I could play “MK 3” at an arcade I would until “Mortal Friday” (the console release day of “MK 3”). I took loss after loss, but felt better with each match no matter the outcome. Not only was I getting better taking on players better than me, I was also having a lot of fun. Thanks to the console release I reached a new zenith as a “MK” player, resulting in victories against both friends and random players any time I had a quarter in my pocket and a “MK 3” (and eventually “Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3”) arcade was around; be it at the mall, Skate America, or the same bowling alley where I played “MK 2” the first time (Thank you, Kabal). I actually made some money off my practice, too; typing up every combo I learned and printing those out to sell to other gamers. My time with “Mortal Kombat 3” was an example of steel sharpening steel. The best learn from and train with the best while putting in the hard work with sheer perseverance & humility – it’s the only way someone can truly attain greatness in anything a person attempts to do; be it a trade or perfecting a video game.
Have you learned any major life lessons from playing “Mortal Kombat 3.” or any video game for that matter? Leave them in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.