Mortal Kombat : Unchained

Mortal Kombat: Unchained is the PlayStation Portable adaptation of Mortal Kombat: Deception, released by Midway in North America in November 2006. Midway Games created Deception, while Just Games Interactive developed this handheld version. Rather than being a new chapter, Unchained brings Deception's 3D fighting framework, grim fantasy setting, and most of its feature set to PSP, reshaping the console experience for portable play.

The story continues after the collapse of the Deadly Alliance. The revived Dragon King Onaga emerges as a threat to the realms after surviving the clash with Raiden, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung, and surviving warriors oppose his plan to unite the realms under his rule. Its broader narrative is also carried by Konquest, which follows Shujinko from youth into old age as the mysterious Damashi sends him across the realms to collect the six Kamidogu. Damashi is ultimately revealed to be Onaga, who has used Shujinko's long quest to gather the artifacts for himself.

Matches take place in fully three-dimensional arenas whose layouts matter as much as their scenery. Fighters can use stage weapons, knock rivals through branching arena transitions, and exploit lethal environmental traps, while the Combo Breaker lets a defender interrupt an opponent's string a limited number of times. The familiar finishers return alongside Hara-Kiri, allowing the losing fighter a chance to end the round with a self-inflicted finishing move before the winner acts.

Each fighter is built around three combat disciplines: two hand-to-hand fighting styles and a weapon style. Changing stances opens different strings and tactics, so a bout can shift from unarmed exchanges to weapon-based attacks without changing character. The roster combines returning series regulars with Deception newcomers such as Ashrah, Havik, Hotaru, Kira, Kobra, Dairou, Darrius, Shujinko, and the boss Onaga, giving its martial-arts fantasy conflicts a broad mix of realms and allegiances.

Unchained retains the unusual side modes that made Deception more than a conventional ladder fighter. Konquest is a free-roaming adventure that mixes exploration, conversations, objectives, training, and standard fights. Chess Kombat turns a chessboard into a tactical contest in which captures trigger actual one-round fights between selected kombatants, supplemented by team enhancements, spells, and concealed death traps. Puzzle Kombat is a competitive falling-block game starring super-deformed characters, where clearing groups of colored blocks and using special moves pressures the opponent's board.

The PSP edition expands the playable cast with six characters beyond the original PlayStation 2 and Xbox releases: Goro and Shao Kahn, who had appeared in the GameCube version, plus Deadly Alliance returnees Blaze, Frost, Jax, and Kitana. It also adds the PSP-exclusive Endurance mode, an extended sequence of fights against a continuing stream of opponents. Several characters that were hidden in other editions are available from the start here, making more of the roster immediately accessible on the handheld.

Local multiplayer uses the PSP's wireless ad-hoc connection for head-to-head play. The conversion keeps the modes, gore, stage interaction, and character variety central to Deception, but its presentation is tailored to the smaller system: its 3D visuals are less detailed than the PlayStation 2 original and loading can be longer. It also does not include the original PS2 and Xbox infrastructure online mode, so wireless local play is its multiplayer option.