Get over here!!

It's official Kombateers: Mortal Kombat has an official release date of 04/19/11. It's okay to do a dance, this one looks good.

If rumors are to be believed, NetherRealm Studios (see what they did there?) are determined to reboot the series. Gone are the obnoxiously silly finisher moves, and the even sillier character designs.* From screens popping up around the web, it looks slick and full of promise.

I've always been a die-hard MK fan. I can honestly say that Mortal Kombat has played a prominent role in most phases of my life. As a young teen I remember rigging the MK2 cabinet in a hotel in Macau with a Aussie boy named Tom. As a high schooler I can remember hanging out in an orange shag carpeted basement, determined to see every MK3's character's finisher. As a young woman, newly dating my future husband, I can remember house sitting for his mother, unlocking the entirety of the Krypt in MK: Deadly Alliance. And, as a side note, let's face it: Scorpion is the hotness.

I mention this because it seems that most old school gamers of my generation also have a fond memory associated with the franchise. While not one of the first fighting games, Mortal Kombat definitely brought something new to the table, and that may be why so many people look back upon the franchise with such nostalgia.

Which may be why Deception and Armageddon were so woefully disappointing. As a person who never sells video games or books because I feel they are "old friends," I fully admit to ridding myself of both games not 72 hours after purchase. Which is also a nice way of saying, to me, the series was dead ... until the screens and teasers for Mortal Kombat started surfacing.

From what I've seen, and what has been promised, I'm comfortable admitting that I am very, very excited and so too should you be.

*sigh. The female characters look obnoxious as always but I long ago came to terms with Mortal Kombat refusing to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, women play their games.