To a lot of Mortal Kombat purists, the idea that a MK game could be Teen-rated is a sacrilege. Past outings had begun to make Itchy & Scratchy cartoons look positively Disney-esque in their celebration of over-the-top gore. And what’s with making stone-cold killers Scorpion and Shang Tsung mix it up with namby-pamby DC heroes like Superman and Captain Marvel? What’s next, Mortal Kombat vs. The Muppets?

It’s therefore a relief that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe has the best pure fighting action of any MK game since Mortal Kombat 3. Gone are the weapons and alternate fighting styles introduced in MK: Deadly Alliance — MK vs. DC Universe goes back to the fighting series’ roots with straightforward kombat, few frills, and well-balanced characters. The absence of M-rated gore is barely noticeable, as the MK cast and DC supervillains can still pull off toned-down Fatalities, while DC heroes can perform “Heroic Brutalities,” most of which still seem pretty fatal, which is what we’d call it when Superman pounds his opponent into the ground like a railroad spike with his fists.

For those wondering how anyone could possibly go toe-to-toe with Superman, much less be beaten by a powerless clown like The Joker, the story, co-written by veteran comic-book writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, directly confronts and answers these questions. You can play through the story mode from the perspective of either the MK or the DC characters: An accident fuses MK’s Emperor of Outworld (Shao Kahn) with DC’s dark god of Apocalypse (Darkseid) to form a new being, Dark Kahn, who begins to merge the two universes into one, instilling a powerful “combat rage” in the inhabitants. The magical nature of Outworld wreaks havoc with the abilities of powerhouses like Superman and Captain Marvel, while enhancing the fighting prowess of non-powered characters like Catwoman and The Joker to superhuman levels. So there you go.

The result is a comic book–worthy crossover that manages to treat the characters and histories of both universes with respect. The MK characters (Baraka, Jax, Kano, Kitana, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, Sonya Blade, and Sub-Zero) possess all of their classic moves, with a few new ones here and there. The DC lineup (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Deathstroke, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Joker, Lex Luthor, and Captain Marvel) has a mix of doppelganger moves (both Captain Marvel and Raiden can throw lightning) with new attacks that take advantage of the characters’ unique abilities (The Flash’s raw speed can spin an adversary around like a top, and Green Lantern can grab an enemy with a hand created from his power ring’s green energy and slam them into the ground).

MKvsDCU also adds a few features to the action. By grabbing an enemy in close quarters, you can trigger a Klose Kombat sequence that zooms in the camera and allows you to pull off a few brutal kidney punches and knee kicks. The purpose of this mode seems superfluous, though, and it’s not as fun as Free Fall Kombat, which occurs occasionally in multi-level arenas, allowing you to knock an opponent over the ledge and then vie for supremacy in mid-air, trading punches and possibly pulling off a special move that’ll erase 30 percent of your foe’s health. Similarly, Test Your Might is a spontaneous mode that has you slam your opponent through the arena walls as both players bash the buttons on their controllers in a tug-of-war to see how much damage is inflicted.

Powered by the Unreal engine, the visuals are excellent. Character models like Jax and Liu Kang border on lifelike, while The Joker and Captain Marvel from DC are realistically stylized. But fans of the last few MK games may be put off by the dearth of extras in MKvsDCU: there are no unlockable costumes or arenas, no mini-games, and only 22 playable characters (including two unlockable bosses) — about a third as many as MK: Armageddon hosted. Online play over Live will enhance this game’s replayability, but a little more content would’ve made it an epic crossover.

On Xbox 360

+ Great-looking characters and arenas!

+ A return to the no-nonsense brutality of <em>MKII</em> and <em>MK3</em>.

- Lacks unlockables, mini-games, and extra characters.

? Why can't Superman do Raiden's "Superman" attack?

8.5