Mortal Kombat hits 80 million sales, here's how it stacks up against competition

NetherRealm confirms its Mortal Kombat franchise has sold over 80 million copies in the last 30 years, and here's how it competes against other fighters.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Don't care what anyone says, Smash isn't a traditional fighting game. May as well call Powerstone and Playstation All Stars fighting games. They're more of an arena fighter /party game.

[NotoriousWhiz]

You don't have to care what anyone says. It's not a traditional fighting game. But it is a fighting game.

[gerbintosh]

Not according to the creator, Sakurai. Link below

https://www.eventhubs.com/n...

[CrimsonWing69]

I mean what makes them an arena fighter than say something like Tekken? Because there’s platforms?

[NatsuXTheMaxspeed21]

because theres a bunch of pokeballs and other random stupid stuff on stage that you can use at your advantage and flying ultra super power ball that you got to chase on the stage to get your ougi LMAO.

[CrimsonWing69]

@NatsuXTheMaxspeed21

I mean what it sounds like is they took a fighting game and “added” unique mechanics to it to me.

When I think arena game I think of things like Spawn: In the Demon’s Hand or Virtual-On.

Smash to me is a fighting game, they have fighting game tournaments for it. It just doesn’t jive with me to call it “not a fighting game” because you have poke-balls and platforms or because it has 4 players at once duking it out.

Power Stone I’d consider a fighting game as well. Hell, if you google what it is everyone calls these games “fighting games”. So yea, they’re fighting games…

[Immagaiden]

What’s next, you gonna say Mario Kart isn’t a racing game?

[NatsuXTheMaxspeed21]

oh its a racer but its not a realistic one like GT or Forza. only kids check for mario kart and smash .

[Immagaiden]

I didn’t say it was realistic. I said racing game. Does Burnout not being realistic make it not a racing game?

What does a demographic have to do with a genre? Do kids playing CoD make it any less an FPS? You see how ridiculous bringing up that subject is?

[repsahj]

"Only kids and kids at heart check for mario kart and smash".

-fixed!

[FallenAngel1984]

Nobody said it was a traditional fighter. Everyone acknowledges it as a platform fighter

PSASBR & Power Stone are fighting games, the former being a platform fighter and the latter an arena fighter

[gleepot]

You're correct, it isn't traditional. It's a fighting game though.

[repsahj]

Because if cute and lovable characters are fighting it's not a fighting game? XD As long there's a versus fighting, it is a fighting game.

[MrNinosan]

Including Smash Bros in a list of fighting games, is like including GTA in Racing games.

[NotoriousWhiz]

I hate to break it to you but smash bros has fighting game tournaments so it qualifies.

[MrNinosan]

"and here's how it competes against other fighters"

No, Mortal Kombat doesn't compete with games like Smash Bros? It's a different genre for a different audience.

[NatsuXTheMaxspeed21]

Anybody can host a tournament in their garage it doesnt mean it qualifies.

[NotoriousWhiz]

I'm going to assume you're not part of the FGC. However, I am, and I can tell you that there is a ton of overlap between people who play smash competitively and those who play other fighting games competitively.

Now for casuals, there is a lot less overlap between the two for sure.

[PapaBop]

While technically true, Leffen comes to mind, FGC and Smash community have always had a rocky relationship.

[Thundercat77]

And yet, If Smash Bros was over 80 million, you wouldn't be complaining. On the contrary, you would be bragging about it.

[Immagaiden]

Bad comparison. You do a LOT of things in GTA outside of a car while fighting is what you’re mainly doing in SSB

[Ezio2048]

Given the volume of games released, I would say Tekken has sold the best.

[lodossrage]

Yeah, that's a good point. Most of these games have parts to the franchise outside of traditional fighting games.

Like for example, with Mortal Kombat, do Special Forces, Mythologies: Sub: zero, and the Kollection count?

With Tekken does death by degrees or the tag tournament games count?

With Street Fighter, are we counting all the iterations of 2, 3, and 4? how about the ex series or alpha series?

There are a lot of variables at play here

[Ezio2048]

Even after including Tekken Tag, they have less titles compared to all MK and SF games.

[P_Bomb]

80 mil? TOA$TY!

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Huh, MK sold more than MGS?

[CS7]

Yeah, i realized that too. Very interesting.

[Chocoburger]

Interesting. A lot of these numbers seem off, such as Virtua Fighter, are the numbers including arcade cabinets as well? VF was massively popular in Japan, and the first two games were reasonably popular in the States if for no other reason than the novelty and newness of playing polygonal fighting games. 5.5 million in total, even when taking into consideration PS2 / PS3 / PS4 seems way too low.

[PapaBop]

Well deserved, MK was the first game I bought when I got my SNES, loved it ever since. NRS have constantly set the standard in terms of single player content and hands down have the best story mode out of every fighting game out there. It's like an interactive Martial Arts movie.

[WiiU-Dude]

It's sad to see Street Fighter and Virtua Fighter with the numbers they have since they are my favorites. Street Fighter numbers are good, but when you see Mortal Kombat with 30 million more...sigh. Let it be known I enjoy every series on here, but Street Fighter and Virtua Fighter are definitely my favorites.

[blackblades]

Soul calibur, virtua fighter and injustice for me they. Sad to see them low i just want a good budget for both SC\VF. Instead I have to see tekken the one I dislike see the sun shine more. Well at least they aren't at bottom, dang injustice didnt even make it RIP and bloody roar.

[MWH]

Soulcalibur is a great game and it deserve more recognition and appreciation. Despite the lackluster of recent installments, when properly budgeted, it offers incredible experience.

I hope we see a SCVII with all the glory it once had.

[blackblades]

Right, the CAS was disappointing after looking at other games with cas modes. Now looking at sf6 cas story mode and then look at sc6 cas story is like WTF difference.

[BrainSyphoned]

Was going to ask why KI wasn't listed but then it dawned on me. Killer Instinct like all MS products aren't listed by sales but measured by players. Best if the Xbots don't look either.

[FallenAngel1984]

So y’all gonna include Marvel vs Capcom but neglect the other licensed fighting game franchises from Dragon Ball and Naruto?

[Bobertt]

Soul Calibur used to be the awesome back in the day too bad they fell off but i would say they have the best custom characters out of any of the fighting games still. I remember when the original Soul Calibur came out in the 90s it got a 10/10 when that score still meant something and was very rarely given out.

[FallenAngel1984]

Bite your tongue. Soul Calibur VI was awesome

[purple101]

Yep breakfast version changed the game with 8 way run. While still being 2d in mechanics. It was soooo fluid like poetry in motion when your good.)

Since they switched to unreal engine now Feels crap.

[autobotdan]

Virtua Fighter =(