Beware the Shaolin Monks!

A few weeks back, Midway announced a newly created spin-off from the long-standing fighting series, the intriguing looking Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

Determined to learn from past mistakes (anyone up for some Mortal Kombat Mythologies…No?), Creator Ed Boon revealed Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, an action-adventure game that once again takes the series away from straight-up fighting arenas and into a larger world, replete with a fresh storyline, action-based puzzles, boss battles and a two-player cooperative mode. And what would a Mortal Kombat game be without its kolorful kast of kharacters? Midway will deliver a slew of characters that make small cameo as well as larger significant appearances.

It's clear Ed Boon and company crammed as much as they could into the latest Mortal Kombat: Deception with mini-games, interactive environments and more broadening the scope of its appeal. It's also clear that his team was probably desperate or at least intensely eager to bring this game into a new format to give its some wings, and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is that chance.

Slated for fall 2005 on Xbox and PS2, this new action-adventure game could finally bury our nightmarish memories of MK: Mythologies. With its crisp graphics, single or dual-person 3D play, and with a focused, capable team behind it, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks promises the kind of fun many gamers for years have hoped to have with the MK license. And it looks as if Midway is giving Boon's team a real chance to flesh out the game by giving them time and resources. Here's hoping for an excellent new start.

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