Okay Mezco, enough honeymoon. Let’s fight!
You could be forgiven for not being able to keep track of all the licenses that Mezco listed as potential One:12 candidates. Hell, I can’t rattle them all off without cheating. There was some Hanna Barberra, Star Trek, Breaking Bad, DC, Thundercats, G.I. Joe….
Oh wait, G.I. Joe isn’t allowed to have 6-inch figures. Or much else. Sorry.
But there was one that piqued my interest that I wasn’t imagining. And that was Mortal Kombat Klassics.
“Okay,” says you, Internet, “I know Mortal Kombat. But what’s the Klassic part?” Well, glad you asked because via social media, Mezco has defined this subset of the fighting game as being the first three games. These neatly rounded out the series for the 16-bit era and provide most of the core Kombatants that we still see in games today.
The first three years of the franchise (1992-1995) built the basis for what we know of Kombat. Looks, feels, macabre humor — it’s all here in the beginning. And speaking of the looks, the early games’ character models are certainly more cloth-goods friendly than the multi-material textured looks favored by next gen. So let’s get stupid and pick just five of them, yes?
1. Sonya Blade (MK3)
I’m really getting antsy to see what O:12C does with a female character. Of any of their stables. But I’d like to start with Sonya. As MK gamers know, she appeared in the second game only in the backdrop but still wearing her MK1 colors. I prefer the more visually interesting one she returned in. Accessories would be a little spartan, since Sonya’s technique doesn’t need much for props, but I’m thinking if the O:12C crew maybe go with “battle-damage” parts or head sculpts a la SOTA’s Street Fighter; that would be sufficient.
2. Sub Zero (MK2/UMK3)
I realize this is a no-brainer. But even more than Scorpion, Sub Zero is the best excuse for a ninja with all the extra accessories and trimmings. I’m listing Kuai Liang, as opposed to his brother, the original Sub Zero, who becomes somebody else by MK2… Spoilerz! Kuai was interesting because he was the first departure from the standard ninja palette swap, with a scar over his eye after MK2 and even fighting without his mask in MK3. So that easily covers the need for extra heads, but the real fun is with the ice projections, weapons, forearm guards, and all other various cold methods of death. The 1/6 scale has shown just how much fun this could be, so I’d love to see Mezco crank up that $65 value by packing his window box like a meat locker. Man, that sounds dirty.
3. Kano (MK1)
One of the original “bad” bad guys of the series. Kano is a dirty bastard who helped me win a lot of arcade matches. His MK3 gear is not bad at all either, but the first appearance look is subtle but effective. It also serves a good base for his later game “player 2” colors, so a bald variant head and an alternate bandolier would be great additions. And a severed heart, of course.
4. Raiden (MK1)
The tournament’s powerhouse has some excellent regal-looking costumes, but I never cared for the blue smock version of MK2 and 3. The first games’ white gi and coolie hat are definitive, and an angry “charged” head, with some lightning effects, would make an iconic defender of Earthrealm in 6-inch scale. And eternal he may be, but it’s long overdue.
5. Jax (MK2/3)
Whut, no Scorpion?!? Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Like most of the planet, he’s my favorite character of the entire saga, but I can trust that he’ll be one of, if not the first, figures that Mezco does. Hence, Jax. A long running character, ally of Sonya, and… he’s cooler-looking than Johnny Cage. In MK2, he’s depicted just bare chested and armed, but by MK3 he takes on his trademark cybernetic arms. Interestingly, in the early games it’s never clear if these are just enhancements, or if he actually replaces his arms them. So, naturally, alternate arms would be perfect accessories.
Obviously, I’ve merely scratched the surface, given the impressive roster achieved by Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, so there’s lots more to go. Thus, trusty comment section, what five characters that aren’t Scorpion would you lead the fight with?
