Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
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 No wonder I haven't played this one before! THIS IS ANAL SAUCE!"
— The Angry Video Game Nerd
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Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero is a 1997 platform action-adventure video game based on the fighting game series, Mortal Kombat. Developed and published by Midway Games for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 version was ported by Avalanche Software. It's the first Mortal Kombat game to feature side-scrolling gameplay.
Gameplay
Unlike the rest of the series, the game is a 2D side-scrolling platformer game with beat'em up gameplay sections and boss battles. The player controls Sub-Zero in multiple stages as he faces multiple enemies trying to eliminate him.
Plot
Mythologies is a prequel set prior to the events of the original Mortal Kombat game. The story centers on the cryomancer Lin Kuei warrior, Bi Han (Sub-Zero), as he's asked to find an amulet by the sorcerer Quan Chi, otherwise, he will be terminated.
Why It Sucks
- The game uses the standard Mortal Kombat fighting controls which are completely ill-suited for a platforming game that requires precise jumping. It doesn't help that you have to jump with the Up button and need to press a button just to turn around.
- Making facts worse is that some of the platforms move in a 3D plane while Sub-Zero is stuck in a 2D plain, the perspective makes it difficult to land on them accurately.
- Awful level design full of instant-death traps and cryptic puzzles (falling pillars, blade pendulums, etc.) that kill you constantly.
- Slightly delayed control. It takes a few seconds to perform Sub-Zero's Freeze move after execution.
- The graphics are okay, but the sprites are awful, especially in the N64 version.
- Dreadful AI. Enemies frequently commit suicide and jump off into bottomless pits in platforming stages.
- Sub-Zero's moves have to be unlocked in an unnecessary RPG like progression system.
- The foreground sometimes obstructs the background, like in Batman Forever.
- The camera is zoomed too close, causing you to get hit by off-screen enemies and leads to multiple leaps of faith jumps.
- Some of the enemies are ridiculous, e.g. a robot somehow is a boss fight?
- As soon as you lose your last life, it takes you to the continue screen instantly meaning you might accidentally hit “No” and get a game over.
- The game was supposed to start a series of Mortal Kombat: Mythologies games but due to the reception, all plans were cancelled.
Redeeming Qualities
- The deaths and screams (not only of Sub-Zero) are unintentionally hilarious and they only get funnier the more you watch them. It is also possible to get enemies killed by death traps.
- It introduces new characters to the series like Quan Chi, Shinnok, Sareena, and Fujin.
- The plot does explore a good amount of lore involving the series, including Scorpion's canonical death, Shinnok's amulet, among others. The story isn't bad: Sub-Zero defends Earthrealm after learning Quan Chi's plan to help Shinnok destroy it. He enters the Netherealm, faces the Brotherhood of Shadow, encounters an undead Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion, and retrieves Shinnok's amulet.
- The cutscenes from the PS1 versions are so bad that they're good.
- There is also a funny series of outtakes and bloopers from the cutscene actors.
- The soundtrack is awesome and memorable, like the rest of the games from the Mortal Kombat series.
- As mentioned above, despite the lackluster sprites, the graphics are okay, as also to be expected from a Mortal Kombat game.
- The cover art looks nice as it contains a Mortal Kombat emblem made of ice, which matches Sub-Zero's abilities.
- There's also no false advertising anywhere.
- This game is known for being the only one in the series to focus mainly on Bi-Han/Original Sub-Zero which is interesting. Also, if you try to play this game on the keyboard, it turns out to be actually good game since most of the problems are caused by pad controls.
Reception
 "What were they thinking?"
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Initially, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero received mixed reviews, graphics and audio were praised, but gameplay was criticized. There were quite a few positive reviews at the time; however, there were also negative ones; for example, IGN gave the game a 3/10 rating. However, overtime the reviews grew more negative and today it is considered the second worst game based on the franchise after Mortal Kombat: Special Forces.
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