Let's be real for a second. If you grew up in the late nineties, you probably remember the sheer confusion of walking into a Blockbuster and seeing a Mortal Kombat game that wasn't a fighting game. It was 1997. Everyone was obsessed with Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and then Midway decides to drop Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero, a side-scrolling action-adventure that was notoriously difficult. Like, controller-smashing difficult. It’s one of those games that people either remember with a strange, nostalgic warmth or a deep, burning resentment.
It was a bold move.
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Midway wanted to expand the lore. They wanted to tell us why Bi-Han—the original Sub-Zero—was such a big deal before Scorpion turned him into a crispy skeleton. Most people just wanted to do a Fatality, but this game forced you to platform over bottomless pits and fight enemies with a clunky control scheme that felt like trying to pilot a refrigerator. Yet, despite the technical jank and those infamous live-action FMV cutscenes, Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero is actually the foundation for almost everything we love about modern MK lore.
The Story Most People Missed
Before we had the massive cinematic reboots of the 2010s, this was our first real look at the cosmology of the MK universe. You play as Bi-Han. You aren't a hero. Honestly, Sub-Zero is kind of a jerk in this game. He’s a mercenary. He’s cold, arrogant, and just doing a job for the sorcerer Quan Chi.
The plot is actually pretty tight. You’re sent to steal the Amulet of Shinnok. Along the way, you run into Hanzo Hasashi—the man who would become Scorpion—and you kill him. Cold blood. No mercy. This single event set the stage for the most iconic rivalry in gaming history. If you've ever wondered why Scorpion is so mad in every single game, the roots are right here in these grainy, 32-bit levels.
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The game introduced us to the Brotherhood of Shadow. It gave us our first look at the Netherrealm as a physical place, not just a background stage. We met Shinnok and Quan Chi here first. Without this weird experimental title, the "NRS era" of Mortal Kombat wouldn't have had half the world-building it relied on. It basically turned a simple tournament-fighter premise into an epic dark fantasy saga.
Why the Gameplay Was So Divisive
It was a platformer that used fighting game inputs. Think about that. To turn around, you had to press a dedicated "Turn" button. If you walked off a ledge, you died instantly. There was no "coyote time" here. The difficulty curve wasn't a curve; it was a vertical wall covered in ice.
- The controls: They used the exact same digitization tech as the arcade fighters. It looked cool but felt stiff.
- The platforming: Jumping was a nightmare. One pixel off and Bi-Han would plummet into the abyss.
- The RPG elements: You actually gained experience points to learn moves like the Ice Clone or the Polar Blast.
If you played the Nintendo 64 version, you missed out on the "best" part: the live-action videos. The PlayStation version featured actual actors in costumes standing in front of green screens. They were campy. They were over-the-top. Richard Divizio, who played Kano in the original games, actually played Quan Chi here. It was low-budget filmmaking at its peak, and honestly, it gave the game a personality that modern, hyper-polished CGI just can't replicate. It felt human. It felt like a group of friends in Chicago trying to make a movie in their garage.
The Secret Legacy of the Lin Kuei
Most fans don't realize how much Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero influenced the character of Kuai Liang (the second Sub-Zero). By establishing Bi-Han as a flawed, almost villainous figure who eventually becomes Noob Saibot, the writers created a redemption arc for the entire Lin Kuei clan.
The game also introduced the concept of the "Elemental Gods." Before this, Raiden was basically the only god we knew. Suddenly, we were fighting wind gods (Fujin), earth gods, and water gods. Fujin eventually became a fan favorite, but he started as a boss in the first level of this adventure. It expanded the scope. It made the world feel massive. It wasn't just about a tournament in Outworld anymore; it was about ancient deities and cosmic artifacts.
Is It Actually Playable Today?
If you try to play this on an original PlayStation today, you're going to have a hard time. The input lag is real. However, the fan community has done some incredible work keeping it alive. There are "Kombat Edition" mods and patches that fix the turning mechanic and balance the difficulty.
Actually, if you view it as a precursor to games like Dark Souls—where every mistake is punished and you have to memorize patterns to survive—it almost feels ahead of its time. Almost. It’s a punishing experience that rewards patience, which was a tough sell to kids in 1997 who just wanted to mash buttons.
The atmosphere is still top-tier. The music by Dan Forden (the "Toasty!" guy) is moody and industrial. It doesn't sound like a typical fighting game. It sounds lonely. It sounds like you're actually trekking through a remote Himalayan temple or a desolate hellscape. That vibe is something the newer games sometimes lose in their pursuit of cinematic blockbuster energy.
What You Should Take Away From This Relic
Look, Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero isn't a "good" game by modern standards. It’s buggy, the platforming is cruel, and the FMV acting is hilarious. But it’s an essential piece of history. It was the moment Mortal Kombat tried to be something more than just blood and guts. It tried to be a story.
If you're a lore nerd, you owe it to yourself to at least watch the cutscenes on YouTube. You'll see the origins of Noob Saibot. You'll see the first time Quan Chi manipulated everyone. You'll see why the Lin Kuei are the coolest (pun intended) faction in the series.
Tips for Revisiting the Mythos
- Don't play it blind. Look up a move list. The game doesn't tell you how to do half the stuff you need to survive.
- Manage your inventory. You have items like herbal essences and shields. Use them. Saving them for "later" is a death sentence because "later" usually involves falling into a pit.
- Appreciate the sprites. This was some of the best digitized animation Midway ever produced. The frames are smooth, and the character designs are iconic.
- Perspective is key. Remember that this was an experiment. It led to Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, which is arguably one of the best spin-offs ever made.
Stop treating it like a failed project and start seeing it as the blueprint for the modern MK universe. It’s weird, it’s frustrating, and it’s unapologetically 90s. That’s exactly why we’re still talking about it nearly thirty years later.
If you want to understand the modern timeline, specifically the events of Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), knowing Bi-Han's original journey gives a lot of context to his current motivations. He’s always been ambitious. He’s always been dangerous. And he’s always been the most interesting character in the roster. Go back and check out the longplays. You might find yourself respecting the "Grandmaster" a little bit more, even if you still hate that "Turn" button.