Mortal Kombat 3 - Arcade (1995)
2While MK2 was an unquestionable smash hit and worthy sequel, MK3 was the first sign of trouble for the series. No, I don't mean Stryker or the lack of Johnny MF Cage. It was, without a doubt, a very awesome looking 2D game, but that was the thing. It was 2D. Looking back, it seems like the right choice, but there were concerns. The game didn't have the same hype, but that wasn't for a lack of trying. This game tried some variation of viral marketing, but I'm not sure how many people even knew that campaign was going on. Arcade players were drawn to the outstanding 3D games that were on the scene. Tekken was out and those games were built on smooth action, fighting styles, combos, and balance. MK was clinging to unbalanced, jargony gameplay. No one liked dial-a-combos. No one liked the run feature.
You have to give credit, though. MK9 proved that the story worked to a much greater degree than it was originally given credit for. Every character introduced, except Stryker, went on to be well-received at some point in the series. It stands well next to 1 and 2 now that the direct comparison to competitors is gone.