You have to see the motion-capture footage used for the first 'Mortal Kombat'

If you ever played the OG Mortal Kombat, you have to see the original motion-capture of actors whose movements and likeness would be the inspiration for one of the greatest gaming franchises of all-time.

Imgur user RambleKhron compiled the videos, turning sections of them into gifs with a short description and a link to the video it came from. Below are those choice gifs made by RambleKhron.

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It’s no secret to fans of the original game that motion capture was used for playable fighters. It gave the game its gritty feel, and made the violence more realistic and dangerous at a time when video game violence was seriously under attack by both the media and governments worldwide.

The videos compiled by RambleKhron have the actual footage of the filmset where actors originated the moves and looks of Scorpion, Subzero (yes, those two are played by the same guy), Raiden, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and more. The videos themselves are hosted by YouTube accounts Arquivo Mortal Kombat, wwwmortalkombatpl, and azelano.

The guys over at Midway shot the mocap-like scenes on a movie set, with the team acting as directors, guiding the actors on how they wanted a move or stance to look and feel. The videos are all a little long, but filled with gems if you have the time to sit through them.

For example, around the 8:25 mark in this video below, legendary game developer Ed Boon invents Scorpion’s Spear. Seriously. Boon introduces the idea by saying, “You know what would be a cool-ass move?” The rest is history. You also can see original footage of Johnny Cage’s Nut Punch in another video, which isn’t as important but worth mentioning.

So if you’re looking for a little nostalgia or are just fascinated by what made Mortal Kombat look like Mortal Kombat, these videos are definitely worth a visit. Now if only we can see the assuredly hilarious mocap footage of Reptile’s Acid Spit.

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