10 Easter Eggs And References in Mortal Kombat 1
Havik Reincarnated
One of the very first references you can spot in the campaign is in Johnny Cage’s chapter. As his on-screen sidekick prepares some explosives, Johnny goes toe-to-toe with a familiar-looking corpse. Longtime “Mortal Kombat” fans should immediately recognize this corpse as the original iteration of Havik from the days of “Deadly Alliance” and “Deception”. The difference here is that he is now just a costume used to convey the leader of the Kahlima. …Wait, is that Mokap in the background there?
Film Fanatic Johnny
Havik’s starring role in Johnny’s movie isn’t the only movie reference “Mortal Kombat 1” makes. Mr. Cage himself speaks almost exclusively in movie quotes, and for some, it may become a bit obnoxious. He’ll quote lines from “Alien”, the James Bond movies, and of course, “Indiana Jones”. If you like that level of fan service, to each their own. For us…Johnny needs a bit of a chill pill.
A Foxy Fox Reference
Johnny did take a chill pill and instead let Kung Lao have this one. As many of us know, Nitara is voiced by Megan Fox, who has claimed to be a big “Mortal Kombat” fan (even if it doesn’t show in her performance). Netherrealm Studios threw in a fun reference to one of her most famous performances in the 2009 horror comedy, “Jennifer’s Body.” It’s on the nose, yes, but it’s kind of cute how Nitara plays along with the bit.
Perfect Headwear
This one was also a little too on the nose, but we admittedly couldn’t help chuckling at it. At the beginning of Chapter Eight, Kenshi, Johnny, Kung Lao, and Ashrah grab outfits to disguise themselves from Shao Kahn while Reptile creates a distraction. Johnny gives Ashrah a hat that looks remarkably similar to the one she wore back in the 3D era. It isn’t the exact same one, no, but Johnny’s compliment to her was enough to make us smile a bit.
Glorious Gold
Shifting focus back to Mr. Cage, the washed-up movie star does hold a neat nod in his mansion. On one of his shelves is a small collection of awards. One of them should look familiar to MK11 players. That is because one of those awards is the same one Johnny holds in one of his outros in MK11! We almost missed it ourselves with all the focus you have to put on fighting as well as the visual effects.
The Kids Ain’t Alright
This one was too funny to ignore. One of the most contentious aspects of MKX was the introduction of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, and Kung Jin, degradingly dubbed “The MKX Kids”. Some fans loved one or two of them. Most hated all four of them. Netherrealm knew this and brought them back for no more than ten seconds. During the climactic battle in Chapter Fifteen, all four of them descend from the pyramid only for them to be killed off in an instant. The disrespect…was deserved.
Wanted For Stupidity
Speaking of disrespect, Hsu Hao once again rears his ugly head into another game. Thankfully, Netherrealm is still poking fun at his existence. Towards the back of Madam Bo’s tavern, you can see a poster with an illustration of Hsu Hao drawn on it. Whether this is a Wanted poster or not is entirely up to you. We, on the other hand, like to believe he is being hunted for his awful stache.
Best Accident Ever
And here we have another Johnny Cage reference, but this one is really cool. For his fatal blow, Johnny takes his opponent’s face and smashes it into the camera. Now busted beyond repair, the camera displays a message that reads “Error Macro”. This is the same message that would birth Ermac back in the old days. In the third revision of the original “Mortal Kombat”, this message would appear under certain errors associated with Reptile as “Ermac”. However, players mistook this as confirmation of the presence of a secret character. Rumors spread, and it would inspire Midway to introduce Ermac.
B-Movie With A D-Grade Reference
They really packed all of the references into Johnny, didn’t they? In Chapter Five of the campaign, Baraka escapes Shang Tsung’s prison with Kenshi, Johnny, and Kung Lao. As they look for a way back into Outworld, Johnny remarks that the prison looks like the set of a film he was in called “The Flesh Pits”. Well…that is actually the name of the prison, and it has become a key location for the franchise since the 2011 reboot.
Forden Forged Forever
Once again, Johnny delivers the fan service, but in all honesty, this was the best one. One of his finishing moves sees him put his rival into a snazzy sports car before slamming the door through their abdomen. As Johnny triggers the car’s nitrous, you can hear the high-pitched “Toasty” we’ve come to know and love. It just wouldn’t be a “Mortal Kombat” game if Dan Forden’s voice wasn’t thrown in somewhere.
Which Easter egg was your favorite in MK1? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!
