The NBA rejected this Mortal Kombat-themed NBA Jam court for some reason

by JC Fletcher { Jul 22nd 2009 at 9:15AM }

Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon continues to tweet about rarities from the MK archives, this time a Kombat-themed court intended for one of Acclaim's NBA Jam or NBA Hangtime games. "The spine held up the backboard," Boon explained. "The skull was the hoop and the flesh head was the basketball. Would've been fun!"

In the following tweet, Boon offers the reason that this disgusting court didn't make it into the game. Unsurprisingly, despite the cachet the Mortal Kombat series had, the NBA declined to allow a basketball court made of human body parts into a game with its name on it.

This court works pretty well as a shorthand for the ridiculousness of the Mortal Kombat series' emphasis on outrageous, nonsensical gore. See the full image, including the hoop and ball graphics, after the break.

[Via GameSetWatch]

Tags: ed-boon, mortal-kombat, nba-hangtime, nba-jam, retro

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:20AM

Boring sods ¬_¬

Temidien @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:21AM

Safe =/= Kickass

MowDownJoe @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:21AM

You're putting the head INSIDE the skull? That don't make sense.

Kizzle @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:27AM

Because it's AWESOMER that way, duh

solarshadows074 @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:28AM

no, it makes perfect sense, not stupid at all. i'd approve if i see sub zero doing a slam dunk.

tcc3 @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:59AM

I know. That's what Jimmy kept screamin'.

Ample Salty @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:10AM

BLOODY MURDER!
BLOODY MURDER!

Jugg4n4ut @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:26AM

hmmm...a head inside of a skull....sounds pretty meta to me

Kizzle @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:27AM

We did get codes to play as Scorpion and Sub-Zero in NBA Jam at one point, which was pretty awesome at the time. This transcends gaming though. This is...art. This is perfection.

MLS @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:29AM

hahahahahah that skull!! holy cow, I am laughing so hard. That is just plain silly.

captainprotonx @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:36AM

So awesomely 90s. The treat of seeing that gushing blood against the mainstream conservative wing (I forget what wing) was so juicy.

butaneko @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:42AM

Ha.. genius! Do they still do those theme fields and teams in Madden? I could go for a game against the all clown team in the big top.

Cody @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:43AM

Ah the days of the mid 90's gaming....

SNES VS. Genesis...

So many memories of my youth.

Shmil @ Jul 22nd 2009 11:09AM

Back when the console wars had rules and regulations. Back then fanboys fought with honor, dignity, and acted like gentlemen on and off the battlefield.

Blank-Mage @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:44AM

Oh honestly, Dante's Inferno is coming out, and we get squeamish over a few severed heads?

offday @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:50AM

Aw man. This would have made my SNES days that much more awesome.

The SNES days was also when the NBA was still cool.

Jack Hollow @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:02AM

Though they said they didn't approve of the setting, we all know that it was clearly to much 90s cool for the NBA to handle.

Oh 90s, I miss you. Please come back, I promise not to take you for granted again and take you out every now and then. And you can meet my parents.

BC @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:07AM

Yep, reminds me of Mortal Kombat ...looks poor and uninspiring.

samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:10AM

He's on fire!

FATALITY!

j.howlett @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:36AM

i played alot of both back in the day

T @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:42AM

MK vs. Shaq-Fu confirmed?

Devin @ Jul 22nd 2009 4:08PM

Silly NBA! Gory basketball is for everyone!

D-5 @ Jul 22nd 2009 10:50AM

Flying skull with a humorous face? The NBA dropped the ball.

Heavytoka @ Jul 22nd 2009 11:39AM

That would of been Great!

Basay469 @ Jul 22nd 2009 12:34PM

My question is : "Why didn't they use this as a mini-game in the last couple of MK games?" I mean come on we all would have enjoyed playing a B-ball mini-game with "MK" characters( who needs the NBA). I personally think it would have been better then the, **5h177y **, (crappy) chess game they had. Hell, I think it would give Shalion Monks a run for its money...