The DS lends itself nicely to the Mortal Kombat game. The controls are responsive and precise and we didn't find it difficult to string out any combination of Stryker's fearsome moves. Since this is the same Mortal Kombat game you've been playing for years, touch controls and the second screen don't come into play. Even with the low resolution screen, this port of the arcade version makes Stryker look almost as good as he originally did on the big screen.

This isn't just a simple port of the original Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, though. Added to the mix are a local multiplayer game with other DS owners and a wi-fi internet mode. Sadly, no other DSs were on hand with UMK running to try these modes out. The game will also keep track of your stats over time, including wins, losses, streaks, and the number of fatalities, babalities, etc. that you've pulled off.

UMK on DS also sports the Puzzle Kombat mode from Deception. Puzzle Kombat has been adapted to the DS to take advantage of the two screens, but the gameplay is essentially the same. This mode, too, can be played locally or over the wi-fi and the game keeps track of your wins and losses, just like the UMK3 side to this release. Again, we didn't have anyone else to play with so it's tough to say exactly how well those multiplayer modes work.