As far as sound, I'm not as big a fan as I could be, I suppose. I just find it annoying how Liu Kang screams out like a chicken about to get its head cut off whenever he attacks someone. Kung Lao is a bit more subtle, launching his razor-tipped hat at foes without even so much as a nasty taunt. The voicework in general seems to be a bit cheesy, especially Raiden, who comes across more as a motivational speaker than a thunder god. Fortunately, the music is pretty good, and a bit more soothing on the ears that Liu Kang's war cries. The sound effects are familiar as well. Oh, and a hint of advice, listen for the "TOASTY!" taunt. If you hear it, hit down and start to stack up some experience points.

Then we come to the game's control scheme. This is something that usually makes or breaks a brawler, as indicated by the recent failures Beat Down and Urban Reign. Fortunately, Midway and Paradox have put together a fighting system that manages to grow with each level and yet still remain a treat. The juggle system isn't actually too bad, as it's not infinite and yet still gives you plenty of chances to build up a hit count. You're given a number of attacks, ranging from light to heavy, and you can also use your special moves by holding down the right trigger and hitting an attack button. This can include a distant attack (like Liu Kang's fireball or Kung Lao's hat throw) or up-close-and-personal "launch" and power attacks (like the uppercut or the teleport kick). As you proceed, you can power-up your moves for greater effect, and gain new abilities, including the chance to use some brutalities or fatalities. They're mostly for dramatic effect, but your experience points ramp up significantly using them, and you can't help but love how you have to enter them in a specific move window. There's also some "test your might" moments, where you have to repeatedly pound on the buttons to build up energy, and then strike to get something done. The controls work just fine, and the way you can earn new moves or make your old ones better keep the game from falling into monotony.

The game is alright in single player mode, but some of the AI-fueled opponents can be rather cheap, especially bosses. I couldn't tell you how many times I racked up losses against the trio of evil ladies or Baraka himself, who seems to have a knack of cutting through my offense like butter. Where Shaolin Monks really shines through is in its Ko-Op mode, in which you can team up with a friend to deliver double the damage and unlock goodies that are otherwise unaccessible. The two-player mode is frivilous and inventive, and even gives you the chance to fight it out for items, kinda like you used to do in the days of the old Atari coin-op Gauntlet. I had a lot of fun here, although it's really hard to go back to one player after you've had such a kick ass time in two. Oh, well, can't have everything, I guess.

Shaolin Monks packs roughly about ten-plus hours of gameplay within it the first run-through, and then you can stick with it to unlock several goodies. The game does contain a versus mode that's entertaining, and more and more characters unlock as you progress further into the game and find hidden icons. It's fun, but not as tight as Deception's fighting engine. You can also gain access to two new fighters in the main game, whom I won't give away here but you'll probably have a ball with. On top of all this, you can gain access to new arenas, concept art, movies, and even the original Mortal Kombat II arcade game, for those who love to be taken back to the old-school. If that's not all, there's also a Suffering: Ties That Bind demo to enjoy as well.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks may be dismissed as "just another MK game", but don't be so hasty. The engine here has been crafted with delicate hands, and what we have is something that works systematically, between its luscious, brutal design and its growing gameplay. The unlockable items stacked on top of all this will probably keep you busy for weeks, and inviting a friend is definitely an option you shouldn't pass up. By keeping it tried and true, Midway has given the Mortal Kombat brand yet another reason to stick around, congressmen be damned. Now, how about a sequel?