The episode 7 flashback shows Ellie and Riley’s relationship with some differences from the original game
episode 7 of The Last of Us brought up a lengthy flashback, with Ellie recalling her fling at the mall with Riley. The scene is based on Left behind, an expansion of the original game, but brings some changes. Among them, a match of the game Mortal Combat II.
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By episode 5, the most attentive fans had already noticed that the HBO series had changed the fictitious arcade The turning point from Midway’s classic fighting game. So those familiar with The Last of Us knew that MKII’s arcade cabinet would appear at some point in the flashback.
The biggest difference isn’t even the game itself, but that in Left Behind there is no electricity in the mall and The Turning arcade hasn’t been working for a long time. Ellie is upset that she can’t play the game Riley was talking about.
The scene below is one of the most touching scenes from the original The Last of Us. Riley tells Ellie that she can play, just close her eyes and imagine her narration of her. Riley describes the fight between the characters Angel Knives and Blackfang, as the two execute the typical commands of fighting games on the levers and buttons of the locker. Though she’s never played a video game of her own in her life, Ellie smiles as she recreates the game in her mind.
In the series the cabinet is still active and what we see are Ellie and Riley playing Mortal Kombat II, in a less creative scene than in the original. There’s some marketing involved: HBO Max, the platform for the series, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, as is NetherRealm, producer of the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Also, last week, production on the next game in the Mortal Kombat series was confirmed during a Warner Bros. Uncover meeting with investors. The game is likely to be unveiled soon: the biggest fighting game championship in the world, EVO 2023, is approaching, and the tournament is usually the stage for announcements and news from studios working with this type of game.
Mortal Combat II
One of the biggest arcade hits of the 90s, Mortal Kombat II was released for arcades and also had home versions for many consoles, including the Super Nintendo and Mega Drive. The game presents a great evolution compared to the first MK, with many characters and new arenas, as well as different types of ‘fatalities’ (the notorious bloody executions at the end of the games).
In the game, the fighters once again participate in a tournament hosted by the sorcerer Shang Tsung. The kombatants (with the same ‘K’) are divided between the champions of EarthRealm (Earth) and the soldiers of Outworld, a dark dimension whose emperor, the mighty Shao Khan, intends to expand his territory to our world. To proceed with the invasion, however, your warriors must first win the Mortal Kombat tournament.
With the fate of the Earth at stake, the player chooses one of several shaolin warriors, ninjas, military and even a martial arts movie star, among other more alien options, such as the dreaded Baraka or Princess Kitana and the secretly monstrous Mileena , to fight in duels to the death.
The first Mortal Kombat was surrounded by controversy involving its bloody fights and the famous Fatalities: complicated command sequences that, if executed correctly at the end of the fight, led to decapitation, dismemberment and other even more violent endings. MKII brought new victims for each character and also added two fun alternatives: Friendship, in which the character plays a joke with the opponent; and the Babality that transforms the defeated opponent into a tender baby version.
Running nine weekly episodes, The Last of Us is available on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
