When did Mortal Kombat 3 release?

Mortal Kombat 3 was first released on April 15, 1995.

Mortal Kombat 3

Apr 15, 1995FightingArcadeSuper Nintendo Entertainment System Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)DOS

Mortal Kombat 3 — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Mortal Kombat 3 on?: Mortal Kombat 3 was released on Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), DOS, PlayStation, Sega Master System/Mark III, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, R-Zone.
When did Mortal Kombat 3 release?: Mortal Kombat 3 was first released on April 15, 1995.

About Mortal Kombat 3

Mortal Kombat 3 brings new elements to the 2D fighting series: multi-level playfields, "Dial-A-Combo" attacks, a "Run" button to speed up the battles, and "Vs." codes, which unlock new powers and abilities once both players enter a code sequence in pre-match-up screens. Also included are more stage fatalities and finishing moves as each warrior attempts to go one-on-one with the Centaurian enforcer Motaro, and Shao Kahn himself.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), DOS, PlayStation, Sega Master System/Mark III, Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, R-Zone
Developer: Midway Manufacturing
Publisher: Playtronic
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action
Series: Mortal Kombat

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

62/100

from 235 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Master System Details ↓	1996	$79	$177	—	Medium (look-alike)
Sega Genesis Details ↓	1995	$11	$25	$268	Low

The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($11).

Also released on: Arcade · Super Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · DOS · PlayStation · Sega Master System/Mark III · Game Boy · Sega Game Gear · R-Zone. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

$79

Complete

$177

few sales

Sealed

—

How often it sells

Loose: about 2 times a year
Complete: about once a year
Sealed: about once a year

Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $3.00 in Jul 2009, $68 five years ago, and $79 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2010	$3.00	—
Jan 2011	$50	—
Jan 2012	$70	—
Jan 2013	$70	—
Jan 2014	$37	$115
Jan 2015	$13.50	$12.99
Jan 2016	$100	$12.99
Jan 2017	$90	$12.99
Jan 2018	$66	$111
Jan 2019	$66	$124
Jan 2020	$55	$114
Jan 2021	$67	$114
Jan 2022	$69	$178
Jan 2023	$88	$179
Jan 2024	$87	$159
Jan 2025	$87	$150
Jan 2026	$87	$179
Oct 2026	$79	$177

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date
Brazil	1996

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: BR
Released: 1996
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereMedium look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The Sega Master System version

A Brazil-only Tec Toy conversion of the fighter, nearly identical to the Game Gear version, with blood added.

Mortal Kombat 3 on the Master System was developed by Software Creations and published by Tec Toy, released only in Brazil in 1996. It is nearly identical to the Game Gear version, with the addition of blood and a wider view of the stage and fighters.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · Game Boy · Genesis · Super NES · MS-DOS · PlayStation · Windows · Game Gear · R-Zone

Arcade

Midway

Arcade. The arcade game added a 10-symbol Ultimate Kombat Kode, entered on the continue screen, which unlocked a robotic Smoke.

Before you buy

This is a Brazilian Tec Toy cart, so expect to buy through Brazilian sellers or importers. It sits around the middle of the Brazil-only carts for price. It is a Med-tier cart, so ask for a photo of the board before paying. Make sure the manual is included on a complete copy.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$11

Complete

$25

Sealed

$268

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$20	$40	$203

How often it sells

Loose: about 3 times a week
Complete: about 3 times a week
Sealed: about 5 times a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $1.75 in Jan 2007, $10.00 five years ago, and $11.00 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2007	$1.75	—
Jan 2008	$3.50	—
Jan 2009	$4.15	—
Jan 2010	$3.46	—
Jan 2011	$2.20	—
Jan 2012	$5.54	—
Jan 2013	$3.84	—
Jan 2014	$5.25	$14.81
Jan 2015	$6.11	$13.97
Jan 2016	$7.56	$13.97
Jan 2017	$7.25	$13.13
Jan 2018	$6.58	$12.30
Jan 2019	$6.50	$14.29
Jan 2020	$7.56	$14.89
Jan 2021	$11.99	$16.65
Jan 2022	$9.97	$25
Jan 2023	$7.78	$20
Jan 2024	$10.04	$27
Jan 2025	$9.99	$23
Jan 2026	$8.05	$28
Oct 2026	$11.00	$25

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode
North America	13 October 1995	T-97116	031719209446
Europe / PAL	20 October 1995	—	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1995
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The Sega Genesis version

A solid, widely owned Genesis port of the arcade fighter that is cheap in the US and noticeably dearer in Europe.

This is the Genesis version of Mortal Kombat 3, the 1995 Midway arcade fighter in which Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm after resurrecting his bride Sindel. Sculptured Software is credited as developer, and Williams Entertainment published it in North America. It was released with the Super NES and Game Boy versions on "Mortal Friday", 13 October 1995, in North America, with Europe following on 20 October 1995.

Williams reported combined first-weekend sales of 250,000 copies for the Super NES and Genesis versions. The Mega Drive version is also said to have become the best-selling Mega Drive game in Brazil. A Next Generation critic reviewing the Genesis version remarked that the game actually looks better on a last-generation console. In 1996 GamesMaster ranked the Mega Drive version as the best game for the system.

What the press said at the time

“intense as the PlayStation or Arcade versions of the game (and the Genesis version is even a little bit more washed out).”
— Game Informer, October 1995

“Outstanding! AII the little features that make MK3 such a great game in the arcades háve been squeezed into the Megadrive version. This is the beat-’em-up of beat-’em-ups as far as the Megadrive is concerned.”
— Sega Pro, July 1996

“Overall, the game is superb in every way. Mortal Kombat 3 proves that the humble 16-bit Megadrive can still pack 'em in when it wants to”
— Sega Pro, October 1996

Also on other platforms

Master System · Arcade · Game Boy · Super NES · MS-DOS · PlayStation · Windows · Game Gear · R-Zone

Before you buy

Among US carts it sits below the middle, so it is an easy cart to buy. The European cart usually costs more than the US one, both loose and complete. Sega Retro lists it as using the six-button pad and as working with XBAND. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.