Mortal Kombat arcade has a secret menu no one discovered for 24 years

Twenty-four years ago, a company called Midway Games released Mortal Kombat. You might've heard about it. What you might not have heard about was its secret menu, which has gone widely unknown until this year. The "EJB Menu" - EJB are creator Ed Boon's initials - is known to work on arcade versions of Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Mortal Kombat 3, with each version containing a treasury of hidden options.

Think of the EJB Menu as a debug option, but with some added flair. Input the proper sequence of buttons on Mortal Kombat or Mortal Kombat 2 and you'll be able to not only run diagnostic tests, but view character endings and enter your initials on the leaderboard without having to, y'know, actually earn first place. You can also see Boon's personal shout-out list, which begins with "Mom." D'awww.

The Mortal Kombat 3 cabinet is the game with the best EJB Menu, though. Alongside the aforementioned features, it also has the option of showing every Fatality and unlocking every character. There's even a Galaga-style mini-game!

If you want to learn how to access the EJB Menu, watch the YourMKArcadeSource's video above. Then put your newfound knowledge to good use and impress your friends next time you go to the barcade. Don't worry, I won't tell.

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.