Mortal Kombat behind-the-scenes video shows the birth of Scorpion's iconic "get over here"

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"You know what would be a cool ass move?"

Mortal Kombat 11
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon has revealed the behind-the-scenes video of a truly historic moment in video game history: the conception of Scorpion's classic "get over here!" spear move.

The prolific Mortal Kombat series' undeniable mascot is the undead ninja Scorpion, and his long-reaching Spear move - and its accompanying catchphrase - is one of the most iconic moments in gaming. And now, thanks to a two-minute clip shared by series creator Ed Boon to celebrate Mortal Kombat's upcoming 30th anniversary, we get to see how it came to life. Check it out:

In a reply thread, Boon gives some useful context as to what's being discussed in the above video, which includes a conversation between Boon and co-creator John Tobias. At one point, you can clearly hear Boon ask rhetorically, "You know what would be a cool ass move?", and it's just really cool to witness the very germ of what would eventually become such A Thing. 

You even get to see the moment Boon and Tobias decide to give the move its pullback effect that almost always leads the attacker into an uppercut. Boon further explains that the performing actor needed to keep their movements simple so as to minimize frames for 1991 hardware constraints, and you can see Boon and Tobias ask the actor to reposition the spear throw to chest height so that ducking opponents could dodge it.

As we inch closer to Mortal Kombat's big birthday next year, Boon says he's hoping to release more "fly on the wall" videos from the series' history, and like, yes. Please do.

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.