In 1992, games like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap pushed the envelope when it came to advancing graphic and technical capabilities... and catching the attention of the federal government. Washington officials cited these two games as the most offending examples of violence and questionable material available to youngsters at the time via electronic games. As a result, Senators Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl called on game industry officals to come up with a ratings system for all games. The industry responded with the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Since its inception in 1994, the ESRB has been widely praised by Washington - and Senator Lieberman - as the most comprehensive ratings system amongst all entertainment mediums.

No other game can claim that it created such controversy that it lead to the creation of a ratings board. Icons looks at the beginnings and future of the Mortal Kombat series and takes a look at how one game changed the gaming industry forever by adding just a little blood to the genre.