Scorpion (Mortal Kombat) - Merchandise and Reception

Merchandise and Reception

A six inch figure of Scorpion in MK2011 was released by Jazwares. Two polystone statues (ten inch and 18 inch) as well as two busts (mini and 1:2 scale, including a version with lit eyes) from the same game were released by Syco Collectibles in 2011-2012. Several other figures have been also released for the earlier games.

Scorpion is often regarded to be one of the most popular and iconic characters in the Mortal Kombat franchise. In 2006, he tied with Sub-Zero at the top of Game Revolution's list of top ten "old school" Mortal Kombat characters, with both noted as the most popular characters from the franchise. In 2008, UGO.com included Scorpion among the top 11 Mortal Kombat characters, noting his signature Fatality as one of their favorites in the series. In Game Informer's 2009 list of best characters in all fighting games Scorpion was third in response of his techniques. In 2011, ScrewAttack placed Scorpion at first place on their list of top Mortal Kombat "kharacters" and complimented his iconic "Get over here!" call. In UGO Networks' 2012 list of top Mortal Kombat characters, Scorpion was ranked as second only to the series' protagonist Liu Kang.

Scorpion and Sub-Zero shared the fifth place on the top video game ninjas list by PC World in 2009. A 2011 GamesRadar article discussed their evolution across the Mortal Kombat series, citing them as its two most popular characters. In 2008, IGN mentioned that although Scorpion was initially a palette-swapped character, he "is actually a lot more complicated than these initial appearances let on." In 2009, GamePro ranked Scorpion and other ninjas from the series third in their list of the best palette-swapped video game characters, adding that Midway Games "has turned the art of making new characters from other, different-colored characters into a science." In 2011, Cheat Code Central ranked Scorpion as the third top ninja character in video games. In 2012, Complex ranked him as the fourth "most dominant" fighting game character. That same year, Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar ranked him as the seventh best fighting game character in the genre's history, stating, |Scorpion has some tough competition in the MK franchise, but none come close to the sheer coolness of his 'undead antagonist' factor. Despite the fact that he started out as a mere palette swap, Scorpion’s appeal made him a frontrunner in every major MK game to date."

In 2010, IGN listed Scorpion's fire-breathing Fatality as second-best from the series due to how the player's perception of the character changes when he removes his mask. That same year, GamesRadar included him on the list of the gaming's "most badass" scorpions, calling him "one of Mortal Kombat's most beloved characters." In 2011, IGN noted that the Fatality was not notably changed in following games as a result of how it connects with Scorpion calling it an "enduring classic." In 2012, "Scorpions Spear" was ranked by IGN as the 76th top video game weapon. Previously, the same attack had been ranked ninth on GameSpot's list of top ten fighting game special moves of all time for being the single most powerful yet balanced attack in the original game as well as for its initial shock effect value, called "the definitive Mortal Kombat move." Scorpion's phrase "Get Over Here!" was also listed in Play's joke list of ten best chat-up lines. According to PSU.com in 2011, Scorpion "has spawned one of the most iconic catchphrases in gaming history" and "remains a firm fan favorite 19 years since his debut."