Throwback Thursday: The Mortal Kombat “Toasty” Guy (VIDEO)
In between the fighting and fatalities, Mortal Kombat is famously packed with an assortment easter eggs, many of which are fairly simple and a few that are as beloved as they are bizarre. One of the franchise’s most enduring inclusions has been what fans have dubbed the “Toasty Guy,” a man that pops into the lower corner of the screen and comedically wails the word “Toasty!”
The seemingly-random easter egg has delighted fans across several games in the series, originating in Mortal Kombat II and returning in subsequent installments all the way through to Mortal Kombat X. Though his exact presentation always slightly differs, the Toasty Guy usually appears in-game following an especially top-tier uppercut, but also in audible form as part of Scorpion’s famously fiery Fatality.
Those aware of Mortal Kombat’s behind-the-scenes personnel will likely recognize the Toasty Guy as Dan Forden, a long-time sound designer for the series. While his spontaneous exclamation had become almost synonymous with the series, the exact reasoning behind the phrase was widely left a mystery among fans. However, the origins of “Toasty” are probably more relatable than one might expect.
Back in the days before the MK series took off, Forden would regularly find himself engaged in competition with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, the arcade football games High Impact and Super High Impact the particular subject of their rivalry. During especially competitive moments of play, Forden recalled throwing down playful taunts that his opponent was “toast,” eventually leading his escalating proclamation of “Toasty!” to make it into Mortal Kombat II.
I’d say something like ‘You’re toast!’, which turned into ‘I predict Toasty!’, delivered in high operatic falsetto. Another developer there, George Petro, suggested we put some of our silly taunts into our games as Easter Eggs. Ed decided to go ahead and try it in Mortal Kombat II, so we did, and the rest is history… or something…”
“Toasty” originating as a fun mode of talking trash isn’t exactly a surprising notion, especially for a series such as Mortal Kombat. Much about the games, from their brutally-difficult boss characters to the over-the-top delivery of Fatalities, were all created with the idea of bragging rights in mind. Just like the philosophy behind the titular tournament itself: to the victor goes the spoils and a big ol’ Toasty to the rest.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the Toasty Guy, or were you one of the many who thought he was saying “Whoopsie” all this time? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! Also, be on the lookout for the next Throwback Thursday where we’ll highlight yet another piece of trivia from gaming past. For entries from previous weeks, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
