Which Mortal Kombat game introduced the Run button mechanic?

Mortal Kombat 3 introduced the Run button mechanic.

The Run button let fighters sprint toward opponents, adding a new layer of speed and pressure to Mortal Kombat’s established fighting system. A run meter limited how long a character could continue running, helping prevent the mechanic from overwhelming the rest of the game.

Mortal Kombat 3 also introduced combo systems that allowed players to link attacks into longer sequences. Together, running and combos made the game feel faster and more aggressive than its predecessors.

The mechanic became an important part of Mortal Kombat 3’s identity, although later entries changed or removed it. Mortal Kombat 4 moved the series into a three-dimensional arena system, while later games experimented with other movement and combat mechanics rather than simply reproducing the original run-meter design.