Mortal Kombat 9

[shadowgrin]

So that's how them 'pros' play MK. Keep on cheesing until you get an opening for a combo.


Looked at the other games' finals and the King of Fighters 13 match was a good watch with some come from behind wins.

The Super Street Fighter IV match was also enjoyable just for seeing Akuma being used.

I wasn't even aware that there's a Virtua Fighter 5 already.

[Andrew]

I guess so. Nevertheless, those juggle combos are impressive.

[deihatein]

That Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 finals is also good to watch and the winner goes by the name of Filipino Champ. Don't know if he's filipino though

Last year? finals was also a good one because of one comeback.

phpBB [video]

[Andrew]

Seems the next Mortal Kombat will have to wait until the next generation of consoles.

NetherRealm Studios must add significant new ideas to the next Mortal Kombat game, according to the series' longstanding creative director Ed Boon.

Boon told CVG that his Chicago studio has not yet begun work on the successor to the highly acclaimed 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, and suggested that work on the game is earmarked for next generation systems.

"Just philosophically, I don't think we could take the approach of doing the same thing but adding new characters in our next Mortal Kombat game," he said.

"We definitely want to do something new with it, we feel we have to introduce something into the mix."

I wonder what they'd actually do with it. I don't think the Shaolin Monks or MK Mythologies approach is the right way to go, but the story mode in the latest game was well done and did a pretty good job of resolving a storyline that had become a little convoluted. Since they already have multiple endings in the arcade/ladder mode, with bits and pieces becoming canon, perhaps the next game could have a story mode with some branching options instead of just being a movie with interactive fight scenes to advance to the next part of the story.

[Jeffx]

I know what I want - bring back Reiko, Frost & Tanya. Give Sub-Zero back his speed and the Ice Shower.

[Andrew]

I'm hoping they'll retcon Sub-Zero's automation into one of the cyborgs. Actually, there are a few things I'd retcon from the MK9 story, as much as I did enjoy it.

[Jeffx]

I think MK9 is more like a "What If?" storyline, Andrew.

[Andrew]

I thought it was meant to be a reboot? Of course, that doesn't mean they can't pick and choose what they make canon going forward.

It'd be pretty easy to retcon though. After all, if Raiden can send visions to his past self, all he needs to do is send back something less ambiguous than "he must win", now that armageddon has been avoided and he's not on the brink of death. That way, they'd feasibly avoid making all the mistakes they did through the MK 9 story.

[Jeffx]

The X-Ray attacks have to go. It's nothing but a cheese move for scrubs.

[Andrew]

Extremely useful against Shao Kahn, though.

[Jeffx]

It should be disabled for online play.

[Andrew]

Seems only fair.

As far as the story is concerned, I did a little reading and it seems you're right, it's kind of being treated as an alternate timeline/continuity which definitely gives them options moving forward.

[Axel The Great]

Recently bought the game (yes, I know I'm over a year late), and I love it. The challenge tower is enough to keep me entertained for a day or two. Story mode is pretty good; I like that it encourages us to master a variety of characters on the spot. Currently on the chapter with Stryker, but I already know how the whole story turns out. The fatalities are awesome; definitely the best and most gory to date. I'd rate the game a 9 out of 10.

Also, I'd like to know what everyone else's strategy is for beating Shao Kahn? I've only been able to defeat him with Smoke and that's with repeatedly jumping over him and doing a variety of combos on him and then rinsing and repeating. I also spammed the crap out of his teleport move. They made him so difficult to beat!

[Andrew]

Yeah, he's pretty cheap, even more so than in the originals. There are a few good strategy videos out there but the method I've found most effective is to get as far away as possible and spam a projectile, hit an x-ray move when you can, then repeat. He'll make it easier by taunting a whole lot. For characters like Raiden and Scorpion that also have a flying/teleport attack, you can also add that to the mix. It's cheap, but I say he brings it on himself.

[kibaxx7]

Axel, this game is still on my list! Will get it as soon as I get my paycheck

[Axel The Great]

Yeah, he's pretty cheap, even more so than in the originals. There are a few good strategy videos out there but the method I've found most effective is to get as far away as possible and spam a projectile, hit an x-ray move when you can, then repeat. He'll make it easier by taunting a whole lot. For characters like Raiden and Scorpion that also have a flying/teleport attack, you can also add that to the mix. It's cheap, but I say he brings it on himself.

Yes, his taunts are a godsend, as insulting as they may be. I also forgot to mention that I beat him with Liu Kang (switched it to beginner difficulty for that battle only ) in story mode and spammed as much fireballs as possible. He wouldn't be so cheap if it weren't for those unblockable hammers he throws, and not to mention that probably most x-rays do less than 20% damage on him. When it's Shao Kahn, I consider it okay to be as cheap as possible, since he's also really cheap himself, more so than the Shokan.

Axel, this game is still on my list! Will get it as soon as I get my paycheck

Well worth the buy.

[Andrew]

When it's Shao Kahn, I consider it okay to be as cheap as possible, since he's also really cheap himself, more so than the Shokan.

In that case, spam away!

The unblockable attacks and his temporary invincibility certainly make things exceedingly difficult when trying more legitimate methods. It's possible, a particularly skilled MK player could probably do it more often than not, but I'll readily admit that I'd much rather use the cheap tactics against a cheap (but certainly iconic) boss character.

Back in the days of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Noob Saibot was usually a good character to use as he had a very easy combo (Low Kick X4), a projectile that disabled the opponent's ability to land strikes setting up several free hits and a teleport move. Jade might've been even cheaper than Shao Kahn or Motaro in that game though. As I understand it, they forgot to change her AI from secret boss/hidden character in MK II when they put her in Trilogy, so in the CPU's hands she was ridiculously unfair and overpowered.

[Jeffx]

CPU was extremely cheap in MK Trilogy (as in every MK game). Throw a projectile at CPU Jade, she turns invincible and kills you with the 7-hitter. Of course Noob Saibot was the cheapest fighter.

[Andrew]

No question, though Jade was particularly cheap/unfair in the CPU's hands because she was still flagged as a secret/boss character when they put her in Trilogy, thus still had the extra-challenging AI. I only read about that recently, but it certainly explains why she caused such a massive spike in difficulty despite usually being one of the first few kombatants on the ladder.

[Andrew]

The Komplete Edition has been granted classification and can now be sold/imported legally in Australia. For anyone looking to pick it up, ozgameshop.com is offering both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions very cheaply. Dungeon Crawl's prices are pretty good at the moment, too.

[Andrew]

Koming to PC on July 3rd. Modding capabilities, perhaps?

[[Q]]

Mortal Kombat: NLSC edition.

FINISH HIM: Jao uppercuts Andrew's head off his body and into the spiked ceiling above. Blood spews out of his neck and his lifeless body falls to his knees, then the floor. FATALITY.

[Andrew]

I feel I should be Shao Kahn in that edition, with you guys as the various sub-bosses.

[benji]

When's the last time you've said "You. Suck." to somebody though?

Let alone invaded from the Outworld.

[Andrew]

It's on the To Do list.