I've tried many ways to entice my non-fighting game friends to fighting games with me, whether it be Tekken or Street Fighter. They just can't take the time to learn the mechanics and get the 'feel' of fighting games and they just scoot their asses off to DOTA and some other lame online game shit. (It's the online games I hate, not DOTA. Who hates DOTA?) Until now.
Mortal Kombat 9 is the reboot of the MK franchise. It was released around April 2011 and it was developed by NetherRealm Studios. The storyline is set directly after MK: Armageddon but the timeline shifts and the game focuses on the earliest period in the Mortal Kombat series (MK1 through MK3) as Raiden tries to undo the mistakes of his future self.
What really caught my friends attention is that it was MORTAL KOMBAT. Mortal Kombat is easily remembered among them because back then, we had a Piso Coin Arcade Machine (the ones which house an SNES inside) at the local sari-sari store and it attracted them because they were familiar with the characters and the moves. Mortal Kombat always had a certain charm because it was not cartoony like Street Fighter or Blazblue, not over the top like the Marvel Series and not as serious as Tekken. In the world of fighting games, Mortal Kombat had defined it's own genre by using excessive gore and guts. This edition is no exception.
The next thing that got them hooked was the gameplay and control system of the new MK. Mortal Kombat makes a return to the 2D fighting system like it was before but this time, instead of sprites, they used 3D models and effects, kind of like Street Fighter 4 to a certain degree. The controls also have been tweaked the right way so that the veterans wouldn't have to adjust much and newbies can easily learn. The four attack buttons now represent the limbs of your fighter, kind of like the Tekken control scheme. There's also one button for throws and another button for blocking. There's also a Change Stance button which still mystifies me because it seems to have no useful purpose. There's also a Tag button but it's only available in Tag Mode.The new control system is very much loved by my friends. In a way, it's very reminiscent of UMK3. Many of the commands for moves have been simplified. You still need quick reflexes to enter in the commands at the right time, but with less effort on remembering what's next. The feel of MK9 did take some getting used to because the animation is less fluid. Some of my friend's combos didn't string together, others just drop because they didn't understand the timing yet. Most of my younger friends started complaining because they're not used to it but now,they're one of the deadliest to face. This also made the game popular in our area, because the younger crowd is starting to dominate and the veterans are noticing. Competition juices and fighting spirits are making a comeback!
I'd also like to mention that NetherRealm made good decisions to add new things and bring back old, effective features before. The addition of X-rays and Super Meters to the MK verse was very welcomed by my veteran friends as that was new. For the new ones, the Fatalities are always a treat for them. The Combo Breaker is the most loved by both sides, though. It's usually the determining factor of a win or lose in any MK Fight.
Overall, I thank NetherRealm for bringing back MK and making it good. We recently had our first tournament, all thanks to MK's tweaked system. Plus, no other fighting game lets you cut your opponents' bodies in half with a freakin hat. You can't find that anywhere else.
Peace Out!
-Chady
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