Board 8 > Why is Mortal Kombat so popular?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have always found the MK games to be boring and overrated. They are glorified button mashers with seemingly little thought put into the fighting scheme or the character personalities. I can see why games like Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter and Super Smash Bros are popular, but MK has me stumped.

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That level of violence was absolutely obscene in early 90s gaming. It was damn near mesmerizing.

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I can understand the first one being kind of a novelty, but how has the franchise survived with its umpteen sequels?

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Fatalities and such.

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IIRC, MK enjoyed its greatest popularity (by leaps and bounds) between 1993-1995, when the first two games hit consoles and the movie came out. I think it was basically surviving on the hardcore remnants of that initial huge fanbase for years. Up until the recent retooling of the series, hardly anyone cared about it for like ten years.

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I had a pretty lengthy debate about half a year ago.

I can see why people like out as entertainment but to say the MK games have actual good gameplay is pretty silly.

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~LtM
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yeah I mean I know fighting games are kinda like the red headed step child of video games, but you can find good quality out there. Soul Calibur games have a level of depth and gameplay that make any MK game look like ET. I can see an 11 year old kid being mesmerized by MK, but I dont see how it has survived in the mainstream so long.

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You're a really bad user

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_foolmo_
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MK9 is a very, very good fighting game.

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The actual gameplay of most MK games is terrible, but the series has more of a mythos than any other fighting game I can think of. MK3 was also a ton of fun even if broken as all hell.

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I haven't played The Wind Waker-LinkMarioSamus

ITT MK9 does not exist

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Mortal Kombat has the luxury of being there "first." It was one of the first games to be as controversial as it was. It's the same reason Final Fantasy still sells even though the games aren't actually good anymore.

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Also, this whole topic is confusing I wouldn't even know where to start!

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The person who made this topic made me feel old.

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Final Fantasy was a Dragon Warrior clone though.

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I haven't played The Wind Waker-LinkMarioSamus

Blulum posted...
Final Fantasy was a Dragon Warrior clone though.

Dragon Warrior was never really popular here. Final Fantasy is what ended up taking off. It's hard to kill off something popular.

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Wasn't it based on D&D?

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Blulum posted...
Final Fantasy was a Dragon Warrior clone though.

Hey, the information in your sig is not true at all.

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Currently Playing - StarCraft
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Hey, the information in your sig is not true at all.

You did in fact post it, however.

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I haven't played The Wind Waker-LinkMarioSamus

When Mortal Kombat came out, it had a unique visual and style, with its digitized sprites and BLOOD. Now, if you actually go back and watch some early MK1 videos, the amount of blood compared to almost any M-rated game nowadays is actually quite laughable, but this is 1992 we're talking about it! The gameplay itself doesn't have a lot of depth; almost all the characters had the same normal moves, speed, height, jump distances, etc. Which also means it was very accessible to the casual arcade goer to just pick their favorite character and go at it. So accessibly + fun, never seen before aesthetic + controversy/aka free marketing = popular title.

The next two sequels did improve upon the gameplay, making it faster and smoother, giving characters individuals chain combos, run buttons, interactive stages, and improved animation. The game's unique "Big Trouble in Little China" crossed with popular Western mythology still gave it a unique atmosphere and character design, and the game's humor picked up as well(although some feel went a bit too far with all the Friendships and Babalities). Of all the pre-MK9 games, UMK3 was commonly held as the best, and was played at tournaments for quite awhile.

After that...it gets pretty shady. BUT, MK9 came out and apparently the gameplay has improved quite a bit(although I haven't played it myself), almost every gamer in the 18-25 range has a nostalgic enjoyment for Mortal Kombat(nostalgia has a funny way of remembering the good parts and not the not-so-great gameplay parts), and it still carries the same appeal it always does: cartoony, accessible violence with fun characters and unique atmosphere and art direction.

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i bet some of you never pulled off a fatality in the old games

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Fatalities

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Though personally I always liked Friendship best.

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Chant the name of BlAcK TuRtLe, winner of the 2010 Guru Challenge!
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Blulum posted...
Hey, the information in your sig is not true at all.

You did in fact post it, however.

I haven't played it in over two years, but that isn't quite the same!

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Currently Playing - StarCraft
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Mortal Kombat (along with Street Fighter 2) is one of the games responsible for the Arcade Revival. It became one of those games people dumped quarters into because of one thing, fatalities. Once it was ported to genesis it basically became one of the first game that your mom didn't want you to own. (along with Doom)

The series as a whole is popular, at least the name is. But a lot of casual fans of the game are 16biters or newer MK9 converts.

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Chrono1219

Guys.

MK9 is awesome.

Have none of you played it?

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ND

virtua fighter is not popular

sadly

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From: Sir Cobain | #027
virtua fighter is not popular

sadly

I feel your pain.

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wow, obvious trolls abound...I havent played the newest MK, but I cant imagine it being good after playing practically every other one.

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It's seriously quite good and is miles better than all the previous entries in the series.

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ND

virtua fighter is actually a quality fighting title...mortal kombat (all the ones I have played) games are mindless button mashers with no depth.

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From: Andel | #029
wow, obvious trolls abound...I havent played the newest MK, but I cant imagine it being good after playing practically every other one.

You have absolutely no idea.

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From: Andel | #109
wow, obvious trolls abound...I havent played the newest MK, but I cant imagine it being good after playing practically every other one.

Are you LinkMarioSamus?

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Chrono1219

haha who is link mario samus? I have alts, but sadly Socrates was lost to cold storage and none of the others frequent this board. why would you assume that?

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Linkmariosamus is infamous for having opinions on games he's never actually played before.

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Chrono1219

From: Andel | Posted: 7/16/2011 2:22:57 PM | #029
wow, obvious trolls abound...I havent played the newest MK, but I cant imagine it being good after playing practically every other one.

you are absolutely 100% clueless

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So...how does that comparison equate? If you dont know me you could probably find out I have been a B8er since the inception of the board in one form or another...

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...

I'm unsure what that has to do with anything.

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Chrono1219

Clueless about?

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From: Andel | Posted: 7/16/2011 2:34:25 PM | #039
Clueless about?

MK9

it's a really good fighting game

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close your account

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ExTha
Proposition hatred, phosphorous in riverbeds. Billion dollars spilled to fill esophogas with cigarettes.

I never said I had an opinion about that game...dont really see how it is a negative to dislike the series when the 5 or 6 games I have played are awful though. That said I may gamefly it but I wont have high expectations.

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MK9 is vastly different than the rest of the series, and a solid fighting game with great mechanics and a nice competitive community.

That said they have ALL been fun fighters more or less - stupid, but fun. It's the same reason that, say, Mario Kart has so much popularity; I don't think anyone is going to argue that the game is deep or anything, but it's a blast to play.

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Fresh from my first justified ban. Ever!

get off your high horse....see, same effect. I dont take commands well...

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agreeing with extha for once

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ND

From: Andel | #202
I never said I had an opinion about that game...dont really see how it is a negative to dislike the series when the 5 or 6 games I have played are awful though. That said I may gamefly it but I wont have high expectations.

Fair enough.

but you can't go calling other people trolls when they are actually you know... more informed on the subject then you.

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Chrono1219

From: Andel | #001
I can see why games like Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter and Super Smash Bros are popular, but MK has me stumped.

What?

The troll comment was meant for the message deleted by the mod...as it was an obvious troll attempt.

and extha is entitled to his opinion, but it will accomplish nothing...

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well...virtua fighter 4 was popular :-(. shame the series lost its luster...

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From: GranzonEx | #047
What?

It's more funny that his conception of good fighting games is Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter, and Super Smash Bros.

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Falcon Punch
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