Old schoolers, what do you think of the demo?

i know to buffer its just a lot harder. any1 know if using one jump kick or the other, lk or rk, makes it easier to do jump kin kick combos like the sai or spear
 
As far as presentation wise, MK 2011 is by far the best looking MK game ever. As far as the fastest, I think MK3 is a tad bit faster than this. Although, I only played the new MK for two sessions consisting of 15 minutes each. So I cant really say much. I didnt really have an opportunity to go too deep in exploring the different combos. But I will say this about the game, there is ALOT of depth as far as combos goes for each character.
A joystick would be perfect for this game.
 
I ADMIT! I'm an old school MK2 fan, still playing it today and didn't play much MK after UMK3.
I was kinda hoping to get some sort of MK2 with more and cooler moves, more free combo opportunities, new features and the same feeling when it comes to the moves/special moves and button layout.

Son, I am kinda disappoint... not totally, but still I was expecting more joy out of the demo.
I also agree with many of you guys' concerns.


I understand it's a demo... but here I go:

Things that I didn't like:

- Pressing a kick button to do a special move involving the hands of the character makes NO sense.
- Button layout is not like classic MK2... QQ
- The announcer voice... ...
- The extremely long vulnerability window/pause of some moves makes you feel like you're losing control and slows down gameplay.
- Some character art images are kinda out of proportions and look too cartoony to take seriously
- Empty black backgrounds during fatalities doesn't look too good.
- X-rays are too easy/too simple to use versus the damage they inflict.
- The voice acting is kinda good, but falls into over acting too often which make the game sound b-serie bad.
- The announcer voice... REALLY!
- Low music and atmospheric sounds
- The repetitive character intros/win
- Some classic combos don't work (some that feel like they should like Scorpion's jump kick, spear)
- I know it's details, but the delay is too long after the announcer says FIGHT, and the time you can actually move your character. Just irritating. There are many little occasions when they could've made the game more fluid like that.

Finally, looking at a fight is not as fun/impressive as it could be: some moves are too slow, there are many pauses in animations that slow down the rate of the fight, some moves are unimpressive or the response after the hit is not as gratifying as it should be. When I send someone in the air, I should be able to jump right at him without much delay, because I see an opportunity to inflict more damage, but it's not the case most of the time because of the pause after many moves. I found myself having more fun with J. Cage because his moves pack a punch, are direct and predictable and the enemy flies all over the place! :)

Anyways, like I said, I was expecting a more classic feeling to the game, and it's the main issue for a huge MK2 fan like me. I totally understand they couldn't just make a MK2 3D HD, but I do feel like most of the issues mentioned above would've made for a better MK experience.
 
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just random bullet point thought.

Roundhouse? u can haz? ive accidently done it with sub zero but its definitely not a normal back and kick anymore.

Sub zeros ground freeze. pointless. animation ungodly slow.

i agree on the cartoony look for some. mileena could look a lot more serious.

its def. going to take some getting used to on the mechanics of combos and timing, and especially just the special moves. 20 years of special moves burned in your brain only to be changed on you makes you rethink combos that were as easy as breathing many moons ago.
 
I ADMIT! I'm an old school MK2 fan, still playing it today and didn't play much MK after UMK3.
I was kinda hoping to get some sort of MK2 with more and cooler moves, more free combo opportunities, new features and the same feeling when it comes to the moves/special moves and button layout.

Son, I am kinda disappoint... not totally, but still I was expecting more joy out of the demo.
I also agree with many of you guys' concerns.


I understand it's a demo... but here I go:

Things that I didn't like:

- Pressing a kick button to do a special move involving the hands of the character makes NO sense.
- Button layout is not like classic MK2... QQ
- The announcer voice... ...
- The extremely long vulnerability window/pause of some moves makes you feel like you're losing control and slows down gameplay.
- Some character art images are kinda out of proportions and look too cartoony to take seriously
- Empty black backgrounds during fatalities doesn't look too good.
- X-rays are too easy/too simple to use versus the damage they inflict.
- The voice acting is kinda good, but falls into over acting too often which make the game sound b-serie bad.
- The announcer voice... REALLY!
- Low music and atmospheric sounds
- The repetitive character intros/win
- Some classic combos don't work (some that feel like they should like Scorpion's jump kick, spear)
- I know it's details, but the delay is too long after the announcer says FIGHT, and the time you can actually move your character. Just irritating. There are many little occasions when they could've made the game more fluid like that.

Finally, looking at a fight is not as fun/impressive as it could be: some moves are too slow, there are many pauses in animations that slow down the rate of the fight, some moves are unimpressive or the response after the hit is not as gratifying as it should be. When I send someone in the air, I should be able to jump right at him without much delay, because I see an opportunity to inflict more damage, but it's not the case most of the time because of the pause after many moves. I found myself having more fun with J. Cage because his moves pack a punch, are direct and predictable and the enemy flies all over the place! :)

Anyways, like I said, I was expecting a more classic feeling to the game, and it's the main issue for a huge MK2 fan like me. I totally understand they couldn't just make a MK2 3D HD, but I do feel like most of the issues mentioned above would've made for a better MK experience.

I agree with everything you just said. I just played the demo for the first time and a lot of changes need to be made. There is too much delay after moves, especially after you sweep your opponent there is a long delay till you come out of your sweeping animation. The uppercut hit needs to sound way more painful and the opponent needs moan longer and louder. Im sure all of these issues have already been addressed and I am hoping for the best in the final version.
 
"if gave him mk9, he wouldn't know how to play. and not just that, i'm pretty sure he'd just give up after a few minutes of frustration. by contrast, if i gave him street fighter 4 and said "remember we used to play sf2 on snes?" he could instantly turn the game on, pick, ryu or ken, or blanka, or guile, or dhalsim, or zangief, etc... and potentially enjoy that experience. light punch is still light punch, medium is still medium, fierce, etc..."

I couldn't agree more.

When you establish a brand, you must try hard to keep what makes the brand unique. If it's the art style, the button layout, the super meter, the fast gameplay, the character moves associated with button combination or the way the game sounds like... YOU MUST hold on to it. It's OK to take a bite off of the competition and put it in your game, but not to the point it loses it's very nature.

The fact that there are still a ton of people still playing MK2 online just proves that the formula was dead on.

Just add some spice and the flavor of the moment to it and you got a winner! No need to try to reinvent the wheel... just make a nicer wheel that's shinier and made of aluminum and you've got a winner!

I was looking for an MK2 replacement, and MK 2011 isn't one so far.

That's the Fatality of it.
 
I have to agree with everything moonquake said. Im having lots of fun with the demo and im glad I pre ordered the te edt but hopefully the final game will impress much more. I want a BIG smile on my face like im 10 again. My biggest non gameplay concern is the sound. Starting with the announcer and wheres the commentary like....Excellent, Outstanding! The "dun dun dunnn.." fatality sound...not cool. Sfx not as cool as 2d mks. Johnny cages projectile sounds like he's launching a turd to me. Strykers grenade explosion kill...too cartoony. I like the loud cool BOOM of 2d mks. Upercuts don't feel powerful. No Ooooh....aaawwww...all those cool screams. No blood splatter effects. Just a few examples. Also, never liked the cinematic approach to fatalities, give us a retro camera option. Oh...and that liver(whatever) on pit............. April 19. Can't wait. Hopefully I'll be slapping myself for posting this.
 
"Starting with the announcer and wheres the commentary like....Excellent, Outstanding! The "dun dun dunnn.." fatality sound...not cool."
Exactly what I meant by "branding". MK is about the final boss overlooking the events of the tournament and commenting on the events of the fight. THAT'S Mortal Kombat! You hear the guy that you'll be fighting at the end all the way through the ladder. Now that's building up interest and expectations. The fatality sound also is a classic MK trademark... if it's not in the final game, well, it'll suck.

"Also, never liked the cinematic approach to fatalities, give us a retro camera option."
Somehow, to me, this is what made me dislike the fatalities in recent games...back in the days, digitized actors and non-cinematic camera fatalities added to the seriousness of the thing. It made the whole thing look like you were a spectator to a live event, instead of some orchestrated bloody execution.

"Hopefully I'll be slapping myself for posting this. "
Having 5 years of experience in the gaming industry, I unfortunately can tell you that the demo represents 95% of what the final game will be. Except for minor flaws and gameplay balance issues, the game most likely will remain the same.

I guess it'll just come down to how much you appreciate the product as it is and how far you are willing to compromise your expectations of the game that it could've been. :)
 
I have to agree with everything moonquake said. Im having lots of fun with the demo and im glad I pre ordered the te edt but hopefully the final game will impress much more. I want a BIG smile on my face like im 10 again. My biggest non gameplay concern is the sound. Starting with the announcer and wheres the commentary like....Excellent, Outstanding! The "dun dun dunnn.." fatality sound...not cool. Sfx not as cool as 2d mks. Johnny cages projectile sounds like he's launching a turd to me. Strykers grenade explosion kill...too cartoony. I like the loud cool BOOM of 2d mks. Upercuts don't feel powerful. No Ooooh....aaawwww...all those cool screams. No blood splatter effects. Just a few examples. Also, never liked the cinematic approach to fatalities, give us a retro camera option. Oh...and that liver(whatever) on pit............. April 19. Can't wait. Hopefully I'll be slapping myself for posting this.

You nailed it right on the dot, the demo was missing a ton of stuff that made this game what is used to be. No blood splatter sound effects, no oohs aahhhss after uppercuts, not commentary, long delay after certain moves, needs faster gameplay, uppercuts need to sound WAY mor powerful, needs more blood, but these are all minor issues that can be fixed if they are addressed. I NRS fixes these issues.
 
Here's my perspective. I am 29 years old and as a kid I was lucky enough to live near 10+ substantial arcades on the east coast. I grew up pumping quarters into MK, MKII and U/MK3. They were my favorite games and still are. I can remembering practicing moves on my NES controller in my room in anticipation of the next day's trip to Playland Arcade in Hampton beach. Anyway, to make a long story short, my love for those early 3 MK titles has never died and I now own all 3 dedicated arcade machines and I play them regularly. So I guess you could classify me as an oldschool MKer.

So last night I had a little MK party at the house and when the demo FIIIIIINALLY finished downlading/installing, I was amazed at what I saw. I agree that the characters are cartoony, but that doesn't bother me. (I do think subzero's fingers are way too skinny though on the VS screen) The fact that the graphics are CG doesn't bother me either. I think that the 3d fatalities are awesome! I think the combos and moves are terrific. The thing that KILLS it for me is the button layout. Now for some reason we could not re-map the controls last night. We tried our asses off but it would not stick. So I was stuck using Triangle and CIrcle as punch, etc. This was very awkward for me. It felt wrong. This was compounded by the fact that NR decided to molest some of the special moves inputs. Would it have really made the game less exciting for new players if they simply left HP, LP HK, LK alone? Was it really necessary to change this for 2011??????????????

X = back punch... ok. Sub Zero's ice ball is dwn, fwd X. Ok, just like it should be... But X is Kick??? WTF? So now what happens when I re-map the buttons in the game? When I put back pun.... FUKC it, WHEN I PUT LOW PUNCH where it belongs WHAT HAPPENS TO SUB ZERO'S ICE BALL????

WHY oh why did NR spend so much time making this masterpiece of a game in which so many aspects were kept intact from the past and then FUKC IT UP with arbitrary control changes?????? How are the new controls that we all have to reprogram ourselvs to learn better for the game than the traditional controls that everybody loves? Weren't they trying to bring back the old feel of the "good" mk games?????

They did succeed in many ways, I must admit. The pit music was a reengineered version of the MK1 pit music. Brilliant! The Screaming Forest music was as well. Sure both tunes were barely audible, but I'm sure that'll get worked out. Dan "Toasty" Forden is there! Goro, the stages, the old cast, the old storyline... It's all there, fine and dandy. SO WHY MAKE THESE STUPID CHANGES????????

... and yes the announcer voice is crap. Get Steve Ritchie in here asap.
... oh and the X-ray moves take waaaaayyyy too long. Talk about ruining the momentum of the fight. Sure they are cool the 1st 2 times but then I was tapping buttons in hopes to skip the animation.

my $0.02
Alf
 
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I love the demo and am around MK from early 90's!!

The combos are off course very different from MK3 or UMK3 but when you link a combo with some special (enhanced) move and an X-Ray, it's really satisfying.

Can't wait for the retail version!
 
I agree with all you said, Alf. lol, Sub's fingers on the VS screen... I did notice it too. I mean my GF has bigger hands than that! It's details, but it shows that those who made the VS screen images are definitely not pros, which is surprising for a title like MK.

About you trying to remap buttons, it's stupid, but once you have changed, say, Preset 1 in the options, you must press [] at the character select screen to select Preset 1, it's DEFAULT by default.

I also agree about getting so many cool retro things back to MK, but leaving some more obvious ones in the dust. Why? lol
 
I'm an old school MK freak here and I tell you what, this new MK is kicking my ass. I totally kicked ass in MK 2 & 3, but I'm trying to get use to the whole different layout. Overall it looks freaken awsome and it's just gonna take a lot of practice to nail down combos and etc. It will take me sometime down the road to get it down because of my busy time in college. So by the time I reach my goal, everyone will pretty much here will be pros. The only difference is that this time in MK they are not using real people, but everything will work out for me as getting use to the cartoonish characters. If the demo was great, I can't even imagine how the game will be like once it's done and ready to be released.
 
Another thing that needs to be improved is the blood, it needs to look more stringy and not so computer like, real blood squirts out in strings like syrup not like water.
 
Ok so a good friend of mine brought his PS3 over last night and I was able to get some one on one time with the game, so here are my thoughts.

-Its definately fast. The fastest mk? Not really sure. Its a toss up. I thought MK4 was pretty fast. But this game runs so smooth. But I have a feeling when you take this game online, the lag is gonna KILL this game. UGH!!!!
-Like I said in a previous post, its definately the best looking MK so far.
-Yes the controls are different and new, blah blah blah. But change is goooooooood! I dont think they wouldve been doing themselves any favors if they made another MK2 game.
-The announcers voice- I'm to wrapped up in the action to even care about it anymore.
-The dun dun dunnnnnnn: I hope this doesnt make it in the final version.

The more I play the more I like it. And like someone else said, When you pull off some of these crazy combos it is definately satisfying. Especially the Xray move.
 
i might cancel my preorder. i realized i dont have enought time in my grown up life anymore to really practice (which you have to do after reprogramming the way you fight compared to mk1/2/3) to get good and not get your ass handed to you by 16 year olds on the internet who werent even born when mk2 came out (which would be demoralizing to me lol). decisions decisions...
 
Please mk take out that horrendous fatality tun "dun dun dun" dam its so freaking corny it makes me wanna puke. Not to mention the fatlity music is so cheesy i wanna cringe when i here that crap. Take it out please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I was kinda hoping to get some sort of MK2 with more and cooler moves, more free combo opportunities, new features and the same feeling when it comes to the moves/special moves and button layout.
There's one of your problems right there. If you want MK2, go play MK2. I do, all the time.

I understand it's a demo... but here I go:

- Pressing a kick button to do a special move involving the hands of the character makes NO sense.
But you get used to that in fewer than 2 matches.
- Button layout is not like classic MK2... QQ
Are you kidding me with this?
- The announcer voice... ...
100% Agreed. Give me Kahn any day.
- The extremely long vulnerability window/pause of some moves makes you feel like you're losing control and slows down gameplay.
These are exactly the sort of things that can be fixed with NRS' remote balance patch system they've talked out.
- Some character art images are kinda out of proportions and look too cartoony to take seriously
I for one have never taken MK seriously, and this game is much more MK2 than MK3 in artstyle. That's already more serious than half the series
- Empty black backgrounds during fatalities doesn't look too good.
I disagree. It draws attention to what matters and keeps the eye on the prize.
- X-rays are too easy/too simple to use versus the damage they inflict.
Again, X-ray damage can be fixed with NRS' remote balance patching
- The voice acting is kinda good, but falls into over acting too often which make the game sound b-serie bad.
B-movie bad is GOOD bad. But I agree, it could use some work.
- Low music and atmospheric sounds
Nitpicking.
- The repetitive character intros/win
I could swear I've seen multiple intros/outros in videos. I think they left them out of the demo. Plus you can skip them. Anyway old school MK that you love so much didn't have any intros.
- Some classic combos don't work (some that feel like they should like Scorpion's jump kick, spear)
Again? You've gotta be joking. THIS IS A NEW GAME WITH NEW COMBOS. Dammit it would be no fun at all if I were just playing MK2 with a new coat of paint. The fun is in the experience.
- I know it's details, but the delay is too long after the announcer says FIGHT, and the time you can actually move your character. Just irritating. There are many little occasions when they could've made the game more fluid like that.
I agree also. Not sure if this is tweakable like damage/attack speed though.

I found myself having more fun with J. Cage because his moves pack a punch, are direct and predictable and the enemy flies all over the place! :)
And you're totally within your rights to like Johnny best. I'm sure some characters will feel more to your liking, remember this is only a demo. And things are tweakable.

Anyways, like I said, I was expecting a more classic feeling to the game, and it's the main issue for a huge MK2 fan like me. I totally understand they couldn't just make a MK2 3D HD, but I do feel like most of the issues mentioned above would've made for a better MK experience.
I've got no idea why you were expecting a 'classic feel'. Nobody ever said this was a rehash of MK1-3. It's its own game with its own features, which I personally think make it a better fighter than MK1-3. And what's more, most of your comments were not specifically "take it back to old-school" a lot of them were minor complaints that only make sense in the context of THIS game.

change is good...just not with brands.

This game may sell well, but it will do nothing to help the mk brand going forward.

What's bringing the brand forward is that this is a properly budgeted redefinition of the MK brand, bringing it on-par with the rest of the fighting game population. There's always something to be said for doing more of the same but better. And, in fact, this game is doing more of the OLD same not the NEW same, but better.

i have a cousin--casual gamer--and he and I used to play mk2 and mk3 all the time in the arcade. he quit going to arcades to play mk around 97 like i did, but when i bought trilogy we had a great time playing that. since then, he hasn't played mk at all. if gave him mk9, he wouldn't know how to play. and not just that, i'm pretty sure he'd just give up after a few minutes of frustration. by contrast, if i gave him street fighter 4 and said "remember we used to play sf2 on snes?" he could instantly turn the game on, pick....... and potentially enjoy that experience. light punch is still light punch, medium is still medium, fierce, etc...

........the...the monstrous idiocy of this boggles me. But let me elaborate. Street Fighter is a stale, rehashed, over-done piece of crap that lost its luster with SF3. SF is stagnant, never-changing. I don't want to replay (and re-purchase) the same game 7 times. I like change, especially when the end-result is as excellent as what we've gotten here. If I could actually jump in and play exactly like I used to, #1 I'd lose, but #2 I'd be BORED. This game has delivered with content in every way imaginable. Large roster, tons of extras, hidden crap, krypt, challenge tower, the list goes on.

If your friends are really that shallow, and get frustrated that easily, then I bet the only game they'll EVER play is SF. Because it sounds to me like you and your friends just can't adapt. Besides, if you ever played SF2 in arcades I have serious doubts about the casual nature of your cousin's gaming. Every single fighter behaves differently. SF doesn't feel like MvC which doesn't feel like Tekken which doesn't feel like Guilty Gear which doesn't feel like Soul Calibur which doesn't feel like MORTAL KOMBAT. Relearn characters you want to. Find ones you like now that you didn't before. Get used to the combo system. PLAY THE GAME YOU'VE GOT.


fans of the original mk keep saying what they want, and NRS keeps ignoring them. hell, i have friends who are former fans, who don't even follow mk anymore, and whenever i bring up mk they say "does it have the real people?" i say, no it's 3d models like every other game, and they say "why'd they do that?" lol.

Once again, you have REALLY crappy friends.

i've asked before, what unique gameplay element does mk9 offer that would have been severely lessened by a return to digitization? i want someone to name something. one thing.

You wanna know why? Because HD frame-by-frame digitized pictures take up HUGE file space. All of the effects and movements would look like cardboard cutouts. And you certainly couldn't mix that with 3D backgrounds, you'd have to go back to artwork and pictures. Technology hasn't caught up with that kind of game in HD. Whereas before, everything was low-res so it was easy to make it all fit together. But now, everything is HD and has to appear so, but current tech isn't advanced enough to do that convincingly. It would look terrible I'm telling you. Plus, with the filesizes, it's impossible to boot.

i'm done whining about the animations or the movements. whatever. seems like most people enjoy them. i just think mk has lost all of its creative direction and they're just grasping at anything at this point to try to soak up some of that capcom 2d revival cash. shallow money grab courtesy of mr. boon.

If this is a shallow attempt, I'd love to see a real one.

anyway, enjoy online lag, and the 10 seconds of stance change taunting or teabagging that's sure to come once the fatalities get stale (mk2 has a 5 sec fatality clock btw), the level is huge so it's a turtle's paradise, every move is telegraphed. it seems like no move in this game is under 5 frame startup. jab pressure is dead (again, turtle's say thank you). scorpion's teleport always finds his opponent (too easy), the bounce punch is slow and predictable and takes too long to get into the right spot, button layout...yeah, and it's slow. sorry dcp, i disagree bro.

You sound like you just can't adapt to a fighting engine you're not used to. Sour grapes all around. Try working with the system instead of lamenting what it's not. Every last one of those complaints is pure preference, nothing wrong with them on their face. NRS has already said that they want to appeal to a less hardcore player base with this, and me being utterly terrible at 2D fighters I couldn't be happier. You sir, are in the definite minority.

people forget that john tobias pretty much crafted this entire universe. he's responsible for the look of the iconic costumes, the deadpool, the living forest, etc...i feel like the franchise lost something very special when that man either quit or was forced out of midway.
This I'll agree with 100%. Tobias was the soul of the artwork and story. Just look at how fabulous MKM was , barring gameplay...which was sub-par.

wake me whenever MKHD surfaces.
I'd rather not.

My comments/rebuttals have been placed in bold italics into the quotes above. But really, fans like you are an endless reminder why dev teams don't listen to the fans.

So far, the only 'problem' I've found with the game is that their link combos use the same input system as the other 3D MKs did. Which is to say, you don't push the button when the attack comes out, you push it all in sequence long before the moves appear on-screen. 'Buffer combos' if you will. It makes the timing difficult to grasp, intuitively. But I can get used to it. Because I adapt.
 
i might cancel my preorder. i realized i dont have enought time in my grown up life anymore to really practice (which you have to do after reprogramming the way you fight compared to mk1/2/3) to get good and not get your ass handed to you by 16 year olds on the internet who werent even born when mk2 came out (which would be demoralizing to me lol). decisions decisions...

Thats kinda pathetic dude. Adaptation is good for you, you'll never grow as a human being if you just stay in your comfort zone. It's time to shake things UP!

So far, the only 'problem' I've found with the game is that their link combos use the same input system as the other 3D MKs did. Which is to say, you don't push the button when the attack comes out, you push it all in sequence long before the moves appear on-screen. 'Buffer combos' if you will. It makes the timing difficult to grasp, intuitively. But I can get used to it. Because I adapt.

OHHH that's very helpful. I was treating the cancels like Capcom style and was having trouble getting combos to come out consistently. I'll try approaching it with Namco style, see if that helps.
 
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