Disclaimer: I love fighting games in general. Tekken, Guilty Gear, and SF are the most high level fighting games I've been playing since 2 decades ago. I'm not elite, but I'm not noob either. I consider my skill somewhere average to above-average. I love MK1 to UMK3 but always considered it as a party type of game. MK9 is the greatest fanservice NRS have for us MK fans. While MK9's gameplay direction is closing the gap with the current high-level fighting games I've stated above, there are still few changes and enhancements that need to be considered. Here are the ff.:
#1 ABILITY TO DELAY EACH ATTACK ON 3-HIT COMBO STRING
MK9 is still a dial-a-3-hit-kombo-and-forget. One good thing about Tekken is that while you're executing your combo you're anticipating whether he'll block low or high and you'll be able to react and change the rest of the combo quickly from there. Unfortunately, you can't do this in MK9. Let's see one example, Noob's combo:
#2 B~B, (release B), 4 SHOULDN'T EXECUTE CYRAX'S SPECIAL MOVE
In general fighting games, the notion plus (+) and comma (,) denotes pressing simultaneously and pressing sequentially respectively and the results are different. In MK9 however, it produces same result. The problem starts to annoy using some characters such as Cyrax. There are times I want to do his combo 3, 3, 4 instantly right after dashing back (B~B) but instead he performs his Net special move. Let's compare the ff.:
NOTE: (~) means Press the buttons fast sequentially.
#3 SPECIAL MOVE SHOULDN'T BE PERFORMED WHEN PRESSING FACE BUTTON (1, 2, 3, or 4) FIRST BEFORE THE D-PAD/STICK MOTION
Let's see Sub-Zero's Ice Ball (D, F+3) case:
Let's see one example, Ermac's Force Ball (D, B+2) special move:
#4 SPECIAL MOVE SHOULDN'T BE PERFORMED WHEN RELEASING FACE BUTTON (1, 2, 3, or 4) AT THE END OF COMMAND
Let's use Sub-Zero's Ice Ball special move again on this case:
I still have some few more but don't have much time. I'll post more as soon as I can. Let's help NRS team to make MK9 a better game than already it is by providing feedback.
#1 ABILITY TO DELAY EACH ATTACK ON 3-HIT COMBO STRING
MK9 is still a dial-a-3-hit-kombo-and-forget. One good thing about Tekken is that while you're executing your combo you're anticipating whether he'll block low or high and you'll be able to react and change the rest of the combo quickly from there. Unfortunately, you can't do this in MK9. Let's see one example, Noob's combo:
B+1, 2, 1, 4 -> The 3rd attack hits mid, hitting an opponent blocking low.
B+1, 2, F+4 -> The 3rd attack hits low, hitting an opponent blocking high.
We can easily pre-buffer that in MK9 and see the result but we cannot delay each attack in the string the moment the attack connects to react opponent's defense. If that were like Tekken, you can press the button up to 2 and follow by either 1 or F+4 depending on whether he blocked your 2 with high or low. This is what makes Tekken a very competitive fighting game. While dial-a-kombo style is good for casual gamers, this should also be added for more higher level of gameplay.
#2 B~B, (release B), 4 SHOULDN'T EXECUTE CYRAX'S SPECIAL MOVE
In general fighting games, the notion plus (+) and comma (,) denotes pressing simultaneously and pressing sequentially respectively and the results are different. In MK9 however, it produces same result. The problem starts to annoy using some characters such as Cyrax. There are times I want to do his combo 3, 3, 4 instantly right after dashing back (B~B) but instead he performs his Net special move. Let's compare the ff.:
NOTE: (~) means Press the buttons fast sequentially.
Fighting games in general
B~B~3, 3, 4 -> Shouldn't perform Net special move *CORRECT*
B~B+3, 3, 4 -> Should perform Net special move *CORRECT*
MK9
B~B~3, 3, 4 -> Performs Net special move *WRONG* (Shouldn't perform Net special move)
B~B+3, 3, 4 -> Should perform Net special move *CORRECT*
#3 SPECIAL MOVE SHOULDN'T BE PERFORMED WHEN PRESSING FACE BUTTON (1, 2, 3, or 4) FIRST BEFORE THE D-PAD/STICK MOTION
Let's see Sub-Zero's Ice Ball (D, F+3) case:
3+D, F -> Notice how 3 is moved from the end position to start position of the command string.
You'll see Sub-Zero performs that special move. It shouldn't be that way since it has disadvantages (see below).
Let's see one example, Ermac's Force Ball (D, B+2) special move:
Jump Kick toward enemy with 4 then perform Force Ball (D, B+2)
(move summary: 4, D, B+2)
You'll see how Ermac performs Force Port (D, B+4) instead of Force Ball (D, B+2) since 4, D, B has been pre-buffered and prioritized than D, B+2.
Try doing that 10 times and tell me out of 10, how many times it resulted to what combo you have intended to do?
#4 SPECIAL MOVE SHOULDN'T BE PERFORMED WHEN RELEASING FACE BUTTON (1, 2, 3, or 4) AT THE END OF COMMAND
Let's use Sub-Zero's Ice Ball special move again on this case:
Press and hold 3 (1 or more seconds) then perform D, F, (release 3)
You'll see how Sub-Zero performs that special move. That move isn't possible on other high-level fighting games so that kinda weird for MK9.
I still have some few more but don't have much time. I'll post more as soon as I can. Let's help NRS team to make MK9 a better game than already it is by providing feedback.
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