Mortal Kombat 9

[Weekend_Warrior]

So far I'm really enjoying it. I just discovered a secret fight with Noob Saibot that took me by total surprise. Then I also learned that there are some stages (like the Courtyard) where you can fight at different times - night or day. So that's pretty cool.

The only thing that I don't like is how Liu Kang's "Flying Kick" is mapped to what is essentially the High Punch button, and his "Low Fireball" is mapped to High Kick. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Also, Sub-Zero's "Ice Ball/Freeze" is mapped to the High Kick button? Stupid

All the other characters that I've tried so far DO have all their special moves mapped correctly. So I'm kinda left scratching my head how they managed to screw those up.

[SplashChick]

So far I'm really enjoying it. I just discovered a secret fight with Noob Saibot that took me by total surprise. Then I also learned that there are some stages (like the Courtyard) where you can fight at different times - night or day. So that's pretty cool.

The only thing that I don't like is how Liu Kang's "Flying Kick" is mapped to what is essentially the High Punch button, and his "Low Fireball" is mapped to High Kick. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Also, Sub-Zero's "Ice Ball/Freeze" is mapped to the High Kick button? Stupid

All the other characters that I've tried so far DO have all their special moves mapped correctly. So I'm kinda left scratching my head how they managed to screw those up.

Does it really matter what button they chose? This game uses different buttons anyways.

[Ivo]

Does it really matter what button they chose? This game uses different buttons anyways.

I would say that it matters, particularly considering those two moves have been in Mk1 and 2 (and presumably every other MK game as they are pretty much signature moves of the respective characters, both of which are pretty iconic and have the most appearances in MK games as far as I know). The flying kick was Forward Forward High Kick and the Ice ball move used to be Down Forward Low punch.

I don't know enough about MK9's button set up, but if it still has a dedicated High Kick button and a dedicated Low Punch button, I don't see how it would not have been a better design decision to use those respectively - particularly considering the "nostalgia" factor that they seem to be going for with MK9.

Ivo.

[SplashChick]

Does it really matter what button they chose? This game uses different buttons anyways.

I would say that it matters, particularly considering those two moves have been in Mk1 and 2 (and presumably every other MK game as they are pretty much signature moves of the respective characters, both of which are pretty iconic and have the most appearances in MK games as far as I know). The flying kick was Forward Forward High Kick and the Ice ball move used to be Down Forward Low punch.

I don't know enough about MK9's button set up, but if it still has a dedicated High Kick button and a dedicated Low Punch button, I don't see how it would not have been a better design decision to use those respectively - particularly considering the "nostalgia" factor that they seem to be going for with MK9.

Ivo.

It doesn't use those anymore, no.

[Ivo]

It doesn't use those anymore, no.

Indeed it doesn't, I checked however that there are still two dedicated punch buttons and two dedicated kick buttons - so I still think freeze should get one of the punch buttons and flying kick in particular should get one of the kick buttons. But at least it is not as bad as it would have been had it been the classic control scheme.

Possibly the control change to Forward and Back comes from a previous 3D Mortal Kombat, and if so perhaps the design decision to associate a punch with LK's flying kick was done then... So maybe it isn't MK9's "fault".

Ivo.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Does it really matter what button they chose? This game uses different buttons anyways.

I would say that it matters, particularly considering those two moves have been in Mk1 and 2 (and presumably every other MK game as they are pretty much signature moves of the respective characters, both of which are pretty iconic and have the most appearances in MK games as far as I know). The flying kick was Forward Forward High Kick and the Ice ball move used to be Down Forward Low punch.

I don't know enough about MK9's button set up, but if it still has a dedicated High Kick button and a dedicated Low Punch button, I don't see how it would not have been a better design decision to use those respectively - particularly considering the "nostalgia" factor that they seem to be going for with MK9.

Ivo.

It doesn't use those anymore, no.

Actually, it does. Trust me all the buttons are pretty much exactly the same as they used to be.

You just have to configure the buttons like this:
Front Punch - A (Low Punch)
Back Punch - X (High Punch)
Front Kick - Y (High Kick)
Back Kick - B (Low Kick)

It seems weird I know, but try it.

Examples of why I think this button layout works best:

A = Standard Punch for combos and juggling *Traditionally Low Punch*
Down X = Uppercut for all characters *Traditionally High Punch*
Back B = Sweep Kick for all characters *Traditionally Low Kick*

Back Back A = Scorpion's Spear *Traditionally Low Punch*
Down Back X = Scorpion's Hellfire *Essentially High Punch in MKDA*
Down Back B = Scorpion's Scissor Kick Takedown *Low Kick in MK2*
Down Forward X = Cage's Forceball *High Punch in MK2*
Back Forward B = Cage's Shadow Kick *Traditionally Low Kick*
Down Forward B = Sektor's Teleport *Low Kick in MK3*
Back Forward X - Reptile's Acid Spit *High Punch in MK2*
Back Forward X = Mileena's Sai's *High Punch in MK2*
Down Forward X = Nightwolf's Axe Swing *High Punch in UMK3*
Forward Forward B = Nightwolf's Charge Dash *Low Kick in UMK3*
Down Back A = Nightwolf's Bow/Arrow *Low Punch in UMK3*
Down Back X = Baraka's Spark Toss *High Punch in MK2*
Back Back Back A = Baraka's Shredder *Low Punch in MK2*
*While in Air* Down Y = Kung Lao's Dive Kick *High Kick in MK2*

So as you can see most of the special moves are still essentially the same as they used to be. You just have to rearrange the controls like I did. Because I can't imagine using "Back + Low Punch" to sweep - that makes absolutely no sense to me. Neither does "Down + High Kick" to uppercut. I mean, WTF?

[SplashChick]

Front =/= low and back =/= high no matter how you look at it. BTW you're not even getting a lot of those commands right.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Front =/= low and back =/= high no matter how you look at it. BTW you're not even getting a lot of those commands right.

You're wrong.

Front Punch = Low Punch
Back Punch = High Punch
Front Kick = High Kick
Back Kick = Low Kick

and...

The commands are correct according to the TRMK.org MK Guide. Trust me, the games default controls are fucked. They tried to streamline the punch and kick buttons so it's more like Street Fighter with the punch buttons on top and the kick buttons on bottom. But MK was never best played like that. That's why my layout makes more sense.

But.. changing Liu Kang's flying kick to a punch button, his fireball to a kick button.. and Sub-Zero's freeze also to a kick button still doesn't make any sense.

[SplashChick]

Have you even played this game? d+BK is not uppercut, and b+LP is not sweep. Cage's forceballs were never down forward. Sektor's teleport was never down forward. Millena's sais were a charge move, and so were Kano's. Reptile's acid was not back forward. I'm convinced you don't play these games much.

[Weekend_Warrior]

In response to SplashChick...

"Have you even played this game?" Did you even read what I posted and tried configuring the buttons like I said? I've been playing MK since 1992. HAVE YOU???

"d+BK is not uppercut" I didn't say that. I said Down X is now uppercut when you configure the buttons like I said. But on default, uppercut is set to HK when in relation to the past MK games. So by default the uppercut is set to the old High Kick button which is stupid

"Cage's forceballs were never down forward" Um, they are now?

"Sektor's teleport was never down forward" Not in MK3 but it is now

"Millena's sais were a charge move" Yes, in MK2 it was. But you held the HP button. Which is again why I say "BP is now HP"

"Reptile's acid was not back forward" Not in MK2 but it is now. Again, I was emphasizing which button was used in past MK games. But you didn't understand the point of my post.

"I'm convinced you don't play these games much" Again, I've been playing MK since 92. It's my favorite game franchise. So obviously you're the one who doesn't play these games much.

Let me just lay this out for you...

Old MK:
HP HK
BL
LP LK


Default New MK:
FP BP
BL
FK BK


So I'm saying if you change the buttons to this...

BP FK
BL
FP BK

It plays just like the old MK's with most of the characters special moves, except Liu Kang - which they totally messed up

Just try it. Play as Scorpion, Kung Lao, Cage, Sektor, Nightwolf, etc. Then if you know MK you'll see what I'm saying.